Mon Amour // ATEEZ

33 What a romantic guy

(Hongjoong's pov)

"Dalhae?"

What sorcery is this? How have the trees managed to cruelly divide us? And what in the name of all that is unholy is this accursed vampire island? It was a grave mistake on my part to set foot upon this wretched place. Now, my heart is consumed with ceaseless concern for Dalhae.

She must be terrified. A pang of guilt pierced my lifeless heart as I contemplated the consequences of bringing us to this forsaken place.

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps echoed across the island. I strained my senses, trying to pinpoint their origin. They're approaching from the left, no, the right. Hold on, an army of footsteps is closing in on me from all directions. Their pace quickens, growing more menacing by the second.

In a sudden, ropes snaked around my feet, dragging me down to the cold ground. Pain shot through my spine. As my hands were forcefully bound too, panic surged within me. What is this? I strained my eyes, but all I could catch was a fleeting glimpse of a dark figure.

I desperately attempted to free myself, gnashing my teeth against the tightly bound ropes. Yet, to my dismay, they held fast, as if imbued with a malevolent enchantment designed to keep them firmly attached to my body.

The dark figure loomed before me, draped in an ominous black cape that concealed their identity. Their face remained obscured, shrouded in darkness. Soon, a horde of others emerged behind.

"What is this?" I muttered under my breath, barely audible. The first shadowy figure approached, removing the hood of the cape to reveal a surprisingly youthful face. "It seems you've stumbled into our little lair," His gaze locked onto mine, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Oh, but you're also a vampire?"

"Obviously," I scoffed, brushing a speck of dirt off my shoulder. "I do not like being pushed into the mud. No thank you"

"Wow, are you for real? You're our captive now, you know that?" He seems to be the leader of their strange gang. There was an unsettling smirk on his lips that I found rather distasteful.

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "What a childish game. I do not like it. From vampire to vampire," I gestured between him and myself. "Shouldn't we be allies, rather than enemies?"

He scoffed with an air of disbelief. "Who said that getting kidnapped was going to be fun for you? Fun for us, but you.."

I surveyed the faces of each boy standing behind him. They all look so young, trapped on this island with nothing much to do. Yet, I suppose there isn't much to engage in after being here for a while.

"Don't you really have nothing else better to do?" I asked, a genuine mix of curiosity and compassion in my voice.

He chuckled in response. "What a character you are. Well, it looks like you're going to be our entertainment for the evening"

Am I merely an exhibit in a zoo? Though I may be just a vampire bound by these ropes, my dignity remains intact.

He turned around from me and ordered, "Bring out the cage. Put him in,"

Please not a cage, seriously?

"Soobin! Hurry up!" He shouted impatiently.

A timid figure approached their leader, visibly fearful as he kept his gaze fixed on the ground. "Y-yes, don't worry Beomgyu. I'll do it"

So this Beomgyu character is their leader. He approached me once more. He knelt down, reaching my eye level and gently brushed away the strands of hair that had fallen into my eyes. "You don't smell like a vampire, you have a faint human smell to yourself" He remarked, his words filled with intrigue.