Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Darkness surrounds her, she wasn't even sure if her eyes were open or not. She feels her eyes squeeze shut before she opened them again. She was certain her eyes were open now. Had she died in her sleep? Was this an afterlife...?

Something shifted. A sense of calm, peace. Dauvi turns around to find a light. A light so bright it almost hurt to look at, and yet she couldn't seem to pry her eyes off it. It was a  strange thing to see it in such void for it—the light was really bright but the darkness contained it more than physics should allow.

Her hand reaches out to touch the light. Pure bliss surges through her without direct contact, she felt content with just staying in this nowhere place. It felt heavenly.

She looks closer trying to see what exactly was emitting this wonderful light. She never got the chance...

If it were even possible, a pair of hands darker than the black void itself appears out of thin air. A gasp was not able to leave her throat before those hands forcefully grabbed onto the light. With a little struggle, the hands take the light—vanishing. Leaving her in the complete dark abyss.

Her chest tightens, the terrible feeling of dread surges into her blood stream as if her body was anticipating something terrible to happen. The dark was too much, she tries to breath but can't. The darkness suffocates her in the process of her panic.

 

࣪ ·⚓︎. ━━━━ .⚓︎· ࣪

 

Seonghwa walks down the familiar path, the one leading to the main village in Keikyu. He's walked this very path many times before. Except something feels... different.

He finally leaves the forest and emerges into the clear area where the main village was. Seonghwa halts in the outskirts noticing how everything appears and feels more grey in the village. And what was more strange was how quiet everything around him was, like someone hit mute on the sounds of the world.

Seonghwa walks deeper into the village where the market was. His stomach churns in shock at the sight beheld before him. Everyone's faces were sullen in, the people he once knew were almost unrecognizable.

The sullen faces had a grey tone to their skins like they had caught some sort of sickness and their face wrinkle as if they were many many years old. What was worse was that the children and babies looked like this too—in real time their faces shrivel up like something was sucking the life out of them.

Seonghwa steps in a puddle in the ground by mistake, his shoe now wet. He catches his reflection in the water, his mouth drops in horror. He too was becoming like everyone else around him. His hands shrivel before his eyes, wrinkled as if there were no muscle in them.

He tries to let out a scream but it was as if his voice was locked into his throat. Not a sound would come out.

Everything alive was shriveling like the life was leaving them. It was terrible to watch. Seonghwa closes his eyes, it was just too much—too much to watch.

 

࣪ ·⚓︎. ━━━━ .⚓︎· ࣪

 

Yeosang almost trips into the room like someone had pushed him in. His eyes take a look around the dark room, he could not shake the feeling that he shouldn't be here.

The only light coming from a hallway leading out, even so the light only reach through a tad bit passed the doorway. He turns to leave but the sound of voices stops him from doing so. Yeosang panics.

He hides next to what feels like a cabinet, back pressed against the wall. He holds his breath as they—the voices come closer, he prays they don't see him.

And they don't, walking pass him deeper into the room. Yeosang bites his lip to suppress any noise, something told him being caught by them would not end very well.

It's three tall men, speaking in a language he's never heard before. The language so unusual sounding, he wondered if they were even from earth. From what he could see, their backs were covered in black cloaks. He squints.

One of the men take something from his pocket, it was a strange cracked box with something shiney, glowing bright inside. An orb of some sorts... The glow was golden, glistening almost twinkling like a star. The man puts the orb on a little podium.

The room gets warmer, warm like a cozy warm instead of uncomfortable. It was so inviting and  sweet. The feeling got stronger.

It got so intense that Yeosang forgot he was hiding away from these people. He wanted to walk towards the light and touch it. It was drawing him in. He was about to leave the spot he was hiding in just to get a closer look—

The room suddenly lights up by the glowing liquid contained in these pipes, the liquid surges through the pipes all leading up.

Pang!

Something sharp stings inside his head as he sees this. Pain like he never felt before took hold of him in form of a headache.

The room he's in looks unreal, filled with stuff he's never seen before—stuff he didn't even know what their purpose could be. Yeosang's vision distorts, blurring his sight. He couldn't stop the choked sound that leaves his mouth at the sudden blurriness.

The cloaked figures turn to him, he couldn't make out their faces but they were definitely terrifying. The room felt like it was spinning now. Yeosang falls and hits his head, blacking out.

 

࣪ ·⚓︎. ━━━━ .⚓︎· ࣪

 

Jongho blinks. The sight puzzles him, it felt like a classroom of some sorts. A place he hasn't been to in a while...

From what he is seeing through the little window, the children—all of them were facing the front of the room. Their eyes glued emotionless to something that casts a greyish blue glow.

Curious to what had them in a trance, Jongho tries to move to get a closer look. He can't though, for some reason it was like his feet are stuck in place—like an invisible barrier was placed in the way. And from his spot, part of a wall blocks the view of what was in front.

An eerie whisper fills his ears, he doesn't know what is being said for whoever was speaking in a language he doesn't understand. The children don't move from their spots, not an inch for what seems like hours.

Then finally he sees a faint mist, all different colors come from the children's bodies. The mist flies up into the air, twisting like a tendril, it curls up into what appears to be a pipe. Jongho's lips part and his eyebrows furrow, the sight felt forbidden to see. His heart begins to pound.

As the mist goes up, the children's expressions seem to become more emotionless if that was even possible.

Jongho notices how the kids were dressed the same, in all white shirts and pants. He tries to move forward but he can't, instead he stumbles back in a dimly lit hall. There were doors going along the hall, all had the same greyish blue light emitting from the little windows.

Jongho goes down the hall quickly, looking through each window. It was the same sight in all, kids and adults alike dressed in white staring at whatever it was in the front of the room while mist leaves their bodies. The hallway takes a left turn and still the doors never seem to end as he jogs through trying to find an exit.

This door was different from the others, bigger for one. He approaches it hesitantly. He pushes it slowly, finding he can actually touch this door. It opens and he's instantly flooded with a bright white light. His vision blurs as a sharp pain enters his skull. He managed to make out, couple of figures sitting at respective desks while a giant painting fills the wall. He couldn't make out what the painting was. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was that painting— it moved.

 

࣪ ·⚓︎. ━━━━ .⚓︎· ࣪

 

Darkness, it was complete darkness. Mingi has no idea where he is, it just felt like endless void everywhere he looked.

He tries to call out but he can't even hear himself, the sound engulfed by the thick void. It presses against him, he can't even ignore it.

He doesn't know what to do, helplessness is the only way to describe what he was feeling at the moment. All he wants to do is leave this place, wherever this is.

Mingi's not even sure if he's moving or not in the endless void, it's almost impossible to tell. He feels it before he sees it, something tingles in his fingers and toes. He's not alone. A flash of something yellow, orange and red whips around—zigzaging a path through the darkness. It leaves flames in it's wake.

Mingi is confused and wary but yet he walks up to the lingering fire. It doesn't burn him, his fingers touch it. It's a steady warmth, hot—but not hot enough to harm. Curious, he steps into the flames. He begins to move, it feels like a rushing wind passed against his skin like he was on the fastest chariot.

He zooms through the fire with no effort like he was being carried along, following every zig and zag the entity makes in front of him. Before he knows it, they're met with a giant bright light. He stops in front of the wonderful... thing.

It's glow, hazy and heavenly as he basks in the light. The fire entity zips around Mingi before zooming to the light and disappearing in it.

He looks closer and realizes it's a tiny star making the light. How can such a small thing make such light? The energy shifts and he feels it. As wonderful and safe the light made him feel, he could tell the star did not feel the same. It's trembling, the star's so small you can hardly see but it indeed is trembling in fear right now.

He wants to help but he doesn't know how. He's not even sure of why the star is so scared. He wants to ask yet he knows if he tries to speak, the void around will just take the sound.

The star seems to know what he was thinking— for it passes an image in front of him, it went by as quick as it came. He can now see why the little star was so scared.

 

࣪ ·⚓︎. ━━━━ .⚓︎· ࣪

 

Wooyoung coughs, his eyes open. He takes a look around his surroundings, there was nothing—nothing but dust.

The atmosphere is thinned out like someone had sucked the sky out with a vacuum, leaving a bluish mist for the sorry excuse of a sky. The moon and stars too felt off, he can see them clearly even when it appeared to be midday.

What had happened here? Wooyoung coughs again, he takes a deep breath. He notices that it feels a little hard to breath but he ignores it for the time being.

He looks for anything that wasn't dust. He shivers a bit, it was cold as well. The sun was not in the sky, it caused him wonder if it wasn't day but rather night—even though it bright enough to be noon.

The dust on the ground kicks at his feet as he moves forward.
There was a faint smell of.. smoke, like something had been burning for a while. The more he walked, the stronger the scent became. It became so strong to the point of it stinging his nose. Yet he couldn't see any smoke—

Wooyoung blinks, seeing in the distance a small tendril of black smoke that seemed to be fading away after burning up whatever to a crisp. It was strange how he hadn't noticed it earlier... Where was he? How did he get into this nowhere land and how was he supposed to get back home? Wooyoung coughs again as he had accidentally kick a pile of dust up into the air. It took longer this time to compose himself, longer to gain the breath he needed to fill his lungs.

A thought dawns on him. What if... What if this was his home? He recalls nothing prior to just seeing the world like this, as if he had just woken up...

He sees something sparkle in the dust that catches his attention.

Wooyoung crouches down and begins to wipe the dust away with his hands. He moves the dust slowly as to not cause another cloud.

It's a star—a tiny star. Wooyoung picks it up in his hands carefully. This was the only other thing around that was not dust and ashes so he wasn't about to be careless. The star blinks, like how the stars twinkle in the air before it glows steadily. It's faint however.

Had this star fallen from the heavens? The warmth from the star made him at peace, even when he couldn't fill his lungs with enough air—he still felt no fear. He looks up to see the blue of the sky disappearing in real time, leaving a black sky littered with hundreds of stars.

If this was what the heavens were like, maybe he didn't care that his last breath was just taken. He stares at the star confused, but not a single coherent thought could form. The lightheadedness causes Wooyoung to close his eyes, the last thing he saw was the star getting brighter.

 

࣪ ·⚓︎. ━━━━ .⚓︎· ࣪

 

[present time]
The room stills in silence. It was all so much information to take in, it was only normal for the silence to take effect. It was all hard to swallow in a way, especially Jongho, Yeosang and Hongjoong's dreams.

    “I do believe it's high time to mention that during the storm, I rather caught a glimpse of it—the orange light from my dream prior to the storm passing.” Mingi reveals, quietly.

Seonghwa, Dauvi and Hongjoong took turns giving each other looks. The others caught on, San purses his lips before muttering,

    “So then... We all felt it.”

    “One cannot merely attribute these occurrences to mere chance.  It must surely be something rather more extraordinary than that.” Yunho says his taste. They nod, agreeing.

    “Pray tell, how could one even attempt to elucidate how San dream ended with how yours began in some coincidental elucidation?” Seonghwa wonders. Jongho laughs,

    “There is naught explaining anything— especially how Hongjoong dreamt of Dauvi on our crew a day before we even met her!”

The room breaks out in theories, into chaos. It intensifies in volume as their thoughts came out, frustrated in the lack of answers.

    “Guys should we be scared?” Mingi worries out loud in the cloud of chaos.

    “Everyone, pray we all calm down?” Hongjoong grabs their attention, “as much as I do not like this, let us go over what we know.”

Starting with the dreams they had, each dream had in common either it felt as if something terrible had or something terrible will happen, they dream those dreams again last night except they all felt 10 times worse than the first time around, three mysterious paintings of their crew appear in random places as if they—the paintings knew they would be there, one of those said paintings seemingly predicted the future. And lastly, Santiris... Whoever this woman may be, they must stay on their toes.

    “Even with all we have it still makes not sense,” Wooyoung complains.

    “One feels that's we've neglected the fact that this debacle commenced upon our closer findings of the vicinity of Azula did it not?” Yeosang reminds them.

    “You guys don't propose Azula may be cursed do you...?” Mingi asks, his eyes wide.

They all ignore him.

    “We should best get back to finding it then, no?” Yunho strategies. Hongjoong nods.

    “I suppose that would be best. However on top of that, we should train due to the fact we know not exactly what or who's on Azula. I rather not to risk any chances...”

