Chapter Text
The Aurora was sinking.
Realization shook them all to their core as they stood under the deck, hearing the battle ensuing up above.
Hongjoong took one more look at the others before racing upstairs.
Not on his watch.
~~~
The world and magic co-existed peacefully for many years.
Hundreds of years ago, Elves and Mages scoured the land, unlocking the powers and intricacies of nature and worlds beyond.
Nowadays, magic slumbered and was only awakened by the chosen few. The world and magic lived in harmony - just a new harmony.
Of course there were still Mages to and fro, but it took years of training to unlock such power. And, it always came at a cost - creating fire could leave one breathless, healing could cause wounds on oneself, changing the weather could cause a storm elsewhere.
There were also Animus - individuals whose souls were connected to animals or objects. In the past they were treasured, divine creatures, cherished and worshiped. Now, they were rare and mostly unheard of. A young woman connected to a hawk, a boy connected to a temple in the mountains, an elderly man connected to a lake.
And, of course, there was still the magic of soulmates. The beautiful unlocking of knowledge magic bestowed upon the world - when a human learned the name of their beloved, it would become etched into their skin, permanently.
Yes, the world and magic co-existed peacefully.
And, we begin our story on the sea - a space of magic and science, beauty and mystery - the true land of pirates - the place where 8 souls became one.
~~
The Aurora was a mighty ship, if there ever was one. The sails glimmered in the wind, the ornamentation of the hull was legendary, and its masts reached towards the sky with an elegance no other ship could match.
But, the truth behind the ships’ history was much darker and sinister than anyone could ever imagine. For, the Captain was a cruel man. He lead with fear and built his riches through pillaging and violence, through enslavement and torture.
Most men aboard the ship were not there by choice, as was the case for Jongho.
Jongho doesn’t remember much about how he ended up on the ship, just that he had awoken to his town in flames. Amongst the smoke and the fire, he had stumbled through the town, helping those he could.
Before losing consciousness, he remembers a pirate finding him assisting an elderly man towards the forest.
He remembers putting up a fight, despite his exhaustion and smoke inhalation.
He remembers the elderly man sneaking away, but Jongho remembers losing the battle and being dragged towards the ship.
Jongho had spent the first few days sick to his stomach. He had never been off land and the realization that he might not ever return, as well as the plummeting waves, sent his stomach into a flurry.
When he was finally brought up to the deck, he was forced to work - scrubbing the floor under the beaming sun. The shackles on his hands and feet made completing the work difficult, but he tried his best.
Jongho had never felt more alone in his life. He worked, swallowing back the impending tears.
“Eventually they will take the chains off and you can walk around more comfortably,” a soft voice whispered nearby.
Jongho looked to see a boy his age, dressed in rags, with a sharp angular face, sneaking glances at him. He noticed the faint scars around the boy's wrists and ankles.
Their eyes met and the boy gave but the smallest of smiles.
At that moment, Jongho didn’t feel so alone.
The days went on and Jongho continued to complete tasks around the ship. When he and the soft-voiced man were on the same task, they always seemed to gravitate towards one another. They didn’t speak much, but the other’s presence always seemed to calm them.
“What’s your name?” the boy asks Jongho one day while they were organizing the ships’ supplies below deck.
It was just the pair of them in the room - it was a storage room that also held the cages for prisoners. Jongho had shuddered when they first were sent into the space, remembering his time in the cell when he first arrived. He shudders again at the boy's question, remaining silent.
“You must’ve had one. Before this,” he continues. Jongho is separating the fruits from the vegetables in a basket, but sees the other man out of the corner of his eye has stopped and is looking directly at him, waiting for an answer.
“Doesn’t matter anymore, does it?” Jongho mumbles in response.
Names had meant something once to Jongho. He, like everyone else, dreamed of meeting his soulmates and was always excited to learn the names of those around him. But, now, enslaved on a ship with no true freedom or future in mind, Jongho had given up on a fantasy of love and a caring relationship.
“It matters to me,” the boy says in response.
Jongho finally stops sorting and looks at him. Really looks at him.
The boy's eyes were large and open, innocent if not for the horror that they both endured on the ship. He looked so young, so nervous, so willing to bare his soul, despite the circumstances.
