prompt: Merman AU
length: 12017 words

“Captain, we have to change course! The storm will hit us if we don’t!” Minhyuk roared over the gales that were starting to pick up. Icy rain began sloshing all over the ship, slicing across the crew members’ faces as they struggled to tie down the flailing white sails. Even Jooheon was up on deck, instead of staying in the galley where he usually was, to lend some much needed manpower.

But despite the terrible weather conditions that were growing worse by the second, Hyungwon stood his ground as he continued steering his ship forward. “I’m not going to let some silly storm get in my way,” the pirate captain said through clenched teeth while using one hand to push back drenched strands of black hair from his forehead. However, the waves were becoming more tumultuous and those few seconds of one-handed steering caused the ship to dip dangerously to the left. Hyungwon swore loudly as he immediately secured both of his hands onto the steering wheel and used all of his strength to force the ship back into its previous position. “What are you buffoons doing?! Secure the sails!” he shouted as the winds pushed against them even more.

“We’re trying!” Hoseok yelled back as he used his whole body to tackle down the billowing foresail while Hyunwoo worked on pulling down the fore topsail. Meanwhile, Minhyuk had left the crow’s nest and was now shimmying along the mainmast, trying his best to bring in the main topgallant sail while avoiding getting flung off of the ship as it rocked treacherously.

The hatch leading to the quarters below deck then swung open to reveal Changkyun, the youngest crew member, and he clambered onto the deck while breathing heavily. “The weapons…are all…secured in the weaponry hold…Captain…” he panted before running to help Minhyuk lower the topgallant sails.

Hyungwon pursed his lips together as his arms strained to keep the steering wheel in place. The frigid rain was coming down fast from the dark storm clouds overhead and the pirate captain had to continuously blink away the droplets of water that caught on his eyelashes. The winds were accelerating, beating down on the crew members like invisible whips that struck with the ire of ten thousand men.

And then, beautiful singing suddenly filled the air, momentarily distracting the crew as they briefly looked around to see where it was coming from. However, the voice seemed to envelope the entire ship and Hyungwon felt the back of his neck prickle with apprehension. Although the music was smooth and sweet, almost like dessert wine, the pirate captain couldn’t help but listen to the singing with distaste. He had enough on his plate with the storm threatening to push him off-course and having already spent three months obsessively tracking down the location of the bright red X on the map he had filched from that annoying nobleman, Min Kyungjin, during a dinner party, Hyungwon wasn’t about to let some bothersome song distract him from his goal. But the pirate captain was so focused on steering the ship that he didn’t realize what was happening to his crew members until a loud thud echoed around the deck as they began dropping like flies.

Jooheon was the first to go.

All of a sudden, the chef’s eyes glazed over as his grip on the rope he was tying around a group of wooden barrels went slack. It caused one of the barrels to roll towards Changkyun, who yelped as he tripped over his feet trying to steer clear of its path, and the young gunner was about to swear loudly at Jooheon for being so clumsy when his own body suddenly went limp. The two youngest crew members slumped to the floor, dazedly staring off into space.

“Oi! Get up!” Hyunwoo bellowed when he caught sight of the two boys lying on the deck. But it wasn’t long until Hyungwon’s first mate also fell victim to the melodious singing and dropped to his knees, seemingly lifeless. Seconds later, Hoseok joined him, slumped against the foremast with his head tilted upwards and his gaze dead to the world.

“Captain, be careful!” Minhyuk managed to shriek, having realized what was happening, before he collapsed on the deck as well. The sail that the navigator had been holding dropped onto the floor next to him, weighed down by the heavy waterlogged fabric it was made out of.

Hyungwon looked back at his now fallen crew members and was about to run towards them to see what was wrong, but the ship jerked wildly again as another strong wave jostled the sailing vessel and the pirate captain was forced to stay where he was to avoid toppling down as well. The singing grew louder as the storm raged on, but Hyungwon gritted his teeth together and planted his feet into the floor as he stood upright. He refused to let this monstrous gale take control, even if he’d have to fight tooth and nail against this intangible entity.

Luckily, it soon became clear that Hyungwon was unaffected by the beautiful singing after withstanding its hypnotic spell for several minutes. All the while, the pirate captain’s eyes were narrowed as he scanned the ocean, trying to find the source of that cursed voice and this blasted storm. But the relentless waves continued thrashing the ship around and Hyungwon had to grip the steering wheel for dear life. The sleet rained down even harder, cutting into his clothing and his skin, while his crew members uselessly lay sprawled across the deck with blank expressions plastered on their faces.

With the other five males out of commission, Hyungwon knew that his chances of surviving the storm had decreased drastically, but there was no way he would surrender now. He hadn’t become one of the most ruthless pirate captains to sail the seas by letting the weather boss him around. No, his only choice was to outlast the squall, even if it meant completely ignoring his body’s screaming need for rest.

A piece of debris suddenly flew from the ship’s deck and into the ocean, swallowed up by the foaming waves. It was a seemingly insignificant event, considering everything else that had happened thus far, but Hyungwon’s sharp eyes noted how the debris was swept under; there was a tiny vortex that swirled downwards and puffs of misty air escaped from it, feeding the giant rain clouds above.

That was his ticket to escaping.

Even though he knew he could be jeopardizing the entire ship by plunging into the unknown, the pirate captain quickly calculated that the rewards outweighed the risks, so he sharply turned the steering wheel to the left and drove the ship into the heart of the spinning vortex. It wasn’t long before the sailing vessel was pulled downwards by the force of the paranormal whirlpool and Hyungwon screwed his eyes shut as the ship disappeared into the center.

--

The sound of roaring water dissipated almost instantly. It became silent, almost too silent. Hyungwon’s eyes were still closed, so the silence was amplified even more as it wrapped around him. It took him several seconds to feel comfortable enough to open his eyes and he was greeted with the serene scenery of a picturesque blue lagoon. The clear water rippled gently underneath his ship as it sailed smoothly. There was nary a cloud in the sky or a wisp of wind.

It was as if time had stood still and Hyungwon was the only one who wasn’t trapped by the stillness.

He spied a cove several miles yonder and began steering the ship in its direction. With no wind and such calm water to travel through, the pirate captain was forced to cruise as a leisurely pace. Since his crew members were still out of commission, Hyungwon reasoned that this slow pace was probably better for him to handle, but the deafening silence was starting to unnerve him.

It was too peaceful to be natural, especially after the wild storm that raged on the other side of the vortex, which had disappeared soon after the ship landed in the large lagoon. Hyungwon knew that there had to be someone or something out there, lying in wait. The whole situation was too abnormal for it to be brought on purely by nature.

As he sailed closer and closer to the cove, the pirate captain could feel his palms get clammier by the second. It seemed to be deserted; all he could see were cerulean blue waves gently lapping at the white sandy beach. There was no trace of anyone and Hyungwon was beginning to regret coming here. He should have steered himself in the opposite direction and looked for an exit, instead of letting his curiosity get the better of him.

