Deep Sea Embers

In the thick fog that was as substantial as some kind of viscous fluid, the white hull of the Sea Song moved like a ghost, as if it would disappear into this boundless fog at any time.

I don't know when, the roar from the steam core turned into a weird, low whimper mixed with layers of echoes. From time to time, sharp whistles came from the pipe room, and there were also sounds like people talking in their sleep. Murmurs mingled with the howls.

"The machine is beginning to be possessed..." The technical priest returned from the mechanical cabin and came to the bridge to report to the captain, "The effect of the soothing incense is getting smaller and smaller."

"Disconnect the power shaft of the differential engine, switch all machines to manual control, and depressurize the steam core to the yellow zone - replace the boiling gold catalyst after two hours," the captain said calmly, "The rotation of personnel in the mechanical room is shortened to every three hours .”

"Yes, Captain." The technical priest lowered his head. For a brief moment, his voice suddenly became extremely hoarse and low, as if there was a big hole in his chest, and uncontrolled airflow was blown out of his lungs. However, it seemed that no one was there. Noticing this - the priest left. The stern-faced captain and lady stared at the other party's back, and then withdrew her gaze.

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw a patch of mottled rust appearing on the railing on the side of the captain's seat. The rust marks slowly expanded, just as time flew by and the years melted away.

But the next second, the rust disappeared from sight like a phantom. She was stunned for a moment. Before she could react, she heard a low, vague voice in her mind, a kind but chilling voice. He is whispering to himself:

"Ah...you are here...my little fish...swim and swim...back to the water..."

The gentle sound of the waves echoed in her ears, and the cold touch as if being immersed in sea water traveled on her skin. The captain felt in a trance, but suddenly, she woke up from this trance.

Someone shouted in the distance, it was the first mate of the ship: "Captain! There is something in the fog!"

The captain woke up instantly and immediately turned to look at the side of the bridge. She looked through the wide cabin and suddenly saw a faint green light gradually rising in the fog, like a huge beast slowly approaching her. As she walked forward, the radiant outline solidified little by little, and outlined the silhouette of another ship in her eyes.

A large ship with an astonishing scale, a towering bow, and translucent sails came from the fog. It appeared from the side and behind, as light as a gust of wind, and easily caught up with the Sea Song, whose steam core was running at full strength. It was always covered by a layer of The vague "distortion" shrouded it, making it impossible to see the details of the ship clearly, but the captain of the Sea Song still instantly recognized the distinctive features of this large ship——

"It's the Lost Home!" the captain exclaimed, "Why is it here!?"

"That ship is coming!" "The Lost Home!?" "Isn't it in Qingfeng Harbor?!" "It's approaching!"

Several exclamations came from the bridge, and then the first mate quickly came to the captain's seat: "Captain, that ship is approaching us."

"...Send a light signal and ask the other party about their intention," the captain pondered for a moment, then immediately ordered, "Everyone is on alert, the church boiler is pressurized - this is the border, don't rashly believe anything you see, it may not be true. The 'Nowhere' we know."

The first mate immediately took the order, and then the lights on the side of the Sea Song began to emit a series of signals. The regular flashing bright light penetrated the thick fog, shouting silently in the unknown waters on the border.

Everyone on the bridge looked extremely nervously at the figure of the ship that was gradually approaching in the thick fog, but suddenly became more and more ethereal and blurry after a certain distance, like a ghostly illusion. After a while, The captain suddenly saw a dazzling firelight near the bow of the Lost Home - the fire flickered in the fog, repeating itself with regularity.

Did the ghost ship actually respond to the light signals and send communications?

Many pairs of eyes were fixedly staring at the flickering firelight, while the captain gradually frowned at the light signal. After a while, the first mate walked quickly: "Captain, the Lost Home has signaled to salute us... … Nothing else.”

The captain frowned, and for the first time there was confusion on his stern face, but this confusion was soon interrupted: out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the figure of the big ship speeding away in the thick fog.

The spirit sail of the Lost Home swelled high and accelerated silently in the thick fog. It passed the Song of the Sea in almost the blink of an eye and sped towards the unknown sea beyond. Its huge ship shadow quickly Disappeared in the flowing mist.

"That direction is..." The first mate on the side suddenly reacted and immediately exclaimed softly, "Captain, the 'Homeless' is heading in the direction of 'him'!"

