Ateez's Full Storyline Explained - Part 00
Masterlist
Halazia (Z-World)
This entire theory is based on information that can be gathered from the MV, Prologue and Epilogue, Hongjoongâs Q&A shorts and the MV reaction video, as well as what little we're told in the Golden Hourt Part 2 Diary Entries.
First: the name "Halazia" - it's just a combination of "Hala" from Hala Hala (which can be translated from Sanskrit to 'black mass' or 'time puzzle' or it might also be referencing Halahala - the poison from Hindi mythology) and "zia" which refers to the sun -> "Be the light, oh Halazia".
Looking it up, you'll find some information about the Pueblo of Zia where a very specific symbol has been used for hundreds of years among the indigenous people to represent the sun that looks like this:
You'll now also find this symbol on the flag of New Mexico but the actual natives whose ancestors created and passed it down didn't consent to this and now there's a lot of (very justified) debate regarding intellectual property - this part has nothing to do with the Ateez lore, I just thought it was interesting and important to share in case anyone was thinking of getting this symbol tattooed or something.
Now on to the music video! First and foremost, we're dealing with neither Ateez, nor the Black Pirates here.
This is why Mingi's "Fix on" and Hongjoongs giggles are missing in this track whereas they were a previous fixture in all other songs, regardless of whether they were acting as A-World's or Z-World's Ateez.
But aside from that, it also seems like Yunho is the leader of this group with Hongjoong being his right-hand man as opposed to the other way around.
Additionally, we also get to see Yeosangâs birthmark which was previously always covered.
Hongjoong does still wear his armband with the Cromer logo on it, however, so perhaps it's more like Yunho is the public-facing head of the group while Hongjoong is in charge behind the scenes.
Canonically, all that was ever mentioned about Halazia was a story Left Eye shared in the aforementioned Diary Entries of Golden Hour Part 2: "According to legend, one of the four priest guardians of Halazia gathered the breaths of all of Halazia to create [Sopro]."
We find out there, that Sopro is a ruby-red stone, yet also a spirit, a being, which holds the power to synchronize people's emotions, making it extremely powerful.
Additionally, we also learn that Z and his minions don't know about Sopro's existence, which means it's the ultimate trump card for the rebellion.
Based on this information and the state of the city in the background throughout the MV, we can craft a workable theory:
Since we've got Yunho sitting inside a ginormous, shattered Cromer, we can assume that these guys are familiar with the Cromer's power and have utilized it to get here - here being Z-World's past prior to Z's takeover.
Why do I think this is the past? Because the city is nothing but rubble and, based on real-world history and present situations, we know dictatorships are born in times of economical collapse, war, and destruction. When everything is falling apart and one lone figure promises quick and easy solutions, fearful people will listen and believe anything. And Z, together with his political party, used that to climb to power and enforce their ideals onto the world.
Side-note: We've seen such a gravitational anomaly as you can see below before during Diary Film after Hongjoong first received the Cromer in the A-World and was alone in the Ateez hideout. However in the Prologue, it's also stated that their world "lost" gravity, meaning Z took it away somehow, likely as a way to show off his power and subjugate his people into believing he's some sort of god.
Side-note 2: You can find my theory on why a Cromer may be intentionally shattered by someone who understands its powers here.
Going by the lyrics, we can get an idea of what they're all thinking as we see them struggle throughout the video: "No more, keep control! No more, keep your soul!" -> they want to be in charge of their own lives, to feel and have free thought as opposed to the mindless drones Z wants to turn them into.
They know of Z's plans because they saw them realized in their own world, they know of what the microchips will do to them, and they're fighting against it by creating the one "being" which may set them free: Sopro. An unassuming, little red stone, a spirit, which can unite people beyond earthly boundaries and circumstances, a being with enough power to pierce through the microchips' influence and set people free so they can rebel alongside them.
Within the music video, as the bell rings, we can see Seonghwa glitch as he gathers "breaths" from the people around him: he's the priest guardian who will create Sopro.
He's the one the legends were created around, the one Left Eye will speak of in the future as they head to the Android Guardians' bunker in search of the Cromer.
Regarding the Black Pirate outfits we're seeing throughout the video: they might be the ones they wore in their own world.
Without Ateez's help, however, they failed to succeed in putting together the Revolution. In their world, Z won and the Black Pirates could do nothing but run away, flee, escape to another world and hope to help set it free so another version of themselves may at least find peace where they couldn't.
Which means, perhaps they're burning the Black Pirates' outfits as a funeral ritual, out of frustration and anger at their own shortcomings, or because burning the memories is all they can do to separate themselves from their past.