Hyungwon finally reached the beach after another fifteen minutes and he tossed the metal anchor into the water, keeping the ship in place while he went to check on his crew members. Waving a hand in front of their lightless eyes and shaking them into action did nothing to the five other males, so the pirate captain heaved a sigh as he dragged them into the mess hall one-by-one. He could only carry them so far—Hyunwoo and Hoseok were especially heavy—and most of his strength had been sapped during the storm earlier. At the very least, his crew members couldn’t get into any trouble while they were in this mindless state, so Hyungwon felt slightly better about leaving them on the ship unsupervised as he made his way off of the vessel and onto the beach.

“So you’re the one who trespassed into my lagoon,” a musical voice commented out of nowhere.

Hyungwon immediately jumped and drew his rapier, finding the tip of his sword pointed at the raven-haired head of a man who was staring at him with a thoughtful expression. The rest of the man was submerged in the still water, which confused the pirate captain to no end. “Who are you?” he asked harshly, keeping his eyes firmly trained on the man.

“That’s what I should be asking you,” the other male answered evenly as he drifted closer, ignoring the sharp blade targeting him. “You should be dead, but you’re not. I’d like to know why that is.”

The pirate captain kept his sword-wielding arm steady, knowing that even the slightest tremor would paint him as weak, as he said, “There’s no reason for me to be dead. Some freak storm isn’t going to end me. Not if I can help it.”

“Well, sheer willpower didn’t save the hundreds of sailors that have been caught in my storms over the past century,” the man said with a snort.

“Ce-century?”

The other male nonchalantly hummed in affirmation.

“Just what are you?” Hyungwon’s heart was thumping loudly in his chest, betraying the brave front he was trying to put on.

“Is it not obvious?” The man swam closer, gradually revealing his pale upper body, until he was at the edge of the beach, displaying his luminescent blue-scaled tail. It started at his hips, where his legs would have been attached if he had any, and was almost four feet long, tapering off into two translucent fins. The scales on his tail were all sorts of shades of blue and they shimmered brilliantly under the sun’s rays, not unlike a polished jewel on display.

And the pirate captain’s arm limply dropped to his side as he gaped at the merman in front of him. “The tales are true then,” he whispered in a strangled tone as he continued staring. “The merpeople are real.”

“I didn’t think it was anything to doubt,” the merman said, his lips curled up in amusement at Hyungwon’s reaction. “We’ve been on this planet much longer than you humans have and it’s a shame that we’ve become a bit of a myth after the royal family decreed that we were to keep out of sight.”

“Why?” the pirate captain couldn’t help but ask. He immediately cursed his overwhelming curiosity right after he did.

“Well, for one, our scales were quite the hot commodity,” the merman explained as he traced his left pointer finger along his shiny, scaly blue tail. “Many of us were caught in traps that were set by sailors who wanted to sell our scales for quick money. Dozens of young mermaids were lured away from our oceans by the empty promises of lustful men and then murdered once they gave up their freedom for love.” He spat that last word, as though his mouth was filled with poison. “Mermaid tears have healing powers, so you can imagine how many precious tears were collected from those foolish girls and sold for hefty prices. For our safety, it was easier to withdraw and strengthen the protective borders around our territory. Otherwise, we ran the risk of going to war and potentially being wiped out or enslaved, which would signal the end of our race. The royal family decided that it wasn’t worth the bloodshed of our people’s innocent lives, so we retreated deep into the sea and we haven’t surfaced since.”

“But you technically surfaced just now, didn’t you?” Hyungwon pointed out.

The merman sent the tall male a half-smile as he answered, “I suppose you’re correct. However, no one knows that I’m here. This is my special cove, right outside the fringes of our territory. I magically caused some land to shift upwards to create a secure lagoon that I could live in, since I grew bored of living in the palace.”

“Wait, you’re royalty?!”

He shook his head. “No. Well, not exactly. I am King Sang Yeob’s protégé, so I got to live in the lap of luxury without having the responsibilities that come with royal blood. For a while, I did serve as the chief bodyguard for Princess Sojung, but then the royal family replaced me with a younger guard named Seokhoon.” The merman’s thin lips curled up in slight displeasure as he added, “I suppose it was technically my fault for not paying Her Highness more attention and focusing on honing my magic instead, but it was such a bore listening to her girlish drivel about potential suitors. I don’t know why she’s so obsessed with getting betrothed, especially to someone that she claims will be just as kingly as her father. The man she mates with won’t even be next in line for the throne, since her younger brother, Prince Euijin, is the heir.”

“But how did you get into the palace in the first place?” the pirate captain asked while trying to mentally process all of this information about merfolk royalty. “I can’t imagine that the king would take just anyone to be his protégé.”

“Hm, you’re not as dim as I expected a human to be.” With a dazzling grin and his right arm bent in front of him as his upper body bowed to Hyungwon, the merman introduced himself. “I am Kihyun of the Sapphire Sea, the sole survivor of the Medieval Massacre that took place about four hundred years ago. While I, myself, am not directly descended from royalty, my great-grandfather’s niece’s sister-in-law is cousins with King Sang Yeob’s mother.” The merman snickered when he saw Hyungwon bend down to start drawing in the sand as the pirate captain tried to visualize the complicated family tree. “Don’t bother yourself with the details. It’s difficult enough for me to piece everything together. Just know that I’m distantly related to King Sang Yeob through mating laws.”

“What does that have to do with the palace itself?”

“Well, after the Medieval Massacre, King Sang Yeob and his troops visited what was left of the Sapphire Sea’s colony,” Kihyun continued with a melancholic expression. “The humans that had raided us had completely obliterated everyone and everything. The only reason I survived was because I had been toying with time magic which is very rare magic that not many merfolk practice, mostly because it would be very dangerous in the wrong hands. I had clearance from my mentor—bless ole Jung Hoon’s heart—to learn this particular branch of magic, so I was attempting to see if I could jump forward in time and test whether I would be completely erased from existence for the amount of time that I skipped or my body would be seen doing something that I would have no memories of.”

“Did it work?” Hyungwon hesitantly asked. By now, he was sitting cross-legged on the white beach as he listened to Kihyun recount his past.

The merman smiled bitterly, showcasing his pointed teeth, as he replied, “I never found out. I had jumped a week into the future and by then, my entire colony had been wiped out. The human raiders had finished looting all of our family jewels and they would have gotten away if I hadn’t appeared just then. It didn’t long for me to realize what had taken place and just…so much anger built up within me in a split second.” Kihyun’s voice had dropped an octave while his hackles rose and his knuckles turned white. “Hot, boiling anger seemed to consume my entire being and I acted on it. I destroyed their entire fleet with my magic and took one of them prisoner so that he could tell me everything that had transpired during the Medieval Massacre. I killed him as soon as his usefulness ran its course. It helped that the raiders hadn’t expected me, so I managed to catch them off-guard. But my only reward was being able to reclaim the sacred jewels of the Sapphire Sea. That didn’t change the fact that I was still the only survivor due to dumb luck.”

The sheer anguish in the merman’s voice caused Hyungwon to feel like barbs were piercing through his own heart.

“Many months passed until the Queen Mother realized that she hadn’t heard from her cousin in a while, which prompted King Sang Yeob to come to the Sapphire Sea himself and see what was wrong. That was when he found me, half-dead from guilt and self-inflicted starvation. My magic was keeping me alive as I wasted away in the ruins of my home. King Sang Yeob rescued me and took me back to the palace with him, promising that something like the Medieval Massacre would never happen again. Since then, there’s been a larger focus on the safety and livelihood of the merpeople. The Medieval Massacre is the largest and only mass killing of merfolk in history, and we intend to keep it that way.”

