"LET GO OF THEM NOW!!!" Chris, my newfound brother, yells on top of his lungs, red-faced. His bloodshot eyes glare at the pirates. He has completely lost his domineering demeanor.
As if the spotlight shines on Aurora and me, we've become the center of attention. My stomach churns from the intense stare and the smell of blood and gruesome scenes.
Out of all people in this world, I transmigrated into Ateez archenemy's sister!
What kind of ill-fated is this?
Well, at least I got promoted from a side character to antagonist's sister.
If I remember correctly, Chris's sister never had a screentime. She was mentioned in a single paragraph that she died because of the pirate king which I recall the passenger ship that was sunk in the beginning of the story. This character was supposed to die and fuel hatred for the male antagonist toward Ateez.
Chris is a smart, talented, handsome young man and a commander of HMS Declaration. Needless to say he has tons of qualifications as an antagonist, and one of them is being Ateez's nemesis.
Ateez and Chris have a long history as mutual enmity. Each side won't find peace until the other side perishes.
When Chris learns that Ateez captured his beloved fiancée, the real war starts. Ateez, being a cruel pirate at that time, used Y/N to avenge Chris. That's where the angst comes in. Because they inevitably fall in love with Y/N. And of course, Y/N does too.
Chris, a heartbroken antagonist, has successfully killed Ateez at the last updated chapter because of his scheme.
And poof! I'm here to change the storyline. But I doubt my present will change the sad ending. Since I'm alive and reside together with Aurora in Ateez's ship, will all hell break loose today?
Hongjoong's chuckle brings me back to reality.
"What a happy reunion. It's an honor to have your fiancée and sister on my ship. If I knew they were important to you, my crew and I'd treat them better until they don't wanna leave my ship." His voice drips with sarcasm, sending shivers down my spine.
I stare at his back, unable to decipher what he's thinking. Although I like his way of deriding others when reading the fiction, now I feel uncomfortable.
Hongjoong's mockery triggers Chris as he lunges forward, but is intercepted by his officers. "You filthy pirates, don't you dare lay a hand of them. I swear I'll blow your ship apart and hang you by my own hands."
The pirates snort upon hearing the threat.
"I've listened to your threat for hmm, how many times..." Hongjoong hum, counting on his fingers. "I lost count. Cause you always lose." The Revenge crew laugh, mocking the young commander.
"You!" Chris clenches his jaw. He swats the officers' arms that hold him away.
"Laying a hand on them you say." Hongjoong ignores the furious commander and turns around.
His menacing gaze meets with mine, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. The man in front of me isn't the same Hongjoong who looked at me sweetly.
He's the pirate king.
"So you're his fiancée." He glances at Aurora, a corner of his lips tug upward.
Aurora whimpers instead of answering him. She tries to pry away from Wooyoung, but the purple haired first mate doesn't loosen his grip on her.
Then he turns to me, expressionless. I unconsciously step backward but San's tight grip holds me in place.
"And you're his sister." A bitterness detects in his tone.
"Hongjoong..." I'm at lost of word. How am I going to explain to him when I also learn the truth at the same time as him?
Maintaining eye contact with me, he lifts a lock of my hair to his nose. My legs weaken because of his action.
"Such a pretty thing, how can we resist not touching them?" He cranes his neck to Chris.
Rage dye Chris's vision, he points his pistol at Hongjoong. "Get away from them!"
Seeing their captain point by a pistol, Seonghwa and some gunner mates point their pistols at Chris in return.
Hongjoong merely laughs, letting go of my hair. Then he saunters forward, giving Chris a taunting smirk.
The atmosphere becomes further nerve wracking.
Then a brown-haired man beside Chris steps forward. I study him and feel a sense of familiarity. His features resemble...
I gasp. He's Jongho's brother!
My eyes find Jongho standing a couple feet away from his brother, pointing a cutlass his way. A rare scowl displays on his face. My heart pains for him.