There was no debate on that, it made sense. After that the meeting concluded with that they had to get straight to work—everyone begin to slowly file out of Hongjoong's bedroom. Yunho and Dauvi plan to walk back to the Tatiny to retrieve the map.

    “Dauvi, wait up!” Wooyoung stops her.

    “What's up, Woo?”

    “I was just merely curious about something.” A smirk plays on his lips as he fists his hands in his pockets. “I saw your bag in Hongjoong's chamber.”

Dauvi flushes, she hadn't expected anyone to notice.

    “Ah... That.”

    “Did you guys sleep together?!”

    “Hush!! Keep your voice down!” Dauvi whines, grabbing onto his arm.

    “How scandalous~” Still he teases. Dauvi hits shoulder but he only smirks wider.

    “Captain is clearly besotted with you, Dove, allowing you to share his bed is an unmistakable sign of his affinity for you.” A choked sound leaves her lips at that.

    “It is not like that! He just offered me a place to sleep when it was late and I wasn't assigned a spot.” She sighs, pressing her hands on her flushed cheeks. Wooyoung raised a brow skeptically. “Really! Nothing of any other sort happened.”

Wooyoung presses his lips in disappointment. He exhales through his nose. “Aw.”

Dauvi shakes her head incredulous by how fast his mood changed. She sighs.

    “Yunho and I are going to the Tatiny to retrieve the map. Want to come with?”

    “Please. I overheard San talking with Hongjoong his training plans... I definitely don't want to linger around for that.” Wooyoung makes a face.

Dauvi chuckles and they head outside where Yunho was waiting for her.

    “Wooyoung will be accompanying us. He doesn't want to be anywhere near when San finishes that training plan.”

Yunho chuckles and they track the same path they took yesterday.

    “I daresay, Yunho were you aware of the rather intriguing doings of the previous evening?” Wooyoung has both Dauvi and Yunho's attention now. The smirk should have warned Dauvi of his next words, Wooyoung whispers rather loudly, “Dauvi and Hongjoong shared quarters.”

    “Wooyoung no!” Dauvi hisses in embarrassment, face lighting on fire once again. Yunho looks at Dauvi in amused disbelief, he's not sure if he was hearing this right.

    “Wait what?”

    “It's true,” he says. Then he adds with a disappointed tone, “Unfortunately they did only sleeping though.”

Dauvi pauses in her steps almost tripping, letting out a choked gasp.

    “Jung fucking Wooyoung!!” She hits him once again while he cackles, trying to dodge her attacks.

Yunho does nothing to stop the girl from attacking the younger. He just laughs waiting for them to finish their little squabble. If anything he was quite surprise by the use of her swearing. The duo ran around Yunho, Wooyoung trying to escape Dauvi's never ending swats.

Eventually Yunho did tear them apart—something he should have done earlier, being the eldest of the two after all—and eventually they made it to the Tatiny, after Wooyoung apologized and promised not to bring it up again.

It took roughly 15 minutes to reach the cove where the Tatiny was hidden away. In the deep waters, there she floats proud and patiently waiting for their next departure. Unfortunately for the departure part that day didn't seem to be coming anytime soon. If only they could figure out where the hell Azula was.

The smell of sea was prominent even so that they were in fresh water. The storm had left it's scent lingering still, reminding of what event they overcame.

The cove whispers with the sound of water. Wooyoung and Dauvi wait on deck as Yunho goes below to retrieve the map.

    “The water looks rather refreshing right now.” Wooyoung comments.

Dauvi hums in agreement, it was a deep teal color that reflects the shimmering sun above.

    “Care to take a quick swim?”

Yunho emerges from down below with a couple things in a satchel, it had not taken him long to retrieve the items.

    “A swim right now?” Dauvi questions. But what about their tasks? It was evident on her face.

    “You guys are going for a swim without me?” The pout and puppy eyes Yunho pulls at the thought of them leaving him out of their mischief was devestating. How could they?

    “I have not even agreed—— How could you even think to go swimming right now?” She turns to Wooyoung. The man sighs dramatically.

    “Come on Dove, don't be such a killjoy!”

    “But what about Azula, about training? ” Dauvi ever so responsible counters.

    “Forget training for now! If the chance our dreams—visions are really telling of the future and foreboding the impending doom that may upon us, do you really want to die without taking a swim?” Dauvi makes a face, grimacing at his words. Wooyoung turns to the eldest. “Yunho, you're not against taking a swim?”

Yunho replies with a shake of his head.

    “See? The morning's still young and besides we won't be long.”

    “...if that is what you say.” Dauvi caves in.

 

That's how she ended up standing at the edge of the bank, barefoot in the sand. The two boys don't seem to notice her nervous look, too busy splashing one another. The modesty in her makes her want to shy away. Still hardly use to the sight of the men lacking of clothing articles.

She dips her toes in water only to jump back with a squeek. That seemed to get their attention.

    “Aren't you going come in?” Yunho asks her.

    “It is cold!”

Wooyoung smacks his teeth at her response. He makes his way towards the bank.

    “Just ease yourself in slowly. You'll get used to the temperature in no time.” Yunho tries to encourage her.

    “Okay. I'll just—wo-ah!” Wooyoung picks her up and starts running deep into the water before he drops her right in.

Her senses were only of water for the time being. Dauvi comes up, gasping for air.

    “See? Wasn't that hard.”

    “It's so cold!” Dauvi can't help but giggle. She splashes Wooyoung in retaliation. “You are terrible.”

 

⪩⪨

 

With all the swimming and splash wars, they may have lost track of time and stayed for an hour longer than meant to. They hurry to change and sprint back to the manor.

When the trio emerges from the green, they were met with Hongjoong leaving through the back door. He was just on his way to find out what was taking them so long. He takes note of their wet hair and thrill flushed faces.

Hongjoong crosses his arms, almost like a father disappointed in his children. The trio slow when they get nearer, assessing the situation.

    “Delighted you all had a jolly good time.” His tone said otherwise.

    “We just got... distracted.” Dauvi says quietly

    “Well we have not time for any distractions!” They didn't argue with him because he was right.

    “Yes captain.”

And he opens the door for them, ushering them inside.

Dauvi and Yunho part with Wooyoung as they go down the hall. The study, on one wall of the square room is a bookshelf that went from the floor to the ceiling. A large desk at the end of the room and on its opposite is a small sofa. A large map covers the last wall, it has red pins and thread markings.

    “I see they haven't taken down my previous work.” Yunho notes.

Dauvi looks at the map as he said this. He begins taking down the pins.

    “We need a blank slate.” So Dauvi helps him to take down the pins and threads. Once they had a clean map they went straight to work.

 

They read the writings on the map over and over again—that feeling that there was clearly a missing piece was strong each time yet whatever was missing felt so far away. They look at the maps and read her book, the piles of parchment grew in the hours as they bounced back possible locations of where Azula could be. When they thought they were on to something, it turned out being a dead end.

Hongjoong came in to try and help even if this wasn't his exact expertise. They gladly welcomed him, another brain could help the speed up the process no? Well they were totally wrong. The dead ends just kept going and going. They were so tranced in finding any sort of clue, they hardly noticed the time go by.

A knock at the door sounds before it creaks open.

    “Are you all still at it?” It's Juhan. She surveys the room promptly when no answer came. “You lot hardly even touched your lunch I gave you hours ago. Supper was called out almost two hours ago.”

    “Already?” Dauvi finally looks up from the piece of paper she's writing on.

    “Yes! Now go eat, I won't take no or later as an answer.” For a 17 year old, she was almost as bossy as Wooyoung when it comes to making sure they ate well.

With some reluctance they leave the study and head over to the kitchen. It appears that everyone else has retired for the night, well except for Yeosang who was most likely waiting for Yunho. He was still in the kitchen. Their supper goes by fast but it was refreshing. They finish their supper and thank Juhan for the meal.

    “Tell me not, you guys are going back to the study aren't you?” Guilty as charged. “What is so of importantance that you need to finish it tonight? Would not it be better if you get some rest and start with a fresh head?”

They looked at each other, Hongjoong sighs.

    “Maybe Juhan is right, we've been staring at the maps too long it's starting to blur.”

    “We do also need to walk back home as well... Let's call it a night then, yeah?” Yunho says.

Dauvi and Hongjoong bid Yunho and Yeosang goodnight as they walk out the front door into the dark Ryeongan night.

    “Will you accompany me in my chamber again?” Hongjoong teases her when they're alone. Dauvi bites her lip to keep the surprised sound from leaving. She blinks slowly before responding.

    “Only if you allow..?”

He definitely wasn't expecting that. A smile settles on his lips, pleasantly surprised.
His heart races a little.

    “Well then let us go.”

 

Now they are freshly changed into their nightwear, tonight almost resembling last night except it was less awkward—more comforting even when they lay in complete silence.

In the back of her mind—like a dull ache in chest, she is a little afraid to fall asleep. Afraid once she lets herself go unconscious she'd be met with the same choking suffocating fate like last night.

He must have noticed the change in her.

    “Hey, are you alright dove?” His voice gently bringing her from her thoughts. She swallows.

    “...hardly,” Dauvi answers truthfully.

    “Want to talk about it?” He offers.

    “The thought of falling asleep is making me quite uneasing.” She leaves it at that

He nods in understanding, remembering how she described near the end of her dream she felt like she was suffocating. A small frown places onto his lips. He just wanted to protect her even in her dreams... He offers his hand out. She looks at it slightly confused.

    “You can hold my hand until you fall sleep, just a little reminder that I'm here.”

Her lips part for a moment before her face melts into a smile. She takes hold of his hand, his fingers were warm—comforting and safe.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

    “It's time to wake up, Joong—!”

Dauvi blinks sleepily, her hand still in Hongjoong's—she's disoriented.

    “and Dauvi?” She could hear the furrow of his eyebrows.

She's fully awake now seeing San at the side of the bed with a candle. Dauvi lets go of Hongjoong's hand and covers her face. Hongjoong sits up.

    “I— um have not a clue on what I walked into ——But it is time to get up!” San says.

The sun wasn't even up yet...

    “What are you even dong here at this ungodly hour?” Hongjoong's too tired to even feel embarrassed about this. He rubs his eyes sleepily.

    “We have training to do remember?” San reminds. Hongjoong groans.

    “Right.”

San's not sure if he should say something about it or not, but his curiosity gets the best of him.

    “So like are you guys courting—?”

    “Just get out, San.”

    “Yeah, I'll do that.”

San leaves, the warm light leaving with him. Surrounded by darkness again, Dauvi removes her hands from her face. Hongjoong sighs.

    “That is my fault. I left our training schedule up to him.”

Dauvi sits up and stretches her arms. She slept really well last night so she wasn't annoyed by the fact she was woken up so early.

    “Will you be joining the morning session?” He asks her.

She notices how his sleepy voice was a little raspy, she exhales through her nose before answering.

    “Of course, I'm already up so I might as well.”

 

San's training turned out to be more brutal than she expected. He targeted on the crew's weaknesses; for Dauvi that was close combat. She was pretty good with a bow and alright with a blade but having to be close and use her hands is her disadvantage.

The sun still had yet to make it's appearance so the flames from the lamp made it seem almost cultish as they trained. San instructed a group to do 100 pushups. Dauvi was glad she wasn't part of that group.

Ignoring the chaos and whines of protest around her, she focuses on San who could pounce at her any moment. He stalks her menacingly. She sees him move but she couldn't react in time—in a swift movement he knocks off her feet. She lands on her ass in the sand pit with an "oomf".

He gives her a hand and she takes it, his grip warm.

    “Come on, Dove, you can do better than this.”
She sighs through her nose. He pats her shoulders. “Focus on me, observe and anticipate my next move.”

He takes a couple steps back and rolls his shoulders back. Dauvi takes a breath, watching his every move. The sun peaks from the top of the trees, the sky littered with stars turns from black to a lighter purple.

He flinches causing Dauvi to hold her arms out to block whatever attack. He gives a teasing smile, retreating back. Dauvi scrunches her nose up in annoyance, her narrowed eyes blink at him.

This time she blocks his first attack with her arm, she notices his stance and dodges the next attack. She makes a move but he's quicker—he catches her fist mid swing. He tilts his head, San's nods at her quick improvement.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

And it became routine; every morning starts at dawn with training, the rest of the afternoon spent looking for clues or some sort of hint on how to find Azula.

