Chapter Text
2022
An explosion is never something that goes unnoticed. The flames could be seen from anywhere within four blocks, no one knew what had really happened, but everyone heard the unmistakable sound of shattering glass, people screaming and running in panic, firefighters rushing to the scene.
The blaring sirens, the swelling crowd, paramedics running in and out of the hospital, this was the terrible scene Seokjin walked into. He couldn’t even move, completely shocked, frozen in place, as if he didn’t belong to the world around him. He still held his phone in his left hand, the call ongoing, the person on the other line trapped on the third floor of the hospital, inside the pharmaceutical development lab, when the first explosion hit.
The last gurney out was lucky, it escaped before the second blast tore through the entire floor, leaving the structure unstable and blocking any more entry or exit. And there he was, on that very gurney, lying down but still conscious, fists clenched, eyes unfocused.
Jin shoved past police as fast as he could, one thought consuming him as he reached the stretcher —He has to let go. — The words tumbled out of his mouth again and again, desperate and broken— Namjoon, let it go, please, let it go.— Tears streamed endlessly, his voice more a pleading cry than a command. He got close enough, grabbed Namjoon’s hand, forced it open to rip the device away. He wanted to stay, to follow him inside, but he had to run, to leave as far as possible if Namjoon was going to make it. So he did. He ran, without looking back.
PAST 1638
It was five in the morning when the ship reached port. Captain Jung Hoseok walked quickly toward the gypsy quarter, where he knew a halfway clean bed, a decent bottle of rum, and the most interesting conversation he’d had in weeks were waiting for him since the last time he set sail. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to stand on solid ground. The journey had been long, his head still spinning.
An uncertain future lay ahead, one he knew would carry tragedy.
The door was always left half-open, not that anyone dared enter without permission and along with the heavy scent of incense, Hoseok immediately heard voices coming from the main hall. Sitting at the table was Taehyung, wearing the black robe and the crown Hobi had brought him from earlier travels. He was clearly in the middle of something, his focused expression rare inside what passed for his home.
—My reading never fails. You’d better consider every one of my words unless you want to lose the other foot this time,— Tae warned, using the tone he reserved for clients when he wanted to impose his will. It seemed to be working, until Hoseok burst in, jumping on him with a loud, joyful greeting.
The other man in the room, presumably a sailor from the Wallerby, scowled, got to his feet, and drew the sword at his side. —Leave now unless you want trouble, rat,— he growled. That was enough to set Hoseok off, he gave that look. Among buccaneers, legend said anyone who received that stare would only feel the cold steel of his blade before everything went black.
Muttering an apology, the sailor bowed and rushed out, forgetting to pay in his hurry.
—Damn it, Hobi. He didn’t even pay before you made him piss his pants.
Hobi: Come on, Taehyung, we both know you already squeezed him for plenty.
Tae: You know me too well, Captain Jung. But let’s move to more important matters, what did you bring me?
Hobi: Isn’t the honor of my presence enough for the great seer?
Tae: Considering your presence includes four bags full of gold reales I lifted from that ‘client’ while you were scaring him out the door, I’ll be generous, Captain. I’ve got a fresh bottle of rum waiting for you. How long are you staying this time?
Two bottles of cheap rum and several broken glasses later, Taehyung lay passed out on the floor, while Hoseok was already headed toward the nearest tavern. Scenes like this had become routine, Hobi returning from voyages, hiding out in Tae’s place for a couple of weeks, never setting sail again without first getting a tarot reading from the fortune-teller to guarantee safe travels.
At the tavern door, Hoseok was intercepted by Captain Min, a pale man with terrible hygiene and a gaze sharp enough to make anyone’s breath catch. — Captain Jung! Just the man I was looking for!— he slurred, words thick with alcohol. — I hope you’re not too comfortable on land, because I’ve got a voyage for you, one you can’t refuse.
— What is it this time? —the young captain asked, intrigued.
Min: Heard the Jolly Roger wrecked on the Iron Coast north of Tortuga. Treasure scattered across the beach, worth a fortune, even if we split it between our crews.
