《EIN (EVERYTHING IS NEW)》


 Chapter 1 Early Arrival

    Chapter 1


    Early Arrival


    Thirakun was bored. As the bow of the MV Faedheus parted the serene Yellow Sea, Thirakun looked at the dazzling blue-green bio luminescence. When he looked up and realized that there were almost no clouds tonight, he assumed that the stars constantly winking at MV Feadheus were a wish for her to have a pleasant voyage. He continued to sip his coffee and stared into the darkness.


    A single roll of the ship jolted Tiona awake within the captain¡¯s cabin, forcing her to sit on the edge of the bed, rubbing her eyes and stretching. She turned off the alarm after checking the time on her phone. While on the move, she stood and leaned against her deadlight to survey the situation. She turned and headed to the sink to wash her face and straighten her shoulder-length brown hair, then brushed her teeth, nodding silently in contentment as she saw no other ships in the area. She exited her cabin and ascended one floor to the bridge.


    ¡°Good day, Ma¡¯am!¡± As he stood in front of the steering wheel, AB Thirakun gave a respectable greeting and bowed his head slightly.


    ¡°Good day, Captain!¡± Han, second mate, greeted her casually.


    ¡°Good morning, Captain.¡± said third mate Rabe as he opened the thick drapes from the inside of the chart room.


    Tiona returned their welcomes with a nod and proceeded to her radar, attempting to adjust her eyes to the abrupt darkness. All the men have accustomed to their Captain¡¯s manner by now. They know she enjoys the peace. They remained silent unless she wanted to start a conversation.


    Tiona turned off her radar and went outside to smell the night air. She yanked the metal door backwards after unlocking the weather-tight door handle. It slipped backwards with her weight, allowing the cool air to greet her face and hair. The two men behind her shivered as soon as the cold air touched their exposed flesh. It was always a treat to be greeted by the sea¡¯s fresh air, which travels directly from your nostrils to your lungs. It made her pleased every time.


    She leaned forward, gripping the metal handrails, to view the uncountable organisms emitting light blue lights. It has always fascinated her how these microscopic animals produce light energy, which produces light when it reacts with oxygen. Once she returned home, she wanted to tell her daughter, Isabelle, all about the brilliant sea animals.


    One more voyage. She mumbled something.


    Ready to retire to her cabin and rest, she squinted her eyes towards the horizon. Walking towards the metal weather tight door, she secured it and went towards the binoculars. Lifting the binoculars, she positioned it in front of her eyes. Then she adjusted the settings on her radar after making sure what she was seeing was real. She found the sea clutter and rain clutter knobs and decreased them slowly while watching the tiny purple light ahead of them. Her eyebrows met, and it plastered her countenance with confusion.


    Of course, Second Mate Somon and AB Thirakun were aware of this. He, too, watched the purple light ahead and adjusted his radar. He calculated,


    This is about 10 nautical miles away, and if we keep going at 11.2 knots, we¡¯ll arrive in about... 50 minutes, and ¡ª the captain¡¯s question interrupted him.


    ¡°What do you think that is, second?¡± Tiona asked, pointing her right index finger in the direction of the purple glow.


    ¡°It appears to be a... single purple light...¡± Second Mate Somon paused. He was trying to remember the Collision Avoidance Regulations. There was no ship, buoy or anything that corresponds to a purple light.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a fishing boat or a buoy, Captain,¡± he added, ¡°since it wouldn¡¯t show up on the radar.¡±


    AB Thirakun took out the third binocular and observed the purple light. ¡°Captain, it appears to be rising... higher?¡± Nervously following his report, he went in front of the helm, switched it to manual steering, and waited for any unexpected orders. As he tapped his left toe inside his shoes, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the chart room¡¯s thick drapes.


    Third Mate Rabe finished his logbook duties inside the chart room. He walked out of the chartroom after turning off the lamp. Nobody was talking on the bridge because it was quiet. He approached AB Thirakun, who couldn¡¯t take his gaze away from the purple light ahead. Rabe also locked his gaze on it, noting that the purple glow was getting brighter.


    ¡°Third,¡± AB Thirakun murmured, ¡°thank god you¡¯re here!¡± Isn¡¯t it time for the Captain to give the order to change course now? Thirakun gulped his saliva in secret while rapidly tapping his right thumb on the steering wheel.


    Rabe pressed his index finger to his lips in the middle. ¡°What makes you say that? It¡¯s still far away, have a little faith in her, have a little faith in us!¡± Third Mate Rabe grumbled solemnly. ¡°Keep in mind that she¡¯s still your captain. You already know she doesn¡¯t say much more than is necessary and prefers a low-key leadership approach. She¡¯s probably pondering the best course of action right now."


    Tiona kept her attention forward, pretending to be oblivious to the hushed talk of the two guys behind her. ¡°It is critical to clear your thoughts in order to attain clarity when making excellent decisions, especially in dangerous situations. And all you need to do to make a wise decision, is clarity of mind.¡± It was her first memory of her Grandma. Whenever they see one other, she never failed to remind Tiona.


    She continued to study the purple light and determine the distance. Because the purple light was still far away, she knew time was on her side. Thirakun was right. Are they producing self-sufficient drones to serve as a buoy now?


    ¡°Third,¡± Tiona continued, ¡°you may now go down and rest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am. Second, good watch, heading down now. Kun!¡± As he opened the door and left the bridge to rest, Third Mate Rabe answered.


    ¡°Second,¡± Tiona said, pointing to the purple light on the horizon, ¡°be sure you notify me 5 nautical miles before you pass this light. Ok?¡±


    As Tiona stepped off the bridge, Second Mate Somon called out, ¡°Roger, Captain.¡±


    ***


    Since the captain had left, the bridge had been deafeningly quiet. Both men remained silent and kept a close eye on the purple glow ahead of them. AB Thirakun bit his bottom lip while keeping the eyepiece of his binoculars near to his eyes.


    Somon, the Second Mate, was a seasoned sailor. He¡¯d been on a variety of ships, and he¡¯d learned that it was better to be safe than sorry and blamed later. That¡¯s why, although the radar couldn¡¯t find anything in the purple light¡¯s direction, he felt optimistic.


    Ah, I can''t wait to see you up close. What the hell are you huh? He pondered while scratching his stubble.


    Before leaving the bridge, the Captain adjusted the course from 025 degrees to 030 degrees so that when they pass the light, she could see it up close for what it was while remaining at a safe distance. Naturally, second mate Somon interprets this as the captain¡¯s lack of faith in him. So, as soon as Tiona stepped off the bridge, he corrected the course and resumed the original course before settling into the pilot¡¯s seat.


    Thirakun lack Second Mate Somon¡¯s confidence, and he wouldn¡¯t dare to challenge his behavior just now. He kept his opinions to himself and obeyed the rules. The purple light was more important to him than the course change by Somon. He grew up in a religious family and Thirakun¡¯s parents associated the color purple with death and grief. That''s why he has this uneasy feeling about the purple light a head of them.


    The two men each had a pair of binoculars in their hands, which they clutched tightly. Thirakun kept tapping his fingers on the binoculars¡¯ surface, and Second Mate Somon chewed his bottom lips. They both tried to mask their unease about the scenario by keeping a close watch on the mysterious purple light in the distance.