Jongho sighs, weighing his options for a moment. Was it even worth finding out? What kind of life could they live, anyway, even if they were soulmates?
But, the boy's gaze held something that made Jongho want to find out.
“Jongho, my name was Choi Jongho,” he responds, softly. The boy gleams.
“Jongho, it’s lovely to meet you. I am Choi San,” San responds. Immediately, Jongho feels a warm, tingling sensation emerge on his arm. He lifts up his ragged shirt and finds San etched into his skin.
He smiles gummily, and looks over at San, who is lifting his shirt to show Jongho his own name. Just below his ribs, Jongho sees his name appear on the man’s skin, but another name lay above.
Jongho’s heart crumbles. And, San deflates a bit too.
“Before I ended up here… I found another one of our soulmates. But, well, it’s a long story. All I know is that despite our situation, I’m really glad I found you, Jongho,” San beamed, reaching out his hand towards Jongho.
“I’m glad I found you too, San,” Jongho smiled back, grasping the man’s hand back.
San always believed there was good in the world.
When on land, he enjoyed watching the sun rising over the mountains every morning and liked to pick flowers in the evening. He had grown up as a servant in a noble household, so between his household duties, he was able to experience the simple pleasures of the world and nature.
He had fallen in love with the nobleman’s son. When they were just kids, they had realized they were soulmates, but they had kept it a secret for some time.
Only when the nobleman’s son was promised to the Crowned Prince did San realize they needed to leave and planned their timely escape from the world of servitude and nobility. One day, San was preparing to run away with the boy, the next he was knocked unconscious and found himself enslaved to pirates in the middle of the ocean.
The nobleman must’ve realized the truth and orchestrated the whole thing. But, San always dreamed of reuniting with his soulmate one day. Until then, he was drowning, drowning, drowning in the memories of his past.
Finding Jongho was a breath of air instead of water and San would cherish every breath and moment shared, never knowing when it might be his last.
The pair were inseparable after that, obviously not flaunting their soulmate status, but sticking close at meals and when they shared tasks. They would whisper until sunrise and sneak off to watch the waves when they could.
Eventually, the crew realized the skills they both possessed. Jongho’s father had been the town’s chef and Jongho was forced into the role of cook on the ship, whereas San accidentally proved his minimal skills in first aid he had learned as a servant, so he was forced into the role of ship medic.
The roles of medic and cook brought them to opposite sides of the ship most days, but the pair still found time to interact, cherishing their secret moments together.
The days and weeks and months went on, but their enslavement felt lighter than before. At least they had each other.
“How did you know? To ask me for my name?” Jongho asks San one day as they stood on deck, overlooking the waves and beaming at the stars.
“When I first saw you, it felt like a pull. My soul wanted to be near yours - it must’ve known,” San responds, grabbing Jongho’s hand and squeezing.
It didn’t take long for San and Jongho to realize that they both felt another pull on the ship.
Most of the crew were idiotic barbarians, pirates who chose a life of violence and loved to be led by the evil Captain. But, there were a few others who lived quiet lives aboard the ship. Others who also didn’t have a choice to exist on the Aurora.
It took San and Jongho some time before realizing who the pull was coming from. Mainly because the man was as swift as the wind, always out of sight or gone once noticed. The ship never called him by his name, only under the term anima.
He was tall and thin and his features were angular like San’s. When San or Jongho did see him, he was always quietly sitting in the forecastle, never doing much, but no one seemed to mind. He was always looking out at the sea, always looking solemn, pensive, sorrowful.
It didn’t take long for them to realize that the young man’s soul was connected to the ship.
It was in the way his mood shifts were always accompanied by the masts shaking or the deck creaking… It was in the way he grasped the ship’s edge with just gentleness… It was in the way the crew left him alone…
They realized he always sat at the front of the ship because it was the farthest from the captain’s quarters and he despised the captain. When there were ship meetings, he would shoot daggers at the Captain, always looking disgusted as the crew planned a new pillage of an innocent village or ship.