Is today a family reunion day? A heart wrenching one at that.
"This is your last chance! Turn in your captain and bring the ladies and Wonderland map to us and you'll be free!" Jongho's brother shouts, scanning the crew, then fixing his gaze on Jongho.
The boatswain's face darkened. He snorts and averts his gaze away.
But to Jongbin's surprise, the crew stand firm in their hostile stance. The naval officers are all dumbfounded. They planned to overthrow the pirate king by making his crew betray him. The pardon is what pirates mostly take and betray their captain. But they couldn't believe that the Revenge crew are so loyal.
Hongjoong chuckles, shaking his head. "It's useless, no matter what you do. Why don't you listen to my offer instead?" His signature sly grin plastered across his face. "We're in need of guns, gunpowder, cannonballs, food, hmm, just give us whatever you have and I'll let you all get off my ship alive."
The officers are all wearing ugly expressions. The pirates blatantly loot them. How despicable!
"You evil pirate, you won't get a thing from me." Chris says through grit teeth. Then he glares at his lieutenant. Jongbin ducks his head down and steps backward.
"Commander, this isn't a choice for you to make. If you want them to stay in one piece, do as we say." Seonghwa speaks, then directs his pistol toward my head.
Following the quartermaster's action, all pistols then point at Aurora and me. My body forcefully hit San's board chest. A cold metal holds against my neck. At my lateral view, I see Wooyoung lift his dagger against Aurora's neck.
My blood runs cold. They're using us as a bargain.
"Stop!" Chris yells in sheer panic.
"We won't hurt them if you give us the supplies." Seonghwa sneers.
I look at Seonghwa in disbelief. He can't be serious!
Although, in the story Ateez used Y/N against Chris, Ateez didn't hurt Y/N because they love her. But since they're not in love with Aurora now, will we turn into fish food?
I can't help but stare at the man who claims to have feelings for me. He has his back facing me. An indifferent air makes my heart squeeze in my chest.
A moment passes, Chris's fierce eyes still fixate on Seonghwa. He doesn't order his subordinates to do as the pirates' demand.
Seonghwa chuckles darkly then lifts his hand.
On a clue, Wooyoung raises his dagger and strikes toward Aurora at a fast speed. Aurora and I scream at the same time. In the distance Chris shouts in the background.
Aurora's unconscious body plummets to the ground. Wooyoung catches her in time. And next to her feet, a lock of her hair falls on the floor.
Wooyoung doesn't hurt her as his dagger cut into a small portion of her hair. Still, Aurora faints right on the spot due to shock.
I exhale in relief, but my heart is hammering against my rib cage.
Last time I told her to faint, she didn't understand my signal. However this time she fainted before me. Sadly, I can't use the same tactic as her.
Seonghwa then glances at the next victim. Before he saunters toward me, Hongjoong suddenly heaves a long sigh.
"So fragile." He side glances at Aurora in Wooyoung's embrace. Then he diverts his gaze at Seonghwa, no words exchange but the quartermaster back away.
"Still not going to comply?" Hongjoong asks Chris.
"You fucking scum." Although Chris has turned pale, he doesn't yield easily.
Hongjoong throws his head back, laughing. The sound echo throughout the quiet surrounding. The unknown fear creeps on the naval officers' hearts. They want to abandon their job and get away from this devil right now.
Once Hongjoong stops laughing, he strides toward me. I shudder in San's embrace, digging my nails on his arm that wrap around me.
"What to do with her?" Hongjoong grab on my chin, bringing his face closer.
I beg him through my eyes but he only gives me a bitter glare. Not gonna lie but I'm about to shit my pants.
"Get your filthy hand away from Alice!" Chris's yell catches Hongjoong's attention.
Alice.
Is that my real name?!
I choke on the air. What is this, Alice in wonderland? I wanna laugh at my own joke. But now I wanna cry.