    ***


    The white machinery noise from the ship¡¯s engine, along with the steady vibration, drowned out the conversation on the bridge, as neither man wanted to talk over mundane stuff. As they get closer to the purple glow, the wind and waves have picked up considerably. The severity of the gusts and waves increased as the purple light intensifies.


    Second Mate Somon never left his radar as he paced left and right. His prior confident expression continued to fade as the ship approached the purple light¡¯s location, binoculars in one hand. When he realized he wasn¡¯t comfortable with his predicament, he had to shift the course to five degrees starboard. He was prepared to call the Captain since they detected a change in the radar when they were almost 5 nautical miles abeam of the purple orb. The radar picked up an object in the purple light''s direction. He stepped closer to the bridge¡¯s front windows and looked through the binoculars at the purple spherical light.


    Thirakun switched the mode to auto and left the helm. He headed towards the port wing and observed through the binoculars outside at the port wing. ¡°Second! It¡¯s a block of ice! The sea has frozen!¡± reported Thirakun in a high-pitched voice, not taking off the binocular eyepiece out of his eye sockets.


    Despite the heavy winds, Second Mate Somon could hear his report. He approached Thirakun quickly and raised his binoculars. Under the purple sphere, he noticed hundreds of frozen spikes. It transformed the ocean into an inverted funnel, pointing toward the purple light. The sea surface around it became frozen, producing spikes, as if it were being sucked into it.


    ¡°Heh, Do you believe we¡¯ll earn monetary rewards if we report this to Korea or China, ABB?¡± Second Mate Somon grinned while asking a rhetorical question.


    Of course, as the officer in command, I¡¯ll get the credit and most of the prize money if they ever offer one. He had a concealed grin on his face. I¡¯d undoubtedly get a compliment from the captain, and I might even get a promotion sooner than expected! What good fortune! He smirked quietly.


    ¡°Sir, I think that¡¯s not a good idea. Could we perhaps avoid it, sir? Purple is a very negative color in our country.¡± Thirakun explained.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a wimp. Why don¡¯t you take my DSLR from my cabin and we can snap some high-quality shots together?" Second mate Somon handed the keys to his cabin to Thirakun, but Thirakun paused.


    ¡°Sir, behind you!¡±


    When a powerful gust of wind carrying snow reached the ship, cool air swirled about the sphere, causing snowflakes to fall. The wind picked up to the point of being a gale, and waves slammed on the ship¡¯s port side. To keep their balance, both men grabbed the side railings. Icy sea spray sprayed on the thick glass of the bridge, causing MV Feadheus to experience all six motions of the ship with increasing intensity.


    Somon had one hand on the handrail, lost in thought. He¡¯d seen nothing like it before. Extreme weather change in less than an hour. Everything that was happening was new to him. He didn¡¯t have time to worry about his DSLR at this point.


    ¡°Second! Second! Let¡¯s call the Captain!¡± AB Thirakun yelled alongside him. Thirakun¡¯s shouting pulled Second Mate out of his daze. ¡°Of course, of course!¡± added Second Mate as he dashed to the ship¡¯s intercom to notify the Captain.


    ***


    Tiona never slept. Chess was the only game that helped her to keep her mind awake and alert. Important areas where a ship captain must navigate were dangerous places. In Japan, where strong currents are prevalent, all captains must always con the ship. Such places are Kanmon bridge and Kurushima bridge.


    Both bridges are well-known because of their high traffic density and strong currents. Ship captains must navigate the ship, or else it will cost millions of dollars if an incident occurs. This covers the cost of repairs and cleanup, as well as losing valuable time. This time, a purple glow appeared ahead of their ship that the radar couldn¡¯t detect, and she knew she had to be cautious. She couldn¡¯t sleep because of it.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She always trusted her instincts. It was what led her to her promotion, after all. In her experience, it was always better to err on the side of caution and paranoia than be held responsible for an accident that she could have avoided.


    She had her binoculars with her in her cabin, of course. His Norwegian master, who had also become her mentor, had given it to her as a present. While she was a first mate, he was the one who taught her many essential life lessons.


    Since they promoted me to acting captain on MV Feadheus, I¡¯ve found his leadership style to be a good match for my personality. She pondered.


    She had never given in to complacency since she was the third officer. She completed her responsibilities and worked diligently to show to her superiors that she was deserving of the letter of recommendation. When the ship was in underway, she was good at monitoring the bridge and avoiding collisions. And when she got promoted, it simply showed that it was worth it to keep up her habits.


    Tiona thanked those who trusted her every time she completed a contract. She has never taken other people¡¯s faith for granted. Tiona felt a heavy hit of waves from the ship¡¯s port side suddenly. She sat in her bed after losing her footing and the intercom went ringing.


    ¡°Captain speaking.¡±


    ¡°Captain, I¡¯m sorry to wake you up, but you need to come immediately.¡± Second Mate Somon reported in a hurried voice.


    ¡°Coming.¡± she said and put the phone down.


    ***


    Tiona entered the bridge by pushing the metal watertight door open. While her eyes adjusted to the purple tint and darkness of the bridge, she shuddered as icy air brushed her skin. The ship was swaying and rocking violently, making it difficult for her to maintain her balance. To counter the rolling, she bowed her knees slightly and spread her feet. She saw Thirakun occasionally examining the ship¡¯s heading and course, consequently adjusting the helm.


    A wise decision. Tiona considered the situation as she assessed it. She swung around and cast a glance at Second Mate.


    He had both hands on the radar¡¯s handle and was facing it. Then he realized Tiona was staring at him. Second Mate Somon said, ¡°Captain, our radar, AIS, and autopilot are not working as they should.¡± Despite his worries over his prior decision to get closer to the purple light, he put on his best poker face to appear calm.


    Tiona trudges over to the binoculars, grabs them, and begins assessing the massive purple sphere to their northwest.


    It¡¯s best to stay away from it. She thought while observing through the binoculars.


    If one stared carefully, the purple sphere was slightly flickering, expanding and contracting like a beating heart. The surrounding air becomes stronger with each growing flicker, and the ice on the water spreads further.


    Tiona issued an order without hesitation. ¡°Starboard twenty!¡±


    ¡°Starboard twenty!¡± Thirakun snappily responded and steered the helm clockwise, bringing the rudder indicator from 0 to 20. The ship quickly inclined to port side. ¡°Starboard twenty now, captain!¡±


    ¡°Zero four zero heading, sir!¡±


    ¡°Zero five zero!¡±


    ¡°Zero six zero heading, sir!¡±


    ¡°Zero eight zero!¡±


    ¡°One zero zero!¡±


    ¡°One two zero sir!¡±


    Tiona was still staring at the purple sphere, her gaze fixed on it.


    As the purple light was reaching in South-West direction from the heading of the ship, Tiona issued another order. ¡°Midship!¡±


    ¡°Midship!¡± Thirakun turned the helm counter clockwise. The rudder indicator stopped at midship.


    ¡°Midship now, captain! Heading is one three four, sir!¡± Thirakun yelled.


    ¡°Steady one three five!¡±


    ¡°Steady one three five!¡± Thirakun responded. Followed by frequent helm change, MV Feadheus was now moving away from the purple light with a large deviation of the ship¡¯s original course.


