CRESCENT | ATEEZ FANTASY AU |

THREE

Stangers in Unfamiliar Places

"Little Lily..."

The menacing whisper of a voice startles you awake. Gasping for air, you jolt up and breathe in and out deeply. No dreams or nightmares are coming to mind, only a voice calling to someone in the dark. Maybe it's your imagination.

You try to think more about it, but the memory and the words fade in a snap. Soon you found yourself scrambling to remember what you were thinking about in the first place. As you slowly let the airflow through you once again and your thoughts wander, you took notice of something very unusual.

This isn't your bedroom.

The walls, aren't even walls, to begin with. Just flimsy brown fabric that moved when the wind blew its breath on it. The bed you were sleeping on, just a bedroll that sat on the floor, of what you assumed to be a tent by the flappyness of it. All while you're surrounded by items and vials that you're don't belong to you.

You have no idea where you are. This sends you into a panic.

Jumping from your bed, you hustle out of the tent's entrance in such a way that would make you the town's next exorcism. You scrambled to get on your feet once you got outside, only to be met with thick snow that was making it incredibly hard to stand like a normal person.

Footsteps crunching into the snow begin the hurry towards you, and you don't have time to look since you're still concerning yourself over trying to stand instead of wobbling around like a deer. The freezing cold climbs up your body like a snake, wrapping you in an icy choke. It's hardly noticeable though.

Out of the blue, a hand reaches out and grabs onto your arm to steady you, then pulls you up. It's strong, yet gentle at the same time, "Are you alright?" His voice is deep but soft.

You finally collect yourself and able to look at the stranger. Eyes wide and jaw dropped open, you stagger for words, "I - uh...uhm." He appears to glow from the sun's rays with his honey hair and bright eyes. It's hard to tell if it's a prince or lord standing before you.

"Seonghwa, what's going on over there?!" another voice calls out in the not so far distance. Finally snapping out of your trance, you glance around, hoping to find out where the voice is coming from, but you pay attention to the abundance of tents instead. And you suddenly remember that you're unsure of your whereabouts and who this stranger is clinging to your arm.

The stranger in front of you turns his head in the direction of the voice "It's the girl! She's awake!" he shouts back. Then he focuses his attention back to you, "Are you alright," he repeats. There's a look of worry on him, though you're not sure what he's worried about.

You looked down at the grip he has on your arm, then back at him, and back at your arm. You finally rip your arm away from him and step back cautiously. "Wh-who are you? Where am I??" the questions poured out like raindrops, "Why was I in a tent? Oh my god, did you kidnap me?!" You couldn't even think about the words that spilled from you, only that you needed to get them out.

The man in front of you, the one with honey hair and princely features, chuckles nervously. There's a look on his face, you can't tell if he's smiling, or dying on the inside, "Sorry about that..." he trails off and drops his hold on your arm, "I'm sure you must be very confused right now."

"Uhm... yeah just a little," you blatantly exasperate, "That's why I keep asking, but I'm not receiving any answers." You're lost, confused, surprisingly exhausted. You just want to know what the hell is going on.

"Let me start again," he begun, "I'm Seonghwa. One of my friends found you outside of our camp. You were passed out, so he carried you back here," he explained. He's weirdly calm for someone who has a girl clucking in panic before him. You can't help but think at his words.