There was complete silence after Kihyun finished his story. Hyungwon had no idea how to respond. What did one say after hearing such a tale? For some reason, the pirate captain felt ashamed for what his forefathers had done. It made no sense; he stole from others for a living, just like how the early humans had hunted merpeople for their valuable body parts. But Kihyun’s story was a tragically lonely one and the pirate captain knew what it was like to be lonely.

“But enough about me. I’ve given you my name. What’s yours, human?” the merman asked, moving closer as he stared straight into the tall male’s large brown eyes. His body was relaxed again and his voice had returned to its normal pitch.

“I’m…Chae Hyungwon, captain of the X Clan,” he slowly introduced. “We’re…a band of pirates in search of treasure.” Hyungwon was afraid that Kihyun would smite him down, since pirates were no better than raiders—in fact, they were probably worse, if he thought about it.

But the merman only nodded as the thoughtful expression that he had worn earlier returned and he said, “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Captain Chae. What are you searching for right now?”

“The Blue Moon chamber,” the pirate captain answered. “It’s rumored to be filled to the brim with gold and jewels, but no one knew its location until recently, since the man who created it left the only clue to it in his grandson’s teddy bear before he died. However, the grandson didn’t know about the hidden clue and it wasn’t until his grandson was about to toss out the teddy bear that the map was discovered. And I stole it from Min Kyungjin as soon as he announced that he had found it, the stupid man.” Hyungwon smiled triumphantly as he tapped his left chest pocket where the map was sitting.

Kihyun bobbed his head up and down, and as he stared off into the distance, the merman reminisced, “Ah, I know what you’re talking about. This was just after I left the palace, but before I started drowning sailors for fun.” Hyungwon choked a bit at the merman’s nonchalance. “I chanced upon the chamber soon after its creation and the man begged me to keep it a secret from King Sang Yeob. He knew quite a bit about the merpeople, which is strange, but I suppose there are some humans who have passed down stories about us to their progeny. Anyway, I agreed to his request, but on the condition that I would wipe his memory of the merfolk. He had no choice but to agree when I conveniently took his ship hostage.”

Although Kihyun was smiling devilishly, Hyungwon could also see that there was pain etched in the merman’s baby blue eyes and he heard the note of bitterness in the merman’s light voice. “Did you hurt him?” the pirate captain quietly asked.

“No, he sailed away unscathed and I continued swimming around while practicing my magic.”

Hyungwon let out a shallow breath of relief and he was about to ask another question when the merman spoke first.

“By the way, Captain Chae, you do know that that Blue Moon chamber is half a mile below sea level, right? You won’t be able to swim down there and survive underwater for long with your puny human lungs.”

“What?!” Hyungwon jumped forward on his knees and hands while staring wide-eyed at Kihyun, who was floating on his back as his tail fluttered gently in the water.

“Hm, now that I think about it, I suppose a rogue mermaid must’ve helped him gather the treasure and assemble the chamber,” the merman commented as he rotated himself back into an upright treading position.

“You didn’t think to question that when you saw him the first time?!” the pirate captain exclaimed, throwing out one of his arms which caused some sand to fly behind him.

“Not really.” Kihyun shrugged again. “I honestly didn’t care what he was doing. It was fun toying with him for a bit and then we both went our separate ways after I wiped his memory.”

Hyungwon groaned as he slammed his fist into the sand, sending another spray into the air. “I haven’t come this far to let half a mile stop me from claiming the treasure,” he spat as he glared at the ground in front of him. “There has to be a way for me to enter the chamber!”

It was silent for several seconds with neither male moving until the pirate captain heard the sound of splashing water and he looked up to find that Kihyun had disappeared. He gaped at the empty lagoon, unsure of what to do after the merman’s abrupt exit. But moments later, Kihyun resurfaced and he swam up to the beach, pulling up far enough to sit next to Hyungwon.

“Wait, Kihyun, will you be okay out of the water?” the pirate captain asked, his eyebrows furrowing with unease.

“I’ll be fine,” Kihyun answered flippantly, waving away the tall male’s concerns. “I’m not that fragile.” He then stuck out his right hand, which was curled up into a fist, and said, “You’re an interesting bloke, especially since you survived my magic, so I’ll give this to you out of the goodness of my heart.” With that, a teardrop-shaped, navy blue pendant dropped from his hand and the chain of it hung between the merman’s pointer finger and thumb. “Here, take it.”

Hyungwon, dumbfounded, reached forward with his right palm facing upwards and Kihyun dropped the pendant into the pirate captain’s hand. “What’s this?” he asked as he began to inspect the simple piece of jewelry. It was smooth and round, well-polished like a gem, and contained sparkles that floated around inside.

“It’s a Mystical Water pendant. With this around your neck, you’ll be able to breathe underwater for as long as you need to,” Kihyun explained. “This is the only one that exists in this world, so you should consider yourself lucky.”

“Whoa,” Hyungwon breathed out as his eyes lit up in amazement. “This is perfect. How did you get it?”

“I was bored and enchanted an old pendant I found on one of the ships I wrecked,” the merman answered simply.

Ignoring the last part of that sentence, since it made his stomach crawl uncomfortably when he thought about the pendant belonging to a dead sailor, Hyungwon replied, “Thank you, Kihyun.” The pirate captain looped the Mystical Water pendant around his neck and tucked it underneath his shirt to keep it hidden from view. “I really appreciate the help. In return, when I find the treasure, I will be sure to save a portion for you.”

“There’s no need to,” Kihyun answered with a toothy smile. He gestured to the inside of his cove, snapping his fingers to reveal towering piles of glittery gems and golden coins nestled at the edges. “I have enough treasure to last me several lifetimes. I don’t need to add to the clutter.” Suddenly, his grin widened even more as the merman added, “However, I do have one request to make of you, Captain Chae.”

Hyungwon raised an eyebrow as he cautiously replied, “And what would that be?”

“I want to join your crew.”

The pirate captain did a double-take at the unexpected request. “You want—what for?” he clumsily asked, his mind still trying to process the merman’s words.

“You’re interesting,” Kihyun explained with a nonchalant shrug. “No one has ever managed to resist my spells and discover my cove. Those spells are meant to kill sailors, but your crew was able to survive with you at the helm.”

Hyungwon looked visibly uncomfortable at the merman’s statement, but he kept mum and continued listening to Kihyun talk.

“I want to understand why my magic didn’t affect you and the best way to do that is to observe you up close. However, I don’t think you’d take kindly to me imprisoning you in my cove for several weeks, especially since you’re currently looking for the Blue Moon chamber, and I’m honestly very bored of being cooped up in here by myself. So really, my best option is to join your crew.” Kihyun beamed brightly as he added, “It’s a win-win situation for both of us. Don’t you agree?”

“Well, yes, that does make sense, but—”

“Lovely!” The merman enthusiastically clapped his hands together as his tail curled underneath him to keep his body balanced on the sandy beach. “I’ll even show you a shortcut to the Blue Moon chamber that will save you an extra month’s worth of time,” he offered with a smirk that widened when Hyungwon’s jaw dropped.