"Alice." Hongjoong repeats my real name, betrayal clear in his cold eyes.
I mouth dry, I can't mutter a single word. We hold gaze for a moment then he diverts his gaze toward Chris.
"What if I already touched her?" Hongjoong smirks.
Blood drains from Chris's face. The officers suck in their breath. Beautiful women on a ship full of crude pirates. What's the worst thing that could have happened? They stare pitifully at Aurora and me.
Understanding the underlying meaning, I stare at Hongjoong wide eyes. He intentionally misled people. I wanna yell 'we only kissed once and nothing more!' to clear my name. But it seems like it's too late, the damage has been done.
"Commander, I start to lose patience. Go get your things or your sister will be...in a difficult situation."
Chris, who has been blown away by the news, regains his composure. Blood rushes back to his face. "If I don't see your blood spill today, I won't leave the ship."
Out of blue, San throws the cutlass down, it plunk deep into the wooden floor missing my foot an inch away. I let out a shock squeak. Then he grabs a small dagger and presses on my cheek.
Chris's raging filled gaze immediately falls on San. "Get that bloody dagger out of her face!"
"San," I whisper. I feel him hum in his throat, "Please don't hurt me."
He chuckles as an answer.
This is the most despair moment I ever felt. I look at the members one by one. Hongjoong has turned into an evil pirate king. Seonghwa glares at me like he can't wait to shoot me with his pistol. Wooyoung is surprisingly calm and I know he isn't a calm person. Mingi doesn't spare me a glance. His fiery gaze fixes on Chris, both hands pointing pistols at him. Jongho beside him knit his brow and still glares at his brother.
Where're Yeosang and Yunho who can help me from this nasty situation?
"Our combatant loves to see blood. When he enters a bloodlust state, I can't control him either. You better decide fast. Else, your sister won't end up pretty." Hongjoong slightly narrows his eyes at San. Then he turns to smirk at Chris.
Chris must have heard about the infamous devil combatant. A glint of hopelessness flashes across his blue eyes when he stares at Aurora and me.
Why does it feel like Chris is the protagonist who is trying to save us from the villain?
"How about I help you decide faster." Seonghwa places his pistol against my temple, ready to fire any second.
That's when I have enough.
"Chris!!" I yell, surprise at how frail my voice sounds.
They're all heartless pirates. How naive of me to think that I'm their friend.
Tears start to pool in my eyes, I shut my eyes tightly so that I won't witness any of their reactions.
"Chris, please do as they say!"
I can't believe I'm begging the most hated antagonist to save myself from Ateez.
---
Barrels of water, food, guns, various supplies place on the main deck. The pirates check out the goods with satisfaction. In contrast to the Royal navy, their expression can be portrayed as when they step on dog poop.
"Now, let my fiancée and sister go!" Chris shouts, clenching his fists.
"I never said I'll return them to you." Hongjoong says casually.
"YOU SLY PIRATE!!!" He wants to blow the pirate king's head but too bad I'm still held captive with a dagger pressing on my cheek.
Hongjoong laughs like a real villain. He signals the quartermaster who no longer points a damn pistol against my head.
"Those who still value your life, leave right now!" Seonghwa shouts. The officers hesitate to leave the ship. Until Seonghwa shoots into the sky, they hurriedly flee into their ships, leaving the commander and lieutenant behind.
The pirates throw the gangplanks that connect 3 ships into the water. Then Seonghwa barks out an order to the helmsman to sail us away from Royal Navy ships.
The officers helplessly stare at their commander and lieutenant as we sail farther away.
"So you gonna kill me?" Chris snorts, fearlessly glaring at the pirates around him.
"Nope, death is an easy way out, not suitable for a person like you. I'll watch you suffer and ask for death instead." Hongjoong walks closer to Chris.
"If I die, I'll drag you with me." Suddenly Chris lifts up the pistol to shoot at Hongjoong.
Bang!
Blood spills to the ground.