The pair had no idea how to go about talking to the elusive man. So, Jongho began leaving cups of tea at the forecastle early in the mornings before the man would arrive. He would always find the cup empty back in the kitchen counter later in the day and it would make him smile.
“You’re so brilliant. The best I could do is leave him bandages or something, but that’s not as romantic of a gesture,” San would grumble, causing Jongho to laugh and laugh and poke the boy’s pouting face.
The pair would get into trouble at times, of course. They would always try to sneak out at night, or share quick kisses in passing, or chase one another around the ship. Sometimes they would get scolded or punished for their childish behavior - San would have to bandage their lashed feet every once in a while.
But, after Jongho started leaving tea, the pair found that the tall man was always nearby and help was always close too.
A door slamming shut, a mast twisting to block the Captain’s view of them, a lurch of the ship to the side…
And, they knew the man was to thank. He was always there, watching from afar, with a bit of a smile creeping across his face.
After a really close call that would’ve gotten them the worst lashing they’ve ever encountered if not for a rope coming loose, causing their crew to lose focus, San and Jongho decided to finally approach the man.
They knew he was helping them. He knew they liked him. It was only a matter of time.
On a windy, cloudy night, San and Jongho timidly approached the forecastle. Most of the crew had retired for the evening and were playing drunken games in the dining area below deck. But, the tall man sat looking out at the sea.
“Thank you, for all of your help these past few weeks,” San spoke, trying not to scare the man who was facing the opposite direction. He didn’t even seem to jump, as if he knew they were already there.
“Of course,” he replies softly.
It was the first time either of them had heard him speak.
“I - we - well, we were wondering if,” Jongho begins to stutter through a question and the tall man turns around to finally face them. Up close, they both are breathless in the face of his beauty.
San is the one to recover first.
“We wanted to know your name, if you are comfortable sharing. Mine is San,” San quickly says.
“And, I’m Jongho,” Jongho squeaks. San grabs his hand and squeezes. He hopes that the tall man felt the pull too. And, now with their names, they hope he feels the tingling sensation.
The tall man gasps, touching his shoulder.
“I never had a name - everyone has only ever just called me Anima. But, if I did, I would want it to be Seonghwa,” he responds.
Immediately, the pair feel the familiar tingling sensation.
The three smile giddily, happy to know that despite the horror of the Aurora, they had found one another.
~~~
Hongjoong grew up on the sea.
His family were the pirates aboard his mothers’ ship - the Destiny. His two mothers were Captain and First Mate - their third soulmate and Hongjoong’s father had died when Hongjoong was a baby - in a struggle against their enemies on the Aurora.
He spent his life going on adventures, looking for treasure, and spanning the vast, never-ending seas.
It was only when Hongjoong was 10 years old that he first stepped foot on land.
The situation was dire. One of his mothers had become ill and it was getting progressively worse and worse. So, the ship had gone on yet another adventure - this time in search for a magic pond that lore said would cure any ailment.
But, when the ship arrived at the small, rocky island the map led, they found an empty ditch where the water used to lie.
Hongjoong saw his mother -the Captain- break down in tears at the realization. He had never seen her cry before, and it chipped away at his heart.
Amongst the sorrow, he felt a small pull. He looked over to the terrain and saw a small boy emerging from the rocky edge. As he got closer and closer, Hongjoong couldn’t keep his eyes off him - he was dressed in rags, but he looked healthy and full of color. The boy kept sharing glances with him too, which made Hongjoong think he felt the same pull.
“What happened here, little one?” the Captain asked, getting on her knees to face him.
“The town packaged all the water and left to sell it to far off lands,” the boy responded softly.
The Captain deflated even further.
“Detaching it from the pond makes it lose all of its power. Even if we did find them, the magic would be gone. We can’t save her…,” she explains to the crew. Hongjoong moved forward to touch her shoulder - he didn’t know if it was because he wanted to cure her sadness, or if he wanted to be closer to the boy. Maybe both?
“What happened to your family?” Hongjoong asks, now close enough to see the soft freckle just below his eye.
“They - they left with the rest of the town. For the power and the money. They said I would only slow them down, if I came with,” the boy says, tears emerging in his eyes. He immediately wipes them away to stand strong.
