ATEEZ ONESHOTS [BXB]

-" Do You Hear That?"5 -

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3ʀᴅ ᴘᴏᴠ
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✎...

The world around Seonghwa was suffocatingly quiet, a silence so profound it pressed heavily against his ears. Every beat of his heart resonated like the pounding of a drum, an insistent rhythm in the oppressive stillness. He attempted to move, but his body felt disconnected, adrift in a viscous sea that resisted his efforts to break free. A dull throb pulsed in his head, the lingering reminder of the blow that had rendered him unconscious.

In this boundless void, time lost all sense of structure. Moments stretched and collapsed upon themselves, leaving Seonghwa disoriented and uncertain. He couldn't discern whether he was awake or lost in a dream, suspended in a liminal space where his own breath became a distant echo in the darkness.

"Seonghwa." The voice that called to him felt achingly familiar, reminiscent of how Hongjoong would gently coax him from sleep. The name floated through the void, a beacon in the endless night.

"H-Hongjoong?" Seonghwa's voice was a whisper, his mind straining to locate the source of the call in the inky blackness.

"Seonghwa-ah..." The voice came again, soft and insistent.

Seonghwa's consciousness stirred, and with it, a glimmer of recognition. It was Hongjoong's voice, each syllable resonating through the darkness like a lifeline. Yet, there was something unsettling about the tone—gentle, yet uneasy. The sound made Seonghwa's skin prickle with unease. He fought to dispel the confusion, struggling against the darkness that enveloped him.

Suddenly, images began to coalesce in the darkness, flickering memories that floated to the surface of his mind. Faces, places, and moments frozen in time. He saw Hongjoong, his eyes wide with concern as books and papers swirled around them like a storm. The urgency in Hongjoong's voice was a lifeline, pulling Seonghwa back from the edge of oblivion. But just as swiftly, the darkness swallowed everything again, leaving only the relentless thumping of his heart.

"Wake up," a voice commanded, clear and firm, piercing the fog in Seonghwa's mind. A jolt coursed through his body, akin to an electric shock, and his senses began to reawaken. The darkness peeled away, replaced by a harsh, blinding light that made him wince. His eyes fluttered open, and he groaned, lifting his head from his lap with a wince of pain. His head throbbed, and his ears buzzed with a painful, intense ringing.

"Good morning, flower..." The voice was soft, almost tender.

"H-Hongjoong?" Seonghwa questioned, his voice shaky as he slowly lifted his head. His vision was a blur, the world around him a kaleidoscope of unfocused shapes and colors. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, willing his vision to clear. When it finally did, he saw someone he never expected.

"It's... it's you!" Seonghwa gasped, shock reverberating through him.

"Am I really so different from your lover?" The figure grinned widely, the smile sending a discomfiting shiver down Seonghwa's spine. The person before him mirrored Hongjoong in every detail—from his almond-shaped eyes to his delicate nose. It was enough to make Seonghwa's mind reel. Yet, the emptiness in those eyes betrayed the truth. This wasn't his Hongjoong. Seonghwa knew because the eyes staring back at him lacked the familiar spark that always sent an electric thrill through his body whenever the real Hongjoong gazed at him.

Seonghwa's voice cracked with desperation as he demanded, "What do you want... What have you done to my friends?!" His words hung heavy in the air, raw with anger and fear. Across the room, Hongjoong lounged casually on the edge of a table, his posture relaxed yet radiating a palpable air of mockery. He crossed his legs nonchalantly, his gaze fixed on Seonghwa with a cruel, amused glint.