I close the quarter room’s door and let out a series of ugly squeals. Hongjoong tabbed on my fangirl mode and now I’m unstoppable.

Cut it out Star, you know his character.

He’s the cunning mastermind. His every action has ulterior motives behind it. I gotta keep my head clear. But who can resist Hongjoong’s charm? The answer is none.

Once I calm myself down, I turn around to leave. But a lone figure behind me almost gave me a heart attack. “Fuc-” I shut my mouth before swearing in front of the scariest person on this ship.

Standing steps away from me, San’s wearing his usual all black outfit spreading dark aura, his face void of emotion. The thought of him from yesterday resurfaced, I can’t help but shudder at his God of War image.

“Well, yesterday, I..” Stop stuttering, I scold myself. “Uh...Thank you for saving me.”

A second passed, turning into a long awkward moment but San doesn't react, he is still looking at me dead in the eyes.

Then he opens his mouth to speak. I anticipate what he’s going to say because he’s a guy with few words.

“You block my way.” His raspy voice echoes throughout the corridor.

My feet automatically step aside. San walks brush past me and enters the quarter’s room.

My body stiff from sudden loss of self-esteem.

Then my ears pick up soft giggles from the side. Jim is trying his best to stifle laughter from the scene that he just witnessed.

“Jim!” I shout at him, making him stop giggling instantly. “Bring me to Aurora’s room. Your captain already allowed me to freely roam around the ship. I am now a free woman. I can go anywhere I want. Now Lead the way!” I say without breathing, trying to cover my mortification.

“Aye, miss” The boy makes a straight face but his mouth still twists into a grin. “But miss Star, can you walk?” He asks when he sees the girl struggle with a wooden cane.

“Why? Are you going to carry me?” I ask. Is it too late for him to ask since I have already walked here.

Somehow Jim ends up giving me a piggyback. The crew gave me weird glances but I'm immune to it now after losing my face for multiple times today.

We reached Aurora’s room which is actually next to my new room.

“Thanks, Jim. You can go now. ” I say to the boy. He nods and walks away.

Turning around, I knock on the door, “Aurora, it’s me, Star.”

In an instant, Aurora opens the door, her eyes puffy red from crying. But she still manages to look otherworldly beautiful.

Her face turns into relief as she sees me. “I’m glad you’re okay.” She opens the door wider for me to get inside.

Her room is also like mine; small and suffocative.

Aurora gently supports me to sit on her bed. “How did you get here?”

“They no longer restrict us in our rooms.” I answer, expecting that it would cheer her up but sadness is still present in her expression.

“Did they hurt you?” I ask as she isn't happy at the news.

“No, but that scary guy threatened me.”

“Which one? All of them are scary.” I ask her, earning her a small giggle, “The quartermaster.”

I nod in acknowledgment. Not surprised.

“They promised not to hurt you. But we better be careful not to trigger them cause you know how they are, they’re so obsessed with threatening people.”

Aurora listens to me, frowning her brows, “Do you still think it’s worth risking your life for them?” She asks, her eyes unfocused thinking of yesterday's event. “They’re cruel. It’s in their nature. We can’t help them change who they are. You saw what they did to their enemies. No one survived in their hands.” She starts sobbing while I listen to her quietly.

It’s true they are merciless. If these pirates weren’t Ateez, I would try every way to flee too. But since I know the storyline, I’m not scared...maybe a little. But Aurora is clueless. Fate cruelly throws her life into the dark side of the world. And she has been living her life knowing that pirates are villainous. Her reaction is a normal reaction from sane people in this world.

“Let’s escape together.” She suddenly suggests the idea.

“I..” I am unprepared of her sudden proposal.

“Please. I don’t want us to be next on their list. We know too much of their secret. They won’t let us out alive.” She pleads, her eyes glistening with hope. With the seer's help, she is certain they can escape successfully.

“I’m sorry but I can’t leave” I answer her.

“Why? I don’t understand.” She has a heartbroken expression.

“Because I have a wish to make at Wonderland” To get back to my real world.

“A wish?” Her face contorts in confusion.

“Yes”

She nods. She looks like she wants to ask something but stops herself from doing so. “I’ll respect your decision. But I hope you respect my decision as well. Please help me escape after they got the dagger.”