Hongjoong squeezes his mom’s shoulder. He knows that she’s the Captain and only she can make a call like this, but Hongjoong hopes his gesture speaks louder than words.
Please let him join us. Please don’t leave him like his parents did.
“Would you like to join us, little one? We live a life on the sea - it is very different from this, but you will never be alone or abandoned again, I promise you,” Hongjoong’s mom say and the young boys eyes widen.
His eyes blink to Hongjoong and he nods minutely to encourage the boy to respond.
“I - yes, ma’am, Captain, yes, I-I would like that,” the boy nods and Hongjoong lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
He watches his mom reach out to ruffle the child’s hair before standing up and motioning for the crew to move back towards the ship, laughing about being called ‘ma’am’ under her breath.
“W-wait, before we go… u-um, please follow me,” the boy says, before gesturing for them to follow him back to the rocky terrain he came from. The closer they got, they saw a small opening in the rock’s edge - a cave.
Only Hongjoong and the boy are small enough to fit through, so the pair move inwards. After Hongjoong tripping at a few turns, the boy grabs his hand and leads him further and further inside.
When the cave becomes tall enough for him to stand, it becomes clear that this is where the boy had found shelter. There were small figures carved out of rocks, drawings etched into the walls, a blanket in a small crevice.
And, there in the corner, was a small cove of glittering water. Hongjoong stared at it, entranced.
“That's all that’s left. I’ve been drinking it to stay alive for all this time. Will it be enough to save the person you came here for?” the boy asks, timidly.
Hongjoong finds himself shedding tears of relief.
“Yes, I believe it will. It’s for my other mother, our First Mate,” Hongjoong explains.
This time the boy is wiping tears from Hongjoong’s eyes rather than his own. Hongjoong catches the boy's hands and holds them.
“Thank you, truly,” he says between hiccups of tears.
“Of course... I’m Wooyoung,” the young boy says, his eyes hopeful.
Hongjoong feels the tingling sensation his mothers told him about when he was old enough to learn about soulmates. He doesn’t need to look down at his knee to know the truth.
“I’m Hongjoong. I’m so glad we found each other,” Hongjoong says and Wooyoung dives into a deep hug, rubbing his own wrist.
~~
Hongjoong and Wooyoung grow up together, living a life at sea that was never lonely or quiet. It’s quite a life, to know you already found one part of your soul and have them beside you the whole way.
Wooyoung was the friendlier, more outgoing of the pair. He was always bubbly, always introducing himself…
“Just in case,” he would always giggle. Hongjoong couldn’t help but smile at the younger man.
It was around when they were 15 or so, when they docked in a bustling capital. It was a normal restocking trip and Hongjoong’s mothers told him and Wooyoung to stay aboard the ship, as they weren’t staying for long.
So, they were some of the first to encounter the young teenage boy trying to board the ship, making his way up the gangway towards the deck.
The pair could feel a small pull, but they couldn’t tell if it was towards the boy or towards the harbor they so desperately wanted to explore.
The young boy had fluffy brown hair and looked concerned, continuously looking over his shoulder back at the harbor. Was someone following him?
“What brings you here, lad?” Hongjoong’s mother asked. The First Mate had also stayed aboard in case of emergencies and incidents like this. She stood at the forecastle, while Hongjoong and Wooyoung were on the main deck.
The young boy eyed all three of them, now looking unsure of himself after his initial confident stride up the gangway.
“I - well, I was hoping to board the ship. I would like passage to another land - wherever you are heading next, ma’am,” he responds, his voice lower than Hongjoong or Wooyoung originally imagined. The boy looked well-balanced and clean, very unusual for the regular harbor go-ers they had seen before.
He spares another glance at the boys and Wooyoung almost leans forward, but Hongjoong holds him back.
“Boy, you know you stumbled upon a pirate ship, right? We aren’t merchants you can pay or trade with. And, I’m no ‘ma’am’,” Hongjoong hears his mother chuckle, making her way down towards the main deck.
Hongjoong watches as the boy now fidgets. Although, Hongjoong’s family did not exactly act like the horrorful myths of other pirates, they lived a life outside the bounds of regular laws, nonetheless.