    ***


    Two minutes later, and at least five nautical miles away from the sphere. Tiona watched it expand to twice its original size and produced stronger winds without notice. The expansion and contraction have come to a halt. It flickered once more, and the purple sphere went completely black. Hundreds of purple lightning tendrils protruded from the black sphere¡¯s edges. Each tendon moves slowly and independently. She noted five enormous brilliant tendrils of lightning moving quicker than the other weak lightning tendrils.


    ¡°Call Chief Engineer and bring all the crew to the bridge right now!¡± she ordered. If she was going to act, she should do so now, while there is still time.


    AB Thirakun and Captain Tiona remained on the bridge as Second Mate Somon dashed downstairs to rouse up the crew.


    Tiona observed the big lightning tendrils emitting smoke as they came into contact with the ocean¡¯s surface.


    The purple sphere flared once again as the rest of the team closed in behind her, swelling 5 times its original size and creating more tendrils of lightning. Underneath the huge black sphere, the saltwater instantly froze. Stronger gales and waves constantly changing the ships course making AB Thirakun''s job a lot harder. The gale and wind direction wre now heading for the black sphere and against their ship. Great waves and mighty gale pushed the ship to turn around and face the black sphere head on. The frozen ocean expanded until it collided with the MV FEADHEUS, causing it to tilt to the right side. MV Feadheus was left stranded on the frozen ocean¡¯s surface.


    Thirakun felt the severe oscillations until he heard an explosion from beneath the ship. Holding the helm, he made the sign of the cross and closed his eyes.


    When the ice cracked, Third Mate Rabe held Thirakun¡¯s shivering right shoulders. Thirakun¡¯s right thumb was moving faster than a hummingbird¡¯s wings, he noticed. He disregarded it and focused his attention on the purple sphere that had appeared in front of their ship.


    Wiper Jonathan Ibarra shivered in the frigid air, jolting him awake from his stupor at everything happening at once. He was simply wearing a brief underneath his immaculate orange cover-all.


    Tiona witnessed a giant purple sphere emerge from within the black sphere, shattering the frozen saltwater it contacts and heading directly for them, just as Chief Engineer was about to complain. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of the ship!¡± Tiona cried angrily.


    The purple sphere thawed the frozen saltwater in an instant, allowing MV FEADHEUS to float once again, but not forward. The purple sphere traveled through the ship, turning off all the ship¡¯s electronic devices.


    Second Mate Somon scanned the navigational equipment. Everything was turned off. He thought. ¡°Captain! That purple sphere has turned everything off!¡± He reported, and Tiona gave a small nod.


    The crew, who were a little slow to grab anything, lay on the floor, including Chief Engineer. Embarrassed, he stood up and walked towards the captain, still looking forward.


    The Chief Engineer became agitated as he waited. ¡°Captain! What¡¯s going on here?!¡± It was just after midnight, and he knew it was strange to call him while they were in the middle of the open ocean.


    He was the second-highest-ranking officer after the Captain, so he expected it to be a major issue requiring his expertise, because why else would the Captain call her? As a result, when he saw the purple sphere pass through the ship and everyone else¡¯s bodies, he waited for a reasonable reaction. Tiona raised her right arm and pointed forward, which he noticed. He turned to face the Captain¡¯s direction. When he saw the huge standing black, thin oval anomaly, his jaws dropped open.


    Tiona¡¯s gaze fixed on the explosion when it occurred. The once-colossal orb of purple light had shrunk to the size of a thin oval-shaped irregularity in space. The lightnings on its edges, disappeared as well. It continued to compress until it stabilized on its own.


    The newly arrived crew was intrigued and watched Chief Engineer¡¯s actions. They moved closer to the ship¡¯s thick window glass.


    That¡¯s where they all noticed it.


    Underneath, the frozen ocean rotated clockwise into the black floating oval. It grew frozen spikes pointing at the thin black floating oval, like a huge frozen plate. Faster and faster, the frozen seawater transformed into a massive spinning disc, hurling large water javelins everywhere. The whirlpool was dragging MV Feadheus closer and closer to the center of the whirlpool.


    Cook Glen snatched Thirakun¡¯s binoculars, eager to observe the finer points of such a rare occurrence. As the enormous frozen disc went upwards and came into contact with the black oval, he noticed it broke up into tiny fragments and was absorbed by the floating black oval. The ice vanished as soon as it came into contact with the black surface. He took his binoculars out of his eyes and turned to confront his captain¡¯s conflicted expression.


    Tiona knew she needed to forecast and know the path of the wind, tide, and typhoon in order to avoid them in time. However, all the weather reports she received days before were all good and nothing resembling a low pressure system. Yet, she admitted to herself that she was concerned about the situation. This type of occurrence is only seen in her favorite sci-fi movies. She was incapable and unprepared for such a task. Tiona was terrified of the unknown. Everybody does. And the black oval in front of her was resembling a portal or a rift. She tightened her grip on the horizontal stainless bar in front of her.


    Captain Tiona murmured, ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡±


    Her hand was pale from gripping the stainless steel that was attached to the bridge¡¯s front window.


    Damn it! I¡¯m all out of options! She cursed.


    Everyone had a sense of impending doom as they were being pulled towards the black oval. Tiona looked back, seeing all the terrified faces waiting for her orders. She looked in front of her and saw the massive whirlpool. She tried to calm herself down and make a mental list of her options. She knew the ship couldn¡¯t steer away or make any other maneuvers to counteract the external forces. The ship swayed left and right from the waves slamming its sides. With no way of maneuvering, the ship was getting closer and closer to the portal or rift.


    The distress signals! She thought, looked back and faced the crew.


    ¡°Everyone! Assist Third and Second Officers in firing all the Rocket Parachute Flares! Third! Second, get going!¡± Tiona gave the order.


    With difficulty, the crew dispersed and followed Second Mate Somon to the port wing and Third Mate Rabe to the starboard wing. All 12 rocket flares were distributed and fired one at a time by the officers.


    A single rocket flare would last 40 seconds in the air, reaching a maximum altitude of 300 meters. It could withstand harsh environmental conditions and continue to function reliably even after being submerged in water.


    I can only hope that a nearby ship notices this. She paused.


    Thirakun watched as the flares were sent into the blizzard one by one. Flares flashed brightly. The sky was painted red and orange in the night sky until it was extinguished by a powerful freezing blast that hurled it in a random direction. Even though the flares barely burnt for a few seconds, they continued to fire in the hopes of a rescue team would discover them in the current situation. Thirakun prayed and never took his hands off the helm. He also hoped he was mistaken about the purple color omen.


    Third Mate Rabe held on to the last flare in the air, ready to shoot as soon as the last flare dissipated. And then he noticed lights that looked like stars in the night sky in the center.


    Second Mate Somon would never have believed what he was witnessing if it hadn¡¯t been for AB Thirakun¡¯s grip on his left arm. When he turned to face his group, he noticed they were all staring at it as well, obliviously attempting not to fall from the ship¡¯s heavy rocking. They gaze at the starry portal, enthralled by the enormous wonder in front of them.


    Captain Tiona estimated they¡¯d hit the anomaly in under a minute, and with the ship¡¯s current maneuverability, nothing could be done.