But it belongs to the commander. Chris grunts as he clutches on his wounded hand.
"Not so fast." Mingi scoffs, spinning pistol in his hand.
Hongjoong chuckles at Chris and turns to Jongho. "Is your brother good at swimming?"
"There's nothing he's not good at." Jongho answers from beside his brother.
Hongjoong hums then orders his crew to throw them aboard.
"Captain!!" The crew shout in unison.
"You're not letting them go, are you?" Seonghwa asks, confused.
"That's what I'm doing." Hongjoong shrugs.
"But-"
"No but, follow my order!"
The crew reluctantly drag their two enemies to the rail. They don't understand why captain let them go easily.
"I should've aimed at his head." Mingi mumbles regretfully once Chris is thrown into the sea. His blood oozed from the wound, dyeing the water into red, but he can still stay afloat above the water.
"You're a fool." Jongbin mutters to Jongho. But his little brother does not utter a word. "Parents are waiting for you to go home."
At the mention of their parents, Jongho's expression hardens. He glares at Jongbin deep in the eyes. "I don't have parents. You're the only stupid son of them." After his retorts, Jongho pushes his brother down.
"You'll regret it, Jongho!" After emerging from the water, Jongbin shouts furiously at Jongho.
Once they are gone, the pirates all turn to me.
Hongjoong strides toward me like a predator.
"Shall we talk, miss Alice?"
Instead of answering him, I glance toward the spot where Chris and Jongbin had thrown off the ship.
Well, is it too late to join them?
---
"Miss Alice, sister of commander Chris of the mighty HMS declaration. What's your real intention boarding our ship?"
I squirm on my seat anxiously, my dry mouth unable to respond to the grim reaper. Seonghwa stands, towering in front of me. A deep scowl never left his face since he learnt that I'm Chris' sister.
"I-I..." Stammering, I can't find the right words to justify my innocence.
After Chris and Jongbin were thrown into the water, I was taken into the captain quarter and being interrogated. Whilst Aurora is still unconscious and hopefully saved somewhere on the ship.
"Acting as a seeress, you must be having fun fooling us." Seonghwa sneers, stepping forward which makes me sink deeper into the couch.
"No! No! I didn't fool you. I can explain!" I shake my head vigorously.
"Explain what? How do you lie to us?" Seonghwa scoffs.
"Let's her explain." A voice interrupts Seonghwa from behind him. Sitting on a red velvet couch, an expressionless Hongjoong crosses his arms, his cold gaze direct at me.
To my dismay, the memory of us kissing on that couch resurfaces. A couple hours ago, he still sweetly stared at me but now his hazel orbs are void of emotion.
I dig my nails against my palm when I feel my chest tighten. I can't bring myself to continue maintaining eye contact with him, the man who I realized my feelings for.
"Tell us everything." A new voice chime in from beside me. My eyes dart toward him. Sitting on the same couch, Wooyoung also crosses his arms, instead of wearing his usual playful expression, he stares at me blankly.
"I..." Licking my dry lips, I rack my brain for the best excuse.
A clanking metal startles me in my seat. My eyes instantly turn to the source of the sound.
San sits on the nearby window sill, playing with daggers. His devilish smirk also never left his face since their encounter with Chris.
Unfortunately, I am left alone with the four scariest members in a room. How am I going to survive?!
"You can't explain to us because you lied." Seonghwa seethes like a knife cutting through me. "That Aurora girl also your brother's fiancee. What are you both scheming? Why do you act as if you don't know each other?"
Dear Mr.Grumpy, I don't really know her. I don't even know that I'm Chris's sister. And I don't even know if she knows my character or not.
"See, you can't explain to us." Seonghwa scoffs after I give him a long silence.
"I can!" I shout, taking a deep breath before saying something stupid.
"Because I lost memory!"
Classic, cliche, most common excuse that is used by people who transmigrate in fiction.
The room went silent for a moment.