Regardless, many of the other citizens who are with them in the here and now seem willing to join their cause and their current mission seems to be taking down this anti-gravity orb
The central government presumably installed it as part of a network with the other orbs spread out across the city to disable gravity, as mentioned in the Prologue video.
But why would Z go as far as to disable gravity you may wonder. I think itâs his answer to an attempted rebellion - the rebellion which was likely provoked by the arrival of this version of Ateez who was attempting to stop Z early on in his political career, meaning they likely feel extremely responsible for whatâs happening right now.
To me, that would explain both the fear in the lyrics about returning to their prior state - the one they were in in their own world, as well as why San is so ready to risk it all to break this thing.
Either way, we've got Yeosang bringing in the chains to tie up the orb.
Based on the skyline compared to the one from the prologue, it seems like the thick smoke pillars might be originating from the crash sites of the other orbs which would mean they already brought down all the other ones successfully and have now reached their last stop.
They wrap the chains around the orb, tie it up all nice and neatly (which must've been a pain in the ass to do since that thing is floating in mid air, makes lightweight shit in its vicinity float and is well, the shape of a super smooth ball) and all start pulling together up until everyone seemingly leaves San to finish the job by himself.
To me, there could be multiple reasons for this: (1) it was always part of the plan (highly unlikely in my opinion), (2) San convinced everyone to leave before armed forces arrive to kill them, or (4) everyone but him has already died.
Either way, it all ends with the orb evaporating the moment it collides with San as if his existence somehow cancelled out the orb's. This is very likely to be a creative decision since no one wants to see this human embodiment of sunshine get crushed to death, but this is the last time we'll see him so he most likely dies in this moment.
His death is also symbolic of the others' fate as everyone was sacrificed so Seonghwa could collect their breaths and create Sopro.
Moving on to the Prologue and Epilogue:
Aside from what I already covered, there are also quite a few other things I want to bring up regarding what we get to see in these two bonus videos, starting with the numbers behind Hongjoong in the Prologue here (which were also pointed out by him in the Making Of video)
You can put these numbers (22152984) and decode them with A1Z26 in which case you'd get this (yes, I still use the Gravity Falls: Break the Code website for this kinda stuff - I refuse to be judged for it):
While this is rather nonsensical, it is quite close to "Bluebird" which would fit the lyrics but it's still just a little bit unsatisfying since, properly encoded, it should have been "2-12-21-5-2-9-18-4", meaning they forgot a "1" twice.
Regardless, I couldn't find anything better - it can't be coordinates, there's no cipher like this for Hangul that I could find, and using Base64 only gets you "my8" which doesn't make too much sense but Ateez are 8 members so that's nice, I guess.
The first thing that pops up in my search results when I look up the numbers is "Buy 22152984 from Oxygen Electronics" by the way - shout out to life support machine parts you can order online (no affiliation, though I do hope they're an ethical company)
Regarding the numbers, I'll leave it at that for now but if I ever find something that makes more sense, I'll update this post.
Now on to the mysterious blonde person that pops up toward the end of the Prologue and disappears in the blink of an eye as someone walks past.
Seonghwa is the only one who takes note of them and, based on his neutral expression, it doesn't seem to be the first time he's seen them.
Are they the "Witness"? Perhaps someone who also travelled in from another world? I do think so but we'll come back to it in a moment.
Skipping ahead to the Epilogue uploaded yesterday, we're opening with a shot of the bluebird we've already gotten to see in the Prologue and which has also been referenced in the lyrics - it's a symbol of reclaiming freedom, of escaping your shackles, of finding your voice and using it.
They've now made it. They've sacrificed themselves for a higher purpose.
The bird's path now guides Seonghwa through the abandoned mall where the orb was brought down and San was sacrificed. It whistles a small tune and disappears near a lone white-clad figure we've seen before.
Last seen among a small group on the rooftop at the end of the music video, the lone blonde Witness stands by themselves again, though the others aren't far as we'll soon see.
Since the mission is now over and he's the only one left alive, Seonghwa lets his curiosity win and follows the figure up a dark staircase, letting his flashlight guide him.
He finds the group of four from the rooftop standing in a dark room against the backdrop of the smoking skyline behind the large windows - they were waiting for him.
A white flash, rolling thunder and they're gone, leaving behind a departing gift: a silver bracelet engraved with the words "Be Free" - the group of witnesses are from THUNDER and they came from the future to get Sopro.
Seonghwa, the priest guardian, is meanwhile stranded in this nightmare. Alone. All his members gone and no Cromer with which he could escape. Everyone but him was sacrificed to create Sopro and his lone source of comfort is knowing that it wasn't for naught - they all already knew this would happen after all (see: In Your Fantasy).
Additionally, the deaths of seemingly all rebels will likely have appeased Z and stopped him from eradicating all of Strictland before Z-World's Ateez could even be born.