    ¡°All Crew!! Enter the bridge and shut the damn doors! NOW!!¡± Tiona screamed at the top of her lungs. The ship was getting closer to the center of the whirlpool. The whirlpool was unlike any she had ever seen. It was rotating upwards, towards the portal, rather than downwards to the depths of the sea. When seawater reaches a certain height, it freezes, breaks up into huge chunks, and vanishes when it comes into contact with the portal.


    Third Mate Rabe repeated Tiona¡¯s command, drawing the crew¡¯s attention into him. Second Mate Somon tried to rush the rest of the crew as well.


    Everyone was now watching from inside the bridge, protected by the weatherproofed glass in which they had placed their trust, hoping that it would not break. They stood there staring at the forecastle as it froze the machineries and mooring ropes.


    The surface of the ship has frost traces. The bridge¡¯s violent vibrations were felt by the crew. Nobody was speaking or looking at each other. They were all terrified as they stared at what was in front of them. As the scene in front of them unfolded, everyone¡¯s grip tightened even more.


    Chief Engineer saw the forecastle entering the black oval. He gulped and his breathing quickened. He grabbed the stainless bar in front of him and felt like he was about to relieve himself.


    When viewed from a distance, the MV FEADHEUS was no longer a complete ship. The ship¡¯s forward section was missing. The violent vibrations morphed into erratic tremors. All the crew squinted their eyes and gritted their teeth as they heard metal colliding with metal.


    Thirakun has still his eyes closed and was praying, so he could only hear and feel what was happening around him. The sounds he was hearing were like the ship was being squeezed by colossal hands, and getting crumpled. Thirakun drew his gaze closer to the ground and mumbled Thai prayers only he could understand. Chief Engineer peeked through the drapes of the chart room.


    They could no longer see the forecastle. The terror of what was going to happen to them only grew.


    Oiler walked away from the others and scurried down to wherever he felt safe. When Chief Engineer Ko noticed this, he also ran down. Cook and Chief Officer were the next to go down the stairs, followed by the Wiper Jonathan.


    Panic ensued, and the rest remained behind.


    As the bridge approached the black oval, the huge lightnings disappeared and Tiona braced herself. She extended her left hand forward while the others were still grabbing anything fixed to the ship, too scared to move. When her hand came into contact with the distorted space, it instantly swallowed her whole. She felt cold at first, then everything went black.


    ***


    In a bird¡¯s-eye view, it covered a large area with blizzards under the full moon. A distorted black oval shape swallowed the stern of the ship in the center.?The anomaly eventually imploded, sending a small blast of air hundreds of miles away. It morphed into a bead of pure black liquid, squirming and beating. As it imploded again, the black bead created a shock wave, resulting in a miniature tsunami. The raging whirlpool subsided, and the icy air and snow merged with the glass-like sea. The black oval anomaly was no longer visible. Along with the 12 souls on board the MV Feadheus.


    ***

 Chapter 2 The Escort

    Chapter 2


    The Escort


    At Castle Attila, the sky was devoid of clouds, making it an ideal day to lounge about. The brilliant, warm rays of the sun warmed everyone''s skin. Nessha sat on the balcony of her bedroom to enjoy the warm sun. She was enjoying her newly acquired book about rare poisons, while drinking herbal tea she had grown in her garden. Nessha could hear the children''s laughter echoing throughout Castle Attila as they played on the lower terrace. She rewarded herself with a cup of tea soon after lunch. It was a pleasure for herself, since she was about to be assigned a new task.


    Children were playing hide & seek, chasing butterflies, and digging for worms, as seen through the eyes of Nessha. She can''t help but draw comparisons between these youngsters and the recollections she has of her own childhood. Wild, frightened, and traumatized, that was the most accurate picture she had of herself as a child. As she recalled, the western countries dispatched armed troops to aid King Arno Tyrni of Nesshau during the Grygen Imperium''s invasion of Nesshau. Nessha was born on the first day of the battle between the two neighboring nations. In Sirsin City, she was the eldest daughter of a rising lord. The people who lived on the outside of the land were the first to be wiped off by the Grygel Imperium''s invasion. There were no butterfly chases or hide-and-seek games in her childhood; instead, she grew up fleeing, hiding, and fighting. Seeing dead corpses on a daily basis.


    Individuals who have lived along the border for an extended period have developed a physical similarity. That makes sense; he didn¡¯t want to take the chance of being detected by one of the two warring nations. Whether you¡¯re a Nesshauni or a Grygelian, if you talk with a completely neutral accent, no one could detect the difference. People who lived along the border gained a neutral accent. When the girl with the ponytail stumbled and scraped her elbows, Nessha heard her sob loudly that it brought her back from her terrible recollections of her youth.


    On the lower and upper terraces, orphan guardians sat and watched the youngsters play. However, the butterflies were preoccupying the girls in the garden. The maid who was supposed to be watching after the children pursued the three boys who had smeared dirt on them in an agitated manner. Nesshara drank her tea on her balcony while they created these wonderful memories.


    Nessha delicately placed the teacup with floral motifs into its saucer, holding it by its golden handle. She took the thick paper bookmark with silver inlays and inserted it into the book she was holding. She put the book down and entered her room, parting the see-through draperies. Walking onto the opposite side of the bed and hovered her palm over a random pattern on the flower design wallpaper. She heard a click as an orange light flared from her hands. After opening a small rectangular compartment door on its own, she slid the Book of Poisons into the compartment, which also contained dozens of thick books that appeared to be centuries old. There were little, thin notebooks that appeared like journals, with leather-made ropes wrapped into the pages.


    Since recently, she''s noticed that her memories from before she evolved have become a little hazy. For that reason, hundreds of years ago, she began to write down her thoughts and stories.


    This is most likely due to mastery of Necrossin. She told herself.


    After she looked at her journals, she stepped back and made the same gesture to the wall. A red light came on, and the compartment door closed itself with a click afterward.


    Nessha walked towards her chimney, which was guarded by two 1-meter statues, one being a humanoid fish wielding two deadly-looking axes, and the other was a creature that resembled a lion with two twisted horns that sprouted behind its ears and a single twisted horn on its forehead. Nessha walked towards her chimney. Nessha looked at her newly constructed sculptures with a faint grin on her face as she appraised them.


    "That old greedy coot has certainly lived up to his reputation." She crossed her arms in front of the fireplace, and appeared to be pleased with the beautiful details on display in the statue.


    The crimson stone lodged in her left wrist began to shine three times out of nowhere. She closed her eyes, straightened her posture, and inhaled deeply for a long period of time before releasing it all at once through her nostrils, a little crease in her brow.


    This should be interesting. She thought to herself. The doors and windows closed silently as she waved her left hand horizontally in the air, followed by a spherical motion of her hand, glowing orange. A semi-transparent spherical dome was created, encompassing the whole room. Nessha walked towards the area where the hidden compartment was located and turned around, facing her bed. Her innocent-looking facial expression faded and was replaced by a serious and battle-tempered face. She tapped her left wrist with an orange glow in her index fingers. She bowed her head facing the carpeted floor, followed by dropping her one knee to the floor.


    Your Absolute Monarch, Immortal Ruler of Grygel, your loyal servant, is here to serve you. Nesshara Attila¡¯s feminine and gentle voice occupied the enclosed space she created. No one will be able to scry or hear their conversation. That is the reason she always feels safe whenever the Absolute Ruler is the only entity talking within the created space. Who would dare to spy on his Royal Highness? Her hatred towards someone who would dare to harm the Absolute Ruler involuntarily leaked her Necrossin powers.


