Somewhere Between the Sea and the Sky.

Episode 3: Chapter 6.

The Aurora was peacefully resting in the mysterious island's port, the sunlight making the colorful green and orange flag glow among the blue sky. Ateez would love to stay by the ship, to rest for a day or two before getting to work, but the island was menacing and wasting time wasn't an option. So, just an hour after everything was decided, both exploring teams were ready to go. All they needed were some last minute instructions.

"—and make sure you guys eat."

"Yes, captain." Yeosang replied.

"It's okay to come back earlier if things get rough."

"Got it, captain."

"Also, don't forget to—"

"Captain." Jongho interfered. "We got this. You can calm down."

"..."

Hongjoong took a deep breath, looking at the guys in front of him. Yeosang seemed calm and focused, as always, carrying his bag with him. Jongho's expression was a bit more serious, but his body was way more relaxed. And then, San. He was still too quiet, but he didn't seem scared of the job. Hongjoong assumed the poor boy still had a lot to think about. So there they stood, in the wooden port, awkwardly waiting for the captain to let them go.

"Alright." He finally said, trying to calm himself down. "You need to find the temple, that's your priority."

"But...?" San softly asked.

"But any kind of information or resources are welcome. If you don't find any, there's no shame in coming back empty handed."

"You sound like you think we're going to fail." Yeosang pointed out.

"No! I—" Hongjoong laughed a bit. He didn't want to push them into a situation they weren't ready for. "I believe in you, I really do. But this is an unknown place, your safety goes first."

"... We won't do anything stupid. I won't let them." Jongho sighed then, looking back at the island they were about to explore. A bit far from them, standing in the sand, the other team seemed to have a similar conversation with the lieutenant. "There's no way we'll let them win, though."

"Win—" Hongjoong laughed. "This isn't a competition, but sure."

Then, he looked at the other group too. Their vibes were completely different, to be honest. Mingi was serious, arms crossed and wearing his usual long coat, his two swords hiding under it. Wooyoung looked way more relaxed, everything about him spelled confidence. Then Yunho, who surprisingly wasn't wearing his uniform jacket; just the boots and pants with a plain black shirt and the glove on his right arm. Whatever Seonghwa was telling them, it was important, or at least Hongjoong thought so.

"—and of course, If you even dare to fight each other out there," Seonghwa frowned, looking at the apparently prepared guys. "I'll go find you myself. I'll kick your ass."

"There will be no need." Yunho laughed at the idea. "We'll behave."

"He's right. We are the cool team, you shouldn't be scolding us already!" Wooyoung pouted.

"Yeah, shouldn't you be, like— Giving us a motivational speech?" Mingi joined.

"This is my motivational speech." Seonghwa laughed. "So don't get killed, and I'll tell you how proud I am when you come back."

"Sure, boss." The boatswain laughed.

Then, with just a little nod as a goodbye, Wooyoung started walking. Mingi soon followed, perhaps afraid of being left behind. Yunho was about to do the same, but when he took the first step—