“How?!”

“Easy.” The map in Hyungwon’s left chest pocket suddenly floated out and landed in front of Kihyun. Using his right pointer finger which now glowed with a soft blue light, he traced a path from his cove to the giant red X that pinpointed where the treasure was hidden. “This is through the heart of the merpeople’s territory. There are several fast currents that we can use to bypass any isles that could trap us, since there are quite a few that the royal family have enchanted to capture sailors, and the only way you’d be able to navigate them anyway is with someone of merfolk blood.”

The pirate captain grimaced when he noted how it was considerably shorter than the route he had penciled in. Not to mention, Hyungwon hadn’t accounted for the mysterious isles that could allegedly ensnare his ship.

If only he had found Kihyun earlier. So much time had evidently been wasted looking for the Blue Moon chamber when he could have been searching for other places to pillage or terrorizing traders to make away with their valuable goods. With the merman’s aid, he could wrap up this chapter for good and move on with his next conquest. All of the low price of being “observed” by the supernatural creature.

Hyungwon could deal with that. After all, Kihyun didn’t seem like a bloodthirsty creature who wanted to feed on humans. Granted, the merman had admitted that he regularly killed human beings for sport, so it wasn’t like he was completely harmless, but Hyungwon could understand that it had been the other male’s means of well-warranted revenge. Not to mention, Kihyun had treated the pirate captain with civility and kindness; in this first meeting alone, the merman had given Hyungwon a magical pendant, offered to protect his ship against other merpeople and their tricks, and coolly reassured him that his crew members would be fully functioning within the next twenty-four hours.

Kihyun could have slaughtered the other five and kept Hyungwon trapped in this cove for eternity, but instead, he had offered his services and desire to travel as one of them. While it made no sense to the pirate captain, he decided that he wasn’t going to complain when a magical being was proposing such a good deal right off the bat.

So he took a deep breath and stuck out his hand, saying with a lopsided smile, “Welcome aboard, Kihyun. You are now a member of the X Clan.”

--

True to the merman’s word, the rest of the crew was fully functioning by the next day. None of them had any recollection of the storm and had woken up in their respective rooms, thanks to Kihyun’s magic. They were confused by his appearance, but Hyungwon and Kihyun had concocted a cover-up story with the merman using his magic to integrate it into their memories.

“The less they know of the merpeople, the better it is,” Kihyun said when they were sitting at the edge of the ship. “If King Sang Yeob catches wind of what I’m doing, he’ll lock me up in the palace and probably kill all of you.”

Not wanting his crew to pay with their lives for a mistake that they had no hand in, Hyungwon agreed to keep silent. It helped that Kihyun was able to transform his tail into a pair of human legs, so the crew was none the wiser about his true origins.

In fact, he got on quite amicably with the other five members of the X Clan.

Kihyun often helped Changkyun clean the ship’s weaponry hold and scrub the deck, since the youngest crew member was usually stuck with the menial tasks that needed to be done around the ship. Jooheon was typically by himself in the galley, cooking meals for the crew and mixing preservatives in case their stock of fresh ingredients ran out before the ship could reach a port city to replenish supplies, but Kihyun now joined him to help him prepare meals and experiment with new dishes. Whenever Minhyuk needed breaks from navigating, Kihyun climbed into the crow’s nest and took over the other male’s duty for a few hours. Hoseok, as the quartermaster, also spent a lot of time below deck, organizing the supplies inventory, so Kihyun would keep him company and write out lists of what they had. Hyunwoo’s job was less structured as Hyungwon’s first mate and he usually took the day shifts to steer the ship while the pirate captain slept in his cabin, so Kihyun mostly talked to and cracked jokes with Hyunwoo during meal times.

Most nights, it would just be the pirate captain and the merman at the deck for the graveyard shifts while the other five slept. Hyungwon would be steering while Kihyun would be leaning against the rail, using his magic to map out a path for the tall male to follow. Sometimes, they would talk, typically about the merpeople since Hyungwon was interested in learning more about the supernatural creatures, while other nights were filled with companionable silence. When they entered the merpeople’s territory, Kihyun cast a protective shield around the ship and directed it onto the first of several speedy currents that would carry the X Clan to the Blue Moon chamber.

“Can’t your magic be traced back to you?” Hyungwon asked curiously as he watched a translucent blue bubble encase the ship before it slowly faded away from view. “Isn’t there something like a tag that’s unique to each spell caster? I remember reading about it in a book once.”

“You read books about magic, but you were still skeptical of the existence of merpeople?” Kihyun’s right eyebrow was arched in confusion as he looked back at the pirate captain, who was smiling sheepishly.

“I mean, there were plenty of myths about mermaids charming sailors at sea, but there were never any confirmed sightings of one,” Hyungwon quickly defended himself. “Besides, I spent most of my time searching for treasure. I read those books for leisure, not really expecting anything to be the truth.”

The merman nodded, a lopsided smile gracing his features. “Fair. Anyway, going back to your question, yes, there are distinct tags to each creature’s magic. It’s like a magical fingerprint. No two tags are the same and if you’ve encountered a certain creature’s magic before, you’ll know exactly whose it is when you come across it again.”

“So isn’t it dangerous to use your magic like this when we’re in the merpeople’s territory? Won’t someone recognize it and alert King Sang Yeob of our presence?” the pirate captain pointed out, gesturing upwards to the invisible barrier.

Kihyun’s lips curled up into a full-out smirk. “You underestimate my abilities, Captain Chae,” he said in a lilting voice. “Have you not forgotten that I’ve spent my entire life studying magic and experimenting far beyond what others are even able to dream of? I’m more than capable of rendering my tag unrecognizable to anyone, unless their magical powers are as great as mine.”

Hyungwon snorted in response. “Well, you’re not good enough to turn me into a mindless zombie, so my apologies for being worried, O’ Great Kihyun of the Sapphire Sea.” A spray of water shot at the pirate captain’s face, but before it could reach him, it slid down the air as if there were a glass wall protecting the tall male. “See?”

“Tch, you’re a special case,” the merman huffed as he lowered his hand and crossed his arms. “I’ll soon figure out what’s protecting you from my spells.”

“Okay, whatever you say,” Hyungwon snarked, laughing when Kihyun glowered at him. The two then lapsed into silence as they stared off into the black ocean, the night breeze gently caressing their slightly tousled hair.

--

“Captain, I believe we’re about to reach the spot above the Blue Moon chamber!”

Hyungwon immediately snapped his head upwards and then looked in the direction that Minhyuk was pointing. However, there was nothing but an expanse of blue sea in front of them. Their surroundings looked the same as they had for the past few months. “Are you sure?” he asked, not wanting to get his hopes up.

The navigator nodded and then stretched out as far as he could without falling from the crow’s nest. His telescope was in his right hand as Minhyuk waved it in the air. “I just spotted the Twin Peaks in the distance, which means the Blue Moon chamber is near! Well, according to Kihyun’s notes, that is.”

Hyungwon looked at the merman for confirmation. Kihyun nodded, saying, “We passed the border of the merpeople’s territory around seven hours ago. It won’t be long until we’re at the Blue Moon chamber.”