    ¡°Shara.¡± A gravelly voice sounded inside the magical barrier. Nesshara lifted her head with an apologetic look on her face.


    ¡°Your highness, I apologize for my


    Your apology is unnecessary. You are still as reckless as the first day I saw you, and that¡¯s what makes you, you. ¡± A transparent shadow appeared sitting on Nessha¡¯s bed. It stood up and walked towards Nessha, lifting her using her left hand, touching her chin. Nessha stared at the nonexistent face with ardor.


    I have an important task for you that I know only you can handle.


    She answered by clasping her fist and demonstrating her renewed resolve..


    The Absolute Monarch¡¯s shadow walked towards the bed. Before he reached the edge of the bed, he turned around to speak.


    According to Isadora, another group will be summoned and they will arrive today. Use this to find and reach them. ¡± The shadow lifted his right hand and brought it forward to open a slit in space. The hand reached inside and brought out a black circlet headpiece with a tear-shaped green gem in it. It floated towards her opened palm. The shadow nodded, and Nessha wore it.


    ¡°You will know their functions once they become one with you.¡± The shadow pointed at Nesshara with his right index finger. The shadow said, "Bring them to Shar Castle unharmed and treat them as honored guests."


    ¡°But your highness,¡± Nessha cried in protest.


    ¡°Shara.¡± The shadow¡¯s voice became gravelly again. It turned around and sat back down on its invisible throne.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a plan in mind. Sometimes you need to play with fire and get burned with it a littl, in order to know that you still feel pain.¡±


    ¡°I understand, your highness.¡± Nessha acquiesced.


    ¡°Alright then, our next meeting will be in Shar.¡± The shadow said this and started to dissipate.


    Nessha lifted her hand above her head and motioned like she was removing a curtain. She waved two more times, and she walked towards her bedroom¡¯s balcony, where she observed the children playing and laughing, smiles plastered on their faces. Nessha took pride in helping these kids who lost their families due to war live and have a chance at life. It made her feel a little bit better, knowing that they won''t experience what she had to go through.


    She sat down and closed her eyes, commanding her internal necrossin powers to connect with the circlet in her brow.A few seconds later, she opened her eyes. Embedding a rare magical gem into an expendable spell storage material must have cost more than my castle and everything inside it, protective enchantments included.


    Nesshara has accumulated massive wealth during her century-long life. but still hasn¡¯t discarded her frugal attitude towards money. Sigh, rich people. She sighed in defeat and closed her eyes again to reach the circlet¡¯s information label.


    Name: Circlet of Lightning Travel infused with a Rare Tracking Gem


    Circlet of Lightning Travel: Created using the Lightning Elemental¡¯s bones to allow the user to travel within 800 miles by becoming lightning itself. 2/2 employs the left.


    Rare Tracking Gem: Created using the eyes of Mindar Burrowers to allow the user to send a powerful invisible pulse within a 2,000 mile radius to find an abnormality in space. Once a pulse is used, the location will be recorded in the user''s mind. 1/1 used on the left.


    Nessha stood up and stretched his arms sideways, then yawned. Alright, let¡¯s go get those "honorable guests" settled in. Walking towards her wardrobe, she changed into her battle-enchanted outfit and walked outside her balcony. She scanned below, trying to find someone, and found the head butler staring at her.


    ¡°Fernley,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to deliver some packages to Shar. I will leave you in charge. Don¡¯t hesitate to call my attention when there¡¯s an emergency. ¡± Nessha pointed her left index finger at Fernley.


    "Of course, Milady. Safe Travels.¡± Fernley bowed.


    Nessha gave a satisfied nod and raised her eyes. Massive clouds arose above Castle Nessh. She floated upwards as she continued to stare at the clouds. The children clutched their attendants'' hands and peered in awe and amazement, Nessha reached 50 meters above the castle. Nessha activated the Tracking Gem, which generated an invisible pulse at such a high speed that Nessha couldn''t keep up with it. She received the precise location of the "honored guests" two minutes later. Next, she activated the circlet and felt cold energy spread from it. She was enveloped in a green mist made up of countless tiny green lightning bolts. It seemed like mist. Opening her eyes, it released a green energy that shone in her immediate vicinity. Her vision turned into a green hue, and she felt thousands of needles stinging all over her skin. Feeling full of lightning energy, she bolted towards the clouds at breakneck speed and streaked towards the horizon in the blink of an eye, leaving green aftershocks of lightning among the clouds.


    ***


    Tiona opened her eyes in surprise, looking at her cabin¡¯s ceiling, followed by a forward thrust in the air with her left palm.


    A nightmare? She asked herself.


    She pulled her left hand and sat on her bed, while taking in air with great effort. Her desire for oxygen was like that of a runner who had just finished a hundred-meter sprint. She shifted to a sitting position on the edge of the bed so that her legs would hang. She placed her hands beside her legs and felt extremely exhausted. Why do I feel so tired? She tried to calm herself by closing her eyes and inhaling through her nose. She waited until the air completely entered her belly. When her belly was full, she opened her eyes at the same time, letting out the air through her mouth.


    She completed the breathing routine until she felt that her heart rate and breathing had become stable. She stopped moving and relaxed her muscles by not moving them. Another minute passed, and she felt her fatigue was barely there anymore. Opening her eyes slowly, she noted that everything was in perfect order. She sighed in relief.


    ¡°What a nightmare!¡± She said to herself, while wiping her neck and forehead with a small towel she grabbed from her drawer.


    It felt so damn real. Ah, I need water. She figured it out. Hopping off her bed, she bent down to reach for the water container under her study table. When her right hand touched the plastic container, she paused.


    Oh dammit, She saw her vision fading and lost control of her balance.


    Thud!


    ***


    Tiona struggled and defied closing her eyes. She rolled in her belly, feeling the wet and cold laminated floor in her back, eventually standing up and sitting in her chair.Letting out a sigh of success, she sat there looking at her full body mirror.


    Argh! She closed her eyes and massaged her eyebrows from the headache she was experiencing.


    Feeling giddy, she stood up and went to her full-body mirror to inspect her body. Smoother white skin, no more white hairs, and her shoulder-length hair grew up to her lower back, all shiny and looking damn healthy. She undressed to change her clothes. However, looking at the reflection of her belly, she scrunched her eyebrows and bent forward just to see that her belly really no longer had a scar from her C-section. She kept scratching it and making sure what she was seeing was real. Her memories reminded her that this was exactly her body before she had Isabelle.


    What the heck?But how? She asked the gorgeous lady in front of her.


    Oh no! Damn it.


    She cursed inwardly and set aside the changes to her body. There was a more pressing matter right now than her missing c-section scar. She realized she didn¡¯t hear the usual noise of the ship¡¯s engine and felt no vibrations at all, so she tried to stand still and felt the cabin¡¯s door with her open palm.


    Not moving at all. Just floating.


    Tiona walked to her cabin¡¯s deadlight and wanted to see the situation immediately. What she saw was a ship¡¯s main deck with black crystals embedded in them, most likely piercing through the ship¡¯s 6-inch thick main deck plating. Dents, holes, and black burn marks were randomly seen on the surface of the ship.


