Aurora - You are my light (Ateez x reader)

NINETEEN

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Discussion of rape, abuse, torture, pain, and abortion (in the context of a conversation)

When I opened my eyes, I was enveloped by a feeling of confusion and disorientation. The first thing I saw was the ceiling above me, artfully painted with golden and silver stars that shone like glittering jewels in a deep blue sky. I tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy and weak. It took a few minutes before I could remember what had happened.

I recalled the worried looks and the pained cries of the men. The pain, all the blood, the loss, and the darkness that had descended upon me. The pain had been overwhelming, and with it came the loss of my consciousness. How long I had been lying in this room, I couldn't say.

The French doors of the large window stood wide open, and a gentle breeze made the sheer curtains dance. In front of me stretched beautiful dense canopies of trees shimmering in vibrant green, and beyond them, I could glimpse the sea. The sea... suddenly, it hit me: Where was the crew? Where were Seonghwa, Yeosang, Hongjoong, and all the others? Why was no one there when I woke up? Had they completed their mission and brought me to the place they were supposed to deliver me, only to sail away? Had they really abandoned me without a word?

At that moment, the beautifully adorned wooden door to my room opened. I held my breath, hoping desperately to see one of the familiar faces of the pirates. Even the sight of San or Mingi would now bring a smile to my face and give me some sense of security. But I got disappointed.

A tall and beautiful woman with long white hair entered. She seemed to be about my age, maybe a few years older. Her slender silhouette was draped in a beautifully and elaborately embroidered silver gown that reached the floor. A warm smile graced her face as she noticed I was awake, and she stepped closer to the bed.

"Good morning, Princess Aurora," she said with a gentle voice that sounded like music to my ears. "You are on the islands of Velurien. I am Elaria. I have been tending to you medically for the past two weeks."

Two weeks. So I had been lying here, unconscious, for two weeks.

"How am I?" I asked, my voice weak and brittle as I cleared my throat.

Elaria sat on the edge of the bed and gently took my hand. "You are now stable, but you lost a lot of blood. It was uncertain for a long time whether you would make it. But you fought through, and now you are on the path to recovery."

Relief washed over me, but the worry for the crew lingered. "The pirates... where are they?" My voice trembled with fear and hope.

A shadow passed over her face, and she seemed to search for the right words. "Once it was clear that you would survive, they set sail. They didn't seem to want to lose any time. I do not know their destination."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. My world shattered. They had simply left me, without a word, without waiting for me to wake up. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn't hold them back. "They just left me," I whispered, unable to believe that the men I had come to trust, some of them deeply, had just gone. "Did they say anything? Not even if they'd come back?" I looked into Elaria's pale gray eyes.

Elaria squeezed my hand tighter and shook her head. "I know it's hard, Princess. But you are not alone. I will take care of you until you are strong enough." She paused for a moment, as if remembering something. "Wait here." She then hurried out of the room and returned a few moments later. In her hand was a beautiful golden box. "The captain asked me to give this to you." She handed me the ornate case. With trembling fingers, I opened it and my eyes widened when I saw the beautiful necklace with the embedded aquamarine inside. Reverently, I took it out and examined it again, this time calmly and without the feeling of doing something forbidden.