Wooyoung is the first one to snort, followed by Seonghwa. Hongjoong squints his eyes while San stops playing with his daggers.
I feel myself getting smaller by their heated stare.
"Lost memory? But you remember yourself as a seer. Or..." Seonghwa narrows his eyes. "Are you even the seer?"
Panicking, my hands shake uncontrollably.
"I am one. My past action should be the proof." I try my best to sound confident but my weak tone betrays me.
The guys exchange glances and then Seonghwa speaks up again. "You haven't answered my question. Why were you boarding our ship?"
"Because you blew up the ship that I traveled on" I inwardly roll my eyes, "I was sick and when I woke up from unconsciousness, I lost my memory. But I had a premonition that I need to get on your ship, to guide you guys to Wonderland. I have no ill intention. I also needed to survive."
Lies after lies. I'll either run out of ideas or forget what I've lied about.
Upon hearing my answer, they all knit their brows.
"How can we trust you that you won't betray us?" This time the first mate turns to ask.
"I can promise that I'll help you guys to reach Wonderland." I hold my gaze with him, trying to widen my eyes so he can see my sincerity.
"You're siding with us instead of your brother?" Wooyoung continues asking.
"I wasn't on his side to begin with. Chris is a horrible person. He's abusive, arrogant, selfish, greedy, cunning." I sprout the things I hate about Chris's character. Even though I feel bad for him, I gotta survive first.
"Didn't you just say you lost memory? How do you remember so much about your brother?" Hongjoong raises his brow, a sly grin gradually appears on his face.
Oh shit.
I fucked up.
"That..." I pale.
"Stop with your lies!" Seonghwa cut me off. "You could've planned with Chris and Aurora, to guide us to your trap. And today's scene was the little acting you guys played."
"I'm not that type of person!" My voice hardens, anger starts to pool at the pit of my stomach. "You should know your enemy better. Chris values his pride more than anything. He wouldn't go so far to humiliate himself in front of his subordinates. And he wouldn't be so shocked to see me and Aurora."
"Little Star-" Wooyoung pauses, "Little Alice is kinda right. That man has an ego higher than his mainmast. And he isn't clever enough to come up with that plan."
Seonghwa glares at Wooyoung so the latter guy shut up immediately.
"I don't trust you." Then Seonghwa turns to glares at me.
I scoff. He never trusted me from the start. All my petty feelings make me return him the glare.
When I'm about to lose the glaring battle, Hongjoong abruptly gets up. He grabs my wrist, yanking me up.
"We need to talk." Then he drags me inside his cabin, leaving his three crew dumbfounded.
After Hongjoong's door cabin shut, Wooyoung immediately sprints toward the door, pressing his ear against it.
"He's not gonna murder her, is he?" Wooyoung talks to the air as no one answers him.
San fixes his gaze on the door where Hongjoong and Star disappear into. The devilish smirk lost from his face.
Wooyoung gasps. "What if he does something else?"
"Then what? You're gonna play a hero and save her?" Seonghwa furrows his brow, irritated by Hongjoong's unexpected action.
"You heartless man." Wooyoung mumbles, rolling his eyes.
"Say a person who was about to chop a girl."
Upon hearing Seonghwa's retort, Wooyoung walks away from the door to confront the black haired male.
"Say a man who about to shoot little...Alice."
"I knew it from the start that she can't be trusted. And stop calling her little Star, little Alice. It's fucking annoying." Seonghwa looks like he wants to choke Wooyoung to pour out his anger.
Suddenly a soft grunt can be heard from behind the door.
Seonghwa instantly stomps toward the door, however, San's faster than him. He's reaching for the doorknob at the same time the door opens.
The trio stare weirdly at the person coming out of the room.
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To clear a misunderstanding, Chris isn't Bang Chan from Stray kids. I burrow the name from laptop stealer lol
Sorry, if pirate Ateez in this chapter scare you (＞﹏＜)