    It was not a nightmare. She murmured while gritting her teeth.


    She put on her serious face and went to find dry clothes. Even though she is ten years younger now, she has almost the same measurements because of her daily push-ups and running. She checked her phone and laptop, but they were not working. Even her smartwatch was dead.


    I guess that the purple shock wave or pulse works like an EMP, just like in the movies. Remembering the scene of the purple spherical wave passing through the ship and through their bodies, she was once again brimming with resolve.


    She found a pair of gray cargo pants and a blue fleece hoodie to wear. She tied her hair into a ponytail and planned to go to the bridge once she was done. When she pulled the trigger to open the door, a young man was standing in front of her cabin. She examined his face, and by the position of the moles, Tiona guessed it was Mr. Rabe, a younger version of him, that is. She was no longer surprised by his appearance, as she already assumed it had happened to everyone. How it happened, she does not know and has no time to contemplate it at the moment. She needs to know the damage report for her ship and the loss of life.


    So, how''s that? What is it, Mr. Rabe?¡± Tiona locked her arms in front of her. Mr. Rabe was unintentionally drawn to her future. Third Mate Rabe, at that moment, forgot temporarily what she was about to do. She knew it was their captain, but how could he know she was this pretty 10 years ago? She still has white and smooth skin as always, but the most obvious changes were the shine of her hair, its length, and the pinkish glow on her face. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and then reported it.


    ¡°Ugh... Sorry, Captain, but everyone is waiting for you in the mess room. Based on the current circumstances, all officers and ratings agreed to have an emergency meeting, as everyone was unsure of what to do next. Third Mate Rabe said.


    ¡°I understand. Lead the way. ¡± Tiona answered and put her locked arms sideways to lock her cabin.


    ***The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She could hear voices chatting and debating loudly as they approached the room. When they saw the Captain enter, everyone stopped talking. All eyes were on her. Before they entered the mess room, Tiona took note of the sun¡¯s brightness that shone into the ship¡¯s hallway, and estimated the time. There¡¯s still time until sunset. She thought while heading towards the mess room and saw Second Mate Somon, First Engineer Sukka, and Second Engineer Ari sitting down at the long table, studying the physical changes in her. She ignored the stares and continued to walk forward. She studied the mess room and found that it was still in good condition. The room had a little square table perpendicular to the entrance where the officers ate. And a long table in front of it, where the ratings eat. They stood up and greeted her when she arrived near the long table. She nodded, and they sat back down, prim and proper.


    She stood there for a moment, taking in all the new, younger faces. Likewise, she noticed all of them were staring at her with a new light in their eyes. Okay, I need a situation report. She turned and nodded to Third Mate Rabe.


    Sigh... boys will always be boys, huh? She thought.


    It took a few seconds before Rabe noticed all eyes were on him. He felt his ears burn, and he fixed his glasses with his right index finger, ¡°Right! We have both good and bad news.The good news is that, despite a couple of large holes in our main deck plating and no electricity, there are no holes below the waterline, and obviously, the ship is still upright. The real bad news is that we can¡¯t find Chief Officer, ABB Thirakun, Chief Engineer Ko, Cook Glen, Oiler Ken and Wiper Jonathan. We checked everywhere on the ship and found no sign of them. ¡± Third Mate Rabe dropped his head after reporting that six crew members were missing.


    Tiona glimpsed Somon¡¯s gaze passing through the table, unconsciously chewing his lips and deep in thought.


    Bang!


    Second engineer, Ari slammed the table with his right hand. Well, Captain, I suggest we try to power up the ship¡¯s communication device. Our safety and survivability should be a priority, right? I will need the help of a second mate here. ¡± As Ari mentioned,


    Intending to tap with his left index finger on the table, First Engineer Sukka interjected in a low voice. It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t really like the Chief Engineer. That old sea dog always confiscates my whiskey, pretending to...¡± The crew turned to look at him. ¡°Oh! Do you need my help in fixing our communication systems? ¡± First Engineer Sukka raised his head with an excited look on his face and stopped tapping on the table.


    Ari pinched his nose and let out a sigh, a little annoyed by his superior¡¯s honesty. ¡°Of course, sir, you can come.¡± Ari tried to stand up, but stopped when Tiona spoke and sat back down.


    ¡°Alright! We might have six members of our crew missing, and a ship with no electricity, but they could still be alive, and maybe we could fix our generator tonight. What is important right now is that we must survive in this situation together. ¡± Tiona raised her hand in a fist to raise the group¡¯s morale. Her speech didn¡¯t have any effect at all.


    Sigh, I really need to work on my motivational speech to boost morale. Dejected, she sighed.


    ¡°Captain, our lifeboat and rescue boat are gone as well. Third Mate and I searched the vicinity earlier, but we couldn¡¯t find them. ¡± Second Mate Somon sounded guilty as he added more bad news to the group.


    They couldn¡¯t find a positive response to that news. Without a lifeboat and a rescue boat, their chances of survival decreased significantly. Second Engineer Ari was going to join the discussion when the ship inclined 30 degrees to port and rolled. The group instinctively held on to the fixed long table.


    When the ship completed uprighting itself, they went outside in a file to check the powerful external interference. Second Mate Somon led the team, followed by Third Mate Rabe. When they reached the starboard side of the ship, they stared at each other and shook their heads in unison. Both officers knew there were no islands or landmass for hundreds of miles when they checked and made rounds in the ship¡¯s position earlier.


    Tiona walked just behind Third Mate Rabe, followed by Second Engineer Ari, and then First Engineer Sukka. Tiona walked towards the side railings and stood beside Second Mate, staring at the most odd island she had ever seen in her sailing career. She held on to the white-painted cold tube side railing and mumbled to herself. This island¡¯s shape is too familiar. She creased her brow and continued to observe herself.


    First Engineer Sukka walked towards the side railing and stood beside the Third Mate¡¯s right side. Third, why didn¡¯t you say earlier that there was an island near us? I saw you early in the morning doing rounds around the ship, unless that wasn¡¯t you, of course. ¡±


    ¡°That was me doing the rounds.¡± Third Mate Rabe answered while looking at the massive island, then turned to face Sukka. ¡°I didn¡¯t include it in the report because that island wasn¡¯t there before.¡± Rabe raised his voice. He pointed with his left index finger and turned to face First Engineer Sukka. Sukka''s implication that he lied in front of the Captain made him angry.


    ¡°Alright, I believe you.¡± Both palms facing Rabe. ¡°Calm down. I was just teasing. Sukka said. ¡°So tense,¡± then turned to observe the oddly shaped mountain in front of them.


    Three gigantic mountains, with two peaks each, stood tall facing the starboard of the MV Feadheus. The island mountain¡¯s shape was indeed strange and familiar, because of its ascending size from left to right. Rabe observed that the smallest mountain was on the left, then the middle, and the largest was on the third. All three mountains have two peaks each, and all six are facing the third mountain¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Captain, this island has never been here before. I would have included it in my ¡®good news¡¯ report! ¡± With a solemn expression, third Mate Rabe stated.¡°I can vouch for that, Captain.¡± Second Mate Somon, standing between Tiona and Rabe, turned to face Tiona, creased his eyebrows, and wore a serious expression.


