𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞!𝐚𝐮) 𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐙

Epilogue ~ Waking Up

"When do you think she'll wake up?" I hear a distant voice ask, at first appearing murky and intangible but soon becoming as clear as day. It's the unmistakable voice of the Aurora's captain, Kim Hongjoong.

"I dunno." Another voice, a deeper one but not as deep as Mingi's, speaks up, and I can only attribute it to the sarcastic and witty navigator I first befriended on the Aurora.

I open my eyes, feeling the sun trickling into the room I'm in which I'm not sure I can even count as a legitimate room. It looks more like a large tent of sorts.

My vision clears and I get accustomed to the colors of the place I'm currently residing in, scanning it with my eyes for the two figures I just heard. Eye-patch is pacing around the room, looking like a little blur of fur with his caramel-colored hair and his fox-fur coat.

Yeosang on the other hand sits on a cot next to me, calmly reading a book that's in his lap and paying no attention to his distressed Captain that's currently stomping around the room.

"She was awful when we found her, but it's already been a month since the attack. Don't you think she should have woken up already?"

"I dunno."

"What if she stays this way forever? Who knows how much magic she used up! And if she does, what are we supposed to tell the crew?"

"I dunno," the navigator responds once again, not giving a care in the world as he turns over the next page in the book. Eye-patch finally realizes that Yeosang isn't even listening to him which infuriates the tiny man, causing him to stop in tracks and whine furiously.

"Oh, C'mon, Yeosang! You're not even listening to me! Put that book down."

"Well, maybe, I just don't want to socialize with you right now! I'm reading for goodness sake!" Yeosang snaps back irritatedly at his captain, toning it down when Eye-patch glares at him.

With a loud sigh, the navigator sets his book to the side and leans forward to prop his elbows on his knees. He scowls, looking away from his Captain to shoot me a glance when our eyes make contact.

"She can't stay asleep like this forever. What are we supposed to do if she stays in this coma? Soyeon and Uhreia have tried everything to wake her up but it's not working—."

"Uhh, Hongjoong..." the blonde man tries to gain his Captain's attention but Eye-patch continues to talk over him.

"I'm honestly getting really stressed out with this because if she doesn't wake up we're going to be left without an enchantress again. And this time for good—,"

"Hello? Hongjoong—,"

"No, shut up and listen. If she doesn't wake up, we'll have a whole new generation of magic bearers that don't have anyone to look up to which—,"

"HONGJOONG!" Yeosang tries for the last time, finally gaining the attention of his babbling Captain. "She's up."

Eye-patch slowly cranes his neck in my direction, eyes wide in surprise but also in relief when he sees me squinting at him to get a good look.

"Oho, thank goodness you're awake!" He exclaims, grabbing fistfuls of his hair out of gratitude and then launching himself at me to give me a tight hug just as I sit myself up on the cot I was laying in. "We've been so worried about your health! Don't ever worry us like that again!" He pulls back, still holding onto my shoulders tightly afraid that I might fade away or fall back into my coma if he lets go.

"C-Captain, you're hurting me," I rasp with what little I can articulate, wincing slightly because of his grip on my shoulder. He quickly retracts his hands apologizing profusely as he gets up and bowing multiple times as he clasps his hands together to refrain from hugging me again. It's odd to see Captain so emotional but it's a refreshing sight to wake up to. Especially after being in the void of unconsciousness for weeks as they say I was.