Joongdok mermen au

Chapter 2

Feet pounded across the Wooden planks of the deck. Thunder rolled in the darkened sky, overpowering the men's shouts of distress. The waves crashed against the boat, threatening to drag the defenseless ship into it's cold merciless depths.

Yoo Joonghyuk stood still amongst all the chaos. His heart hammered in his chest, his common sense telling him to find safety. But where was that?

"You're highness get below deck!" He heard someone shout over his numbing fear, and the sound of the raging storm. The violent rocking of the boat made him stay where he was. How would he be any safer below deck if the boat was torn apart by the vicious waves?

The next wave was larger than the rest, and it's strength easily tossed the boat. Yoo Joonghyuk lost his footing.

"Prince!"someone called out as his body was thrown over the side.

In his confusion he uselessly threw his arms out to grab onto something, anything. But only air slipped through his searching hands. The sound of the ocean roared in his ears for only a moment before everything became muffled, as he crashed into the water.

Panic immediately settled in. Which way was up?Which way was down? How far was he already from the boat? Air, he needed air. His lungs screamed at him to find the surface. He violently waved his limbs, reaching the surface for a moment gasping for air, before being dragged back under.

He hadn't even seen the boat. The water was too dark to see a thing. All he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat frantically beating away.

He struggled against the pounding of his head that got worse every time he was pulled back under. He tried relentlessly to stay above the water and search for the boat. He had to stay conscious, at least until they found him.

Were they even looking for him in the first place? He needed to live. He would prove he was not as weak as everyone thought him to be. He could make it out of here, couldn't he? His confidence dwindled as each wave that pushed him back under took more of his strength.

'No no no!' He screamed in his head as his vision became unsteady, and his thoughts became unclear. He was losing consciousness at an alarming rate now. Was this really how the unwanted heir to the throne would die? Lost at sea in a tragic accident? Is this what his parents had wanted when they constantly sent him away? Would they mourn him? Would they be able to find his body? Would they even look?

A lump formed in his throat as unwanted emotions assaulted him. What had he ever done to deserve this?

His eyes focused on the surface once more as he weakly flailed his arms and legs. The freezing cold water sapped his strength and he knew he would die before anyone found him. His mind felt like it was floating. Without realizing it his limbs stilled involuntarily. He tried to blink away the tiredness that caused his body to become unresponsive.

'What was that?' He thought absentmindedly. A flicker of white once again appeared in his line of sight. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him.

He felt something grab him under his arms, and start to pull him along. His mind was a cruel thing, if it was going to make him believe that he was being saved. That someone actually cared enough to come looking for him.

He really was going to die here, were his last thoughts before he felt his mind dip into oblivion.

His eyes opened to the blinding light of the setting sun. He slowly sat up in shock. It felt as though only a second had passed, since he was drowning in the waters that now lapped at his feet.

The pounding in his head came back with a vengeance , and his world tipped sideways. He vomited out the contents of his stomach,his mouth tasting bitter after his wretching subsided.