Aurora - You are my light (Ateez x reader)

FOUR

I heard a soft splashing and curiously followed the source of the sound. Upon reaching my destination, I discovered a small waterfall, making its way down through protruding rocks on a cliffside, then stretching into the breathtaking lake that had already appeared to me.

For the first time, I could admire the lake in its full glory. The mist had cleared, and I had the urgent desire to wade my feet through the shallow water at the lake's edge. So, I loosened the laces of my brown leather boots, lifted my white dress slightly with my right hand, and tested the water's temperature with the tips of my toes. Startled by the coldness of the water, I withdrew my foot. A pleasant warmth then enveloped my toes.

I tried again, waiting until my toes had adjusted to the cold water before fully submerging my foot and then the other. With my gentle movements, the beautiful water lilies with their white blooms swayed on the surface of the water. I felt an inner sense of comfort like I had probably never felt before and couldn't explain the pleasant sensation.

I decided to simply enjoy it as long as it lasted. I could afford to take a break from negative feelings for a while. I smiled to myself and was then interrupted from my thoughts by movement on the opposite bank of the lake. Before I could discern who or what was there, I was rudely awakened.

One of the men impatiently shook me by the shoulder, bringing me back to the present. I must have been sleeping deeply because opening my eyes was more difficult than usual. No wonder, an abduction with a binding trauma triggering a panic attack wasn't an everyday occurrence.

Slowly, I became more awake and could now orient myself. When my consciousness seemed to be fully functioning again, I flinched as if scalded when I remembered where I was. Immediately, I tried to put some distance between myself and my wake-up call, but the attempts failed miserably as I felt the hard ship's mast against my back.

Bound. Of course. It was probably time for me to slowly get used to this hopeless situation. Tell that to your trauma, I spoke to myself in my mind before refocusing my attention on the man in front of me. He knelt on the floor before me, his gaze calmly resting on me. I hadn't seen him up close yet.

And it would probably have been better to keep it that way, as I was momentarily breathless. If it wasn't already difficult enough to breathe with the tight ropes around my upper body, then surely it was his appearance that made it so. By God, he was beautiful. He was the one with light blonde hair. He seemed to repeatedly brush his hair back with his hand, at least that's what his current hairstyle revealed. It was exceptionally well-styled for a sailor, or whatever they all might be.

Some strands of hair fell unevenly across his face, accentuating his fine facial contours. A silver earring dangled from his left ear, and his hands were adorned with several conspicuous rings. He wore loose-fitting white trousers and matching white boots underneath. His black, elegant top transitioned into a transparent half-skirt at the back, extending all the way to the floor.

Such clothing and cuts were unlike anything I had ever seen before. His top was also asymmetrically cut, with a long sleeve on the left side while barely covering his shoulder on the right. To compensate for the lack of fabric on the forearm, he wore some black laces that snaked up his arm to his shoulder. It emphasized his slender muscles and resembled somewhat the arm guard worn by archers, only much more graceful.

Overall, his entire demeanor was elegant and graceful, yet masculine. For some strange reason, my heart pounded against my chest, and I was sure that if it weren't covered by the ropes, one could see my heart pounding. Whether it was his extravagant style of dress or his appearance itself, I couldn't say, but I was convinced that he had the ability to make even the shabbiest rags look glamorous on him. I felt the blush creeping up my face and turned away from him, embarrassed. Wasn't everything already humiliating enough? Did I have to get nervous around him too, just because he happened to look good compared to the men I usually encountered in the castle?

"Good morning, Princess Aurora. I got you something to eat," he gestured towards a bowl of soup next to him, smiling kindly at me. I stared at him again, now feeling somewhat perplexed and unable to say anything. Why was he so friendly? It certainly didn't seem forced.

"By the way, I'm Seonghwa. The Captain's right-hand man, making sure everything runs smoothly here," he smiled even more kindly than before. He either hadn't noticed my previous staring or politely ignored it behind his friendliness.

"You've been asleep all night, and since you've been here, you haven't eaten anything. You should eat something!" He handed me the bowl of soup but then realized awkwardly that I couldn't take it because my arms were immobilized under the ropes.

He then took the spoon with his other hand, dipped it into the soup, and tried to bring it to my mouth, when a yellow-orange tuft of hair appeared behind him, and my expression darkened abruptly.

"Seonghwa, don't spoil our little princess too much," he called out to the blonde one and grinned dirty at me.

"I'm not a little princess, and certainly not yours!" I muttered angrily, but loud enough for him to hear.

"Mingi, please take it easy today," Seonghwa asked him with a serious expression.

"Stop playing the protector. None of us are the good guys!" Mingi spoke undeterred, advancing threateningly towards me.

"At least give her some time to process everything," Seonghwa looked at Mingi first, then back at me with empathy.

Time to process? Was he kidding me? Because of them, I had to process something in the first place, and now I should do it while undignifiedly tied to the ship's mast, visible to everyone at any time like an exhibit? That was enough for me, and a trace of anger flared up within me. I tried not to direct it towards Seonghwa, although he deserved it just as much, but he was the only one who had been even slightly friendly to me so far.

"You!" my eyes flashed as I targeted Mingi. Confused but also amused by my address to him, he paused in his movement and turned to me.

"I'll stretch your balls so long that you'll have to tie them around your neck to avoid tripping over them for what you've done to me," I looked at him aggressively, not understanding where the sudden courage in me came from. Courage or stupidity? Behind me, I heard some suppressed laughter from the others, who seemed to have approached the scene to witness the spectacle up close. Wonderful! Displayed like an exhibit.

"Although I wouldn't mind you dealing with my balls, but how exactly are you going to do that, princess?" He had by now taken Seonghwa's place, who had stood up. Mingi leaned dangerously close over me, letting his gaze glide over the thick ropes that held me roughly and firmly in place, unable to allow any movement in my upper body.

Internally, I slapped myself for my thoughtless mouth. He looked at me superiorly, and as I glared hostilely into his dark eyes, I thought I could see flames flickering in them. He leaned a little closer to me until his warm breath brushed my ear, making me shudder.

Then he whispered so softly that no one except me could hear, but with so much coldness in his tone: "Have such a cheeky tongue towards me again, and you'll wish you never met me!" Then he turned away without another glance at me, spun on his heel, and headed for the stairs leading to the deck.

"I already wish that!" I called out to him frustrated and perhaps a little thoughtlessly. When I realized that my loose mouth had once again acted without consulting my brain, I instinctively closed my eyes in fear of what would follow. But when nothing happened, and I timidly opened my eyes again to get an overview, I breathed a sigh of relief because Mingi was gone, and I had some peace, at least for a brief moment.

- Hello again! Well, who do you think belongs to the good or the bad guys? In the next chapters, Aurora will get to know more of the crew. Will it be as pleasant as with Seonghwa or as venomous as with Mingi? And what's with this strange dream? Stay tuned and feel free to leave something nice :) -