Till the world's end|| (pirate!au) -'๑'-Ateez

Dark Crimson

Hongjoong found himself once again at the helm of the ship. His fingers danced across the polished wood of the wheel, a sense of determination evident in his every movement.

Above them, Seonghwa stood tall in the crow's nest, Yunho, having just descended from the main sail, joined Seonghwa in the crow's nest. His expression was troubled as he broached a delicate topic.

"Hyung," he began tentatively, drawing Seonghwa's attention.

Seonghwa turned to face him, his expression calm and attentive. "You need anything, Yunho?"

"I've been reading some of the books on board, trying to find a solution to our predicament," Yunho confessed, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "But is there truly no way for us to break the curse without sacrificing San?"

Seonghwa's gaze softened as he considered Yunho's question. He sighed, lowering his telescope and leaning against the mast.

"I've been scouring those same books for years, Yunho. The curse binding us to this ship is complex, and its origins are deeply rooted in dark magic. Every attempt to find an alternative solution has proven futile, until we somehow find Choi Sang the man himself which is quite impossible, or find the cursed coin of Aztec which would only require the blood of Barbossa and San to remove the curse. Other than that we've no choice. But even finding the coin is hard, it would require a collection of 82 Aztec coins crafted by Hernán Cortés himself," Seonghwa explained, his voice carrying the notes of his heavy heart.

Yunho's shoulders slumped slightly, his eyes reflecting a mix of disappointment and determination.

"I just can't accept that the only way to break the curse is by sacrificing one of us," Yunho muttered, more to himself than to Seonghwa.

"San was never supposed to become one of us Yunho" Seonghwa replied and went down the crow's nest through the ratline, not wanting to press the matters more

As Seonghwa descended from the crow's nest, he was met with the gleaming morning eyes of San, who greeted him with a dimpled smile plastered on his face. The infectious positivity that radiated from San's presence seemed to lighten the weight on Seonghwa's shoulders.

"Morning, Hyung! Beautiful day, isn't it?" San exclaimed, his enthusiasm cutting through any lingering shadows.

Yunho looked down at the interaction, he saw Seonghwa's face waver a bit with uncertainty before he gave a big smile to the younger one and smiled

Seonghwa couldn't help but be affected by San's infectious energy.

"Morning Sannie, can you please call Daphne and Yeosang outside for his exercise?" He said and San nodded walking towards the room happily.

-

Hypaxia and Seonghwa supported Yeosang on either side, helping him take hesitant steps.

"You're doing so well, Yeo. Soon, you'll be running," Wooyoung remarked, perched on the side rail.

Seonghwa nodded in approval, with a supportive smile as Yeosang continued his slow but steady progress.

Yunho perched at the crow's nest, leisurely sipping from a bottle crafted from stitched animal skin filled with salted chicken stock, his gaze fixed on the horizon. He held his telescope with practiced ease, scanning the vast expanse of the sea for any signs of danger.

Meanwhile, Mingi sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by an array of navigational tools. His brow furrowed in concentration as he meticulously plotted their course on the maps spread out before him.

San sat on the floor, his gaze fixed intently on the captain, knees drawn up to his chest.

In fleeting moments, Hongjoong's eyes met San's, and the younger crew member stared at him with intense admiration.