Cursed Hearts | ATEEZ

PROLOGUE: DECLARATION

The wind roared in my ears at every turn, ripping at my hair and clothes which were billowing behind me as I gripped the reins even harder, willing my horse to go faster.

I could feel the strong muscles flex underneath my touch as I rested my hand on the animal's neck, its tan coat practically glowing in the warm light from the sun above, burning with heat as it tried to keep up with the black stallion in front of us.

The man riding it glanced back over his shoulder to check on us, smiling widely and laughing, the sound so warm, so inviting that I couldn't help but join him.

I threw my head back in laughter and enjoyed everything about the situation as the warm summer breeze caressed my face, bringing colour to my cheeks.

We passed through the Gardens of Vatican City with such speed that the beautifully sculpted hedges, impossibly green and well-trimmed lawns, decorative bushes and trees, and rich flower beds filled to the brim with blood-red roses blurred together into nothing more than a rainbow of colours along with the distinctive smell of summer that hung in the air.

Both of us ignored the yells and protests of the nuns, swiss guards, and tourists as we rushed past them, forcing them to jump off the paths and roads as we drowned out the sounds of their complaints with more laughter.

"Keep up, will you, Yuna?" Taeyong called, his copper hair looking tousled and wild because of the wind, and his handsome features twisted into that familiar, challenging smirk that I had come to know so well.

In front of us, the intricately decorated and sculpted dome of St. Peter's Basicila towered over the treetops further down the path, getting taller by the second before we broke through the gardens and onto the roads once again.

I rode faster, accepting his challenge, pressing my horse until we were riding side by side.

We sped past the side of the basilica, the enormous structure held up by several stories of white and tan stone reached toward the clear skies above us, neatly decorated with intricate details, and supported by smooth columns holding up the ancient inscriptions along the roofs.

I could feel the eyes of the stone statues above us following our race as we reached St. Peter's square and the road opened up into a massive circle big enough to accommodate the immense crowds of religious pilgrims that visited every year.

We swiftly passed the tall obelisk in the middle, once again reaching the narrower road at the end of the square before passing over the borders of Vatican City into the city of Rome.

Taeyong made a gesture for me to hurry up as he once again took the lead, galloping onto the Ponte Sant'Angelo, the bridge of angels, where the statues of the holy spirits and guardians passed by in nothing more than blurs of white marble.

Tourists once again had to rush off the road as we rode past them, still laughing as we crossed The Tiber into central Rome, the blue-green water glinting in the light from the burning sun.

Midday was getting closer.

From there, we raced into the smaller streets, the cobbled roads crooked and ancient, the tall houses in yellow, orange, pink, and brown colours covering the blinding sun and offering us some much-needed shadow.

We rode past street vendors, careful not to crash through shops and markets as the people walking along the streets jumped out of our way, yelling after us.

The world seemed nothing more than a blur of colours, smells, and impressions as I followed Taeyong's lead, passing by The Pantheon with barely enough time to admire the structure, its columns and crumbling tan stones, or the Roman inscriptions that I knew by heart now.