Treasure | Ateez

| 31 |

"Acta non verba"

- Deeds not words

☾ ☾ ☾

"Hey-" Wooyoung leapt backwards, rolling over the deck as the next attack aimed straight at him- tentacles rising and falling with the intensity of lashing whips and as big as the columns present in the great hall of the palace. "Hongjoong-" 

Yunho grabbed hold of a stumbling Jongho, watching as their captain jumped into the water- face grim with determination as he headed towards a spluttering Mingi who shouted for help against the rising tide and churning water. 

This was a suicide attempt and yet none of the crew seemed to be afraid. Instead, their faces were set with grim determination that surprised Aeris, watching as San threw a knife straight towards what she could only assume was the creature's body writhing below them. 

"No-" Hongjoong screamed as he saw the flash of silver zoom downwards, hands wrenching out of the tarpaulin that now encased an unconscious Mingi while Seonghwa let out an agonized yell as he found himself pushed down into the wood of the deck by another tentacle. "Don't-" 

But no one heard the rest of the sentence and all Aeris could see was the terrified looks of the men soon get replaced with grim determination on taking down the monster. 

"She's not going to hold on for much longer" Yunho shouted over the harsh wind, rain plastering his hair to his forehead, a crazed look in his eyes as he tried to lower the mast. 

"Just for ten minutes" Wooyoung returned, lunging across the tilting battlefield- the lilac of his hair bleeding down his neck and onto the silver around his neck and made his way towards her. "Aeris it's now or never" He met her eyes, tense and grim as he pointed back and forth and grabbing onto her shoulders. "You have to- we don't have a choice please-"

"What do you mean-?" Aeris shivered, "What do I do- I don't-" 

"Your powers!" Wooyoung yelled, and she gasped. "Please it can help we-"

"Wooyoung you- I can't-" disbelief coursed through her veins, only to disappear by a sudden burst of pain as Wooyoung threw her to the side, banging her head against the wooden crates and spilling apples down into the churning water and letting the juice cushion her back before she was dragged back onto her feet. 

"Aeris!" He was back, "Aeris please-" his voice broke, she could see he had no weapons left anymore, all of them discarded and the ship tilting below his feet while a panicked Jongho continued his nimble footed archery shots that seemed to do nothing to the crazed kraken. "Captain- Hongjoong isn't going to last any longer, you know that-"

And she knew. Seeing him leap into and out of the water, eyes a grim red and an agonised yell leaving his lips as he lashed out against another one of the tentacles. He was going to collapse - against the crashing waves and the dying rays of the moon with the wind howling and the eyes of the monster their last vision. 

They were going to die and she would have done nothing to stop it. 

"Wooyoung what are you talking-" San was making his way towards them, one hand wrapped in a makeshift bandage yet the red still bled through it. "We need to- what is she-" 

Adrenaline pumped its way through her body as reckless enthusiasm suddenly made its appearance, her hands scrabbling to her belt and eyes trained at her struggling captain- mouth set in a grim line as she felt the familiar feeling of losing control try to take over. 

"not" she gritted, trying to run ahead, leaving behind a confused San and lost Wooyoung who watched as she made her way straight towards the centre of the mess. "now"