I breathed in a harsh breath, trying to breathe past the obvious wounds the most recent pummeling had given me.

I spat out the ruby red liquid, smirking as the ship swayed and the man standing in front of me shook from the effort of punching me, hands and legs tied to the wooden structure behind me.

The man had been having a go at me since the light filtering in through the windows in the side of the ship had faded, to be replaced by darkness and the internal glow in the ship from the lanterns.

They were trying to knock me out, I cracked my neck, grinning, sure my teeth reflected dark liquid from this mans punches. Sadly, they'd been weak when compared to what I was used to.

I cursed internally as the breath i took hurt and the waves crashed against the ship. Son of a-

Another punch found its way to my stomach, and I bent to throw up some more of my already empty stomach.

They weren't wrong in beating me up; I did try stowing away on their ship. But I needed a ship, my father's noble status was being threatened and I couldn't afford to ask him to allow me to borrow one of his trade ship during this tumultuous time. So, I resorted to stealing- or as I preferred to consider it, borrowing- this ship until I could make my way to the kingdom of Araelia. It wasn't that serious. I was just trying to get across to Araelia so I'd make it in time for the ball. 

It was a very important ball, specifically to me. It could be my chance to finally meet with him. My heart strained at the thought of those twin dimples, pained that I haven’t seen him for a decade. He wrote letters before. The first five years, as darkness forged through my mind as I fought with kids a year or two older than I was, on the same coast we had seen that beautiful midsummer day. I tightened my hands behind the rotten wooden plank I had been tied to. I rolled my eyes at the sailorman's continued efforts to try knocking me out. You'd honestly think he'd give up by now. Ugh.

I stared outside the small windows through which moonlight finally began filtering through. Grinning wickedly at the man trying so hard to knock my seventeen-year-old self, my grin widening as I heard the creak of the rotten wood of this ship. It was direly in need of some repairs so the extent to which these people were going for me merely stowing away on this sailing shipwreck was honestly insulting.

I started laughing my classic laugh, one I reserved for merely people like the self-righteous piece of in front of me.  The sailorman looked confused, that is until he finally heard the creak of woods right over the raging waves. Raging, like my soul every time I felt the power of the ocean and remembered what those powerful beings did, trying to crush my sunlight, merely ten years ago.

I laughed hysterically at their mistake. My sunlight was never in my soul. It lay in the piece of me across this vast ocean, in the soft hands of a boy whose eyes sparkled every time he stared at the wonders of nature. Of light.

"Getting caught already? Is our best friend losing his touch and growing too old for this already?" Jimin called from where the sailorman lay on the floor.

Paralyzed completely. Kook was tying up his wrists together, fitting a thick cloth into his mouth as he snickered.

"Wouldn't you like that, heir apparent?" I said lazily, motioning towards my tied-up limb.

"They caught me as I was reminiscing ... old memories." I said, frowning slightly as I realized it would have been a costly mistake if it were a serious mission.

"Aww, sure you don't want to retire old man?" Kook smirked as he teased.

"You wish, young man." I said, smirking right back. He rolled his eyes, grinning as he cut my ropes out.

"We'll be there soon," Jimin said from one of the moon lit windows.

I breathed in deeply, calming my nerves, wincing as some broken rib dug into some softer part of me internally.

I'm coming crashing back to you, Namu. Just as I promised.

I breathed out, adorning my signature smirk as I walked to the window and sat down next to Jimin, Kook settling next to me.

"What are you going to do once we get there?" Jimin said softly, as he patched me up from the supplies he managed to swipe from wherever in this ship.

I shrugged. "Stay with him for a while? Ask him if he would like to come back with me? Run away and stay hidden from the gods as long as we can? I don't know...I'll see what he wants to do. And what's safest." They knew I might not return back to them if they stayed in our Kingdom. Nerium. But we promised each other. Together until the end, and they wanted to accompany me, so who was I to say no?

I winced as Jimin tied the knot around my chest a little too tight. He muttered a soft sorry as I nodded, letting my head rest against the ship's walls, the calm rocking of the ships lulling me to sleep.

"Wake up, you stubborn donkey." Jimin said, shoving glowing herbs towards my face. I scrunched up my face from the odor they released.

Jimin rolled his eyes, "They're herbs from the Mountains of Nerium, Taehyung. They reduce your pain and heal the broken ribs you have," he said, shoving my side a little to enhance his point. I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and shoving the herbs into my mouth. I gagged from the disgusting taste, but swallowed the gooey green mush. I sighed, adjusting my posture and I slept. Jimin coming to sit next to me once more. Kook took first watch to see if any other sailors come to investigate throughout the night.

I let my head slide onto the rotten wood once more, the raging waves calming my raging soul momentarily as I drift off to sleep, images of rich brown eyes that turned crescent as they made space for two deep dimples to be exposed on his two cheeks as he grinned widely.

A/N

Hope y'all enjoyed that <333

Currently I'm aiming at updating once a week, around Wednesdays, 11.30 pm kst. (The timing might vary BUT the day probably wont hehe<3333) Let's hope i can do that lmao. if there's other things i have(exams, etc) I'll make sure to let a note down on my board ^^

~Zio