It became like an obsession trying to crack this mystery, putting anything as a clue. Crumpled sheets of paper cluttered the room with every dead end, the wall map covered in new pins everyday, and frustrated sighs expressed—all of that tied into this new routine. After that they'd fit regular human duties and necessities somewhere in there, woven through the breaks.

Even with this new chaos, her nights end in something calm, comforting.

In the course of a few weeks Dauvi hadn't bothered finding a new place to sleep and Hongjoong never kicked her out but rather welcomed her as a roommate of some sorts. A new level of trust built between them—a softness that everyone noticed but never chose to say anything. They never said anything to each other either, just relished in this new normal. 6 months had past since they arrived in Ryeongko, today wasn't any different.

Dauvi woke up a little bit before dawn despite going to sleep late the night before. She hardly even remembered falling asleep last night.

Dauvi sits up in the semi darkness. Her stiring causes Hongjoong to wake up too even though she tried her best not to.

    “Is it time already to get up?” He asks, eyes still closed. She smiles fondly, not even noticing the curve in her lips.

    “About so. Good morning.”

He makes a noise, before rolling to his back now looking at her. “Morning.”

Dauvi hums as a train of thought passes, Hongjoong raises a brow.

    “I.. I have an inkling today will be different.” He gives her a look with his sleepy brown eyes. She adds with a shrug, a different smile on her lips now, “woman's intuition.”

 

They started their day with training like every other. Dauvi had gotten better in the days of their training. She kept up well with San, anticipating his attacks before he had the chance to move. Today Dauvi even manages to knock San down.

Dauvi pants hard, her arm rests on San's chest. San lets out a laugh before sitting up. He holds both hands up and gives her a double high five. Dauvi smiles, finally feeling a sense of accomplishment.

    “You did absolutely splendid!”

The sun shines it's morning rays over the group. A flock of birds fly overhead in triangle formation.

Dauvi chooses to stay on the ground a little longer for a small break. Bumjoong emerges from the manor and walks over to the group of pirates with an amused look at their training.

He goes over to his younger brother and says something Dauvi didn't quite catch. Hongjoong purses his lips at whatever was said before going over to San and informing him of what was said. San seems to dismiss him and then Hongjoong proceeds to follow his brother back into the manor.

    “Okay everyone back to your training.” San says in a loud voice to the crew who were curiously staring at the manor wondering what that was about. “In a line, please.”

Dauvi gets up from the ground and goes to join the others at San's request. Her head turns back to the manor for a split second, wondering how long Hongjoong would be.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

Hongjoong doesn't return back to training after that. Where Hongjoong and Bumjoong went, they took horses to get there. It was about three hours after training concluded.

Dauvi sits on the bed finishing up writing in her journal when Hongjoong comes in.

    “You're back.” She closes the book with soft hands. A hint of excitement leaks in her voice.

    “Yeah, took longer than I anticipated,” Hongjoong replies. He puts in his hands in the pockets of the coat—the same dark coat he wore on the day of the heist.

His eyebrows furrow as he digs through the left pocket. He pulls out some thick paper wrapped with twine puzzled. After a small beat he remembers that he took this while he fleeing the banquet. Dauvi notices.

    “What do you have there?” She asks, curious by his expression.

    “Not sure. I stole it from the banquet.” He says casually. She only hums.

He takes the twine off and flips it open. It was a letter written in clean hand writing. Just a singular sentence written on it.

    “What's the matter?” She couldn't help but ask after the sudden change in his face.

    “It's nothing wrong... I'm just wondering why such a message like this would be hidden behind a painting.” He gives her the paper and her eyes fall onto the text, in clean script it reads:
“The melody of your childhoods.”

And that is all.

    “Perhaps it's just the title of the painting? Did you happen to see it?”

    “Not really, we were rushing out when it suddenly snapped off the wall... It was a painting of a ship and that's really all I got to see.” He explains to her.

She didn't want to jump to conclusions but that was too suspiciously random.

    “The only painting there that was by Santiris conveniently falls in front of you dropping a conspicuous piece of parchment.” Dauvi wonders skeptically. She looks at message again. “"The melody of your childhoods"... childhoods. Why plural.”

She sighs and presses her lips together, “maybe I'm thinking too much on this—”

    “You have every right to question especially after everything going on.” He reassures her. “—Right I almost forgot why I came in here. Yunho's was wondering where you were.”

    “Eep! I lost track of time.” After training she told Yunho she was going to meet him an in hour but it has been well over.

Dauvi gets up and puts her journal in her bag before walking out, Hongjoong on her heels. They meet Yunho in the study. The room was filled with small stacks of paper on the desk, crumpled paper on the floor and thread basically everywhere.

    “We really should clean up this mess... Sorry I lost track of time, Yun.” Dauvi apologizes. Yunho's long frame lies on the sofa with a book in his hand. He sits up.

    “'Tis not a problem. I was reading anyway.”

    “I was thinking.. how about we start with a blank slate again. Disregard everything we've known for now and attempt looking in a different perspective?” Dauvi asks the two men in the room with her.

    “Hey, I'm more than willing to partake in anything at this juncture, given that we've devoted far too considerable an amount of time to this mystery.” Hongjoong is quick to agree. Yunho nods at his words.

    “Perhaps a new perspective may be best.”

 

They clean up their previous work, the threads and pins were taken off the map, old notes were put away for now. They begin looking at this in a different way. They start by crossing out many places they knew could not be Azula.

After that, things become frustrating again. The time passes and they threw out many different ideas and theories, anything but came up with nothing. Yet Yunho holds the map of Azula staring at it like it was going to change the longer he looked.

    “I can't stop thinking about that note you found.” Dauvi admits.

    “Neither can I. You don't suppose it's a clue? Or maybe—” promptly he pulls it's out and hands it over to the confused puppy. “—it is just the title of the painting like you proposed.”

Yunho thinks for a moment after reading the note, what was a melody of his childhood? There were many melodies in his childhood. Was there one that stood out?

His eyes catch the extra writing that was on the Azula map. The familiarity of the strange words made more sense now.

Hm.

    “Joong, what was that one sea shanty your mother use to sing to us when we were lads?”

    “There were many shanties she sang to use, Yun. You have to be more specific than that...” Hongjoong looks over to him.

Yunho holds the map out to him and points to the writing on the bottom. Hongjoong reads it for a moment, the gears in his head turning.

    “Brave to headway the cave...” He mumbles the script trying to remember. His mother sang lots of shanties, this could be any one of them.

Hongjoong begins to hum a melody unsure, and Yunho snaps his fingers.

    “I quite think that's the one!”

Dauvi raises a brow.

    “The Island of Luna sea shanty?”

    “You know it?” Yunho asks a bit surprised.

Dauvi nods. She furrows her eyebrows remembering how it starts.

    “Yer destiny's ahead, it's true what I said. Crew of destiny. I speak to ye oh verily, crew of destiny I speak to ye oh verily. Oh, my Island of Luna, vast land of Luna.” Dauvi stops unsure of what's next. Yunho now remembers the melody.

    “West shall ye go of Persauntus. Far, yes far from port Iszinias” Yunho continues, jogging Dauvi's memory. Hongjoong joins in with the singing.

    “All hands on deck, yer all to be brave, brave to headway through the cave. The figurehead shall light the way, north the ship has to sway.” Dauvi joins in after.

    “At brink of night, the nightingale cry, song of love is what yer to follow by. Star of Azul, in dark before the marrow, that's the star, yer sure to follow. the ship is all on sway, ship's on the right way.”

They softly continue the song with amused faces as they get into the chorus;

Yer destiny's ahead
It's true what I said
Crew of destiny
I speak to ye in verily
Crew of destiny
I speak to ye in verily

After repeating the chorus, they softly go to the second verse;

Azul, speak with your mouth, where might you be?
Away, to the end of the south, I am free
Here I wait patiently for thee
The Crew bound by fate
Started with just eight
Another added, as part the key
Soon they all to be
Be into a world, new world of Z
Yer Destiny's ahead

The amuse looks leave their faces in an instant, replaced with a shadow one can only describe as disturbed.

The songs ends with the chorus, holding onto the last note.

Dauvi moves quick, grabbing a piece of paper and hastily writing down the lyrics. After two minutes she finishes.

    “i daresay, I gather believe they somewhere along the way the lyrics were somewhat disarranged and I think the authentic version should indeed be 'Azula', not 'Luna'.” She looks back at them.

    “So this is the last piece we need to find Azula. I mean in the second verse, it was pretty clear that our first estimate was correct. Azula is but an uncharted island, as strange as it is it's the only thing that makes sense.” Yunho crosses his arms.

    “We can all agree to just ignore that specific part in the second verse for now?” Hongjoong eyes shift between the two. Yunho and Dauvi nod, that was a conversation left for later.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

Dauvi finally leaves the study after helping with the course estimate. She walks down the empty hallway of the manor. She wonders if she should even be surprise.

The crew of destiny in the song was obviously referring to Ateez, what else could it be? Dauvi has a hunch it was Santiris who had written the song.

Had she also placed the message behind her painting?

What did she want with them?

Questions swarm in her head like buzzing bees, she was starting to get dizzy. She needed some air.

Dauvi steps outside into the backyard. She heads on the pathway, almost getting trampled over by the teenagers running past her in a hurry.

    “Excuse us, Dauvi!” They call out to her, not stopping their pace. Where were they going in such a hurry?

She shakes her head at the kids, amused. Their giggles ring out as they zip round the house.

Dauvi decides to take a little walk, there was a pond near by and she went there a couple times before. Never alone but she was sure she could manage getting there perfectly fine.

Sure enough she finds the pond. She was excited to see the small family of ducks that inhabited the pond. The breeze stills, making it quieter than usual. Upon arriving they—the ducks were no where to be seen. A little disappointed, Dauvi takes a seat near the bank.

It was quiet, too quiet—impossible to not pay attention to the thoughts her mind. The quiet should have made her suspicious. It should have.

A sigh escapes her lips softly. Who knew her life would turn out this way? That she, Dauvi, the woman who had been dreaming to sail the seas ever since she was a girl, joined a pirate crew was on her way to find a mysterious island. Oh wait. This Santiris woman did. There seems to be no doubt that Santiris was a witch of some sorts.

A twig snaps, she turns around and takes a look. She sees nothing. She stands up either way, not having a good feeling about this.

She dusts her hands on her lap and starts walking back to the manor. She can't shake the crawling feeling that she's being watched.

Dauvi hastens her pace, if there was someone following her then she wasn't sure she'd make it back to the manor before coming across whoever was following her. She bites the inside of her cheek anxiously.

Dauvi calmly pats her pant thigh, with grimace she realizes she had left her dagger in her bag at the manor. The fear builds in her stomach, walking more briskly. She catches a flash of red between the trees on her left. What was that?? A man jumps out from behind a tree on the right.

With a struggle, Phinn overpowers her. Dauvi attempts to kick him but,

    “Ah-ah, that little trick isn't going to work here.” Phinn tightens his hold on her.

    “What are you guys doing here?”She manages to ask before he puts a rough hand around her lips, muffling any sound from coming out.

He ignores her and barks for Benny to help tie her up. With a thick piece of coir rope, they bound her wrists together. Her eyes narrow at them, a contrast to her heart which was beating at rapid speed.

Begrudgingly she follows them for they were pushing and pulling at her, leading her to God knows where—further and further away from the Kim manor.

 

࣪ ·⚓︎. ━━━━ .⚓︎· ࣪

 

The stench alone was enough for her to feel faint. The rough handling wasn't helping either. Dauvi, Phinn, plus another guy whom she knew not the name of move down below into the Viper's Fang.

The ropes on her skin were uncomfortably tight and itchy on her skin. They push her deeper into the ship's hold till they reach the far end of the small hallway. There was a door that leads into a tiny room in which they threw her in.

A muffled whimper escapes her lips at the impact of her hitting the ground. She glares at the man who threw her in. Phinn smiles wickedly and comes close to her.

    “Who could 'ave reasonably forecast such'a boon amongst our crew?” He laughs before taking a strand of her hair in his rough fingers. Dauvi jerks away, green eyes narrowing. “Oohee, how utterly fascinatin'! I'm afraid that the captain harbors a fondness towards the servitude in his enchantress. Better start educatin' on that, especially if one hopes to... shall we say, 'weather the storm' around here.”

He clicks his tongue and takes one more look at Dauvi before turning on his heel and shutting the door behind them. The lock clicks a moment later. Just fucking great.

