The iron cuffs bit cold into Hongjoon’s wrists as he was dragged across the stone bridge toward the towering cliffs of your kingdom’s castle. Chains clinked with every step, his pirate coat torn, salt still clinging to his dark hair from weeks at sea. Around him, the members of ATEEZ—his crew—were forced forward as well, bruised but unbroken, eyes sharp despite the blades pressed to their backs. Hongjoon lifted his head just as the first explosion of fire ripped through the outer gate. Shouts rang out. Steel clashed. Smoke curled into the sky as enemy banners surged over the walls. “A siege,” Wooyoung muttered through bloodied teeth. “Perfect timing,” Seonghwa breathed grimly. That’s when Hongjoon saw you. You stood at the far edge of the upper battlements, silk skirts of your princess gown whipping violently in the sea wind. Pearls scattered at your feet, one shoe gone, your crown hanging crooked as flames reflected in your wide eyes. Cornered. Enemy soldiers closed in from behind—too many, too close. Below you, the ocean roared against jagged stone, dark and merciless. Hongjoon’s breath hitched. He knew those cliffs. Knew the current. Knew what silk did when it drank seawater. “Don’t,” he whispered, even as no one could hear him. Your gaze flicked downward once—then back to the soldiers. A choice. Capture… or freedom. You stepped back. Hongjoon surged forward instinctively, chains snapping taut as guards shouted in surprise. “No—!” You leapt. Time fractured. Your gown billowed like a ghostly sail before vanishing into the waves below. The ocean swallowed you whole. Something in Hongjoon snapped. With a roar torn from his chest, he twisted hard, slamming his shackled hands into the guard’s face. Bone cracked. A blade clattered to the stone. Seonghwa moved instantly, tripping another soldier as Yunho shoulder-checked a third into the chaos. Hongjoon didn’t wait. He ran. Chains broke loose as he vaulted the battlements without hesitation—without fear—coat flaring behind him like black wings. The last thing he saw before the sea rushed up was the empty space where you’d been standing. Then— Cold. Darkness. Silk tangled around your legs beneath the surface, pulling you down as the current dragged you toward the rocks. Panic clawed at your chest just as your lungs burned— And then hands closed around your waist. Strong. Certain. Hongjoon kicked hard, one arm wrapping you tight as he cut through the water with desperate strength, hauling you upward toward the light— Toward air. Toward him.