    Captain Tiona¡¯s forehead crumpled. We can check it out later after we have fully checked the situation of our ship. We need to prioritize food and water first. Everyone agreed by nodding silently. Tiona turned around and headed back inside.


    The ship rolled again just as Tiona was ready to enter the mess room. The gang turned around once more. Tiona took a step towards the ship¡¯s starboard side. She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she saw what was happening in front of her. The mountains she had seen before were rapidly growing!


    The famous quote about the "tip of the iceberg" came to her mind. It was the exact description of what was happening right before her. The three mountains became four, and then six, with two peaks each. They heard a high-pitched reverberation from under the water. Bubbles came out of the water in front of the smallest peak to the left. A few seconds later, groups of odd fish they had never seen before started floating to the surface surrounding the massive creature, lifeless.


    Tiona leaned against the side handrails, her gaze fixed on the sea. She saw hundreds, if not thousands, of fish floating around their ship and the growing islands. She was all unfamiliar with them, and several of those near the ship had one large eye, and several even had three tails. They were mostly the size of dolphins. After a minute, the odd sea creatures ceased to float.


    When the islands eventually stopped rising, Tiona counted 12 mountains, or rather solid rock plates that protruded from the back of a massive creature. It has four huge scaly feet and a long, dangling silvery tail. Its head came out from inside its body, like a turtle, hovering above the water¡¯s surface. Four horns sprouted from within its head, increasing until they were about half the length of the creature¡¯s back plates. After completing its transformations, the head pointed up to the heavens and shrieked. She collapsed to her knees, both hands grasping her ears in pain.


    Second Mate was covered in new blood.Somon¡¯s palms were protecting his ears when the screech ended. When he tried to stand up, he heard a buzzing sound in his ears and fell to his knees, showing symptoms of dizziness. His eardrums were most likely ruptured, as shown by the buzzing sound, agony in his ears, and blood oozing down his neck. Somon soon accepted his fate and clenched his teeth in pain. He turned to Rabe and noticed it was also coated with blood. Rabe attempted to talk with Somon, but he couldn¡¯t hear his own voice. He heard nothing, confirming his worries that he had a ruptured eardrum as well.


    Rabe, unlike Somon, had already accepted his fate of losing his hearing and conducted a survey of everyone. He noticed that they all had bloodstained hands and ears that were oozing with blood from the inside. But just now, he couldn¡¯t care less about his hearing. He took a step across to the ship¡¯s side, clutched the handrails, and gazed up at the massive, ancient-looking creature ahead of him. It didn''t matter that he couldn''t hear or felt pain in his ears. He still wanted to be a part of this magical moment.


    Rabe continued to study the gigantic creature¡¯s recently emerged head. It has four gigantic horns on its head, comparable to a markhor on Earth. Two are above the brow, straight backwards, and two are below the location of the ears, parallel to the horizon. The horns glistened like dazzling silver in the night. And if one looks intently into its eyes, one can discover that it had silver eyes that were comparable to those of a nightmare fish.


    Tiona put up with the ringing in her ears. She was observing the creature in the same way Rabe was. The contours of the mountain on the creature¡¯s back seemed too familiar to her. It resembled a stegosaurus¡¯ backplate. In an instant, it dislodged mud and rock fragments beneath the ocean as the plates casually flew and detached from its body. Tiona saw all 24 plates turn transparent, with only their green blood vessels remaining visible. It is assembled to look like its wings.


    The newly formed transparent wings rose high in the sky, and without a warning, a single powerful flap of its massive wings, the creature took off beyond the clouds with astonishing speed. The massive creature only left a wide hole in the cloud formation it traveled through. Tiona instinctively raised her arms to cover her face with an incoming, powerful wind blast created by the massive wings that didn¡¯t come.


    ¡°Guys, I think this place is no longer our planet Earth anymore.¡± First Engineer Sukka said while looking at the sky. He turned to face the remaining crew and saw that they were still staring at the sky.


    "I said...¡± Sukka, waving his hands like a madman, continued to shout. ¡°... I think this place¡± He froze in place. He forgot that he was still hearing a ringing sound in his ears. Slowly, he traced his steps back to where he stood and pretended to look back at the sky.


    A moment later, he felt a tap on his left shoulder. Sukka pretended to be surprised and turned into a defensive position, raising both hands and giving Tiona hand gestures she couldn¡¯t hear. While Tiona was making hand gestures of eating and following, He nodded, gave a thumbs-up, and followed the group. Sighing in relief, he was glad no one saw him frantically waving his hands in panic. That would be damn straight embarrassing! He reflected.


    Tiona gave a small grin. She pretended she hadn¡¯t noticed the first engineer¡¯s action out of the corner of her eye earlier. Sukka is a nice person, a witty and caring one. If I tell him, he¡¯ll be ashamed. In any case, food is the top priority. She remembered the strange fishes floating in the water as she took them to the galley.


    In order to prepare dinner, Tiona went all out in her efforts to give instructions by hand gestures to both Ari and Sukka. She also tried to convey by hand gestures that the group would grill the thawed meat. It took a while, but she left them to their own devices once they knew what she meant. Tiona motioned for Rabe and Somon to accompany her outside the ship¡¯s rear section. She pointed to the ocean, showing that collecting the floating odd sea creatures and storing them in containers was their task. Once they understood, she began searching for materials to make a bonfire, as well as steel sticks and steel mesh to grill the food.


    ***


    The dried wood crackled as the fire consumed it and illuminated the rear section of the ship, where the rescue boat was used to be stowed and secured. The unforgettable aroma of burning oak wood was powerful and enticing to the senses. The fire danced and burned in the center of the circle as a sudden chilly breeze tried to put out the only source of heat in the area. Strange blue and nearly transparent motes floated in the air, like they had always been there.


    No one could see these countless blue motes floating in the air. Not until the group ate a native sea creature from this planet. After a half-hour and three grilled strange sea creatures later, the group saw these wonderful blue motes floating in the air. The group quickly discussed the effects of eating sea creatures and then seeing blue motes. The men and women in the group sat quietly, eating the unexpectedly good meal on their plates. There were no machinery vibrations from the main engine, propulsion shaft, gearboxes, or propeller, only the sound of oil sizzling as it met the burning embers and the noise generated by the waves. Just a normal ship, floating in an unknown sea, on a new planet, and possibly a new universe.


    Two moons hung in the clear sky. The larger moon had the same patterns as the moon on Earth, but it was twice as big.The second moon was behind it, and was larger than the first. Its dull purple color feels enigmatic and has a spooky feel to it. Tiona noticed the unnatural dark spots all over it. Naturally, stars were present, but there were no identifiable constellations. proving that the planet they are currently on is in a different system and universe.


    Tiona was observing the environment with great curiosity. She wasn¡¯t able to notice the two moons earlier in the day because of the huge clouds covering the sky. Though it doesn¡¯t really matter now if they saw it or not, what was important was that they were now safe. Looking at the facial expressions of her group, she could tell that they were still recovering from the news that they were now on a completely different planet. As long as we can still breathe, there¡¯s still a chance we can get out of this predicament. She thought.


