Somewhere Between the Sea and the Sky.

Episode 0: Chapter 2.

The great prince of Ethia, the Night Prince.

Yeosang spent hours locked in the cellar of the pirate ship called Aurora, he didn't even bother counting them. To be honest, the prince didn't even try escaping the pole he was tied to, what good would it do him? Was he just going to escape to run into three dangerous pirates on a ship he couldn't leave? No, it would be much better for him to stay still and shut up.

Although he had some leeway, the ties were taking their toll on his body. He could perfectly feel the rough fabric leaving a mark on his skin, the pain becoming more and more persistent with even the softest touch. At least the movement of the boat became milder lately, so the dizziness was giving him a break. He had been on a ship before, sure, but not for that long. Yeosang was about to finally fall asleep, his body giving up to the tiredness, but his chances died when someone else entered the cellar.

"It's almost time to see how much you are worth, prince."

It was the blond pirate, he seemed to be the only one who deigned to go down to see him. Maybe he was forced to do it, honestly, it wouldn't be surprising. There was something about him, a strange sensation of comfort that turned out unsettling given the situation.

"I told you already, didn't I...?" The noble replied, still in a position that made clear his intention to sleep. "You guys are wasting your time."

But, instead of instantly infuriating him, the reaction got the pirate's atention. The prince already said it, it was true, and he didn't seem to say it out of pride, rather he sounded resigned. The blond ended up sitting next to the prince, once again preventing him from sleeping.

"Why are you so sure about it?"

"..." Yeosang snorted, roughly sitting up to continue the conversation. "You said you want to see how much I am worth. The problem is that I ain't worth anything, you've even done them a favor."

"What are you talking about...?" The blonde wasn't amused by the idea, as expected.

"Oh, you don't know why they call me the Night Prince." The prince laughed a bit after saying that, looking at a random point of the cellar to avoid seeing the frustration in the other's eyes. "Well, it's actually normal for you not to know."

"Explain yourself." The blond's tone suddenly became menacing, like he was running out of patience. "If you're worth nothing, we have no reason to keep you alive. This strategy of yours isn't the best one."

But he received no response.

The other boy just closed his eyes, ready to enjoy a short rest even if it had to be sitting like that. Was he just going to ignore the fearsome pirate who was holding him prisoner? He didn't have too much to lose, actually.

Seeing the prisoner's attitude, the blonde stood up, frustrated. He started walking from one side to the other of the cellar, waiting for an answer that didn't seem to arrive.

"Explain yourself!" He repeated, shouting in such a volume that Yeosang frowned.

"I don't like to talk about my life with strangers." Yeosang sounded so much calmer than when it all started, the fear on his body starting to change into a much calmer feeling called giving up. He had no escape route, he had no way to make it out alive. "I don't even know your name, how rude."

"... I liked you better when you were terrorized." The pirate rubbed his eyes, taking a moment to breathe deeply. "Seonghwa. Lieutenant Seonghwa to you."

"Lieutenant Seonghwa." He repeated, as if making fun of him.

"Are you going to explain yourself or not?"