Upon hearing that, the pirate captain grinned to himself and yelled, “Expand all of the sails! We’re going full speed ahead!”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Hyunwoo, Hoseok, and Changkyun chorused as they ran to the foremast and the mainmast.

While those three focused on the sails, Hyungwon motioned for Kihyun to stand near him and he lowered his voice as he said, “You’ll come with me to find the Blue Moon chamber. Before we leave, could you cast some protection spells around the ship, please? I don’t know how long we’ll be underwater and I don’t want to compromise my crew’s safety. They’re the best men I’ve ever had, so I can’t have anything happen to them while both of us are gone.”

The merman held up a thumbs-up in response. “Consider it done. I’ll start setting up my wards now.” He then shouted to Minhyuk, “When the Twin Peaks are about as big as a doubloon through your telescope, we’ll be there!”

“Got it!” the navigator hollered back down.

“Thank you, Kihyun,” Hyungwon said, giving him a two-finger salute. After the merman left to go below deck to his room, where he’d be able to safely cast his magic in secret, Hyungwon’s grip on the steering wheel tightened in anticipation as he daydreamed about the heaps of treasure that awaited him in the Blue Moon chamber. This had been his biggest project since leading a crusade to steal the newest military-grade weapons from the navy. Although so many had deemed it a wild goose chase, Hyungwon had trusted his gut that told him it would be a worthwhile venture. He and his crew would be hailed as legends if they were successful, and the treasure would sustain them and their future families for generations.

Persistence would produce results. Hyungwon had believed in that mantra all throughout his years as a pirate. And now he would collect the fruits of his labors.

Kihyun returned to the deck right before Minhyuk announced that they had reached their destination. He was dressed in a cotton white shirt and a pair of black shorts, and he had a matching set of clothing for Hyungwon to wear when they went underwater. It technically didn’t matter what Kihyun dressed in, since he would transform back into a merman once they were several yards below water, so this was to help keep up the façade.

The pirate captain nodded his thanks as he accepted the clothing from Kihyun and went below deck for a few minutes to change while Hyunwoo kept the ship circling around the area. By the time Hyungwon returned, all of the X Clan members were gathered on the deck. Kihyun was perched at the edge of the ship, his feet resting on the rungs of the ladder attached to the side, and he waved cheerfully to Hyungwon when he caught sight of the pirate captain walking towards him.

“Ready to go?” the merman asked, gesturing to the calm water down below.

“I was born ready.” Hyungwon handed the map to Hyunwoo, who had left the steering wheel after Changkyun and Hoseok had thrown down the anchor. The pirate captain then surveyed his crew, all of them staring expectantly at the tallest male, before saying, “Kihyun and I will retrieve the treasure from the Blue Moon chamber. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, but we’re aiming to be back before nightfall. If we aren’t, don’t panic.” His voice hardened as he stared down the other five who all nodded, albeit a bit uneasily. “The entrance isn’t too far down,” Hyungwon fibbed, “so we should be able to enter the chamber without too much trouble.”

“The chamber won’t be filled with water right?” Jooheon asked, his voice thin with worry. “Otherwise there’s no way you two will survive for hours underwater.”

The pirate captain used his left hand to touch the space between his collarbones, his fingers just barely brushing against the chain that the Mystical Water pendant was hanging from underneath his shirt. “We’ll be fine. The Blue Moon chamber should have air. You five need to protect the ship while we’re gone. If I find even one scratch when we return,” Hyungwon’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “you all will be swabbing every inch of the deck until it’s clean enough to eat off of.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!”

“See you in a bit, X Clan. Okay, let’s go, Kihyun.” Hyungwon followed the merman down the ladder and the two dove into the chilly water once they reached the bottom rung. If he were any other merman, Kihyun’s tail would have returned immediately upon his legs touching the water, but his superior level of magic kept his human legs in place as the pair swam further and further down. Within seconds, their silhouettes were no longer visible from above water.

The remaining five turned to each other, exchanging questioning glances, until Hoseok finally broke the silence. “Anyone want to play poker?”

“I’m game,” Changkyun answered. “It’s not like there’s anything else to do in the middle of the ocean.”

Minhyuk and Hyunwoo nodded in agreement as the group moved toward the middle of the deck. They began to step up a table while Jooheon briefly went to the galley to grab some snacks. Minutes later, they were deep into their game, forgetting about their captain and his mission.

--

Once the two were far enough into the ocean, Kihyun released the spell that was suppressing his transformation back into a merman and a mini whirlpool surrounded his two legs, leaving his shiny blue tail in place once the vortex dissipated. Although it was midday and the sun was high in the sky, Kihyun and Hyungwon were deep enough so that the light no longer permeated through the water, and it was much darker than the pirate captain had anticipated that it would be.

Nevertheless, it was a fantastic experience being able to breathe and swim underwater like an aquatic creature. The Mystical Water pendant glowed around his neck like a beacon and its light helped him navigate the ocean after Kihyun. Schools of brightly colored fish swam beside them, and Hyungwon couldn’t help but stare in wonder as the pair passed various marine plant and animal species. “Wow,” he breathed out when a curious dolphin drew near, her gray eyes looking over the pirate captain especially. “This is amazing.”

“If you’re this impressed by what the merfolk consider the outskirts, you’ll think you’re dreaming if you ever see our territory,” Kihyun said with a bubbly laugh as he reached out to pet the dolphin, who trilled happily under the merman’s ministrations. “Our magic helps keep the waters rich and vibrant with life, so they thrive within our perimeter.” He looked up, noticing how Hyungwon’s gaze was still trained on the dolphin as she circled happily around the merman, and with a wide grin, Kihyun reached over to pull the pirate captain next to him.

“Wha—”

“You can touch her if you’d like. She’s very friendly.”

The pirate captain hesitated for a moment, despite the dolphin coming closer and tilting her head as she looked at him, so Kihyun had to give the taller male a slight push towards the gray sea mammal and Hyungwon’s hand bumped against her smooth nose. It was soft and sleek, and when she squealed in high-pitched decibels, he could feel numerous vibrations transferring from her body to his own through his fingertips. “I… I can’t believe I’m actually doing this…”

When the other male’s eyes lit up like sparklers, Kihyun couldn’t help it when the ends of his own lips curled up into a fond smile. In the past few weeks of sailing with Hyungwon, he had never seen this sort of unadulterated delight from the pirate captain. His default expression was an impassive one and when he did express his feelings, the tall male would usually plaster on a scowl. So this moment was a welcome surprise. Seeing Hyungwon’s face as he interacted with the dolphin was like watching a child open up a gift that he had been wishing for every night before going to sleep and dreaming of the unlimited possibilities that existed in a mind filled with hope.

As he continued watching the two play with each other, Kihyun wondered when the last time either he or Hyungwon had experienced the pure joy that came with exploring the vast world and indulging in small, meaningful pleasures like this one was.

--

Hyungwon was loath to part with the dolphin, but Kihyun reminded him of their original objective and how the rest of the X Clan was waiting for them above water. So the pirate captain reluctantly said goodbye to his new friend, who squeaked the same unhappy sentiment before swimming away. He was silent for the next stretch of the journey, following Kihyun as he led the way to the Blue Moon chamber. The merman also kept quiet, only mumbling to himself whenever he recognized a landmark that would lead them to the entrance.

