thief (of my heart)

-XX-

The group was quickly apprehended by the soldiers, their hands tied with ropes and led towards the emperor's carriage.

"Move!" The soldiers barked as they pushed the group forward.

Jisoo was the first to be thrown into the carriage's backdoor. It had a compartment to transport prisoners and valuable cargo. She landed with a thud.

As she scrambled to sit up, she looked up just in time to see Jennie being tossed in, her hands still tied behind her back. Acting on instinct, she managed to catch her with her body before she hit the ground.

"Are you okay?" Jisoo asked, concern etched on her face.

Jennie nodded, grateful for her quick reflexes. Jongin, Lisa and Chaeyoung were thrown in next.

"This is outrageous!" Lisa protested, struggling against the ropes.

"We can't just let them take us like this!" Chaeyoung nodded in agreement.

But before they could come up with a plan, the doors to the carriage slammed shut, hence they were plunged into darkness.

The carriage rumbled along, they could feel it jolting over bumps in the road. The Chinese Emperor sat on a throne-like seat at the front.

It was pitch black inside the carriage, with no source of light other than the occasional flicker of light that seeped in through the small cracks in the wooden frame.

The bumpy ride made it difficult for the captives to maintain their balance. They were forced to huddle together to prevent themselves from being thrown around.

The only sound they could hear was the creaking of the carriage wheels and the low murmuring of the soldiers outside.

But suddenly, Chaeyoung's eyes widened in horror. She staggered back in complete shock. "Oh no...no, no- NO!" She called out.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked worriedly.

"That sound! It's here!" Chaeyoung groaned, distraught. Her behaviour confused the others who didn't hear what she was referring to.

That's when the carriage halted. The abrupt stop caused the captives to tumble and collide into one another. Jisoo once again quickly caught Jennie with her body before she could fall to the floor.

Inside the carriage, the captives sat in silence, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Chaeyoung's earlier outburst only added to their anxiety but they still didn't know what she was hearing.

*****

The group of hippies arrived, standing in front of the carriage with their traditional instruments.

The zither, bongos, lute and flute all blended together in a chaotic harmony. They were dressed in colourful, flowy clothing, with flowers adorning their hair.

Taehyun stood in front of the carriage and began singing in a high-pitched voice. His followers joined in, swaying to the music and banging on their instruments.

"Greetings, brothers and sisters," Taehyun said in a cheerful tone. "We come in peace and love, to share our music and our message with all those we meet."

The soldiers scowled at him and hopped down. "You need to leave now." One of the soldiers said gruffly, shoving the hippies back.

"Hey, man, what's the problem? We're not hurting anyone. We're just spreading good vibes and positive energy."

The soldiers ignored his words and continued to push the hippies back. The emperor watched from a distance with an impassive expression, seemingly uninterested in the encounter.