VOYAGE I: Onwards To Utopia

Chapter 3

Grey

After acquiring the compass, Hongjoong and the others returned to the ship and proceeded to sail to Sunie. They needed to restock for the voyage they planned to take.

The Captain retreated to his quarters, the words of the skywitch still lingering in his mind.

"Why is the compass cursed?"

"I believe because it was stolen. Twelve years ago, I found a man on my island. He was barely able to move, that he crawled. His entire body was covered in stone. He was in a lot of sorrow he says that it was his fault, that he shouldn't have stolen it. But before I could ask him more, he..crumbled into the ground in pieces."she says."He also carried this with him. I think its a map or something that can help with the compass."Claudine adds, handing over a rolled parchment.

Yeosang had taken the paper along with him to the navigation room, so Hongjoong decides to wait for him to see what he's found out.

Settling onto his chair with his back leaning on the cushioned backrest, he stares at the golden trinket in his hands. His blessing and curse.

"I wonder what it'll be like to be frozen in place?"he thought out loud, and he wants to smack himself for thinking about it as he was obviously going to be experiencing it soon as the day  was becoming late.

As if on cue, Hongjoong felt a restraining force coming from his hand that held the golden object. What he sees made his eyes bulge. He was horrified that he bolts up from his seat.

His hand was turning grey.

He uses his other hand that was still normal to touch his graying hand. The color now spreading up his arm. It was cold. He makes a motion to head for the door to call for the others but his legs stopped responding.

"Ah shit."was the last thing he was able to say before his entire body was ashen and deathly still.

Seconds later, the door to the Captain's quarters burst open and in came a confused yet frustrated looking navigator who had his eyes fixed on the paper he was holding.

"Captain I don't understand this paper is bla— sweet mother of the horizons!!"he exclaims, a hand over his heaving chest, eyes wide and face pale.

Yeosang stood there rooted in place, his mind still trying to wrap around the fact that his Captain was right in front of him, grey and frozen.

Footsteps then started approaching from behind him."Yeosang, you alright ? I heard you scream, anything wro— holy crowsbutt what is that?!!"Wooyoung cried out.

"The Captain... apparently."the brunette replies, still in a daze.

"The fuc—"

**

Setting foot on Sunie, Dongun and his sister headed off to the market. He had to buy a new magnifying glass since his own got broken. They stop in front of a shop. A sign that said "Thinkers" hangs above the shop door. Books, globes and other things coukd be seen through the shop window.

"Shinji, I want you ago stay here okay? I'll be right back so we can get the other supplies."he says to her and helps her so on the bench by the shop.

"Okay."the fragile girl replied, obeying what his older brother had askes her to do.

Donghun enters the shop and the sound of the small bell by the door echoed through the establishment. He searches around for that magnifying glass through several stuff taht he realized he actually needed. It was going to be a while.

Shinji-ah, wait for me..

Outside the shop Shinji sat on the bench and waited patiently for her brother. Her hands fidgeted with that small bottle with a flower inside that she loved so much. Her brother had given it to her as a birthday present.

A man with a scar on his face's attention was caught by the young oblivious girl. He heads to her direction."Hello there little lady, fine day isn't it?"he says with a deep raspy voice.

"Oh, I guess it is."Shinji replied. The man was confused that the girl wasn't looking at him, but the realization that she was blind made him smirk.