They reached the chamber itself soon after the parting and found it covered in dense plant life that had sprouted from its sides. Small coral colonies were forming amongst the leafy fronds that swayed with the current and tiny critters were crawling around it as if they owned the land. It looked as though it was simply another part of the oceanic biome, having stood untouched for over a century, but Kihyun could sense the magic that emitted from it in weak waves.

No matter how natural it looked on the outside, the Blue Moon chamber was a manmade object that didn’t belong.

“There!” the merman suddenly exclaimed when he spotted the symbol of a blue crescent moon etched onto a slab of rock that jutted out from the chamber’s exterior. “We’ll be able to get in through that door.”

“Let’s go!”

They swam as quickly as they could to the entrance, but once they were next to it, a frown appeared on Kihyun’s face as the pulses of magic increased in strength. His palm glowed in light blue as it hovered over the entrance, tracing the magical circuits that surrounded the rock.

“What’s wrong?” Hyungwon asked when the merman’s eyebrows knit together even more after several seconds.

“There’s a seal on the entrance,” Kihyun answered as he finished analyzing the magical energy. “I think I recognize the tag, but I can’t be sure whose it is unless I directly counteract the seal.”

“Okay, then do it,” the pirate captain said simply. He hadn’t come this far to be denied entry into the Blue Moon chamber itself. Even if he had to break down the door himself, he would do it. Hyungwon could almost feel the treasure in his hands; all he needed was to get past this blasted door.

However, Kihyun’s frown deepened as he stared at the blue crescent moon insignia decorating the entrance. His eyes turned completely white as beams of light scanned over the mark and then black mist erupted from the dark side of moon, causing both males to jolt backwards.

“What—what just happened?!”

“Dark magic.” The phrase passed through Kihyun’s lips like a bitter-tasting pill as his eyes returned to their normal baby blue color. “I know who helped the old geezer create this treasure hold.”

Hyungwon wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he couldn’t help asking, “Who?” out of sheer curiosity.

“Remember how I mentioned that a rogue mermaid must have helped him craft the chamber, especially since it’s this deep in the ocean? After all, no human could have done this by himself.”

The pirate captain nodded, keeping one eye warily trained on the mark that was still puffing out the ugly black mist. “So the rogue mermaid set up the seal with dark magic?”

Kihyun’s eyes narrowed as he replied, “It’s not as simple as that. Rogue mermaids aren’t an anomaly. The term simply refers to anyone who has left our territory, either by choice or by force. I’m technically a rogue merman as well, since my cove is right outside the border and that’s where I spent all of my time until now.”

“So do you know dark magic as well? Seeing as how you’re obsessed with becoming the greatest magic user in mermaid history and all.”

The blue-eyed male looked scandalized at the assumption and immediately answered, “Never in a million years would I ever dabble in dark magic!” His voice then dropped an octave as he continued, “It twists the soul and damages it beyond repair. Not even the best healer would be able to use their magic to save someone who has surrendered to the clutches of dark magic.”

Hyungwon felt his throat tighten and he would’ve choked if the Mystical Water pendant hadn’t been on him. “Then what does this mean?” he asked after his throat seemed to open up enough for him to speak while his right hand pointed to the corrupted insignia. “Why was the rogue mermaid using dark magic?”

“Her name is Naeun,” Kihyun began, his arms crossed as he stared intently at the swirling black mist. “She was considered one of the most beautiful mermaids in the kingdom, but after she was rejected by one of the most eligible bachelors at the time—his name is Seunghyun and he is a royal knight—she tried to curse his entire squadron. Naeun’s obsession with Seunghyun and her extreme confidence—crossing into arrogance and hunger for power—borne from being paraded around for her exquisite beauty pushed her to dabble in dark magic to elevate herself. She wanted to ensure that Seunghyun would forever be hers and that they would eventually usurp the throne from King Sang Yeob. But Seunghyun had no interest in her or the crown, which set her off. Luckily, the youngest of Seunghyun’s squadron, Yejun, managed to escape during the attack and he alarmed the rest of the royal guard in time, so there weren’t many casualties and we captured her with restraining spells. She went on trial, for formality’s sake, and King Sang Yeob banished her from the kingdom.”

“But wouldn’t Naeun be able to use her dark magic to wreak havoc elsewhere or get revenge?”

Kihyun let out a mirthless laugh. “She shouldn’t have been able to, since I and a few other skilled magic users banded together to seal her dark magic. It took all night to devise a strong enough spell to lock away her core, which was completely corrupted. But we needed a solution right away, since we didn’t know how long our restraining magic would hold her down. Just after Naeun was found guilty in court, we locked her core, which meant she wouldn’t be able to perform any sort of magic anymore and she would essentially live as a humanoid fish for the rest of her life.”

“Well,” Hyungwon briefly pursed his lips together before continuing to speak, “clearly that didn’t work permanently.”

The merman’s jaw tightened at the other male’s comment. “I know. She must’ve done something to reverse part of the spell, but I don’t know what. Something about her tag feels different and I can sense that she never recovered full control of her magic, but there’s no way she could’ve—” Kihyun stopped abruptly before inching closer to the mist a few seconds after. Hyungwon, utterly confused, was about to join him, but Kihyun roared, “Stay back!”

The fierceness in the merman’s voice caught Hyungwon off-guard and he could feel a spike of irritation at being ordered around, since he was used to being the one to give commands instead of receiving them. “What did you figure out?”

Kihyun ignored his question and instead conjured a bubble to encase some of the mist. Then, his fingers began to glow as they hovered around the bubble, which glowed in tandem. “Yes, yes, that’s the only way she could’ve done it,” he muttered to himself, almost fanatically. In fact, the merman was so focused on analyzing the confined strand of mist that he didn’t realize that the rest of the black mist was inching towards him. “I can’t believe—”

“Oi, Kihyun!” When the mist got to close to the merman, Hyungwon immediately reached forward to pull him back and the trance was broken. “Jeez, that was a close one. Is your brain made out of bubbles?!”

“Shut up.” Kihyun’s cheeks burned red and he looked away, his mouth in a pout as he released the strand of black mist back to the main cloud that still hovered around the chamber’s sealed entrance. “But thanks for helping me.”

Hyungwon clucked his tongue, looking unimpressed. “Anyway, what did you figure out? You never answered me the first time.”

The merman’s expression was grim as he replied, “Captain Chae, I know you don’t like when I mention it, but I don’t drown sailors only because I’m a petty guy who can’t forgive most of humanity for completely destroying my home several centuries ago.”

“Then—then why else would you do it?”

“Humans are actually very pure life forms. Your non-magical status means your soul is completely untouched,” Kihyun explained with a loud sigh. “When we merfolk absorb your souls, our magic increases as we feed off of the energy.”

The pirate captain’s stomach twisted uneasily at the statement, even though the other male had reassured him several times throughout their journey that no harm would come to him or his crew members.

“Naeun must’ve bartered for a bit of his life energy to restore a section of her core, and then built and sealed the chamber for him in return," the merman deduced, but he was frowning as his gaze flickered back to the black mist. “She would have been at his mercy, since she had no magic to forcefully take his life force, but I don’t know why she wouldn’t have tried to take more from him afterwards.”