The captain did not respond. She just looked ahead steadily, as if at the moment the "Lost Home" left, she suddenly saw a distant destiny through the gap in the fog.

A low and gentle murmur echoed in her ears——

"Little fish... you are all good. It's time to rest now, don't be afraid... every tired soul has a destination. If you can't go back, this is your new home..."

A kind of tranquility seemed to come from the soul. With the slight trembling of the soul, the captain slowly closed his eyes: "...please witness..."

She opened her eyes suddenly, and an endless storm seemed to be reflected in her deathly gray eyeballs: "...Witness my return - my mission is not over yet."

The fragmented memories suddenly revived in her mind, and the journey lost in the misplaced time stream returned to her memory. She remembered the long time after crossing the border, remembered all the trials and darkness, and remembered He discovered the lost sea at the end of the thick fog, the isolated island stagnated in eternal time, the huge temple, the cemetery of giant beasts, and the dead gods in the temple - as well as his hometown that was shrouded in night.

"... You have to cross that border... cross the critical line of six nautical miles... They are calling to the world, go find them... bring our greetings, bring back their news..."

Helena's Majesty's instructions are still echoing in her ears, but it seems to have happened centuries ago, and now there are only some vague impressions left.

The captain shook his head and slowly took steps towards the driver's seat. The captain's uniform was weathered into messy rags at some point. The once neat and bright bridge had turned into decay and decay under the erosion of sea wind and time. In the ruins, all the lights have been extinguished, and thick fog has penetrated through the broken portholes, overflowing on the bridge.

Everywhere was empty, and no crew members could be seen. Everyone seemed to have left a long time ago - they all stayed with the Lord and stayed in the eternal peaceful destination.

The captain crossed the empty seats and staggered on the ship that seemed to have been drifting for centuries, but suddenly, she noticed a figure that seemed to be shaking next to the bridge.

The figure heard the movement and slowly turned its head.

He was shriveled and ugly, like a corpse that had been weathered by the sea breeze for a century. His face had shriveled and twisted into a horrifying appearance.

It was an ugly mummy - but soon the captain recognized it as his first mate.

The mummy spoke, and his voice was as rough as gravel: "Captain, welcome back to this ship - it seems that your retirement time has not yet come."

"...You also stayed." The captain said - until this moment, she realized that her voice had become just as hoarse and terrifying.

"Yes, I still have work to do," the first mate muttered. "Everyone else has rested, but I had a dream. In the dream, a ghost ship burning with green fire appeared. You asked I gave it a signal... Well, I was awakened by that signal. I didn't like that ship - the Lost Home, it even broke the peace God gave me... Those damn green flames, now I don't like it anymore I can’t rest either.”

The captain didn't pay attention to the first mate's murmurings - although she found that the first mate seemed to have changed a lot, her groggy mind made it difficult for her to concentrate on these trivial things - she just trudged to the bridge. , watching the first mate busy there: "Can this ship still be sailed?"

"No," the first mate turned his head, grinning with a terrifying smile, "the steam core has shut down a long time ago, and the bottom of the hull has been eroded into a pile of ruins, and there is no power at all."

"...Then what are you doing?"

"Let this ship move, Captain," said the first mate slowly, "hold its wheel and think like a ship... It will move, Captain, and sooner or later we will pass through this boundless Fog, go back to that damn endless sea..."

The captain slowly sat down, and she listened to the first mate's nagging. After a long time, she spoke softly as if talking to herself: "Then I should find something to do."

"Then I suggest you leave some records," the first mate said. "I don't know what will happen after crossing that border again, but there will definitely be changes. You may no longer be you, and I may continue to change." If we look like another person, we may not even be able to remember who we are or what we have done - only sacred words can leave precious guidance..."

sacred text…

The captain blinked slowly, and her thinking became clearer again. After a moment of hesitation, she finally reached out and touched something from the pocket of the torn coat.

It was her logbook—every captain had one.

It has also been baptized by time, but the divinely blessed paper has survived weathering and corrosion, and the words on it are still legible.

She lowered her head, took out a pencil from another pocket, and slowly left notes on a new page——

"I am Kalani, the captain of the Sea Song, and this is the record I left on the way back...

"We found 'him' - about half a century after crossing the six-nautical-mile threshold."