“That...” I’m at a loss for words. She put me into hot water. Her role is more than just getting a dagger. We need her to go to Wonderland. How am I going to convince her?

“Please” She pleads again.

I sigh at her pitiful state. Her halo effect starts to work on me.“I’ll think about it.” I give her a neutral response. And that wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear as she frowned her arch eyebrows and said, “I know you are a good person Star. You have a heart to change bad people to good one. And I just hope you’ll help me too.”

I sigh inwardly, “Sometimes you gotta let fate take the wheel, you can’t control some part of your life. But you must believe that you’ll come out just fine.” I comfort her with my poor advice. Because I honestly don’t know what kind of fate brought me into this story either.

She gives me a forced smile and looks out of the porthole. Even though she doesn’t pursue her pleading further, a headstrong character like her won’t give up on escaping easily.

So that’s my new assigned mission to figure out a method to persuade Aurora to stay on the ship. Because If she disappeared, then what would happen? There are possible contingencies that I would fail to go to Wonderland and stuck here forever.

But if in the end she still wants to leave Ateez, I’m afraid I can’t force her to stay. Or should I force her to stay and become the female antagonist who abducts the female lead. That option is also tempting.

Aurora I promise you. Once I get back to the real world, I’ll go convince the author-nim to write a happy ending for you and Ateez.

---

I leave the room with a heavy heart. I feel like the storyline and characters get messing up because of me.

Deciding to go back to my room, I take several steps but see a silver flash fly pass my face. A sound of something hitting a wall close to my ear. I look at the object stabbed in the wooden wall and pale.

It’s a silver dagger.

I let out a soundless scream. Someone tried to assassinate me.

My eyes quickly scan the area and meet with the culprit.

San leans against the wall, boring his eyes at me.

Don’t tell me...

“Th..This is yours?!” My shaky finger points at the dagger.

“Take it.” said the man who just threw a dagger at me.

“Why did you throw a dagger at me?!” I shrink. Does he finally decide to finish me here?

“Take it” He repeats his word.

“What do you mean by take it?”

He doesn't answer and turns to leave.

I pull the dagger out of the wall “Wait!” I shout after him, “What do you mean?”

He instantly turns back, “Captain ordered me to give it to you.”

Hongjoong ordered him to give a dagger to me. For what?

“And this is how you give a dangerous weapon to people, .” I mumbles but San can hear me as a corner of his lips stretch into a creepy smirk. He slowly strides towards me.

“No no, you misheard. I didn’t call you that.” To my bad luck, San is right in front of my cabin. I can’t escape into my room.

He’s getting closer and I panickingly step backward. “I’m sorry!!” Not waiting to be struggled by the combatant, ignoring my swollen left foot, I instantly sprint away.

Don’t know how but I ended up in the kitchen. Spotting 3 familiar faces sitting on one of the tables, Yunho, Mingi, and Jongho are eating and chatting among themselves.

I immediately bolt to sit on an available seat next to Yunho and startled the trio.

“Woahh You came in like a shooting Star.” Mingi exclaims.

“Hi guys” I greet them but my eyes are busily looking at the door, hoping San wouldn’t follow me.

“What with the hurry?” Yunho asks, observing the girl, “You’re feeling better?” Remembering her fainting episode from yesterday, she returns to be the same high-spirited young lady. She has a flushing face and panting from running. What did she do this time? Yunho wonders.

“Yeah better.” I answer, eyes still gluing on the door.

The three men exchange glances confusedly.

“What are you carrying?” Jongho points at a silver dagger in her hand. The girl alarms and drops the dagger on the table.

Three of them gasp spontaneously. “How did you get it?” Mingi shrinks loudly.

“San gave it to me.” More like throwing it to me.

“No way!!” He yells. “That’s his favorite dagger. He never let anyone touch it.”

The other two nods in agreement.

Mingi picks up the dagger, observing it closely. “Indeed impressive. Now I understand why he didn’t let anyone touch it.”

The silver dagger glints coldly against the light. Sharp blade is made with finest steel, black obsidian pendant inlaid in the middle of crossguard, the handle ornate with cast metal and a skull pommel. Even the dagger emits the dark vibe like its master.

“Why was he giving it to you?” Jongho turns to ask.

But I haven’t answered him yet as I feel a dark figure overshadows our table. All eyes focus on the newcomer, the dagger owner.