“Maybe she had a change of heart?” Hyungwon offered, but his voice was tinged with doubt. Even he knew how ludicrous that sounded, given what he’d heard about her.

“She’s mostly likely hiding and biding her time until she can recover enough power to completely restore her core, and breaking this seal will only release more of her magic.” Kihyun slightly bit his bottom lip before saying, “I don’t think we should—”

“Don’t you dare say that we shouldn’t enter the Blue Moon chamber,” the pirate captain hastily cut in. “I’ve worked too hard to get this far. We are not giving up now. Besides, you guys should’ve executed her instead of only banishing her, since she seems to be such a hazard to society.”

“King Sang Yeob is merciful,” the blue-eyed male said, quickly jumping to his ruler’s defense. “He gave that deluded mermaid a chance to repent for her sins, because what if she had the capability to change for the better? Even if that chance is slim, by the looks of it,” he darkly added under his breath.

“Then deal with the consequences of letting her live! I’m getting into that chamber whether you like it or not!” And despite Kihyun yelling at him to stop being so impulsive, Hyungwon launched himself towards the door with his hands outstretched and he slammed his palms through the mist and onto the slab of rock.

“You dolt! You’ll get yourself kil—”

But as soon as Hyungwon touched the seal, the black mist vanished with a muted bang and the rock cracked in two to reveal a gray metal door. The pirate captain was thrown back by the sheer force of the recoil and into Kihyun’s arms, and the merman gawked as his brain tried to process what had just happened.

“How… How did… What…”

The taller male cursed colorfully as he rubbed his head while black dots swam in front of his vision. “Jeez, that hurt. What happened?”

“You—you completely obliterated the seal and somehow managed to dispel Naeun’s dark magic,” Kihyun breathed out, still staring at the space where the cloud of black mist had been swirling just seconds ago. As Hyungwon shifted around, the merman remembered that he was holding the long-limbed male and with a screech, he immediately let go and rounded on the pirate captain. “What were you thinking?! You can’t just confront dark magic like a reckless idiot! You’re only a human and you have no magic! By doing that, you could’ve become possessed or your life energy could’ve been drained or… Or… Argh!”

“Lay off, Kihyun! It’s not like you were doing anything to fix the problem,” Hyungwon retorted with an intense glare. “Maybe you think it’s okay to just stand around and wait for someone else to do something for you, but I don’t work like that, thank you very much. And nothing bad happened to either of us, so stop being so dramatic.”

“But that’s just it! Nothing bad happened and—” The merman’s face paled as soon as he realized the implications of Hyungwon’s actions. His eyes locked onto the pirate captain, glowing bright white while scanning all over his clothed body. When nothing happened, Kihyun growled in frustration and swam up to the taller male, roughly grabbing his right arm and running his fingers along the exposed skin. His fingers continued sliding along Hyungwon’s body and they eventually moved towards the inside of his shirt to reach for his chest, which the pirate captain instantaneously rejected by pushing Kihyun away.

“Oh my god, Kihyun, at least give me a warning before you start groping me!”

“Sorry.” The merman had the decency to look somewhat ashamed for his actions as he moved back, but his fingers were still reaching for Hyungwon, itching to continue their search. “But, I have to ask, do you have any marks on your body? Anything at all?”

“Yes, I do, but why?” the pirate captain growled, feeling his patience stretch thin with every passing moment due to Kihyun’s confusing antics and thought process. “I’m a human with no magic. I don’t see what the birthmark on my back has anything to do with this.”

The merman’s eyes instantly lit up as he swam behind Hyungwon, his hands hovering over the taller male’s back. “Please let me examine your birthmark, Captain Chae. I swear that I won’t be invasive.”

Although he didn’t see what the big deal was or feel wholly comfortable with exposing his body on request, Hyungwon grudgingly pulled off his shirt and then pointed to the vortex-like mark that was just below his left shoulder blade. “There,” he said flatly. “That’s my birthmark. Now that you’ve seen it, I’m going to put my shirt back on.” After re-dressing himself, the pirate captain turned around to face Kihyun and found the other male staring at him again, but this time, with awe. “What?”

“You’re a void user. That’s why my magic doesn’t work on you. The affects of any spell directed at you are cancelled by your void mark.”

“Oh.” Hyungwon angled his head back, trying—unsuccessfully, despite his long neck—to look at his left shoulder blade. He had never thought to question the light brown-colored mark, thinking it was just like any other birthmark on any other person. And it was in such a concealed place on his body that he usually forgot that it was even there in the first place. For the birthmark to actually be a mark of the void—the pirate captain still had no idea what that was, to be honest—and protect him from magic was…kind of strange to think about. “So I somehow…voided Naeun’s dark magic with this as well?”

Kihyun nodded. “As stupid and foolish as it was for you to barge in like that, your void mark protected you from the dark magic and completely negated it. We should be able to enter the chamber without any trouble now,” the merman said, pointing to the metal door.

“Then what are we waiting for? That treasure is mine!” Hyungwon made a beeline for the door, Kihyun following right behind him.

--

After entering the Blue Moon chamber, Kihyun transformed his blue tail into his human legs so that he could walk with Hyungwon down the main corridor. There was no water inside the chamber, just as they had expected earlier, so it would have been impossible for the merman to swim his way to the treasure hold. The floor was tiled in blue and white while the walls were a muted gray-green color. It wasn’t very homely or inviting, but that was the last thing on Hyungwon’s mind as he strode forward and dreamed of the piles of treasure waiting for him at the end of this hallway.

When they finally reached the end, there was another sealed door with the same blue crescent moon insignia that had been on the main entrance of the chamber itself. Kihyun quickly scanned the door with his magic and confirmed that it was also imbued with Naeun’s dark magic. He cautioned the pirate captain to be careful when voiding the seal, reminding him of the recoil from the first time, so Hyungwon grudgingly inched carefully to the door and placed his right hand over the insignia. A puff of black mist burst from symbol, but disappeared a moment later when the void user clasped his left hand around it.

Hyungwon then flung the door open, unable to contain his excitement any longer, and found himself in a gigantic room filled with treasure from top to bottom.

It was the most treasure he had ever seen in his life and he wouldn’t be surprised if this happened to be the largest haul he’d ever come across. There were golden coins strewn all over, piled together into looming mountains that balanced against each other. A rainbow assortment of gems decorated the golden heaps, sparkling brightly as if they were polished daily. They all shined so brightly that Hyungwon felt the need to partially shield his eyes so that he didn’t accidentally go blind.

“This is amazing…”

“I’m actually quite impressed,” Kihyun commented as he also observed the treasure hold. “He must’ve bartered away his soul to the devil or someone. I can’t imagine how else a human could acquire this much treasure.”

“Or maybe he filched it all from others, just like what we’re doing right now.”

“I suppose so.”

“But how are we going to bring everything back to the ship?” Hyungwon frowned, the realization hitting him after the initial awe wore off. When he had first planned this venture, he had expected the chamber to be above water or close to sea level, so he and his crew would just have to make several trips to transfer everything. But being half a mile underwater with only one other guy meant that was no longer a feasible plan.