Dauvi takes in her surroundings, the room is cramped and the wood seems to be damped. There is something slimey in the corners which she could only assume was mold mixed in with some dust. The only other things in this room with her was a bucket filled with some murky water and some old muslin that reaks.

Dauvi inhales sharply through her noses. Better wait it out a little before trying to escape.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

A couple minutes or hours—she wasn't too sure later a key enters the lock with a swift click. The door swings open almost hitting her black boots. Phinn's ugly face is revealed to her dismay but it was expected.

    “Ah you'r awake,” he states.

The cloth gagging her unable to speak, the face she makes says all she wanted to; do you really think I'd be sleeping in this place?

    “I'm assumin' you've been in better conditions 'an this, princess,” he laughs however nothing about what he says does Dauvi think is funny.

Phinn steps into the room, standing directly in front of her—not that room allows for him to really stand anywhere else—staring down with crossed arms. Whatever amusement in his voice is gone at this point.

    “Captain's waitin' for you in 'is cabin, missy.”  She rolls her eyes at him, the attitude masking the anticipating fear she feels inside her chest.

Phinn attempts to help her up but she recoils from his touch before getting up herself with no hands. He looks at her with a raised brow, rather impressed.

    “Alright 'en.”

He leads her through the dark hull until they are back up on deck. The stare of the Viper's Fang pirates made her skin crawl in both disgust and unfamiliarity. Even then she holds her chin high—even if she was the one being held prisoner at the time. 

The stale sea air welcomes her, reminding her that the Viper's Fang is docked in Ryeongko's reefs ...away from any beaches or land. The only way off was either if she steals a rowboat or if the others notice her absence at the Kim's manor. The latter seemed more probable but right now it felt like wishful thinking.
Phinn and Dauvi are stopped before they could get to where Martachi resides.

    “When Captain's completed with the scamp, convey to him that I would be delighted to have a turn, Phinny boy." A crew member who she couldn't help but think was rather hideous says. She could not believe his vulgar audacity.

    “Fuck no! I dare say it shall be I who shall have the pleasure of making acquaintance with her lovely visage, and I'm afraid none of you shall be fortunate enough to partake in the affair.” Phinn says smugly? A chorus of deep groans erupt—before they could protest, “now excuse us before Martachi has your head.”

Dauvi's hands become clammy when they stand in front of the door. Phinn gives the wood a loud knock.

A faint "come in" allows them to enter the room. Dauvi almost threw up at the stench alone, her eyes water as they land on the man who owned the room. The room was in much chaos; clothing, paper, golden coins, dirty dinner plates and contents she could not identify scatter around the tiny four walls.

    “Bring 'er over!” Martachi barks. Phinn pushes her roughly, causing Dauvi to almost trip—She catches herself luckily. “Y'know why I've brought you here?”

Dauvi blinks. There is a pause.

Martachi glares at Phinn. Phinn blinks before realizing. He quickly scrambles to remove the cloth forbidding her to speak.

    “Answer the question!” Martachi roars the second the cloth was removed. Dauvi flinches at the sudden yelling.

    “You want to bed me?” The response made sense for that's what everyone else on the ship seem to wanted.

To her surprise, Phinn laughs out loud and Martachi just stares at her. She looks back blankly.

    “Captain ain't one for beddin' women. He leave that to me.” Phinn explains, the pride dripping in his tone made has Dauvi's lips curving down.

    “Now you don't got to be sproutin' all this business here Phinn.” Blackwood glares at Phinn before he comes up closer to Dauvi. “Now you better tell the truth you little prostitute——”

    “Not a prostitute, Blackwood.”  Dauvi feels the rage begin to simmer quietly in her blood.

    “Are you suggestin' you were genuine in upon the career of piracy back in Raureyuukta?” The genuine surprise in his voice was rather insulting.

She nods and he gives her a blank look mixed with a little of disapproval. He turns his back to her before throwing his hands up.

    “What has our golden piracy gone to? A woman pirate!”
He pauses and turns back to her. “So you are certainly not gettin' bed by them scalleywags? Truly serious about bein' a pirate?”

    “I have never indulged in a romantic entanglement with anyone of them. I am a legitimate and esteemed member of the Tatiny, one of Ateez.” With a hint of an edge in her voice, she humors him trying to buy time to figure out what her next step should be.

    “How ridiculous...” Dauvi bites her lip and chooses not to react. Martachi gets close. “Did they manage to secure a map to a sort'a treasure at that banquet auction?”

Dauvi blinks, inside she's freaking out but she plays it cool.

    “Unfortunately not...” She mutters.

    “And how, do tell, I know you ain't tryin' to deceive me?” He crosses his arms.

    “...If we had a map to some treasure we would not be in Ryeongko right now don't you think?” The lie flows out of her mouth like a river. Martachi hums.

    “She makes fine point captain...”

    “Then pray tell why were you all in Haetin Nilaya?” Dauvi looks away trying to be more convincing.

    “A false lead... I am not terribly fond of discussing the matter,” she mutters quietly.

Martachi lets out a deep laugh, hands on his stomach.

    “Oh, the simply rippin' news! You've been done in by some impertinent whippersnapper, I dare say. Really, I am flabbergasted that they should make such a claim about Hongjoong being the most terror-inspirin' buccaneer on the four seas, when I, personally have never fallen victim to such'a dastardly ruse.” Dauvi tilts her head slightly.

    “...Haven't you fallen to a ruse by my fellow crew at the Goldber island?”

    “'Twas not so! They just... happen to get through quicker.” Martachi's jaw clenches.

    “Hm.”

    “I understand not why they have you aboard their ship. You are rather useless, it is pitiful.” Martachi frowns and pulls out a short blade knife.

Dauvi swallows.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

Yeosang walks into the parlor room. On the center table 3 pieces of paper rest on it. It's only 3 because one of them are in the captain's hands. Hongjoong taps his pencil on his chin, going over the lists to make sure of the items.

    “Yeosang, do kindly double check to ensure that I haven't overlooked anything, would you?” He doesn't even look up from his writing.

    “on it.”

Getting ready to set sail to a destination that was not 100% finalized was stressful. Planning how much of their necessities to bring without going over the weight the Tatiny can carry before sinking is tough when you only have a vague estimate. The sound of pencils etching on paper filled the room for the time being. Hongjoong's eyebrows furrow trying to remember the very important item that needed to be added.

    “Hongjoong?” Jiyeong's voice calls out through the hallway.

    “In the parlor!”

The young teen appears in the doorway, her black hair in two neat braids behind her ears. Her hands fold together.

    “You have a caller, Captain.”

He quirks his eyebrow, before he could ask who, the "caller" comes into view.

It's Mr. Shin, the owner of the village saloon. A very loyal man he was indeed despite his job. Him and Ateez go way back.

    “Mr. Shin! What might have occasioned your presence here today?” Hongjoong gets up to shake his hand.

    “Ah Hongjoong, thought I told you to stop with the formalities years ago!” Mr. Shin kindly nods to Yeosang, acknowledging his presence.

    “Apologizies, Hyun.” Hongjoong smiles.

    “There that's better. Anyway, the reason I've come here is because I must inform you that a rather disreputable individual did arrive at the saloon inquiring after your presence. A gentleman I had not previously encountered, his demanour is appeared somewhat dubious to put it mildy. I took the precaution of dispatching him in a most... inadvertent direction, shall we say—south of your manor. One cannot be too meticulous in these times after all.”  Hongjoong's face falls serious.

    “Could you describe this man?”

    “He had an accent, long black hair and a short beard. He was rather sunburnt too.” Mr Shin's hands speak with him.

    “Sounds like Martachi.” Yeosang frowns.

“You mean the pirate?” He asks a little concerned. Yeosang answers with a nod. Mr. Shin turns back to Hongjoong.

    “Forgive me if I'm wrong but have not you claimed Ryeongko as your territory? And should not he be staying clear of here?”

    “That is so. The reasonings of his sudden appearance could possibly be caused by our time shared in Haetin Nilaya... He believes we have taken a treasure or something from there. ...But why wait months before showing” Hongjoong speaks his thoughts out loud on the last sentence, his hand on his chin. “Please, which way did you send him?”

    “South from your manor. He'll probably arrive in Baekgil soon.” Mr. Shin replies.

    “Thank you Mr— erm Hyun for your help. We shall deal with him accordingly.”

And with that Mr. Shin leaves the manor. Hongjoong gathers up the rest of ateez with Yeosang on his heels.

    “Pray, where is Dauvi?” Hongjoong asks when he realizes she is not in the group outside.

    “The kids said she was headed towards the pond about 3 hours ago.” San speaks up.

A beat

    “Fuck.”

Hongjoong is running back inside the house in the blink of an eye. The sudden leaving had the rest confuse.

    “This.. is not good.” Yeosang says when it dawns on him. He motions them towards the house as he explains to the others about how Martachi came looking for them at the saloon.

For more context, south of the manor is exactly where the pond was located. If Martachi and his crew took the road to Baekgil and if Dauvi was still at the pond, this would turn for the worst. The others waste no time getting their weapons too.

After informing the rest of his crew of the sudden invasions, a minute later Hongjoong comes out the house with a sword scabbard on his belt. His facial expressions are almost unreadable. The rest don't keep him waiting, they're outside in two beats. Together, they head over to the pond.

The stillness of the area and no sight of their beloved crew member causes a deep worry to bloom in them—some begin to assume the worst. Hongjoong's jaw clenches.

    “I don't think they went on to Baekgil... Let us check the docks near Keikyu village.”

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

    “You ain't going to kill 'er before I have the opportunity to indulge in 'er are you?” Phinn questions worriedly. Dauvi makes a face, the urge to vomit rest in her throat like a lump. Death sounded better than whatever Phinn plans to do.

    “No I ain't gonna kill 'er, do not you see what blade I have in me hands right now?” Martachi waves the weapon dangerously close in Phinn's face.

    “Apologies.” Phinn shies away.

    “I rather not want to believe she's completely useless...” He points the blade back in her face, “you best start speaking out gal. Speak to me all you know of "your fellow pirates"”

    “...Like of their personalities?” she attempts, Dauvi was not about to tell him they had a map to the island of riches.

    “No! And why, tell me, would I need such information on that?” Blackwood crosses his arm.

    “The more familiar you are with your adversaries, the more asute you shall be in outwitting them?” It comes out like a question, they don't seem to notice.

    “Is that true?”

    “Yes. Well at the very least that's what San taught me.”

Well that wasn't exactly what he said but it works.. If she could just buy enough time, maybe there might be an opening somewhere for her to escape.

    “Alright then. Speak.”

Dauvi blinks once. She did not expect that to work.

    “Uhm... Who shall you like to begin with first?” She swallows lightly.

    “Hongjoong,” he growls.

    “Right...” She takes a second before speaking whatever comes to mind. “Hongjoong's devotion to his crew is certainly quite exemplary. One detects his good qualities for placing his crew in a position of paramount importance, despite the questionable likelihood of such an arrangement. Furthermore, he does exhibit a considerable degree of liberality, although one might venture to say that such benevolence is reserved for a select few, rather than a universal audience——”

    “How is this supposed to help one outwit another?” He interrupts with a huff, clearly not wanting to hear her basically praising Hongjoong.

    “You're witty, Blackwood. I am most positive you can figure it out~” Almost as if Wooyoung's cat like smirk possesses her, the corner of her lip curls up—almost mocking in a way. Martachi did not take lightly to this.

    “You know what! I want not to see you right now. Phinn take her back down the hull, I don't care what you do to her. I can't help but precive that she's mockin' me.”

    “But Captain Blackwood!” She feigns innocences, eyes wide. She needed to leave, like right now.

    “No, I don't want to hear it! Out of me sight!” Martachi turns his back to her.

Phinn tugs her roughly out of Blackwood's cabin. Back into the sunlight, she feels like she could actually breath now. That doesn't live for long when Phinn says,

    “Carry on and see if you shall still be showing such boorish behavior when you're dealt with by me.” His dark eyes—clouded with whatever tension of the acts he is going to commit, has her heart hammering in her chest.

Dauvi looks out to where Ryeongko sits. Would she able to swim all the way back? She'd rather be drowned by the sea than live through whatever that will go down in the hull.

    “Phinny, don't commit selfish acts and share! Dare I say she's the prettiest thing that's ever been aboard the V's Fang.” Phinn just smiles and doesn't answer.