There is yelling and shuffling coming from the harbor and the boy pales and looks back towards the crowds below.
“Please ma’a - um please - I need to get away from the city and a pirate’s ship is my best bet - a merchant ship might be too loyal and send me back,” he stumbles through saying, as though he is worried of saying too much, “I-I’ll do anything. I can read and write - I can even teach others to do the same, in native tongue, as well as Mage.”
He looks on the edge of tears, glancing between all three of them, and Hongjoong knows his mother. She may be a pirate, but she is also a kind woman who understands struggle and hardship. Many on their crew joined them through similar circumstances to this - the ship being a refuge from the chaos of the world beyond.
Hongjoong learned that being a pirate wasn’t about violence and stealing. It was about freedom and living a life the way you want.
“Come aboard, for now. Let’s discuss more when our Captain gets back,” she says, now her voice softer than before.
The brown-haired boy lets out a sigh and nods, stepping onto the deck. He spares another glance back at the harbor before moving even further into the ship so he couldn’t be seen from the ground below, any longer.
Once the Captain arrived, she listened to the boy’s claim and mulled it over. The Captain and First Mate led him into their room to test his skills and ask more questions.
“She’ll let him stay. Just like she did for me,” Wooyoung whispered, grasping Hongjoong’s hand. He didn’t realize how much Wooyoung wanted him to stay until that moment. And, somehow Hongjoong wanted him to stay, too.
The three come out from the room and Hongjoong’s mother motions for the crew to lift the anchor and sail.
“Welcome aboard our new mapmaker. And, tutor for you both,” the Captain says with a small grin. The boy shyly smiles at them before glancing at the harbor growing smaller and smaller in their view.
The boy is quiet. That’s all that Wooyoung and Hongjoong have deduced since he arrived. He was shy, quiet, and kept to himself most days, sketching maps and helping draft letters with the Captain.
The only time he spoke to the pair was during their tutoring sessions. Wooyoung tried to break the ice, asking him about his home and his life on land, but the boy quietly refused to answer, focusing on teaching them the alphabet.
Hongjoong watched as Wooyoung got more and more upset at the boy’s lack of interest in interacting with them, but he would also squeeze the boy’s hand and give him extra attention after the lessons
“I want to learn how to write my name,” Wooyoung says matter of factly, one day, hopping into his chair across from the young man with the fluffy brown hair.
Hongjoong rolls his eyes and sits down beside him. He knows exactly what the boy is up to.
“L-let’s write out the letters together,” the boy responds, already grabbing paper and pencils for the pair of them. When he accidentally brushes his hand against Hongjoong’s, they both look away shyly and Wooyoung snorts.
“Okay, here are the letters. W-o-o-y-o-u-n-g. Wooyoung,” Wooyoung says, copying the boy as he writes out the letters neatly on the parchment.
“A-and yours?” the boy squeaks out, glancing at Hongjoong while trying to keep his face as stoic as ever, but he seems to be shifting in his seat ever so slightly.
Wooyoung and Hongjoong catch eyes.
“H-o-n-g-j-o-o-n-g- Hongjoong,” he says softly, trying not to scare the young man, who lets out a tiny gasp this time, messing up on the final letter. The pair finish copying the letters he is writing, scribble at the end, and all.
“I love all of this learning going on. I want to keep writing more. Let’s do your name next?” Wooyoung asks and Hongjoong holds in a laugh.
The boy is silent for a moment before he nods, going back into teaching mode.
“U-um well, okay. Y-e-o-s-a-n-g…Yeosang,” he replies, looking down at his paper even though he knows the pair are feeling the tingling sensation just as he had.
Hongjoong and Wooyoung look at each other now, with bright smiles on their faces before Wooyoung quickly shuffles to grab the pencil again and scribbles a new message.
He passes it over to Yeosang.
“We - are -soulmates — Wait, you both can write?” Yeosang asks them, furrowing his brows and Hongjoong can only think cute cute cute.
At this, the pair burst into laughter.
“You are just a brilliant teacher,” Wooyoung laughs out.
“Truthfully, we would love to learn Mage. But, yes, we already know basic reading and writing, Yeosang,” Hongjoong says with a small laugh, wanting to rub the deep blush staining Yeosang’s face and ears.