Hobi: Not bad… though why share it, when you could keep it all? Come on, Min, don’t take me for an idiot. What’s the catch?
Min: The rocks are the catch, Jung. My ship can’t handle them, not right now. But the ARMY’s Gates? Perfect for the job. — He flashed his gold teeth, souvenirs from a fight where he lost all the real ones. —Come on, it’s not like we’re planning to capture a papal fleet. And as far as I recall, the north of Tortuga’s never been a problem for the great Jung.
Hobi: I’m not giving you an answer now. First, I need to consult with the rum. But I’ll think about it, Min. Now get lost, your cockroaches won’t stop staring.
Min: Fine, fine. Ask that fortune-teller friend of yours, you’ll see I’m right. You’d be a fool to pass this up. It’s the chance of a lifetime. And you’re not the only one with a great ship around here. You’ve got until tomorrow night to decide. Now if you’ll excuse me, those ladies want a taste of Min tonight, and who am I to say no?
Captain Hoseok turned away, leaving the tavern. He’d heard too many stories of unlucky sailors who set sail without laying the cards on the table first, ending in disaster. And yet.. he burned for that treasure. No advice had ever rattled him like Min’s offer. Doubt, or cowardice?
As he walked back, he kept replaying it in his mind. People talked about fate constantly, but until now, Captain Jung Hoseok had braved storms and seas no other crew survived. Which was why he went straight to the one person he trusted least, but knew best.— Wake up. I need a reading. Now.
Still reeling from the hangover, Taehyung sat up, his friend visibly impatient. He shuffled the deck expertly, laying out three rows of three cards: the first for the past, the second for the present, and the third, for the future. That was the only one Hoseok cared about.
As Tae flipped the last card, his face changed, his whole body tense. —In all these years, I’ve never seen a reading like this for you. It’s too dangerous. A risk you cannot take, unless you want it to be your last.
Hoseok’s pride stung, anger flaring at being underestimated. He listened to the rest of the reading in silence, eyes fixed on the cards.
—I can protect you, if the treasure is cursed,— Tae said finally, placing a delicate pendant in his hand. —But you must carry this with you at all times.
Hobi: Don’t treat me like one of your stupid clients. Are you trying to scare me? Just tell me, should I stay or take the job? Don’t give me this nonsense about my fate being sealed away from that treasure.
Tae’s serious, icy expression faltered, slipping into sheer frustration, partly from the rum still coursing through him. —Te merava me te xoxavava” (“I'll die if I lie”), —he said firmly. He had to make Hobi listen. You don’t joke with curses. If Hoseok didn’t take this seriously, it could be the end of him. —The cards are on the table, Hoseok. We can’t change what’s written. But I can help you.
Hobi burst out laughing, pulling a dagger from his red coat. —Speaking in your gypsy tongue is supposed to bend me to your will? Enough of this crap, Taehyung. I don’t need your cards, I don’t need your warnings, and I sure as hell don’t need your stupid pendant. — Each word landed with a hard slam of his dagger on the table. He seized the pendant and drove the blade straight through it.
Tae: No one escapes luck or death, Jung. We’ve known each other for years, and I’ve never been wrong. You’ve always returned safely when you followed my counsel. We’re a team. Just...
Hobi: We’re not a damn team! I risk my life at sea. You’re just a rat pretending to know the future. You don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t do.
Taehyung’s face twisted with rage. He tore the pendant free of the dagger, cutting his hand in the process —You don’t want me speaking my language? Fine, I’ll say it in yours. Damn you, Jung Hoseok! If the treasure’s what matters most, go chase it. But I swear, you won’t enjoy a single coin before you face your fate. —He hurled the bloodied pendant at Hoseok’s head and stormed out.
Hobi froze. He hadn’t meant to scream at Tae, but the man could be so damn infuriating.
He didn’t need card tricks. He didn’t need curses. And yet... something in his chest twisted. Guilt gnawed at him. He picked up the pendant from the floor. He’d ignore Tae’s dire warnings, but he couldn’t shake the unease. So, pendant in hand, Jung Hoseok made up his mind. He’d join Captain Min on that voyage.