He opens the hatch and pulls her down into the hull once again. Except this time he doesn't lead her back to the room she was in previously. He takes her to a different one.

He pushes her roughly onto the small unmade bunk. Dauvi quivers in fear, heart thumping in her throat.

    “Got no remarks now, gal?”

He leans in to kiss her while tugging at her shirt. A surge of adrenaline makes Dauvi nudge him hard in the stomach with her knee. He recoils back from the pain.

    “Do not touch me!” She yells.

    “You bitch!”

He pulls Dauvi by the hair to make her face him. He slaps her right across the cheek. Her eyes tear up at the sting, she clenches her jaw. He goes to make another move to assault her but stops as shot from a firearm sounds—they both jump at the sudden loud sound. Then the yelling begins. He backs up towards the door still facing her.

    “You— stay here.” He points his finger at her like he was telling a child not to do something. And he leaves the room in a hurry.

Dauvi doesn't waste any time, she uses her teeth to pull at her restraints. She struggles, every second it took felt like minutes going down the drain—wasted, her pulse races scared that Phinn may come back any minute now.

It took a minute but she finally manages to get herself free. Dauvi quietly slips out of the room. The commotion above is getting louder by the second. She recognizes Hongjoong's voice first. She lets out a breath she never knew she was holding.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

The bullet files across the Viper's Fang and lands somewhere in the ocean, sinking to the bottom like many lost things in the mysterious blue. They throw ropes with hooks over the ledge of the ship and start climbing up before the crew on board knew what was happening.

    “Ay! What the—!”

They had infiltrated the ship, later than they wanted but that was because they had taken a little detour... Weapons pointed to the members of the Viper's Fang has them holding their hands up in surrender, all of them back up to one end of the ship.

    “Where is she?” San bellows.

No one dared to answer.

    “We don't have time for your lollygagging games! Where the fuck is she?!” Hongjoong roars. They inch closer threateningly. Inside his head, like a broken record, "make sure she is safe" repeats over and over again—it was the only thing that was important to him as of now.

    “Your woman pirate is ours to keep.” Martachi appears from his cabin.

Hongjoong laughs humorlessly. Mingi cracks his knuckles, ready to beat anyone up that messes with Dauvi.

    “Yours to keep? In your slumber, Martachi. You cannot just kidnap her and declare suddenly she's "yours to keep"” Wooyoung frowns.

    “And why not? You lot did much the same to us.”

    “We did not steal a person from your crew, it was a fucking lifeless statue!” Yunho was about to crash out.

    “So?” Martachi tilts his head.

    “So? So?! ” Hongjoong can't believe the absurdity of it all, he begins to laugh. Seonghwa puts a hand on his shoulder.

    “Listen Martachi, we can resolve this unpleasantness forthwith, just return our friend.” Yeosang tries to reason.

    “And do tell, what do I get in return?” Martachi questions, seriously. Yeosang and Jongho roll their eyes simultaneously, Martachi catches the movement. “It's only fair!”

    “How about I propose a deal?” Hongjoong offers, a last peaceful resort...

    “A deal of?”

    “I offer you the Goldberry Eye treasure in exchange to you returning Dauvi to us safely and a promise to never set sail near Ryeongko ever again.”

    “Hongjoong!” Dauvi appears seemingly out of no where, no one had noticed her sneaking up from the hull. “You do not have to do this...”

The look of relief courses like a wave through ateez and the others at the sight of Dauvi. From what they can see, she looks fine. Well besides the disturbed look on her face.

    “How'd you get out?” Phinn inches over to her. Dauvi ignores him, moving quickly.

    “You guys got the treasure fair and square. You don't have to give it away.” She says. Martachi grabs a hold onto her arm before she could get safely over to them.

    “Now you wait just a minute, gal!”

    “Release her!”

Martachi pulls her closer to him and holds out the knife he had previously to her face.

    “Come forth any closer and I'll slash a gash deeper 'an the ocean on her pretty face.”

Dauvi squeezes her eyes shut at the threat, trying not to tear up at this moment as the blade presses onto her skin. For Dauvi's sake, they remain in their places.

    “I shall accept the arrangement, provided that you confess that you are, indeed not the most fearsome pirate captain on the four seas but that it is I who is.” Hongjoong's jaw ticks, his pride on the line here.

    “Okay whatever, I— Just please release her.” His voice sounds tired. Dauvi's eyes widen, was he really going to say such a humiliating thing out loud? For her sake?

    “Confess first!” She flinches at Blackwood's yelling.

    “I Kim Hongjoong, humbly admit to that I am not the most fearsome pirate captain on the four seas but that it is Martachi Blackwood.” Hongjoong grits his teeth, eyeing Blackwood carefully.

    “See? That surely was not too hard, after all you are admitting the truth.” Martachi mocks.

    “Let her go and you will receive the statue.” Hongjoong ignores his jests.

    “I don't trust you. We give at the same time.” The crew roll their eyes for the umpteenth time that afternoon alone.

Martachi pushes Dauvi to walk, meeting Hongjoong at the middle. He holds his hand out. Just as Hongjoong puts the statue in his hand, Martachi pushes Dauvi towards her fellow crew. Hongjoong catches her from tripping.

    “There the deal is finalized. Now get off me ship!”

 

The walk back to the Kim's manor is silent besides the sound of their footsteps crunching on the stray leaves. Heavy shadows cast by the trees and bamboo—the sun is getting lower and lower, nightfall was coming.

Subconsciously as they walk back to the manor, they formed a protective circle around Dauvi. She didn't notice, too engrossed by her thoughts. A seed of guilt blooms in her chest, had she been quicker or had she——

They reach the manor by the time it was usually deemed sunset. After checking up on her, the others went their separate ways. Only Hongjoong remains, and together they walk to their chambers. The guilt gets too much for her to keep to herself. Dauvi presses her lips together as they enter the room.

    “I sincerely apologize for the situation of today.” She looks down to her feet, Hongjoong's eyebrows furrow in concerned surprise. Dauvi continues, “had I have been more aware of my surroundings or put up a bigger fight—”

He hugs her, causing her to stop mid sentence. She looses her breath, caught very guard—he too is surprised but a hug just felt right in this moment. His touch is steady, a contrast to how her body is shaking—tears begin to fall from her eyes, rushing down as all her feelings catch up to her.

    “Dove don't b—— are you crying—? Wait no don't cry!” He panics, grabbing her shoulders causing Dauvi to look up at him.

He wipes the fallen tears from her cheeks. The face she makes at him has him wanting to squeeze something—which was strange for he never felt such an urge before.

    “Please don't cry.” He didn't like that she was crying, it tugged at his heartstrings in a way that made him want to cry.

    “I am sorry-” She begins to apologize again.

    “No. No apologies, Dauvi. You did naught wrong you hear me?” She looks down, sceptically. Gently, he gets her to look up at him. His brown eyes make eye contact with her green ones. “It is utterly not your fault. It was never your fault in the first place.”

His tone left no room for disagreement, buts or any argument of any kind. The intensity of his stare has her holding her breath.

    “Okay?” His voice soft now.

    “Okay.”

He gives her a small smile before pulling her into another hug—more for his peace of mind than anything. Too busy wondering if he could feel the ever so loud heartbeat banging in her chest, she fails to notice the racing in his.

    “You must have been utterly petrified. Rest assured, you shall never be subjected to such experience that again whilst I remain present. I shall ensure that such a calamity never befalls you, I give you my word.” Her heart squeezes, she's never heard him speak in such a soothing voice like this before. The promise made her want to shy away and flush like a fool.

Eventually, Hongjoong realizes this hug was out of character for him so he pulls away. He looks at her carefully.

    “Someone hit you didn't they?” His expression more serious now, his fingers lightly graze the now fading mark on her cheek.

    “Yes... It is but a little slap, I'm fine.” His eyes darken slightly.

    “They have done naught else to you right?” Dauvi swallows.

    “...not really. I'd... I'd rather think not of it.” She looks away.

Why had he let them off the hook like that? They had touched her, hurt her. ...And he didn't hurt them back. The violent black thoughts rage inside him like a storm. The Viper's Fang was not safe the next time they'd cross his path. He'd make sure of that.

He comes back to reality when he notices the quiver of her lip. She was clearly thinking about it.

    “Supper should be ready soon.” He says randomly after noticing the tremble in her hands. Well it was random to her. “After supper you should retire early for the night.”

    “What about our departure? We have to go over the list and—!”

    “You need rest, Dove. You are still shaken up.”

    “But——”

    “No buts. It wouldn't kill you to recover after that evidently traumatic experience.”

    “I—” Dauvi closes her mouth. There was nothing to argue. And right on time, Juhan's voice drifts through the mostly quiet house—announcing that supper was ready. Hongjoong tilts his head towards the door, his hand gestures "after you". Together, they walk to the kitchen.

 

Dauvi stares at the ceiling, she could not sleep. How could she when everytime she attempts to close her eyes she either sees Phinn or feels the knife pressed against her skin. She knew the risks of becoming a pirate, she just hadn't expected it to shaken her this much. Now she was stuck in bed—captain's orders, left alone with her ever so loud thoughts.

The door creeks open hours after supper. Hongjoong is surprised to find Dauvi still awake. She didn't seem to notice his presence, her eyes fixated on the ceiling. He climbs onto the bed next to her, his back rests against the headboard.

    “You are still awake?” His voice barely above a whisper.

    “I cannot sleep.” She shuts her eyes for a second before opening them again. She finds him staring at her, trying to gauge out her expression.

    “Still thinking about today?” Right on the money. Dauvi doesn't answer right away.

Hongjoong could only imagine what had really happened in those hours for she had kept the details really vague. Had they done something more then just slap her? He didn't want to assume the worse however her demeanor has him thinking otherwise.

    “When I shut my eyes.. it's precisely as if I find myself right back on the Viper's Fang once more in the hull alone with... with Phinn.” She inhales a shakey breath. “He made the brazen attempt to bestow upon me a kiss.”

The tears pour out her eyes again, It was so sudden this time, they were falling before she knew what was happening. As much as it pains him, he lets her cry this time—hoping that perhaps after letting it all out she'd feel better.

He holds an arm out giving her the option of a hug. She moves closer, into his arms. Her body quivers as the silent tears rush out, crying into his shoulder. He runs his fingers through her black hair softly, comforting and grounding.

The clock ticks, with every tear spilled and every soft hic coming from her lips, Hongjoong felt like someone was stabbing his heart with a lit candle.

Eventually the tears run dry and all that was left is a few shakey breaths. It is well into the night now, if anyone else was still awake earlier they had definitely gone to bed by now. Hongjoong could hardly tell if she is awake or not anymore. When he tries to move her, he's met with a short soft whimper from her.

    “Can we... remain like this a little longer? Please?” Her voice is quiet and slightly nasal after crying—she sounded almost adorable. He smiles gently. How could he deny her?

    “Aren't you sleepy?” She nods.

    “Only a tad bit.” She admits like a child not wanting to go to bed.

    “Allow us to become comfortable, and permit me to hold you just until you drift off to sleep?” He suggests.

    “Okay.”

They lie down under the blankets. Dauvi's cheek lays on his chest, his arm around her and his hand rests on her shoulder. A compromising situation it would be if caught yes, but yet.. nothing felt more safe than this.

Her head tucked underneath his chin, Dauvi falls asleep almost immediately. Her breathing is soft and even, her body warm against his. Hongjoong's eyes get heavy. He had meant to move her off of him after she had fallen asleep. He really had. But her warmth was intoxicating and her soft breaths a perfect lullaby. Before he knows it, he too difts off into slumber...

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

Over the next few days, Dauvi recovers from the kidnapping experience, their impending departure may have forced her to speed up the progress because it had everyone on their toes. She wasn't entirely fine after it but she was... functionable.

The weather turns colder too which was not necessarily ideal but they pressed pass that easily. The supply lists were soon checked off and the Tatiny was almost ready to set sail again.

Dauvi and Wooyoung were sent to the village one morning. The first thing they heard when they enter part of the village was children crying. The deeper in they went, the louder it got.

Eventually they stumbled upon the source on their way, two small children sit at presumably their doorstep, wailing like there was no tomorrow. Unfortunately if was just part of the source. Dauvi can only guess that the other parts looked similar to this scene.

