\\ NIGHT\\ Fantasy AU \ ATEEZ Fanfic

// Chapter 20 \\

Curse that Wooyoung. He slammed me into that fountain and now I had a terrible headache.

I walked down the empty halls of the palace quietly as I searched for a familiar landmark I'd recognize in hopes of finding my way back to the guest suites. I couldn't get spotted like this— that would draw suspicion— but my headache made it quite troublesome to concentrate.

I can't go to a healer without being suspicious, so I just hummed as the pain throbbed in my head. The pain didn't feel that serious anyways. But shouldn't I report about a Taker on palace grounds? Plus, what Wooyoung had said— despite most sounding like nonsense— could be valuable to figuring out more intel on the Takers and their whereabouts. But I'd been with this Taker on multiple occasions and he wasn't just any normal Taker. The way his name was ingrained in my head and the way he said my name as if it was blatant nonsense. There was something different about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

If Seonghwa figured out about the interactions I had with him— and he'd been suspicious of me before— what would happen? I could feel fear rise up inside me at what Seonghwa would think. What would he think? Why was I starting to feel scared? I shouldn't feel this way because we were on the same side, but the way Seonghwa was acting had me on the fence. He threw me in a runed room because he thought I was involved with the Takers.

I really needed to get back to my room. I may spend an eternity sleepless but that didn't mean I still needed more time to think about this. So, I began to walk faster as I made my way down these halls. I took so many twists and turns, up and down stairs, peaking my head in and out of rooms, but there was no avail. I was lost once again. If only I could've been lost with San but he didn't need to know about this either. No, he knew enough— I couldn't burden him anymore.

I found myself stopping in a golden yellow and black hallway. It was just as empty as the other hallways have been despite the luscious plants that extravagantly lined the wall, a few buds blossoming here or there. This place didn't look half as familiar as the other hallways, however. The other halls were at least somewhat recognizable. This hallway appeared much more abstract, in fact.

I huffed out a sigh as I slouched my shoulders, at the verge of giving up my search. Might as well hunt someone down to take me back to my quarters. What would I use as an excuse for me being out here anyhow? That I would just have to come up with when the time comes. I could feel my hands shake from all the tension I felt as my head pounded. I could really use a pillow or something of comfort to rest my head on right now, but I had nothing.

I spotted a room with lights dimly lit down the hall. Perhaps there was a maid in there— a butler— someone.

So I made my sluggish way down the hall, my headache becoming worse by the second. I leaned myself against the wall with my arm as my head suddenly became dizzy.

Curse that Wooyoung. Curse that Wooyoung. Curse that Wooyoung.

I gave myself a moment, panting, before I peered over the threshold and looked inside the room. The room— the study— was gold and white with a couple accessories being a red-ish-pink. There was a gold and white laced rug that led into a massive wooden table that almost shone as if it were made of gold itself. Behind it was a chair cushioned in a glimmering white cloth, its frame made of the same material as the desk. Behind that was a window where the purple-violet sky poured in, giving the room an interesting glow that mixed with the dim light of flame from the fireplace to the right of the room. There was a waterfall on each side of the fireplace that quietly poured out into an area of exotic plants and flowers that were planted in flower beds that ran along the floor. The most interesting thing was that these plants weren't green but a red-ish-pink, white, and some gold even. To the left side of the room was a bookshelf with books being in an assortment of different colors. Along with these books were some antique-like objects spacing them out in certain areas. Red vines grew on and in between those shelves, giving it a touch of beauty I hadn't quite seen before. This room was definitely more exotic than the other rooms I'd been in. Perhaps it belonged to someone important. Yet, that someone— or anyone else— was not in the room.