Mists of Celeste - an Ateez Fanfic

act six ➻ part two

You're still nursing your bruised wrist when the ship finds its landing place in a mountain port on Rathmos. Even though it's the middle of the night when you land, you can't find it in you to be even the slightest bit tired after the nightmare you lived through earlier in the day. Jisung had told you to prepare to leave the ship, leaving only a change of clothes on the couch before he left the room. That's where he finds you when he returns too — seated on that same couch in the same clothes you arrived in, with his spare change still untouched and off to the side.

"Come on, don't you wanna get those cleaned at least?" he offers, motioning towards your body. You almost take his expression for one of genuine concern, but that feeling fades as quickly as it comes. You regard the man with a firm stare and silence. "I see. In any case, we're here, so let's head out. Two of my men are coming along with us, so don't get any funny ideas about running off."

"Lock me up then. I'm making no promises."

"I don't want to have to do that, Y/n."

"Put me in the brig," you argue back, leaning forward as Jisung turns to the door.

"I... you need to come with us. The person we're going to see is someone you need to see as well."

"Who could you possibly need me to see, Jisung?" There's a bite in your tone, and at last, you push up to your feet and glare at Jisung's back as though it'll do you any good.

"I'm not asking you to trust m—"

"But you're asking me to follow you around like a dog as we go off to see some person who could very well be from the military. How do I know you aren't trying to sell me off here and now?"

Jisung turns on his heel and faces you. His gaze softens when it lands on you, so much emotion in his eyes that it does almost feel like he's seeing through you and into your soul.

"Are you afraid, Y/n?"

Your fist clenches at your side, hard enough to where you can feel your pulse radiating under your fingertips.

"I'm here to help you. The man we are going to see is a specialist when it comes to the serum the military uses. He is a defector, he's worked with countless people and helped them regain lost memories that are tucked behind the barrier the serum puts up. He helped me get back pieces of my childhood before I was recruited."

"Is this your attempt at an apology, Jisung? For taking years of my life away?"

"No, I've said it before and I will say it again. What I did was to protect you. You find that hard to believe, but in showing you what really happened — what we protected you from knowing all this time — maybe you'll finally understand why it had to remain hidden." Jisung takes a step in your direction with a sigh on his lips. When he reaches you, he stretches a hand out and faces his palm to the ceiling. "We were a team once. I haven't done anything to harm you directly, and now that your little crewmates are out of the way, there is no reason for me to hurt them any longer."

You slap at the offending hand, forcing the man to lower his arm back to his side.

"I'll comply on one condition," you start. It's a struggle to keep your lip from wobbling out of sheer rage. "I want to speak to Jin."

"Aw, darling, this is just humiliating, isn't it?" Jisung's lips fall into a pout as he looks at you, nearly eye to eye at this angle. "What do you think you're gonna do? Scourge traded your life because of that man. Speaking to him won't change that. Now, let's go. You're wasting daylight by lingering here."

What exactly did you think you would do upon speaking to Jin? Maybe part of you thinks to spite Hongjoong, you'd willingly go give yourself over to Jin and give him another Siren. Could even be just the inklings of curiosity that push you to want to confront the man to see how awful he truly is — if he's awful at all. Mostly, though, you think it was desperation talking, something to free Seonghwa of that last demon that knocks at his door ever so often.