Heart of the Ocean | Pirate!ATEEZ x reader

10: A Golden Pursuit

You had spent your entire life at the Citadel learning their ways of beliefs.

It wasn't necessarily the fact that you disliked the place; not at all. Without the Citadel, you would've remained a beggar's child, from what you had understood from the Elders. Without the Faith, you would've remained nothing. Inside the White Walls, you were at least something; a Sister, a preacher. Perhaps not in your line of choice, but tremendously a better option than living off scraps and fighting every day, waiting for it to be your last.

You could hardly remember anything of your childhood, however. You were a young girl brought in by two Guards of the Citadel, almost at the brink of death. The years passed by, and without ever knowing what happened to your parents, you continued your life in partial solitude. Aside from the occasional travels to cities of the Western Rim, where you got to speak to people, you had close to no one. No one to speak to you, no one to tell you who you were before the Citadel. You were pushed onto a path you had no choice in, and often, when you'd find yourself walking along the quiet corridors of the Citadel, your mind wandered. What would your life have been, had you never been brought to the Citadel? Would you have died as a lone child in the arms of your mother, or would you have been saved, spared by destiny?

Still, there was no point in dwelling. The Elders told you what you needed to know, and whoever you were before the Citadel didn't matter any longer. Inside the walls, you were one of them, and if there was anything that the Elders taught you, it was to never speak up when it wasn't your turn to do so.

Most days you spent in the Citadel were in silence. Only the mutterings of the praying Elders, or simply the soft melodies of nature, would be heard. The others were quiet, preaching their devotions without a sound. It was done so, mainly because the Elders believed that only then the people would be closest to their deity. Amphitrite, the goddess of the Sea, the sky and the starry heavens. The Tidecaller, the Bringer of Peace. And still, their devotees were ridden of it. In a way, you found a sense of irony in it to worship a Goddess of Harmony, yet hearing and speaking none of it yourself. Some things of the Faith never made sense to you, and such was that.

Nonetheless, the Citadel seemed to many like a harmonious place. A realm, rivalling the beauty of the heavens so many others dreamt about. It was a place of peace, a place where the sun seemed to shine all throughout the year, where the warmth never ceased. Secluded from the rest of the world, it served as a sanctuary for those who sought calm and quietude. It was a place where men were not allowed in, with the only notable exception of the Guards of the Citadel. It harboured many traditions and rules, and although it seemed like a serene world to the ordinary, you were often left doubting their teachings.

Still, you kept true to them. Years of guidance had brought you to this point, and thus, when the tension rose between Hongjoong and the woman, you remained ever so silent.

Hongjoong sighed as he kept a firm stance, ''Look, Saera, I need your help.''

The woman, Saera, scoffed as she crossed her arms, ''I've heard that before, Hongjoong. I won't fall for it again.''

''This time's different,'' Hongjoong replied, though Saera's expression never faltered, ''you see that girl over there, with the necklace?''

Suddenly, you felt very conscious. You could see Saera looking at you with sharp eyes, as well as Mingi and San who briefly turned to look at you.

''What about her?'' Saera asked, ''Are you involving her in another one of your desperate attempts to get what's yours? I must pity her, then. Wouldn't be the first time you've done so.''

Hongjoong slightly dropped his shoulders in defeat, his gaze shifting to the floor for a moment before he composed himself once more. ''Saera, please. This is different. We need your help.''