Ateez's Full Storyline Explained - Part 0
Masterlist
Glossary
A-World
home of an alternate version of our Ateez
a city made up of a maze of cement walls and deserted side roads
their hideout is an abandoned factory/warehouse
Ateez viewed their music and dance as dull and insignificant due to their belief that it couldn't have an impact on people
the members were about to part ways indefinitely before their journey to the Z-World began
Z-World
Halateez's/Black Pirates' World (also referred to as Strictland)
the 4th Industrial Revolution already took place and led to a 200 year average lifespan and 40 years of education
the central government, aka the Sciensalvar political party, led by 'Z', wants absolute power
-> to remove all possible unpredictable variables keeping them from achieving this, they developed a self-learning A.I. system
-> their ultimate conclusion drawn from this system's gathered data: the only thing keeping them from achieving absolute power is human emotions
-> as a result, they prohibited all forms of art and emotional expression
Cromer
For more details and a full list of its abilities, click here
appearance of an hourglass
enables travel between realities and into another's dreams, as well as teleportation while in direct contact with the object
Sciensalvar
The name "Sciensalvar" is likely just a combination of "Scien" from "science" and "salvar" which is Spanish for "to save, to rescue" - saved by science
In the A-World:
"religious" organization founded in 1999, led by Henry Jo (a scientist of some kind)
ideology: humans are a collection of energy, science can resolve uncertainties of the future, the energy in the Cromer can save humanity
never appeared outside of the Fever Epilogue Diary Version
In the Z-World:
pseudo-religious scientific organization spearheaded by 'Z'
invented the AI simulation for the 'best solution'
created a political party under the catchphrase: "The pursuit of a peaceful world without religious conflict and terror through emotional control."
said party grew in size until they were powerful enough to pass the 'Emotional Regulation Act' which lead to the solidification of the class system to the point where 'defective' people are now being 'disposed of'.
Android Guardians
only exist in the Z-World
tall, wearing white masks, decidedly non-human
burn people's memories as an energy source
-> the resulting smoke gets them drunk
-> this new energy market was created by the government's A.I.
their mission: obtain the Cromer, capture Ateez, the Black Pirates/Halateez and their supporters/sympathizers, as well as anyone deemed 'defective'
take orders exclusively from the Head Guardian, Z and presumably also the Sciensalvar party
guard the prison island (a bunker formerly used as an art gallery) and Z's hideout due to their non-human nature which prevents emotional corruption by revolutionists
Halateez/The Black Pirates
resistance fighters in the Z-World
mission: overthrow the government and free people's minds by returning the arts to Strictland
-> use the prohibited arts as a weapon
-> the alternate version of A-World's Ateez and their supporters
Left Eye
lives in Z-World where he used to run a boutique after studying fashion design
his daughter was killed by a speeding car while trying to save a flower on the road
-> she died slowly while passersby ignored her, too focused on moving forward
the yellow fumes of the Strictland dump made him hallucinate his dead daughter, trapping him
-> the Android Guardians found him there and made him the dump's new manager
he later becomes an ally to the revolution
Thunder
originally a group of elite students at Prestige Academy in charge of reporting any students who show emotions who have now joined the resistance
their leader: a girl resembling the one Seonghwa saw dance back in the A-World who dropped a bracelet inscribed with the words 'Be Free', she was inspired by the Grimes Siblings (who first helped Ateez when they arrived in the Z-World) to join the resistance
as the elitest of the elite who were supposed to be the future leaders of Strictland, they have access to top secret information on Z and are willing to share it with the Black Pirates to free everyone
their home base is located in a forest village away from all surveillance
Sopro
First mentioned in the Golden Hour Pt. 2 Diary Entries, Sopro is the name of a ruby-red stone, which Left Eye describes as follows:
"Sopro is a sort of magical spirit that synchronizes the feelings of those who hold it with those who draw breath around them. According to legend, one of the four priest guardians of Halazia gathered the breaths of all of Halazia to create it."
Here is what we know about it:
It was created in the Z-World by the rebellion which means Z and his followers don't know about it
The creation of it is likely what we see in the Halazia MV, meaning Seonghwa plays the role of the priest guardian who created it
After its creation, we don't see it again until Crazy Form where it appears after the Cromer shatters at the very end and gets carried away by a blue bird (THE bluebird which so often gets mentioned in the lyrics)
It was then used by the Black Pirates/the Rebellion to synchronize the emotions of the people of Strictland which is ultimately what set everyone free and made the revolution a success
Wooyoung later uses it again in the A-World at the very end of the Golden Hour Pt.2 Diary Entries:
Wooyoung: "So if I use this... I can sync my and the members' emotions?" Sopro's red light wavered as though in response to Wooyoung's question. Holding the stone tightly in his fist, Wooyoung brought his hand to his heart and earnestly prayed: "It's as though they've all forgotten what it was like to be happy. Reignite our passion like it was back then, and let us be happy together again. Please."Red light spilled from the gaps between his fingers, a ruby aurora dancing throughout the dark room.
In the Golden Hour Pt.3 Diary Entries, we discover Sopro is a spirit capable of thought and free will, as well as the manipulation of human beings by ways of altering their emotional state
Additionally, it also seems to be growing more powerful as it moves from host body to host body after initially - and unintentionally - getting introduced to human emotion by Wooyoung
Currently, Sopro has moved from Wooyoung to San to a printing factory owner, meaning it is only three hosts in and yet it's already capable of controlling at least an entire neighborhood
