thread here

Your character opens a door that should never be opened.

There were rumors. Whispers of a door that was made of forbidden magic, that one shouldn’t open unless they were looking for trouble. If you managed to find it anyway.

Still, some people thought that they’d be powerful when the found it, others were just looking for an escape.

To Jeongguk, the door spelled trouble — if the door was made of something so forbidden, it should stay hidden. But that fact didn’t stop people from talking about it or looking for it.

He lets out a sigh as he locks the doors to the bar, tucks his hands into his large hoodie and turns to head down the street. Except for a few stragglers, the streets are mostly empty with the later hour. Still, Jeongguk hurries home, not caring to be out on the streets any longer than necessary, and one never knows what lies in the shadows.

He lifts his hand to cover his mouth as he yawns, already dreading the walk ahead and hopes that it goes by quickly despite his exhaustion. If he’s lucky, he might be able to sleep a few hours before his next shift at the coffee shop. Turning another corner, he hunches further into his hoodie as a gust of wind blows past him. He frowns as a chill settles over him — it’s a little too soon for the season to be getting this cold.

The chill persists as he continues his walk home, the steps getting more difficult as exhaustion steadily settles over him. Turning the corner, another yawn escapes moments before a sudden noise sounds from his left. Jeongguk almost pauses mid step, but something urges him to keep going, a tiny alarm bell sounding in the back of his mind. He keeps his eyes trained forward, resolutely ignoring the sound despite the way the hairs on the back of his neck begin to stand and the chill seems to intensify.

A quick glance at his surroundings tells him that he has at least another fifteen minutes to get home. He gradually picks up the pace, not wanting to stay out any longer than necessary.

Another noise sounds to the left, much closer this time, followed by a strange growl. The chill that’s settled on Jeongguk intensifies, and the back of his neck prickles. He exhales as he hurries forward the alarm bells ringing louder now.

Only a few more turns and then I’ll be home.

Another sound, another growl, a slam and the lights on the left flicker out in his peripheral.

“Fuck no,” Jeongguk whispers, carefully moving into a jog.

Five more minutes. Please let me make it home.

When asked about this moment later, Jeongguk swears that the next growl sounded in his ear. It’s enough to push him into a sprint, but immediately slides to a stop when a mound of shadows rises from the ground a few steps in front of him.

“No. No no no,” Jeongguk says under his breath, glancing to his right while searching for an escape and sees an alley. He pivots to turn back the way he came, because there’s no way running down the alley will help him.

It’s then that he notices the door.

It looks like any other door, usually leading to a store, bar, or restaurant. When a growl sounds from his right and the mound of shadows begins to move towards him, Jeongguk throws all caution to the wind and races for the door.