Chapter Text
The Crimson Serpent rolled with the night swells, its blood-red sails now furled as it drifted away from the smoldering village. Eight-year-old Hongjoong pressed himself against the gunwale, watching the orange glow of distant fires reflecting on black water. The raid had been successful—by Captain Redmond's standards.
"You. Boy." A thick-knuckled hand clamped onto his shoulder. "Back to the hold. Captain's orders."
Hongjoong ducked away from the bosun's grip and scurried toward the hatch. He'd learned in his six months aboard that quick obedience spared the worst punishments. As he descended into the belly of the ship, the familiar stench of unwashed bodies, damp wood, and fear enveloped him.
He found Seonghwa already there, organizing their meager possessions with characteristic precision despite the dim lantern light. At eight, Seonghwa was the oldest of their small group, though only by months, and had appointed himself their unofficial leader.
"They're bringing captives aboard," Seonghwa murmured, not looking up from his task. "I heard the officers talking."
From the far corner, Wooyoung's voice piped up. "Slaves or crew?"
"Does it matter?" Seonghwa's voice was measured as always. "Either way, they didn't choose to be here."
A sound above them—the hatch opening again—made all five boys freeze. Heavy boots descended, followed by the smaller, stumbling steps of someone being forced down the ladder. Captain Redmond himself appeared, his weathered face creased in a scowl as he shoved a tiny figure forward.
"With the rest of the whelps," he growled to his first mate. "Feed her if you must. She'll fetch a better price in Halazia with meat on her bones."
The little figure pitched forward as the men retreated, the hatch closing with a decisive thud. For a long moment, nobody moved. Then Hongjoong edged forward, holding up their single lantern.
In its amber glow, he saw a girl, perhaps five years old, clutching a worn teddy bear to her chest. She wore a simple white nightdress now smudged with soot, her dark hair tangled and eyes wide with terror. A thin cut marked her cheek where someone had struck her.
Hongjoong approached slowly, as one might a wounded animal. "Hello," he whispered.
The little girl retreated until her back hit the hull, tears streaming silently down her face.
"We won't hurt you," Seonghwa said, stepping forward with quiet authority. "I'm Seonghwa."
When she didn't respond, Wooyoung scooted closer, his seven-year-old face arranged in an exaggerated smile. "I'm Wooyoung. The two quiet ones back there are Yunho and Mingi." He pointed to the two taller boys watching from the shadows.
The girl's eyes darted between them, her arms tightening around her teddy bear.
"I'm Hongjoong," he said, setting the lantern down. "What's your name?"
For a long moment, he thought she wouldn't answer. Then, in a whisper barely audible above the creaking ship: "y/n."
"y/n," Hongjoong repeated, offering a small smile. "That's a pretty name."
"Are you hungry?" Wooyoung asked, already reaching into his shirt where he kept scraps hidden. As the unofficial kitchen helper, he had the best access to food.
She nodded almost imperceptibly, her eyes fixed on the dried bread Wooyoung offered.
"It's okay," Hongjoong assured her. "Wooyoung always shares."
Y/n hesitated, then reached one small hand out while the other maintained a death grip on her teddy bear. She took the bread, retreated back to her corner, and nibbled cautiously.
"What's your bear's name?" Yunho asked, his voice gentle despite his already-tall frame.
Her voice was barely a whisper. "Mr. Hugs."
"That's a good name," Yunho said with genuine approval, crouching to appear smaller.
Mingi, who rarely spoke to anyone, edged closer and settled cross-legged on the floor, not approaching further but watching with solemn eyes.
"Where are we going?" y/n asked after swallowing her bread.
The boys exchanged glances. It was Seonghwa who answered, his voice matter-of-fact but not unkind.
"A place called Halazia. It's a big port city."
"Will my mama be there?" She looked up with sudden hope.
The silence that followed was heavy. Even Wooyoung's perpetual smile faltered.
"I don't know," Hongjoong said finally, unwilling to crush what little hope she had.
Y/n's bottom lip trembled as understanding slowly dawned. "They're not bringing my mama, are they?"
Nobody answered. Mingi shifted uncomfortably. Yunho looked at his hands.
