Cursed Hearts | ATEEZ

044

I couldn't help but feel like I wasn't supposed to be here, to have even stumbled upon the secret room in the first place, as I carefully made my way towards the slightly raised podium in the middle of the wide expanse of seemingly never-ending marbled floors whose edges, along with the walls of the room, blended into nothing more than darkness in the distance.

I felt as if I had stepped into a pocket in time, found an escape from the constant fear, panic, and dangers that had been surrounding me, clinging to me, drowning me from day one of the trials.

The ceiling above me moved slowly, lazily, as dark clouds traveled across the dark sky littered with stars, and I felt my heart ache as I realized that, once again, like always, the moon was missing from its designated spot in the night sky, forcing the room into a darkness which was, although colourful and bright enough for me to navigate, left devoid of its signature glow and life.

I reached out for the golden key placed on the podium, my hand scraping slightly against the cold marble before clutching the slightly warm material and studying the intricately cut object for a moment as I remembered Namjoon's words.

"This time, you will only be dependant on the one already in your possession to make it to the goal, the final one. Your keys will be needed to escape this world of vanity and beauty."

We weren't supposed to find another key, I realized, reaching for the one in my belt as it began to heat up, causing a familiar burn to flow through the damaged skin on my palm; a permanent reminder of one of the many close-calls I had had with death during the last six months.

I put the last key on my necklace along with the amulet and turned towards the door at the end of the room, hesitating for a moment as I once again glanced up at the endless night sky above and everywhere around me, grateful for having been granted a moment within this world of safety and silent beauty before heading over to the door.

The key was burning by the time I finally grabbed the handle and pushed it into the keyhole, watching its golden shape flicker and disappear before pushing through the door and climbing the staircase behind it, heading for the light at the top.

〄

I was met with a familiar sight as I finally fought my way through the darkness and found myself in front of a wall of windows displaying the impressive view of Martell below the Palace of Atlas; the tops of the colourful houses, lakes, parks, and waterfalls crawling down the sides of the mountains surrounding the capital.

But the surprise that washed over me at the view was nothing compared to the one that I felt as I furrowed my brows and turned around to realize that I had come out of the back of The White Throne, taking a slightly shocked step back as I watched the entrance to the stairway disappear in front of my very eyes.

In front of it, the enormous mass of polished floors; almost mirror-like and reflecting the row of columns that lined a straight path through the room, making their gilded surfaces look almost infinitely tall, the throne room stood exactly like it had done months ago.

I felt lightheaded, confused, and dazed as I looked down at myself, at my hands, and then at the throne in front of me, studying the intricately decorated seat and letting my hand run across the armrest as I sensed voices cutting through the heavy silence, far-away and unclear.

The golden details along the walls reflected the sunlight as the golden rays flooded through the windows behind me, making the room glow warmly despite it being late-autumn.

My eyes drifted upwards to the long row of curved windows overhead before I finally managed to clear my head, clenching my eyes shut before letting them flutter back open as I focused on the backs of the Eight Kings of Haelan, all of them standing tall and proud as they faced the people in front of them.