Horizon || ATEEZ

confession

Everyone on the ship around you freezes at the sound, but not willingly. Mingi's posture slackens beside you, and you feel panic beginning to pump its way through your veins as you look frantically at the other members of Captain Hongjoong's crew, searching desperately for one unaffected. But every single one of them, all their eyes are blank and unfocused as they all turn, like zombies, all towards the same side of the ship. Starboard.

You rush over to the edge of the deck, fear pulsing down your throat in waves as you see a face pop up from the surface of serene blue. Her cheeks flush a darker shade as she stares with cold eyes up at the ship, lips curling up with glee. Fangs protrude from her mouth, brushing against the plumpness of her bottom lip as she slowly swims closer.

"Shit," you mutter underneath your breath, before almost yelping in surprise as somebody appears by your side. "Cap-Captain Hongjoong?!" you hiss in surprise as you barely stop yourself from jumping a foot into the air. Then you remember that he's part-siren, and a sigh of relief escapes your lips.

"What's going on?" the captain asks sharply, though he keeps his voice hushed.

"It's a siren," you say, and a chill spikes down your back as the eerie melody reaches your ears again. "Shit!" you hiss as the members of the crew begin to slowly make their way towards the edge of the deck. "Give me that!" you mutter to the captain, fumbling with his belt, and with a flourish, you pull his gun from its holster.

It takes you half a second to aim, and another to shoot. There's an ear-splitting BANG as you hit the unaware siren straight in the centre of her forehead, and she disappears under the surface of the water.

As soon as she dies, the rest of the crew shake themselves awake, and look around in confusion. You tsk in disapproval, and hand the gun back to the captain, who seems a little shocked.

"Godsdamn sirens," you mutter under your breath, before realising this was not your ship, and sirens never attacked Captain Hongjoong and his crew. "SHIT!" you say for the third time as your disgusted expression melts down into one of horror.

You glance at Captain Hongjoong, expecting him to have recovered by now, but he seems to have gone even paler now, his eyes wide and gaunt as he stares at something in the distance.

"Oh come on, it's just a siren, it's not going to—" you start, but the captain raises a shaking hand, pointing to something behind you, and you turn slowly.

Before you, stands Saeyang City, tall and proud.

Before you, stands Saeyang City, ruined and overrun.

A chorus of screams reach your ears, but they're drowned out by the sound of song, gleeful as it rings out across the dying city. The walls, the floor, even the water itself is stained with deep, dark crimson, bleeding into the earth, instilling a deep chill and rooting itself there. Even if the humans inhabiting it survive, Saeyang City will never truly recover from this attack.

They are monsters born from the deepest, darkest of nightmares as they patter across the pier, chasing down their prey with newly formed legs, unsteady on their feet yet so vicious in their movements. The sirens lunge at what little humans remain, as they freeze up in either fear or under the influence of the beasts' song – and end up being ripped apart.

It's a bloodbath, an absolute bloodbath as you avert your eyes, eyebrows creasing as your fists clench in sympathy for those poor, poor humans.

Guilt squirms inside of you. Your job was to keep these people safe. Make sure they never had to look into the eyes of one of those unearthly creatures and shelter them from the horrors of the open sea. But right here, right now, by standing here and doing nothing, you are letting all these people down. You can't help but let a tear roll down your cheek.