Instinctively, she crouches in front of the two little boys.

    “What's the matter, little ones?” They did not her answer, instead one of them out their face in their hands to cry even harder.

An older girl about 13 years old pushes off the wall a couple feet off.

    “Our pup ran away,” she answers for them.

    “Oh no, I'm sorry.” Dauvi did not expect that answer. The elder sister was clearly upset but she did her best to hide it.

    “A lot of animal companions just up and ran today.” She informs.

Before Dauvi could question further, the girl stands in front of her siblings and puts her hands on her hips. She visibly swallows the lump in her throat.

    “Taeyo, Taejin get up and quit your crying. We've got chores to do.” She helps the youngest of the two up and the boys follow her to their backyard.

    “How peculiar...” Wooyoung mutters.

The duo continue on their way I'm thoughtful silence. They had almost everything they needed to set sail tomorrow, they had just forgotten ink and that's just what Wooyoung and Dauvi were here to get.

Upon entering the shop, there was a man already at the counter having conversation with the owner. A small package was on the counter.

    “—I do declare, something must have utterly perturbed my poultry prior to their rather precipitous flight around the yard, clucking about with all the composure of a batch of lunatics! I daresay, they were creating quite the dreadful commotion.”

    “I hear you.” He, the owner shakes his head before looking to Wooyoung and Dauvi. “Hello Jung, ma'am. What can I get you two?”

    “A carton of ink, if you will, Yishima.” Wooyoung requests.

    “Coming right up.” Mr. Yishima heads over to the backroom.

Wooyoung leans against the counter, crossing his arms.

    “Ive heard tell of the household creatures making a break for it, and now, the chickens are exhibiting most curious behavior?” Wooyoung inquires. The man nods solemnly. Dauvi could tell he was a man who liked to talk.

    “Yeah. Not just my chickens though. A couple of my mates have spoken of their livestock acting a ye bit strange. No one knows of what terrified 'em.” Wooyoung and Dauvi exchange a look as Mr. Yishima returns with the ink.

    “Here you two go.” Wooyoung promptly pays for the ink.

    “Thank you, Sir.” Dauvi says.

    “My pleasure ma'am.”

Wooyoung and Dauvi leave the store after that. The crying outside had ceased. The children who they come across though looked anything but happy. Why would their pets just suddenly run away?

Dauvi presses her lips together. Whatever it was that spooked the animals, she did not have a good feeling about.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

Later that night, Dauvi runs a brush through Demitria's brown locks. Dauvi chuckles lightly at something Demitria says. A final bonding moment before the Tatiny has to set sail tomorrow morning. 

She puts the brush down. Dauvi's fingers get to work, delicately braiding the brown waves.

    “Must you all really have to leave tomorrow?” Her lips pout.

    “Yes. I am rather sad to leave you too. But we will be back soon before you know it.” Soon was always a long time when it comes from the lips of a sailor——or in this case a pirate.

Dauvi had experienced that "soon" when she was a child, always counting down the days that pass before her own father came home. It always felt like an eternity back then. Now she wished to have that "eternity" from before than the eternity of right now.

Demitria looks down to her lap as Dauvi gets started on the next braid.

    “It appears that there's a certain pirate aboard you'll be missing a tad bit more than the poor rest of us.” Dauvi teases. Demitria looks up mortified, face already flushing.

    “What——? No!” She's quick to deny which makes Dauvi wonder if her suspicion really was true.

    “Are you sure none of the young boys peak to your interest?”

    “No...!” A beat. “...I don't quite know.” Demitria covers her face with her hands, she is absolutely adorable when shy like this. “I do enjoy all their company. But...”

    “You enjoy someone's company a little more than you do the others.” Dauvi finishes for her.

    “How'd you know?”

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't speaking from experience.

    “Just a hunch,” she chooses to  reply with. Demitria huffs.

    “It is rather embarrassing to admit out loud for they are annoying and immature.” Demitria rests her chin on her palm. “However I think Juhan may relate to me.”.

Dauvi raises a brow. She hasn't picked up on that but then again, she has been too busy nowadays to even notice the adolescent romance brewing.

Demitria doesn't reveal who it was she was crushing on and Dauvi does not pry. She finishes the last braid on Demitria's hair. Demitria turns and tackles Dauvi with a hug.

    “I'm going to miss you so much!” Dauvi pats the younger's head.

    “So will I.” A sad smile tugs her lips up.

 

࣪ ·⚓︎. ━━━━ .⚓︎· ࣪

 

The sun shines brightly above, a stale breeze whips around the clouds. The forest whispers silently around the cove, the animals that usually scurry around seem to be silent too—hidden, out of sight. The silence should have been concerning, at least a thought in their heads but yet it had yet to even cross their minds. Too busy basking in high of their upcoming adventure.

    “Put those crates over there.”

The final journey. After months for Dauvi and years for the others, they have somewhat pinpointed Azula. And they were ready, ready for whatever—whoever, might be waiting for them.

    “Is that everything?” Hongjoong asks Jacq.

    “I believe so.” Jacq responds after taking a look at the checklist in his hand.

    “Ah, it seems we are now prepared to embark on our voyage.”

    “Where's Beckhan?” Danny questions, looking around the deck for the older boy. Dauvi looks around too, there was no sight of the boy.

    “Has anyone seen Beckhan?” Dauvi asks around.

    “"Now that you mention it, I haven't caught a glimpse of him all morning, since breakfast, I dare say..” Dashtin thinks putting his hand on his chin.

    “So no one's seen Beckhan?” A couple members shake their heads. Hongjoong's eyebrows furrow.

    “He's not down in the hull.” San informs after coming up on deck.

A search party was about to begin if it wasn't for the flash of black. It is Eogam that cuts through the trees and comes to a halt on the bank.

    “Looking for someone?” Bumjoong smirks. Behind him, the young teen sits on the dark horse. His face flushed.

    “Beckhan!”

Beckhan gets off Eogam and thanks Bumjoong before getting aboard the Tatiny.

    “Safe travels, you all!” And with a couple a waves, Bumjoong and Eogam take back into the forest.

    “Where have you been? We were on the verge of departing without you!” Dauvi scolds Beckhan lightly.

    “Good heavens, I was utterly unaware that you had even departed for the Tatiny.” Beckhan defends himself, hands up.

    “Presumably, it is because you continually stray off, Beckhan.” Danyier punches the older's shoulder teasingly.

    “I didn't stray away! I was... I was simply indulging in a conversation with Demitria, Juyeong and Juhan, savouring the final remnants of our time together.” Beckhan crosses his arms. Dauvi chuckles lightly with a shake of her head.

The ship sets sail soon after, leaving the fresh water and returning to the salty waves.

Dauvi closes her eyes breathing in the sea air. You would think that with all the sailing she's done she would have wished to stay on land a little longer...

This was it. Azula was just a month and some away.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

Dauvi awakens, a small streak of sunlight comes through the clouded window.

She sits up and stretches, she was not used to sleeping alone anymore. During their time in Ryeongko, she had gotten quite used to sleeping in the same bed as the captain. Without the comforting warmth of another person, it just wasn't the same. She didn't have a reason to sleep in his bed anymore... She couldn't lie to herself, she would definitely miss it.

There were footsteps above, telling her she wasn't the only one awake. She quickly gets ready for the day.

Dauvi heads straight to the gallery after freshening up. The orange glow from the lamps made it more cozy than it needed to be.

    “Morning, dove.” Wooyoung gives her smile, he leans against the table. “How did you sleep?”

    “Good morning, Woo. I slept.. fine.” She takes a piece of bread off the table and takes a small bite. He hums amused, a slither of suspicion dawns on him. “How was your night?”

    “I slept well. I must confess that catching a wink on the Tatiny feels frightfully more like one's own domicile than one's own private residence itself.” Dauvi cracks a smile, he was right about that.

    “What's for breakfast?”

Dauvi gets right to work—helping with breakfast, chopping things and plating while Wooyoung showed off his skills at the fire. They soon serve it and everyone eats their fill.

Outside on deck, the ocean is calm, rocking the ship in a steady rhythm as they move forward. Dauvi wonders many things about Azula; what would it look like? Could there possibly be any inhabitants? Would Santiris be among them? She lets out a small sigh, looking up at the soft clouds.

Her cheeks bloom bright red as she recalls the memory that still lurks in the back of her mind like a looming shadow—only appearing when she needn't it to. That morning... It always feels like yesterday.

Oh what surprise she had when she opened her eyes. She awakened on top of the captain with hardly any recollections to what had happened yesterday night. Dauvi froze in place—head literally on his chest—momentarily before melting due to his deliciously warm body heat. His arm wrapped around her frame, protectively tight even in his slumber. His chest fell up and down softly. She attempted to get free of his grasp but he would not budge, to her embarrassment he only held her tighter. She blinked once before she remembered how compromising this situation truly was. She attempted once more to move away—he lets out a low rumble from his throat. Her heart stuttered realizing he was now awake. Quietly in that sleepy rasp of his he had asked her to stay. And oh did she stay.

The sound of his heartbeat stays permanently etched in her mind, She's still terribly embarrassed about it. The memory haunts her every hour of quiet, her every moment alone—she hasn't realized it yet but her heart was silently wishing for more.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

Dauvi wakes up from a dream she does not remember. It was still dark. And it was cold. She couldn't fall back asleep.

She throws her legs over the edge of the bunk and she sits there—not sure how long. Her thoughts finally clear from the drowsiness. She gets up and dresses.

Quietly, Dauvi emerges from the hull only to be met by a large cloud of cold sea fog. It was dense, she could hardly see 6 feet ahead of her. She hugs herself to warm up.

Perhaps she should have brought a torch.

Fog in Eersberg wasn't rare no, she was used to the thick cloud on the ground. However she never anticipated how scary it would be on the ocean. She hopes that it would lossen up by the time the sun begins to rise.

    “Dauvi?” a voice startles her.

    “Oh—! Hongjoong, did I wake you?” He shakes his head, coming closer.

    “What are you doing out here?” He asks. 

    “I couldn't fall back asleep...” She murmurs.

A pause.

    “You're cold.” It wasn't a question, taking note of her posture. “why don't you come to my cabin, it's warm and we could talk there.”

Well she is cold... She didn't need further convincing. Dauvi agrees and together they head to his cabin. A lamp was already lit, giving the room a hazy glow. It was a little messy, just like his bedroom back at home, she stands and takes it in again.

    “Oh come on now, do sit down and relax. Really, after sharing my bed for half a year, do you not think you could muster up a modicum of familiarity?” His smile teasing as he pats the spot next to him.

Dauvi shakes her head with a flush and sits down next to him, shoulders brushing.

    “If I'm being honest, I quite miss your presence” He murmurs soft, if she didn't know any better she would have assumed the words were a front for something else he  wanted to say.

    “Well since we are being honest, I quite missed yours too.” She confessss. A small beat of silence after the confession wraps around them. If silence could be a color, in that moment it would have been a soft rose.

    “I daresay we've traversed the border and arrived at the western sea with all due haste. Might I inquire, how long shall we be in for before stumbling upon Azula?” He asks to fill in the silence.

    “A few days I'd say...” Pause. “Well however long it takes, I have this feeling that we will find it.”

The lamp flickers once, the flame burns steady. It casts a firey glow on the two of them. A bubble forms around, too focus on the banter between them, the world around disappears with a poof.  The minutes go by, quicker than before—slipping past without notice.

    “What—? Fog!”

Just like that the bubble bursts at the sound of San's voice. The others were waking up. Dauvi gets up and Hongjoong was right behind her. The sun is rising, it gives the fog a dreamy state around as it turns into beautiful pastels.

    “Ah you two are up already.” San raises a brow. He chooses not to say anything, instead he gestures. “Look at all this fog.”

    “It was worse earlier. I think it may be clearing up.” Hongjoong taps her arm getting Dauvi's attention.

    “Do tell, which nation are we nearest to?”

    “About a day's way away from Belmauri if trajectory continues unaltered. Why?” She tilts her head.

    “...Then do tell where is that?” Hongjoong points towards the bow of the ship.

Sure enough in the distance in the fog, an outline of an island is seen, hardly but it is there. Her lips part unable to come up with an answer.

    “...Could it be?” Hints of hope slips into San's voice barely above a whisper.

