Hongjoong looked ahead, miles upon miles of the sea stretching out before him. As the sun set in the distance, the water turned a glittery gold colour, and the salty air blew coldly against his face.

"Will we be lowering the anchor tonight, captain?" Yunho asked, adjusting one of the ropes that held the sails.

Hongjoong sighed, looking at the looming storm in the distance. Just minutes ago, the horizon was completely clear.

"We'll sail through the night; we need to be at the port before morning."

Grey and black clouds slowly began to roll inwards, causing the wind to chill and the sea to become agitated. He and his crew had survived hundreds of storms, so he was confident that they would survive this one.

Hongjoong turned around, making his way to his captain's quarters towards the back of the ship. He opened the large wooden door and closed it tightly behind him, and walked over to his desk where papers and miscellaneous items were scattered all over in a dysfunctional fashion.

The room reeked of oak and rum, giving off a warm feeling as people entered. Hongjoong had grown accustomed to it. Everyone else who spent any time in his quarters learned to breathe out their mouths when the pungent alcohol odor became too much to handle.

As Hongjoong sat at his desk, the creaking ship was drowned out by the pouring rain. The door was silent for a moment until Cersei entered, her red curly hair sticking to her heart-shaped face. She closed the door behind her and wrung out the water from her skirt and petticoat. Her corset felt itchy against her cold body.

She shivered and looked around the room, her eyes settling on Hongjoong's. Hongjoong smiled, gesturing for her to come closer. Cersei crossed the room and Hongjoong wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, giving her a small kiss on the ear.

"You're freezing, love." He whispered, moving some hair away from her face.

"I'm not as cold as the others," Cersei pulled away, facing Hongjoong. "I think it would be a wise idea to anchor to ride out the storm."

Hongjoong sighed. "We can't afford to wait out the storm. We have to make it to the other side by tomorrow morning." He looked out at a window and then back at Cersei. "We'll just have to brave it out."

Suddenly, a knock on the door made the two jump. Cersei quickly stepped away from Hongjoong and adjusted the skirt of her gown, and Hongjoong cleared his throat. Cersei opened the door to see Seonghwa standing there, soaked from rain.

"What is it?" Hongjoong asked.

The older male narrowed his eyes and scoffed, "What is it? The ship is taking on too much water and we have lost one of our sails." He went over to Hongjoong's desk. He slammed his hands onto the desk and leaned forward, piercing Hongjoong with his gaze. "What are you going to do about it?" he demanded.

Just then, the ship rocked forward, knocking the three off their feet and sending them flying towards the front of the cabin. They crashed into the wall with a loud thud, and the captain shouted for them to brace for impact. Seconds later, the ship hit something hard and jolted to a stop. The three scrambled to their feet, unsure of what had just happened.

Then came the screaming.

Rushing out the door, Hongjoong could see what had happened; the entire bow was shattered leading to water pouring in and quickly sinking the entire ship. He tried to yell for help but who could he call upon to save him? They were alone in the sea. He had no choice but to face his fate.

The waves crashed onto the boat, causing crew members to fall. In a matter of seconds, a huge black wave rolled over the boat. Hongjoong closed his eyes, knowing his life was ending. He prayed for a swift and peaceful death. As water engulfed him, he accepted his fate and embraced the sea's darkness.

At first, there was panic, so much panic and he fought to get his head above the entrapping water. However, when he arose, he was quickly sucked back into its depths. He struggled and fought, but the water was too powerful. He felt his lungs fill with water and his muscles weakened until he finally felt calm. Everything in his body told him to fall asleep in the icy depths.

Was this the death people feared?

After that, it was just black.

The pain subsided and the fear slipped away. All he could hear was the soft voice of his mother telling him that everything was going to be okay, he was safe now. Then there was this cold and the wind hit his face as his head broke free of the water.

As he glanced around, he let out a gasp.

Something held tightly to his left arm, keeping him afloat. Through tired eyes, Hongjoong looked into his saviour's eyes. Staring back at him was a woman with glittering pearl-like skin and violet eyes. He noticed a delicate tail of purple scales, swaying beneath her with the waves. He was mesmerized, captivated by the beauty and grace of the creature who had saved him.

"Who- who are you?"

The creature placed her finger on his lips and gently shushed him. She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling like stars. She leaned forward, and her lips touched his. Tiredly, Hongjoong smiled and held the hand of the creature but like a mother who sings her child a lullaby, he drifted off to sleep in her arms and his hand slipped out of hers.

Hongjoong felt warmth radiating from the creature, like a warm blanket that enveloped him in a comforting embrace. He felt safe and protected in her arms, and slept peacefully in her embrace. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought he had heard the creature whisper a quiet "goodnight", but before he had the chance to respond, he had fallen asleep.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

The sound of wood creaking and waves crashing caused Hongjoong to jolt awake, his heart pounding from within his chest. He looked around wildly, unsure of where he was. He was met with the familiar sight of an old wooden boat, its sail flapping in the wind. He realized he was on the open sea, and very much alive.

He arose slowly from the ground and sighed with relief. Although he was alive, there was still no sign of his crew. Taking a deep breath, he looked towards the horizon. The sun was setting high in the sky, its orange colour illuminating the heavens.

An excited shout caused Hongjoong to turn and look.

Seonghwa and Cersei, unscathed, stood behind him as Hongjoong breathed a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, he rushed over to his comrades and embraced them tightly, grateful to see them both alive and well. "I am deeply thankful that the two of you are safe," he said.

Cersei looked up at him, her eyes sparkling a bright blue-green. Although relieved to be alive, she couldn't understand what was going on; everything felt like some sick, twisted fever dream. She felt a strange sense of disconnect as if she were floating outside her body, watching the scene unfold. Her mind was a jumble of questions and fears, but she knew she had to keep her composure.

"We were so worried about you", she said, hugging Hongjoong's torso tighter. "I thought I lost you."

Hongjoong gave her a small smile before pulling away and facing the older male, who seemed to have just as many questions as he did.

"Where are the others?" He asked.

Seonghwa indicated the main deck, saying, "They're gathered over there, captain." He then abruptly gestured for Cersei to depart, his expression becoming harsh.

Typically, Cersei would have contested this, asserting her right to be present, but instead, she silently assented and climbed the ladder to join the rest of the group on the main deck.

"What's the matter, Seonghwa?" Hongjoong said, leaning against a wooden beam.

Cersei's acquiescence made Seonghwa relax, and he slowly let his hand fall from the cutlass on his hip. Hongjoong eyed him curiously, cocking a brow at the older male's odd behaviour.

Seonghwa forced a smile, trying to reassure Hongjoong that everything was okay. He gestured for Hongjoong to follow Cersei as she walked away. Hongjoong nodded, and the two of them began to walk in the direction of the main deck.

"You know, it's better if you see it for yourself."