Deep Sea Embers

Morris sat on the first floor of the antique shop, waiting for the passage of time with full nervousness.

There was still heavy rain pouring outside the window, and the cold wind was howling. After being blocked and weakened by the doors and windows, the sound of wind and rain turned into a more disturbing and weird howling, which came from all directions over and over again like the waves crashing on an isolated island in a storm. And outside the display window not far away, the scenery across the street can no longer be seen clearly.

Nina and Shirley also came to the first floor. The two girls ran to the window and nervously looked at the wind and rain outside, whispering something from time to time.

The mysterious lady named "Alice" seemed to have no such nervous mood at all. She was also looking out the window, but there was only curiosity and happiness in her eyes, a kind of... happiness that Morris could not understand.

"The scenery in the city-state is really interesting," Alice suddenly spoke. Amidst the sound of wind and rain, her sudden voice was inexplicably magnetic and penetrating, "But I see that you are all very nervous... This Is it terrible?"

"Miss Alice, are you not afraid?" Nina heard the movement here and turned her head and asked curiously.

"Don't be afraid, it's very interesting," Alice smiled and shook her head gently, "and Mr. Duncan will solve all problems."

"Miss Alice, do you know what happened?" Nina bit her lip and asked boldly. She looked into Alice's eyes and looked at this uncle who had known her for a while. I went up to a beautiful lady who had a good relationship with my uncle but whom I had never met before. "You seem to... trust Uncle Duncan a lot?"

"I trust him very much," Alice said matter-of-factly, "I don't know what happened, but Mr. Duncan will solve it in the end."

Her overly frank attitude made Nina speechless for a moment, and she didn't know how to continue the topic. At this moment, a particularly loud thunder exploded outside the window, and the sudden loud noise scared everyone. The jump also interrupted the conversation in the store.

Shirley and Nina subconsciously covered their ears and shrank their necks, but Morris seemed to feel something after a brief moment of astonishment, and suddenly raised his head and looked out the window.

"Fanna is back..."

The old man murmured to himself, and then repeated it again, this time with a louder voice: "Fanna is back!"

"You mean that judge?" Shirley turned her head in surprise when she heard Morris suddenly yelling, "What happened to that judge? Why won't he come back?"

Morris ignored Shirley because he didn't know how to explain this problem. He just let out a long sigh of relief. Although it was just that the chaotic and divided memories in his mind were suddenly integrated out of thin air, he seemed to be in this storm. On that day, I saw a ray of sunshine and my whole body settled down.

The old man reached out and picked up the tea cup next to him.

At this moment, he even felt that this cup of tea that was difficult to swallow became better...tastier.

…

The green wall of fire faded away, and the dim underground temple returned to its previous appearance, with only the last flame floating quietly beside Duncan, allowing him to see clearly the place in the darkness.

Vanna has left "this side" and now reaches the other side of the curtain.

She was like an eye-catching beacon, clearly outlining the trajectory through the curtain for Duncan. Duncan could feel how she left here - and he could also confirm that his idea had been established.

He exhaled softly and looked up at the last location where Vanna was just now.

"... Let me tell you something, that jump chop is really scary."

He muttered softly, then turned and walked towards the entrance of the underground church, arriving near the closed door.

The door had been closed again, and a scarred body was slumped on the ground leaning against the door. She pressed her body tightly against the door, holding a long sword tightly in her hand, with sword marks and bloodstains all around her.

Among the criss-crossing sword marks, the numbers "1885" carved by the nun with her last strength can be faintly discerned.

Reincarnation continues as usual, the cycle repeats itself.

History has been solidified here, and Vanna's intervention did not prevent the cycle of closing time and space from continuing. Although she is indeed very powerful, she does not yet have the ability to interfere with the operation of time and space.

Duncan stood quietly next to the nun for a while, and then slowly stretched out his hand. At this moment, the nun's body suddenly moved. She slowly raised her head, her weak eyes struggled to open, and she was curious. He stared at the uninvited guest in front of him with confusion.

"...Oh, just like my previous judgment, you are not dead at the moment you are holding the door," Duncan said calmly, facing the nun's gaze, "Is there anything you want to say?"

"...I had a brief dream. I dreamed that a battle sister appeared here. She tried to let me rest in this cycle, but she failed," the nun said softly, "...she really came. ,Is it right?"

"She has tried her best, but this is not her area of ​​expertise - now she returns to her battlefield," Duncan bent down and gently placed his hand on the blade of the nun's long sword, a small green spark Jumping on his fingertips, swimming around the edge of the sword like water, "I'll take over the rest."

