Ocean's Descent ||| Woosan (Ateez)

39

Yunho couldn't seem to stay still as he waited outside the king's bed chambers. He was constantly letting up and down the hallway or bobbing in place right outside the thick, seaweed barrier.

But he needed to be patient. Mingi had asked to speak with his father alone...

It hurt, slightly, that Mingi didn't want him there for something like this. Saving Wooyoung was the only thing occupying Yunho's mind. He felt like they had already wasted so much time debating and discussing.

The hardest thing was fighting against the 'What ifs'.

What if Wooyoung was hurt?

What if something had happened to him since sending the letter?

What if he couldn't find his way home?

What if these 'friends' betrayed him?

What if he...

A small whimper escaped Yunho's lips and he wrapped his arms around his stomach before sinking to the sea floor. His glistening blue tail folded beneath him, supporting his body and keeping him upright.

What if he never saw Wooyoung again?

Yunho didn't know if he'd be able to handle that... He would go look by himself if he needed to.

The guard pursed his lips and nodded. Yeah, if Mingi needed to stay then he would go on his own. Wooyoung had managed just fine, so he could do it. Plus he knew more magic than Wooyoung, so he had an advantage there too.

To fight the growing itch to just swim away, Yunho moved in front of a nearby opening so he could look out over his pod. It didn't seem nearly as cheerful as he knew it could be, although a lot of the pod was still in mourning.

A few children swam by while flicking a small rock back and forth with their tails it was a popular game to play because it also built up strength in those muscles.

Their black tails flowed beautifully behind them, but Yunho thought he saw a few green scales starting to look through on one girl's tail.

He smiled and watched them for several minutes, letting his mind drift back to the days when he used to do the same thing with Wooyoung and Mingi. They would spend hours chasing each other around and fantasizing about what color their tails would be when they presented.

Yunho's was the plainest of their trio, but he was proud of the vibrant blue he'd received.

A soft swish from behind him drew his attention, causing him to spin around with a flurry of bubbles.

Seeing Mingi's heartbroken expression made Yunho rush to his side and pull him into the tightest hug he could manage. They both sank into the sand and clung to each other in complete silence.

"I don't think I'll see him again..." Mingi whispered.

Yunho tends and started to pull away, but his prince just followed the movement to keep his face buried in Yunho's neck.

"It's gotten so much worse... He could barely keep his eyes open. But..." The prince took a deep breath, then lifted his head. "He wants us to go."

"He does?!" Yunho said, failing to hide the small burst of excitement that pulsed through him.

"Yeah." Mingi finally pulled away and ran a hand through his swaying red hair. "And he gave me something we can use." He held up three oval pendants that had multiple shades of blue swirling over the surface. They were attached to a simple cord that had been dyed black with squid ink, which turned into a T-clasp at the opposite end.