The trio stare out into the distant murky—yet dreamy fog, the excitement whispers electric through their fingertips.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

After breakfast is served, the fog was finally clearing up. Everyone is on deck, excitement bubbles and cracks almost like lightening. Had they truly found Azula?

Now with the fog dying down, they can clearly see it. ...A huge mountain in the water. Just like San and Yunho saw in their dreams—just like in Santiris' painting. It was huge—peculiar in shape, what was a mountain doing just stamped in the middle of the sea? With no doubt for the 9 of them, this has to be Azula.

What was puzzling was how had they not notice the island years ago? Yunho has log proof of them taking a course through here two years ago and yet no one recalls seeing it.

Everyone is restless as they wait for the Tatiny to make it to the island. Dauvi sits crisscross on the ground, her journal in hand as she finishes writing an entry.

    “Whatever may be waiting for us, we will fight.” She says to no one in particular.

When they got close enough to really see Azula, it was huge. There was a cave mouth somewhat to the side with stalactites hanging from the top. The ocean flows in like a river, going into the dark cave. By the looks of it, the water going into the sink was as deep as the water out here.

Hongjoong says something to Seonghwa, Dauvi can only guess he's telling him to steer directly into the cave. Those were the directions in the sea shanty after all—but should they even follow the directions? They had no idea what they were really getting themselves into.

The Tatiny's bow headways first into the cave. There is no light whatsoever down there, it looked like the darkness stretched on and on. How deep was this cave?

    “We won't be able to see a thing, Captain.” Fyland informs.

Hongjoong makes a grim face. 'Twas true, they'd be going in it blind from what he could see.

    “Yes. However, darkness or not, this is the way we must take.”

There's a slow current below dragging them further away from the toothed mouth and deeper into the abyss. The light from cave mouth only brings in up to 20 feet from the entrance.

    “We'll get the lamps out, perhaps that would give us some light.” Hongjoong plans.

A couple of them went down to the hull to fetch the lamps from down there. Dauvi stands up and walks over to the bow. If the song was right and if it was a guide into Azula, the island of the richest land... something was missing. She stares into the dark in front of her. It stares her back, unmoving—teasing with the thought of unknown behind it.

A lamp was lit behind her, she could see the bow of the Tatiny better. She presses her lips together. It was silly... She looks to the phoenix. Dauvi shakes her head, what was she thinking? She chuckles and reaches out to feel the wooden bird.

Upon the touch of her fingertips she freezes for a moment. With her brows furrowed, she glides her fingers over the bird. Strangely, it did not feel like wood. The bird blinks causing Dauvi to stumble backwards and begin to fall.

She falls into someone's arms.

    “Pay attention there, Dauvi. Good heavens, I dare say it wouldn't have been advisable if you had, by some misfortune, tumbled forward rather than falling at your heels.”

When she didn't answer, Hongjoong notices her face, staring ahead with wide eyes.

    “Are you alright?” He couldn't help but ask.

    “The figurehead... It feels rather like.. like silk. And, I daresay, it may have been the result of my vivid imagination, but I could have sworn it momentarily blinked at me,” she murmurs. Hongjoong looks at the figurehead but it is still. He slowly lets go of Dauvi. “It was probably just the flicker of the flames.”

Dauvi sighs unsure what was wrong with her. Hongjoong goes up to feel the figurehead and sure enough it does feels like silk, warm silk. It is getting warmer to the touch. Hongjoong yanks his fingers back at the sight of another blink.

    “No, dove. It.. it definitely did.” His voice is scarily calm for someone who had seen an inanimate object move.

The bird figurehead blinks again somehow. And again, and again, until it opens and shuts it's eyes at a inhumanly rapid pace. Dauvi stares in horror. Hongjoong could feel the heat radiating from where he was standing. He takes a large step, getting back down when the bird crackles into flames.

A yelp leaves their mouths simultaneously at the sight, jumping. The sudden light got the attention of the others, eyes wide with fear that the Tatiny had suddenly caught on fire.

It is strange, the bird is burning but the fire was yet to spread over to the rest of the ship. They stare dumbfoundedly at flames before them. Dauvi swallows.

    “Is it alive? ” She barely whispers.

As if to answer, the bird lets out a sharp squeaky sound that echoes down the cave. The bird suddenly takes flight, circling the Tatiny like a vulture hunting it's prey. It takes another loop before flying back down and sitting on the bow of the Tatiny like that was it's assigned seat. Perhaps in a way it really was...

Mingi flinches when the bird lands and points,

    “Was that not just a wooden figurehead?!”

    “Another painting...” Seonghwa says coming up behind Mingi.

    “The last one of the three...” Yeosang reminds.

The feeling of uncertainty is terrible, was something supposed to happen when all of the paintings came true?

 

The rest of the day is spent under flame light. The Tatiny inches slowly through cave, the figurehead or rather the very much alive phoenix lights their way. Just like the shanty suggested it would.

Water drips from the stalactites above, creating a rhythmical song as the drops putter into the water below. It echoes through out the cave, the sound not escaping the darkness.

It took a couple minutes for everyone to get use to blazing fire at the bow of the ship. Every now and then the bird would make sounds reminding them of it's sudden existence. The phoenix would ruffle it's burning feathers too, a very strange sight to see indeed.

They had been in the cave for hours with no exit in sight. They could see the entrance no longer, for the sun had definitely set.
Supper was just sandwiches tonight, no one felt like cooking a real meal.

Sprawled out on various parts of the deck, mostly keeping to small groups of twos or threes. Dauvi sits besides Mingi, their shoulders brushing.

Mingi draws something on a sheet of paper to pass the time as Dauvi watches over his shoulder. The lines of graphite come together slowly, Mingi's strokes deliberate. The dark splotches of what appears to be shadow and depth reminded her of ink spills. She could make out what he is drawing now; two cracked spheres connected by an infinity symbol. Something dripped from the spheres, what? She really had no clue.

    “What are you drawing?” She feels the need to ask.

    “I'm rather uncertain... The vision, I dare say, was presented to me in a most vivid dream. The spheres, as it were, shatter, and, I confess, a most copious effusion of blood does emanate from the cracks, falling into the abyss of the void, replete with stars.” He tells her. That sentence was out of character for Mingi.

Dauvi looks at the drawing again with the new found knowledge and grimaces. Why would the star show him something so horrible? She couldn't help but wonder if it was symbolic to something....

 

It was indeed night even though they never saw the transition from the huge star to the small little ones. It was agreeded upon to go to bed by now to rest up for what tomorrow may bring. In her nightwear she sits in her bed, ready to go under the sheets.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

When Dauvi awakens, she lays in bed blinking. Something feels weird. She turns away from the lit window and lies on her side. She inhales once.

A beat.

She sits up in quick motion, is it really light coming from her clouded window?

She was not deceived, it is light indeed! Coming from the clouded window, soft lights as if it were dawn cast a glow into her cabin.

She hurries getting dressed, she skips her shoes and walks out of her room barefoot and climbs up on deck. The Tatiny is still in the cave but the exit of the cave was giant—40 or 50 feet tall, it is bright outside the cave. And from what she could see, it is a jungle that seemed to go on and on.

A sharp short chirp reminds her she was not alone. The bird flies straight upward before coming down and landing 3 feet away from her. It's burgundy eyes blink at her.

    “Thank you for giving us light.” Dauvi thanks phoenix gently, crouching down.

The bird makes a chirping sound before shuffling closer. Dauvi can feel the warmth on her skin. Hesitantly, she reaches out and the bird permits her to touch it's blazing feathers. It was strange to touch fire and not be burned from it. She pats it's head—it seems to like the feeling for it's feathers ruffle and it lets out a sharp happy sound.

Dauvi's face melts into a smile, phoenix was really cute. When Dauvi retracts her hand after petting the bird, it stretches it's wings before taking flight again.

    “You really are something.” Dauvi chuckles in amazement.

The hatch opens.

    “Woah, we've reached the end!” Danyier gasps at the exit.

    “Good morning, Danny.”

    “Morning Dauvi! Were you speaking with the phoenix?”

    “Yeah. She's very cute.” Dauvi tells him.

    “It's a she?” Dauvi shrugs.

    “She feels like a she.”

    “Really?” Danny tilts his head before looking at the phoenix who sits on the railing near the front of the ship. The bird ruffles her feathers sassily as if she understood exactly what they were talking about.

    “I think she rather agrees.” Dauvi giggles humorously, watching as phoenix goes to paying no mind of the two on deck with her.

    “You think she likes cashews?” Danny questions.

    “We can see.” Dauvi gets up from the ground as she says this.

They both go down into the hull. There are dishes clanging in the gallery. It was no surprise that Wooyoung is up already,

    “Good morning you two! I presume we've reached the end of the cave with all this light seeping through the windows.”

    “Yes we have. It is rather bright outside in Azula and the exit is rather tremendous.”

    “Do we still have cashew stored here, Wooyoung?”

    “Yes, over there. But I thought that cashews didn't really tickle your fancy, Danny?” Wooyoung quirks a brow.

    “Oh no not for me but for the phoenix.” Danny goes over to the shelf to retrieve the cashews. “Let us go feed her!”

Danny bolts out the gallery. Dauvi shakes her head with an amused smile before going after him.

    “Here, Phoenix!” Danny waves a handful of cashews towards the bird.

Phoenix takes one look at the handful of nuts before turning her head up.

    “Aw. Does that mean she doesn't like them?” Danny sounds a little disappointed. Phoenix looks back to them and tilts her head.

    “Try getting a little closer to her and be more still.” Dauvi suggests.

So Danny moves up and holds his hand out as still as he can. The bird comes closer and inspects his hand for a moment. She takes a single cashew and eats it—seemingly tasting the nut. Approving of the taste, the phoenix eats more. Danny lips tug wide.

    “I daresay, I never in a thousand lifetimes anticipated the prospect of nourishing a live Phoenix from my very own hand.”

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

The sight was absolutely incredible, Azula was absolutely beautiful. It was nothing like any of them had ever seen. The island seemed to be a huge jungle covered in exotic plants. Even the few creatures they stumbled upon were of nothing they knew. Giant flowers hang in the giant trees as well as the ground, all of many shades. A few bunches they saw had to yet to bloom. Tightly closed, the flowers hung from the tree tops, dangling like Christmas decorations.

The crew went out to venture the island but only staying near the river bank as to not get lost. After a couple minutes into the exploration, they came to the conclusion that it was deserted of other humans. Well at least this area.

They planned to wait for nightfall to follow the shanty's instructions, it was not boring whatsoever as they wait for the time to pass. The river sparkled under the sun's beams as fish of all sizes darted through it's deep waters. It was paradise, a haven.

And my, was it loud. Hoots and chittering, water rushing, fluttering of wings, squeaking, small paws hitting the ground—that was the the symphony of Azula. It was lovely in a way that draws out the fascination. To think that this beauty was all hidden out in a island away, deprived from the human gaze for so long it was considered a myth to most...

 

Night falls on Azula pretty fast, the sky litters itself with many stars. If it was beautiful in the day, imagine it so at night. Twinkling fireflies give the jungle a hazy glow, the moon—full, brightens the way. In real time, the giant flowers they saw earlier bloom as the moonlight catches them—they almost seem to glow themselves. The beauty is unreal...

Dauvi looks in awe as a group of birds take flight into the night sky. In the distance the song begins, nightingales hidden behind the plants sing a tune that almost sounds mournful in search of a mate.

Perhaps the reason this place is known as the island of riches was because of it's emense beauty, money could not produce even a near replica.

Even the deep river seems to not be actual water, for the way it reflects the ball in the sky it makes the water look like liquid diamonds.

    “The star of Azul...”
Yeosang whispers.

Dauvi promptly looks up, shining brightly—the star of Azula placed high in the sky, it twinkles slightly. The star looks almost blue from where they could see it.

    “Anchor the Tatiny.” She hears Hongjoong order. Dauvi and Yeosang turn around as the anchor gets thrown down into the river.

    “We're going on foot. We ought to stay by the riverside though.”

In the cool night, half the crew trails on following the sound of the nightingales. Their shoes left prints in the soft soil as the walk on.

Dauvi walks up front with Hongjoong. He moves away the hanging branches in the way like a gentleman he seems to become around her. The birds' song never seemed to get louder the further down they went. It was as if they were flying away as the group got closer. Dauvi eyes look up, at least the star seems to be reliable...