“I’m offended, Captain Chae. You’re forgetting who you’re with,” Kihyun said, clucking his tongue in disapproval. With a wave of his hand, two burlap bags materialized and remained floating in the air. The blue-eyed male then twirled his right pointer finger at the bags, which billowed open to begin vacuuming the gold and jewels into them. “Bam, it’s all ours.”

The taller male gaped, still unable to get over his unbelievable luck in meeting someone like Kihyun. “Wow, you really are skilled in magic.”

“This is child’s play,” the merman responded with a self-assured smirk as the treasure continued funneling into the bottomless bags at a steady rate. “For now, we can sit back and relax. It’s been quite the expedition getting here and it’ll be a while before all of this is collected.”

--

The two were in the main corridor leading back to the ocean after completely emptying the treasure hold. Each male had a burlap bag slung over his shoulder and now, they were leaning against the wall while discussing their next plan of action.

Kihyun was the one to bring the topic up first. “Do you know what you’re going to do next? What your next heist is?”

The pirate captain thought for a few moments before replying, “I’ll probably head to the closest port city and restock our supplies while some of the crew members mill around in taverns to collect information. If they don’t hear anything interesting or worth my time, then we’ll sail back to my home city and store the treasure into my safes.” Hyungwon smirked as he continued, “I’ll give the X Clan a vacation, since treasure is meant to be used for luxury, and we’ll reconvene in about one month’s time for the next adventure.”

“Going to chase after other magical treasure holds?” Kihyun asked with a teasing grin of his own.

“Maybe,” Hyungwon answered with a shrug. “After all, I have my void mark, so I won’t have a problem getting past any magical barriers or getting trapped by the spells of any vengeful mermen.” He looked pointedly at the blue-eyed male, who playfully shoved the taller male to the side.

“Touché.”

“So what are you going to do once we get out of here?” the pirate captain curiously asked. “You’re going back to your cove, right?”

Kihyun shook his head before clarifying, “We’re going back to my cove for a bit.”

“We?!”

The merman side-eyed Hyungwon in exasperation as he reminded the taller male, “I’m part of the X Clan now, remember? So, as my kind and responsible captain, you need to accompany me to my home, so I can pick up a few things I’ll need for the long haul. And I should upgrade my protection spells, since I don’t know how long I’ll be away for. It’s the least you can do for me, since I helped you get all of this treasure, you know.”

“Wait, you actually want to stay with us and really, truly be one of us? A pirate of the X Clan?” Hyungwon’s tone was laced with complete disbelief.

“That’s what I asked for all those weeks ago, didn’t I?”

“…Yeah,” the pirate captain hesitantly answered, confusion etched all across his face. “But I thought you meant as a temporary member. Just for this one mission.”

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Kihyun said as he nodded slowly, “since that was my original plan. After all, how interesting can a group of helpless humans be, even if one of them happens to wield a very rare and specific power that only emerges once in a blue moon?”

At that, Hyungwon mindlessly rubbed his left shoulder with his right hand, thinking back to earlier in the treasure hold while they were relaxing, when the merman had spoken about the history of void users. They were extremely uncommon and could crop up from any race—supernatural or not, which explained why Hyungwon, as a human, was the current void user.

“The last known void user—most likely your predecessor, but there’s no confirmation, since no one documents who they are—was a witch named Sandara,” Kihyun began to recount as the two males sat cross-legged on the floor with the burlap bags in front of them. “She and her wizard brother, Sanghyun, were quite well-known for being a formidable tag team; Sanghyun was the offensive spell caster while Sandara specialized in defense. They were a mischievous duo, always playing pranks on the royal guards or instigating spats between water nymphs that were passing through. Once they decided that there was nothing left in the ocean for them, they traveled north to study ice magic under a well-known warlock named Hyun Jin and no one ever saw them again.”

“Is there ever any indication of who the next void user will be?”

Kihyun shook his head. “If there is, no one cares enough to seek them out.”

“Why not?” Hyungwon scowled, crossing his arms in a huff.

“Void users aren’t seen as a threat or an aid. They’re just simply…there. Sure, they can cancel magic, but only spells that are directed at them. Any magic imbued in objects like the Mystical Water pendant,” the merman jerked his chin towards the navy blue jewel that hung around Hyungwon’s neck, “will still work, so it’s not like they’re invincible. And over the centuries, several spells that mimic the void mark’s powers have been developed, so a void user’s utility isn’t really necessary anymore.”

“So what made you change your mind then?” the pirate captain asked.

“This,” Kihyun gestured around the chamber with his free hand, “was fun. Exploring, unraveling mysteries, stuff like that. And even though most others don’t think void users amount to anything, I disagree. You’ve got a crazy streak of daring within you and I’m curious to see what kind of wild adventure you go on next,” he added with a toothy smile. “Besides, it’ll be helpful to have me around. My magic and knowledge will come in handy. What if you get yourself tangled up with a dragon next? Your void mark will be useless if he tries to burn you into ashes.”

Hyungwon winced at the hypothetical situation, but nodded in agreement. “Well, if you’re really willing to join my crew, then I won’t say no.” He smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling and his cheekbones rising. “You’ve proven yourself to possess the mettle that a member of the X Clan needs.” The taller male then stuck out his hand, reminiscent of their first meeting in the merman’s cove, and said, “I am expecting nothing but the best from you, Kihyun. Once an X Clan pirate, always an X Clan pirate.”

“I won’t disappoint you, Captain Chae.”

--

“We’re back!” Hyungwon and Kihyun climbed up the ladder and stepped onto the deck, where the other five were laying spread-eagle in a circle as they continued their tenth round of poker.

They shot up and turned to their captain, eyes wide and smiles beaming, before scrambling to stand on their feet as he approached them. Without warning, they began throwing question after question at Hyungwon, who laughed as he tried to calm them down. But they were relentless—Changkyun and Minhyuk were especially excited—and their pestering soon grew into an overwhelming cacophony of indistinguishable words.

It wasn’t until Kihyun discreetly used a spell to calm the other five into a more bearable state that Hyungwon was able to direct his crew members to the mess hall, where they could all sit comfortably and listen to the pair recount parts of their adventure. Even though Kihyun was now a permanent addition to the X Clan, he decided that continuing to conceal his supernatural origins was the best option moving forward. Although Hyungwon was completely confident in his crew’s ability to keep a secret, after having them swear their absolute loyalty to him upon joining the X Clan, Kihyun was not as emotionally connected to the other five and the trauma from his past still haunted him. Hyungwon was the only human that he wholeheartedly trusted and the pirate captain respected the other male’s choice.

After dividing the treasure amongst the crew members sans Kihyun who had politely declined his share, despite Minhyuk and Changkyun’s insistent pestering, Jooheon had brought out several bottles of champagne from the kitchen in commemoration of the successful mission. The noise levels amped up again, with Hoseok briefly disappearing to retrieve his guitar from his cabin, as they gleefully danced and sang around the mess hall. It wasn’t often that they got to unwind like this and although Kihyun was out of his element, since he wasn’t used to parties and celebrations after over a century of solitude, he still clapped and cheered along with the rest of the X Clan. It was like he had always been one of them.

Hyungwon contentedly watched the merriment as his fingers lightly brushed over the Mystical Water pendant, which glinted under the bright ceiling lights.

Another journey, another success.

♈♈♈