He is stubbornly angry at them for another few moments, but it subsides because he can’t stay mad at his soulmates for very long.
“So, will you tell us your story, now? Yeosangie?” Wooyoung asks, already creating a nickname for the young man. Hongjoong thinks the boy's ears will be permanently red for the rest of their lives, but it’s cute.
“I-I grew up in the capital. Learned how to read, write, and speak properly. But, I was betrothed to the - to someone who wasn’t my soulmate. So, I ran away,” Yeosang explains, stopping short at parts of the explanation.
The pair know there is more to the story, but they didn’t want to push for now. Wooyoung just grabs his hand.
“Are you still going to leave the next time we dock?” Wooyoung asks seriously. It was always the plan. Yeosang looks contemplatively for a few moments more.
“Only if you pull another prank on me,” he says, giving Hongjoong a small smile as Wooyoung sighs in relief.
Oh, the chaos the trio would become.
~~
Yunho and Mingi had always known each other. And, everyone knew they were a pair.
From the time they were babies until now as teenagers.
Their names were etched on the others' hips and most days, the town found them basically and un-ironically attached at the hip.
Of the pair, Yunho was always stronger and faster. He learned to fight from a young age, wanting to know how to protect himself and Mingi.
Mingi, on the other hand, was a gentler spirit. He was always stopping and smelling the roses, literally and figuratively, never knowing when danger creeped up on him.
When they were young - around 12 or so - they found out that they were both Mages.
Things didn’t get easier from then on out - but, rather, the opposite.
Yunho’s magic was simple and more domestic - like changing someone’s hair color or briefly levitating dishes. So, he continued to rely on his strength and fighting tactics to get him through life.
Mingi, on the other hand, had a more rare magic. He had the power to heal. He was seen as valuable and everyone wanted to use him for their bidding. But, no one cared for the cost it took on him to heal others - how it brought pain and suffering and fatigue onto himself.
And, so, even after their magic unlocked, the pair found that their dynamic did not. Mingi still picked the flowers and Yunho still protected them both.
One day, when walking along the harbor, Mingi felt his Magic calling him to a ship.
And, of course, Yunho followed, feeling it too after they got closer.
They saw the gleaming sail with a purple crown sigil marking its owner. Destiny. One of the most renowned pirate crews around.
With another glance at one another, Yunho and Mingi made their way to the ship, not daring to look back.
The rest was history.
~~
Hongjoong and his soulmates lived in harmony for many years.
Once Yunho and Mingi joined the crew of Destiny, it didn’t take long for them to meet Hongjoong, Wooyoung, and Yeosang and realize they were all soulmates.
When they came of age, they decided to separate and start their own crew, with Hongjoong as their Captain.
Although his mother’s were sad to see him and the rest of the boys go, they were beyond proud of what they would do and create. They gifted them a ship the next time they docked and wished them good luck on their future voyages, knowing they would meet again someday.
And, so the Horizon set sail for mysteries and adventures and beyond.
On their first night, they stayed above deck, cherishing the stars, cuddling together.
Wooyoung found himself huddled underneath Hongjoong’s arm, with Mingi leaning against his other side. The rest of his soulmates were close by.
“I want us to stay like this. Just us. Forever,” Wooyoung whispered. To no one. To his crew. To the universe.
“We will always be together. And, if we aren’t, we will always find our way back to one another. I promise,” Hongjoong lulled, kissing the boy on the top of his head.
At any other moment, the others would gag at how cheesy their Captain was, but it felt like an important moment for them all, so they stayed silent and held each other tight.
Just them and the stars.
~~~
Less than a year later, tragedy strikes and the crew find themselves ambushed and taken hostage on another ship in the middle of the night, the Horizon finding a new home at the bottom of the ocean.
Hongjoong, bruised and bloody, is tied to the mast and he has no idea where the rest of his crew, his family, his soulmates are.
Before he loses consciousness again, he looks up and sees a flag he had rued since he was old enough to understand the stories of pirates, of good and evil, of his family’s history.
Hongjoong was captured on the Aurora.
This is where our story truly begins.