It suddenly gets red and bright, like a fiery furnace. Phoenix makes a shrieking trill before zooming right past them like a comet on fire. They couldn't help but flinch at the bird's sudden strange antics. Dauvi picks up on it.

    “I think we ought to follow her.” And Dauvi takes off walking briskly.

Hongjoong shrugs and waves the group to make haste. They walk faster until they catch up to the phoenix. She is sitting on the ground now, picking at her feathers before looking up to the group. Her head tilts as if she was saying "what took you all so long?"

Behind her was a bridge that looked like it was made of pure gold with flower and swirly engravings leading to the other side of the river. There appears to be a path at the other side of it, a very human made looking path. A small breeze blows, causing a rush of goosebumps to prick up Dauvi's arms and neck.

The stone path lead up to a strange building. There wasn't much they could tell of the structure from here. The phoenix flies up again. She circles them before flying to the other side of the bridge.

Anyone and everyone whether they spoke phoenix or not could obviously tell the bird was telling them to cross over. And that's what they did, with their weapons ready they cross over the golden bridge.

Cautiously, they made it closer to the building. The phoenix is nowhere in sight. Upon getting closer, Dauvi could make out what it was. The build is sort of temple made of bricks the same color grey the path was. The walls are trimmed with gold and had the same swirly design as the bridge.

The temple is unkempt, wild vines grew on the walls and on the roof of the structure. The temple doors are open, vines had also covered the doors making it look impossible to close without cutting some vines first. A shrill cry came from inside—phoenix was inside...

 

Hongjoong steps up the stairs and peers inside the temple. A rushing sound comes from inside.

    “I hear water.” He notes.

    “...Are we truly going inside?” Mingi asks worriedly, hands in his pockets.

    “Phoenix is in there, I daresay we may proceed with a certain degree of tranquility.” Seonghwa shrugs.

    “How do we know we can even trust the bird? It may as well be trained for the witch...” Mingi whispers the last word.

    “Don't be silly, Mingi!” Wooyoung pats his back before climbing the steps himself. “For goodness' sake, I shall lead the way myself.”

Wooyoung enters the temple's doors. He looks to the right for a moment before disappearing to the left.

Dauvi steps up the steps and enters the temple. She wasn't about to let Wooyoung as brave as he was go alone. Hongjoong is two steps behind her.  At the right of her is a wall with a gold plate, something is inscripted on it in a language she did not recognize. Taking the left, the next doorway is only three feet away from the entrance.

The room they enter is large. The floors are made of a white quartz marble, it sparkles from the moonlight above in the glass sun roof and from the glowing pool in the center of the room. A statue is in the middle of the pool on a podium; from the stone flowers on her podium, water gushes out making waterfalls that flow into the pool of water below. The water itself seemed to glow, a turquoise color that looked unnatural.

Mats are placed in groups of 4s around the pool. This place was none other than a place of worship, worshipping the statue—no doubt—that looked to those who enter the room.

The statue in the center end of the room is of a beautiful woman, the carving of her eyes looked fierce—not in a way to cause fear but a way that makes you want to respect her. She sits on the large podium with her legs crossed to the side, feet dipping in the glowing liquid. A crown of what appeared to be stars rest on her head, her hair flows down long and was realistically carved to rest on the podium. A bit of her hair fell off and dipped into the pool. Her face carries a faint smile. Her hands form together at her chest, carrying an object that appeared rather small in her large hands.

Wooyoung stands near a small bridge that leads over to the podium. He turns around just as the others begin making their way in.

    “This place seems to be free of traps.” Wooyoung informs.

    “This appears to be a most ordinary place of worship. It seems to have been left untouched for quite some time.” Yunho is right. The vines had unfortunately made their way into the scared place, noticably keeping clear of the pool.

    “Does anyone recognize the woman?” a chorus of nos answered. Dauvi looks around. Where had Phoenix gone? The bird is no where to be seen.

    “I wonder who carved this?” Yeosang thinks out loud.

He gets closer to Wooyoung to get a better look. Whoever carved the statue knew of great technique, the attention to details was admirable—she, the woman looked almost alive. Jongho crouches down next to the pool to get a closer look at the glowing liquid. He risks it all by dipping his fingers in the pool.

Nothing happens. Yet he cannot confirm what exactly it is. It feels like water though... Jongho removes his hand and clenches his fist. Strange. There is a slight tingle before it vanishes as quickly as it came.

A flutter of wings causes Dauvi to look up. Phoenix rests on the hands of the woman next to the small object. She knudges whatever it was with her head.

San catches the movement and hops over the bridge in time. He catches the falling object before it fell into the pool. He inspects it.

It's an hour glass; the body is made of gold and the sand inside is white and almost seems iridescent.

    “Is she a goddess of time?” San's eyebrows furrow. He walks back over the bridge to where the others stand.

    “Guys look at this—” He holds the hourglass for the others to see. Flipping it upside-down for the sand to fall. That causes the world to tip.

 

﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏

 

A flash of light blinds them all momentarily. Dauvi closes her eyes shut tightly for the light was so bright it hurt to keep them open. Her body felt like it had been thrust into the ground by a strong gust of wind.

When her eyelids no longer screamed in red she cracks her eyes open slightly for a split second. No more bright light... She hears the groans from the others before she opens her eyes fully. The others are also on the ground, laying on their stomachs. Hongjoong is the first to sit up.

    “Is everyone alright—?” Hongjoong manages to ask before freezing in horror. They were somehow back on the... Tatiny? However the fact that they were back on their ship was the least of his concern at the moment.

It was night just a few seconds ago and yet here they are on the Tatiny with the sky as bright as basically noon— wait — the sky——

Hongjoong's head snaps up, to his surprise his eyes meet vast oceans. The blue waves wave on normally as if the ocean wasn't defying everything he knew of physics right now.

How was this possible? Hongjoong quickly gets up to his feet, he begins walking over to the railing of the boat. He looks down and his heart drops into his stomach causing nausea. They are in the sky, sailing as if they were in the sea. Clouds puff by as if they were ocean waves. His fingers tremble pushing way from the edge, he didn't want to know what would happen if he accidentally fell over.

Behind him the commotion begins.

    “...Arosyn? Arosyn! He is not awakening!” Seonghwa calls behind his shoulder as he is shaking the man.

    “Not one of them are!”

Hongjoong turns back to the deck. On the ground, the rest of their crew lay unconscious. Dauvi shakes Danny but the boy keeps on sleeping. She checks his pulse and breathing, he seems to be perfectly fine.

After making sure—— everyone else seems to be perfectly fine, they just appeared to be in some sort of deep sleep. After a little while they give up trying to wake them from their sleeping coma entirely.

The hour glass rolls on the ground and hits at San's feet. The man looks too terrified to pick it up, after all if it could send them to this terrible place then what else could it possibly do?

Dauvi sits with her knees brought up to her chin. The abnormality of everything is getting to her head. The eight others in similar positions as hers because looking at the sky... sea... whatever it is was nauseating in a way.

It was like someone flipped a switch of opposites and changed the laws of physics. The lingering question, how were they going to get back home repeats in their minds as they process their current predicament.

    “You all finally made it.” They all jump simultaneously at the sound of the unknown voice. A couple of them, including Dauvi let out screams in different pitches.

It's the statue— well her in the flesh, real and up close. They hadn't notice her come aboard the ship, too busy processing.

She is very tall—taller than Yunho tall. Her teal hair is long too like her limbs reaching almost to the deck of the Tatiny. Her eyes are silver and look like the stars themselves went to live in the orbs.

    “You!” The eight of them are on their feet in seconds.

    “I know you all may be wondering, yes I am Santiris. And no Mingi, I am not a witch.” A hint of amusement peaks in her voice.

Mingi's face pales as he gets singled out. Her silver eyes—uncanny, made him want to squirm.

    “Where the fuck are we and what happened to the rest of our crew?” Jongho wastes no time getting down to business. Santiris doesn't seem to mind the edge in his voice.

    “This is the bridge. Your crew is just fine, they're in the natural state humans enter while in the bridge. Why you eight are awake right now instead of unconscious is because of special circumstances.” The looks of confusion causes her to continue. “Don't you remember what happened before you got here on the Aurora?” she asks them amused.

    “The aurora..? This is the Tatiny.” San corrects, hand gestures around the ship.

    “Well yes that is what it's called on Ae but you're no longer on Ae no? It's the Aurora. A... rather old version of it but that'll be fixed once you crossed the bridge.”

    “This bridge you keep mentioning, what is it?” Hongjoong crosses his arms, already tired with how she was taking forever to get to the damn point. His foot taps impatiently on the wooden deck of the Tatiny— erm Aurora.

    “This is the bridge between the two realities. When one of you flipped the heart, it opened a rift and sucked you in. We're in the present bridge between old and new. I've been stuck here for years now! Thanks to those dratted no good guardians—” She halts seeing their expressions and she realizes she's getting carried away. “Right. Let me get onto the point.

    “There are two universe connected together by this bridge. She made it so that they were the same but at the same time not. She appointed I, Santiris goddess of Zed and my sister Galaseia goddess of Ae. We were to watch over the worlds, the hearts and the inhabitants.

    “The heart—” She flicks her wrist and in her hand appears the strange hourglass that was just near San's feet. “—is this hourglass object known as the cromer. This one is heart of your world; without the stardust that resides inside the cromer, the air veil will shatter and everything perish. The guardians already have the heart of Zed—unfortunately I had been too blind to notice the overthrow until it was too late.

    “The guardians are an alien android race from the stellar realm—don't worry, you will understand that when you exit the bridge. Those guardians are slowly taking over the world Zed——”

    “What, pray tell, could this possibly have to do with us?” Yunho interrupts, confused. All this nonsense of alien androids whatever the fuck they may be made no sense and had no correlation to why they were here right now.

    “Well I really was getting to that Yunho. As I was saying, they're taking over Zed—I can only see fragments from my crystal ball from in here but I know that they plan to change Zed to their evil aligned order. The cromer has warn me and I am certain it has warned you all too what will happen to the worlds if they attempt to change it's alignment. They will distroy Zed and with it Ae will come crumbling.”

It was difficult to wrap her head around it. Alien androids, world hearts, future distroyed worlds—never had Dauvi expected to hear such abnormal sentences, especially all in the span of half an hour.

    “So you're saying that if the guardians continue on with their endeavors, both the worlds could be distroyed?” Dauvi questions. Santiris nods once.

    “Not could but will be,” Santiris corrects.

    “Then, pray tell, why aren't you or your sister trying to stop them?” Santiris grimaces at Wooyoung's question.

    “My sister has been missing for some time now. Hence why the guardians were able to infiltrate, they took advantage by the fact I was distracted by her disappearence. Although they definitely had some help from another being from the stellar realm, they managed to trap me here like I said earlier. They've blocked my abilities so I cannot interfere or descend down to Zed.

    “However with the help of Cromer A, I was able to descend down to Ae twice and plant clues for you to find my sister's temple.” The pieces are slowly coming together. How Ms. Frans was able to be friends with her after Santiris had been mentioned around the golden ages is making sense now. It was truly something to think about. The question now was how many years had she been trapped here, waiting for Ateez to be born, find and piece all the clues, and get sucked into that rift?

A wind comes up like a surprise from a direction none of them could tell. The wind starts to pick up, it got to the point that their hair is waving in all directions. Somehow, even in the chaotic breeze, every strand on Santiris' head stays perfectly in place.

    “We don't have much time left before you'll reach the exit. Here take this, I'm sure it'll answer a few questions that you may have,” Santiris speaks fast, thrusting a booklike object into Yeosang's hands, the speed at which she did is frightening. “Just remember, the cromers don't do accidents. You all were chosen for a reason.”

Not even a second later—before one could ask another question, before one could even blink—the same gust of powerful wind knocks them all down, blinding them with light as the rift opens and everyone is thrust out of the bridge.

This time it was painful when they come crashing down to the ground. Somewhere above a whirly humming sound is heard. Dauvi is dizzy, when she opens her eyes the world is a blurry turning mess. It takes a minute for it to still and clear up. When her vision is restored, she is met with a strange sort of ceiling. Dauvi blinks. In her mind she knows that she had never seen it before but for some reason she knew exactly what it was. Titanium...

Her mind is racing—and it just wouldn't stop—racing in a strange way... It wasn't racing as if she were overthinking, no.  She comes to the conclusion that it is as if her mind is downloading a very large file at high speed.

...what?