A small, broken sound escaped her, and suddenly she was crying—not the silent, terrified tears from earlier, but deep, heaving sobs that shook her tiny frame. Mr. Hugs was clutched so tightly his worn fabric strained.
To everyone's surprise, it was Mingi who moved first. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden bird he'd been carving in stolen moments. Without a word, he placed it beside her and retreated.
The gesture halted her sobs momentarily as curiosity overtook grief. She picked up the carving with trembling fingers.
"Mingi makes things," Hongjoong explained softly. "He's good with his hands."
"We'll take care of you," Seonghwa declared suddenly, with the serious certainty only an eight-year-old could muster. "Until... until we figure things out."
"Really?" y/n looked around at each of them, vulnerability and desperate hope in her eyes.
"Yes," Hongjoong said, voice stronger than he felt. "We promise."
Above them, the ship groaned as it changed course, carrying them all toward an uncertain fate. But in that moment, huddled in the dim hold of The Crimson Serpent, something shifted—five young boys, captives themselves, silently accepting responsibility for something even more fragile than they were.
Wooyoung scooted closer, then closer still, until he sat right beside y/n. With theatrical concentration, he crossed his eyes and puffed his cheeks. The absurd face startled a tiny hiccup of laughter from the girl.
"You need a name for us," he declared.
She clutched Mr. Hugs tighter, looking confused. "But you already told me your names."
"Special names," Wooyoung clarified. "Secret ones. Just for you to use."
Hongjoong started to object—but stopped when he saw the first spark of real interest in y/n's eyes.
She studied each boy carefully, the teddy bear's worn ear absently brushing her chin as she thought.
"You're Joongie," she decided, pointing at Hongjoong with sudden certainty.
Wooyoung failed to smother a laugh. Hongjoong felt his ears grow warm but didn't protest.
"You're Hwa," she continued, looking at Seonghwa, who accepted this with a dignified nod.
"And you're Woo!" she announced to Wooyoung, who beamed as if he'd been granted a noble title.
She looked at Yunho thoughtfully. "You're Yuyu."
The tall boy smiled shyly, ducking his head in acceptance.
Finally, she turned to Mingi, who tensed visibly under her attention. "And you're..." she tilted her head, considering the quiet boy, "Puppy."
Wooyoung's barely restrained laughter burst free. "Puppy? Why?"
"Because," y/n said with the concrete logic of a five-year-old, "he has sad puppy eyes but he's really nice."
Mingi's eyes widened, then lowered quickly to hide whatever emotion had flashed across them.
The ship lurched suddenly as a large wave struck the bow. y/n tumbled forward with a frightened cry. Hongjoong caught her automatically, steadying her small frame.
"It's okay," he assured her. "Just a wave. You'll get used to the way the ship moves."
She trembled against him, then looked up with tear-bright eyes. "I'm scared."
"Me too," Hongjoong admitted, the truth slipping out before he could stop it. "But we're not alone anymore."
Something resolute hardened in his young face as he helped her sit up. She was so small, even compared to them. The cut on her cheek had dried to a dark line.
"We should clean that," Seonghwa noted, already searching their meager supplies for a cloth.
They worked together in the flickering lantern light: Seonghwa carefully dabbing the cut with a dampened rag, Wooyoung producing more secret food from his seemingly endless hiding places, Yunho gathering the threadbare blankets into a more comfortable arrangement, and Mingi carving quietly in the corner, occasionally glancing up to make sure y/n hadn't disappeared.
As the night deepened and the ship sailed onward, Hongjoong watched the little girl slowly relax among them. She hadn't let go of her teddy bear, not even for a moment.
"Mr. Hugs needs to sleep too," he said gently, noting her drooping eyelids.
She nodded solemnly. "He protects me from bad dreams."
"Tonight, we'll help him," Hongjoong promised.
They arranged themselves in a protective circle around their new charge, instinctively creating a barrier between y/n and the hatch where danger would come from. As she drifted toward sleep, still clutching Mr. Hugs, Hongjoong saw his own determination reflected in the eyes of the others. Without words, they had formed a pact.
The Crimson Serpent sailed toward Halazia, red sails unfurled like bloodstains against the night sky. In its dark hold, five boys kept watch over a little girl with a teddy bear, none of them knowing how this single night would set the course of their lives for years to come.