"...Are you also the guardian of the city-state?" The nun seemed to have no strength to fully open her eyes. She lowered her eyelids and murmured softly as if she was half asleep, "I have never seen you..."

"I'm not," Duncan shook his head slightly, "but I can be for the time being."

The nun seemed to be unable to hear his voice. Her eyelids were completely closed, as if she was slowly entering a dream. At the last moment before this eternal sleep came, her lips moved and whispered softly: "...Please... witness……"

"I witnessed it."

Green flames soared into the sky, and as Duncan's words fell, they suddenly swept over everything in his sight. The nun, her sword, and the blood around them were all turned into ashes in the flames, and before he Under his conscious control, all the supernatural powers here were completely stripped away in this burning.

The flames burned out, not only burning up a body, but also burning away the closed cycle of time and space. In the dim underground temple, only a few tiny sparks were left jumping on the ground, like a trickle of water swimming in the sword marks. And burned the string of numbers "1885" before disappearing.

Duncan waited for it all to end, then shook his head slightly and sighed, then stepped forward and opened the door leading to the above-ground structure of the chapel.

For the first time since 1885, the door has been opened from inside the crypt.

Duncan climbed up the stairs and walked through the long stairs to the above-ground part of the chapel. He passed through the collapsed main hall, passed through the rows of abandoned benches and ashes on the floor, and looked towards the outside. Walk down the street.

The green flame emerged like a phantom, gathering and taking shape in the air around him. As his footsteps spread and burn outward, the spiritual fire that had been spreading inside the curtain sensed the approach of its master. They all resonated and gathered together, and began to burn brightly in this small church.

When Duncan walked out of the door and looked back at the chapel, the entire building was enveloped in a rainbow of spiritual fire.

And further away from the sight, in every corner of the block, in the neighboring blocks, and even at the end of the city-state, groups of spiritual fires are constantly jumping, spreading, and igniting, turning into a giant fire. Torches, large and small, gradually became continuous.

Those were the spiritual fires that suddenly turned into "activation" after sensing Duncan's appearance on the inside of the curtain.

Unconsciously, they have spread to such a wide range.

While these flames were burning, Duncan also felt that something was awakening in the city--one after another roars were heard, the ashes and smoke in the streets and alleys were squirming, and red flames were rising from everywhere, looking menacing. .

Duncan raised his head and looked in a certain direction deep in the city-state: "I'm just getting nervous now, maybe it's a little late."

…

On the Lost Home, Duncan pushed open the door of the captain's dormitory. He strode to the navigation table, propped his hands on the table and looked at the chart, and asked in a low voice, "How far is it from the city-state?"

"Oh, great captain, there are less than two days left," the goat-headed voice came immediately. "Theoretically, we may run into merchant ships or naval patrols running business between city-state routes. Ship..."

Duncan listened to the goat-headed chatter without interrupting. He just silently thought about something. Then he suddenly stood up and left the navigation table, opened the door to the captain's cabin and walked out.

The surprised voice of the goat head came from behind: "Ah, Captain, what are you going to do?"

Duncan had already strode out of the captain's cabin. He walked through the stern deck, walked up the stairs, and came to the platform above the captain's cabin. He answered casually in his mind: "I will take the helm myself."

"...Yes! Captain!"

The goat head responded loudly, and the next second, Duncan felt the entire hull of the Lost Home tremble slightly. In his perception, the ship seemed to suddenly become "active", and every living part They all seemed to be refreshed.

And when he took hold of the steering wheel, the ship, which had been prepared for a long time, immediately entered its best condition - the translucent spiritual sail was further swollen, the tight cables trembled in the air, and the ship's hull was beating against the waves. There was a low murmur from the hit, and the sea around the entire ship seemed to be pulled by an inexplicable force, with layers of waves coming in one after another as if they were trying to push the ship forward!

The speed of the Homeless Ship suddenly accelerated.

Feeling the distance between himself and the body in the antique shop getting closer, Duncan exhaled softly.

But suddenly, an inexplicable feeling emerged from the bottom of my heart.

It is a subtle perception that is perceived from afar and regarded as a "target".

It was as if the moment he took the helm, something suddenly sensed the existence of the ship and was heading straight this way.

Duncan frowned and looked in the direction of the subtle perception. At almost the same moment, he heard the voice of the goat head ringing in his mind:

"Captain, the Seamist appears near us."