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

Search for the witch

Memories from the day she cradled her dying brother in her arms came to Hypaxia as flashing pictures. For an infinite second, everything fades into the background. The screams, the gunshots, the injured crew raising the anchor but nothing mattered except the man lying quiet and still at her feet.

His whole face was bloodied up from the blood leaking from his nose, a few bruises here and there but that wasn't the scary part. It was the blood pouring out endlessly from the two gunshot holes in his back. He lay unmoving, unbreathing. She couldn't feel his heartbeat through the maelstrom of her emotions, the burning pain in her back didn't seem to compare.

She saw her captain's life lay on the borderland of life and death.

"Xia" Soren murmured as he pulled her back slowly, dragging her away from the scene, she mindlessly let her brother guide her into the sick bay

He's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead

The words echoed in her mind like a haunting melody, each syllable resonating through the corridors of her thoughts, leaving an indelible imprint on her consciousness. They lingered, refusing to fade, their weight pressing down on her like an invisible burden.

He saved me he saved me he saved me

Every repetition etched them deeper into her psyche until they became inseparable from her very being, a constant companion in her journey through the labyrinth of emotions.

He died because of me

Hypaxia's legs gave out beneath her as the weight of her grief became too much to bear, her body sinking to the cold floor of the sick bay. Soren's comforting presence enveloped her, his steady hands guiding her onto a wooden chair beside the bed.

With a deep sigh, Soren gently dabbed her back with a wet cloth, his touch a soothing balm to her frayed nerves. As the searing pain from her burns finally registered in her consciousness, Hypaxia closed her eyes, allowing herself to be enveloped by the comforting embrace of her brother's care.

"He's not dead Xia" He softly murmured "He can't be"

"I know" She replied and turned around to hug her brother's torso softly.

With a gentle sigh, Soren set the medicine aside, his hands tender as he enveloped his sister in a warm hug. He patted her head gingerly, a silent reassurance that they would weather this storm together, clinging to the fragile hope that their captain would defy the odds and emerge from the brink of death.

The commotion outside had died down and the gentle swaying of the ship assured the duo that they were safe. But they could run away so few times before the military gets its hands on the ship again.

Seonghwa burst into the sick bay, his footsteps urgent as he rushed towards Hypaxia, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Soren stepped back, giving them space as Seonghwa's concern washed over his sister like a comforting tide.

"I'm sorry you had to endure that," Seonghwa's voice was soft, laced with genuine empathy as he held her close.

Hypaxia leaned into his embrace, grateful for his presence amidst the turmoil that engulfed them. "I'm fine, Hwa," she reassured him, though the strain in her voice betrayed her true emotions. "How's the captain? Will he survive?"

Seonghwa suddenly pulled back from the hug softly as he diverted his eyes

"It's complicated but he'll live"

Seonghwa's sudden withdrawal and evasive gaze stirred a mix of concern and skepticism within Hypaxia. She raised an eyebrow, her gaze piercing through him.