    Seeing things in a positive light was the lesson her principal grandmother never forgot to teach her. As she stared at the blue, transparent motes, she remembered her grandmother¡¯s last advice for her:


    Obstacles and difficult situations are inevitable in life. When confronted with one, focus on the positive aspects, no matter how minor they may appear. You can always find the "silver lining" in every cloud, even if it isn''t right away.


    This was the perfect situation to apply what her grandmother told her all those years ago. The appearance of the flying leviathan, the moon, the blue motes and the moving islands was enough proof that they were no longer on planet earth. That purple light was most likely a portal leading to this place. With all the uncertainties that were presented to them, the silver lining was that they were still alive and had food and water.


    One by one, the odd sea creatures¡¯ meat on the improvised barbecue grill was being flipped by Rabe. Unexpectedly, the meat was tastier than the chicken. When it was being grilled, they could smell steak instead of the smell of fish. Rabe distributed the cooked sea creature¡¯s meat to each person in the group.


    Apart from Tiona, who was showing a confident appearance and occasionally gazing at the stars while eating the meat of the sea creature, Second Mate Han couldn¡¯t stop panicking. The stubble on his chin and cheeks has chicken oil all over it from the untidy manner of his eating. When he finished the chicken meat, he ate the meat of the odd sea creatures next.


    Somon wanted to ask about Somon¡¯s experience of eating the raw meat earlier, but Ari hesitated and left him alone. A strange thing happened the moment they saw these blue transparent motes. It was when they continued to eat the odd sea creature. It healed the damage in their eardrums at a rate that was never seen back at Earth. Everyone was rejoicing when their hearing returned after eating several sea creatures.


    Overjoyed, Second Mate Somon experimented with cutting his palm. First, he ate a mouthful of the sea creature¡¯s raw meat, then sliced his left palm. His skin absorbed the blood while everyone watched, then the muscles stitched themselves together like thousands of tiny worms wanting to become one again. Finally, the skin on his palm stitched itself, showing no signs of ever being cut. It was so amazing that the rest tried to imitate it. First, they ate the sea creature¡¯s raw meat, and then they cut their palms. The results were the same.


    Somon, what ability did you get? Was it something embarrassing that you couldn¡¯t tell us about it? ¡± Sukka teased Somon.


    If it was, I wouldn¡¯t tell you, first. Stop asking me those annoying questions. Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m eating? "Go away. Somon said in an irritated way and continued eating.


    You already know ours. What is with the secrecy? ¡± Sukka pointed his right index finger towards Somon, who just shrugged and turned around and faced the ocean. Somon ignored Sukka and kept on munching.


    It¡¯s alright. First, we already agreed that we wouldn¡¯t force anyone to tell us their gifts. Rabe said in response to Sukka.


    Sukka slumped back to sit in his chair, feeling dejected. After noticing the increased regeneration speed when eating raw sea creatures¡¯ meat, he tested the cooked version. The outcome disappointed him because it cut regeneration speed in half.He didn¡¯t stop there. After the cooked sea creature¡¯s meat healed his palm, he waited an hour and cut his left palm again without eating. The result further disappointed him, as the normal regeneration was even slower. It was faster than it was on Earth, though, and he wasn¡¯t sure why he was upset with it. He walked towards the biggest dead sea creature and cut a piece of its meat. He ate it raw, and after a few moments, the regeneration took effect.


    Gift my a**.


    Tiona stabbed the grilled fish creature and stuffed it in her mouth. The crispy texture on the surface blended well with the soft and juicy meat inside, making swallowing easier. The so-called "gift" that she received was what truly made her upset.


    The group received the so-called "gift" at the moment they started the fire. Tiona couldn¡¯t forget that cute little thing. Who would have thought a little purple cloud the size of a cotton ball could give mysterious and powerful "gifts"?


    -10 Minutes Ago-


    The blue motes near the fire turned red, and after a few minutes, a single red mote attracted thousands of blue motes and converted into a purple cotton ball-sized cloud with eyes but no mouth or nose. It flickered and created four little golden-colored glowing clouds, then shot into various body parts of each member of the group without warning. One stuck in Tiona¡¯s left shoulder, one on Sukka¡¯s left forearm, the other on Rabe¡¯s left wrist, and one more in Ari¡¯s left upper arm. The glow faded and turned into a single black feather that was embedded in their skin.


    "Welcome Off-Worlders, I am this world¡¯s Absolute Ruler, Alaire Grygel,¡± Tiona received a message in her thoughts. She stared at the little creature below. "For your arrival, I invite you all to visit my castle in Shar, the capital of the Grygel Imperium, to celebrate your arrival. It will be a feast like no other. Legendary and powerful relics await you in my castle, ready to be given as a welcoming gift to the planet¡¯s protectors. Please stand by for my trusted right-hand attendant in a few moments to escort you all here. I eagerly await your arrival."


    The group stared at each other. They have done no salient actions to attract the world¡¯s absolute ruler¡¯s attention yet, or anyone''s for that matter! Not even the massive flying creature noticed them. So why go through all the trouble? So many omens ran through Tiona¡¯s thoughts. Out of the blue, Sukka interrupted her.


    This world is so exciting! You guys think I could ask that guy who spoke in my head to make me a full sleeve tattoo or two? It was always my dream to have full sleeves, plus, it doesn¡¯t hurt at all! ¡± Sukka popped the imaginary awkward bubble, as always.


    -Present Time-


    The fire continued to consume the wood Rabe kept supplying, which comforted the group that at least the fire looked normal. When Somon shot down Sukka¡¯s request about his "gift," silence ensued thereafter. Ari ruminated on the message once more and started a discussion.


    ¡°The ¡®World¡¯s Absolute Ruler¡¯ title worries me.¡± Ari said out loud while locking his fingers in contemplation and staring at the dancing fire. ¡°I agree. That title feels ominous, massive and could squash us at any moment. Oh, look, there are four of them floating around us! ¡± Sukka replied with a deadpan expression on his face.


    ¡°Enough, Sukka.¡± Tiona joined the conversation. She downed a 250ml Coke Zero and spoke again. There¡¯s nothing we can do about someone inviting us to their home or someone coming here. We can¡¯t go anywhere, unless you want to swim over to those innocent-looking islands. ¡± She waved her left hand, pointing to the directions of the massive creature¡¯s backplates, looking like a realistic island if it wasn¡¯t just moving in random directions. We''ve got to prepare for anything or anyone that might come. Let¡¯s equip ourselves with self-defense tools and keep them hidden in our bodies. ¡± She suggested


    Everyone except Somon left the bonfire. The tender raw meat made it easier to consume without chewing. ¡°Want me to bring you a tool to defend yourself?¡± Rabe asked Somon. ¡°No need, no need. already have. ¡± Somon waved Rabe from side to side with his oily right hand and tapped his right waist. Rabe understood and descended towards the storage area for tools. When did he get a tool for self-defense? Wait, was he always carrying it with him? Rabe mused.


    The crew came back after a few minutes and returned to their previous position by the bonfire. Rabe noticed that Somon was facing the ocean and was already smoking. He saw everyone else looking normal except for Sukka¡¯s bulging left thigh. When Sukka caught sight of Rabe observing his coveralls, he just smiled and gave Rabe a thumbs up. He awkwardly returned the thumbs up and stared at the fire, waiting.


    Tiona brought a Haiku knife. She discovered it a week after she assumed acting captain on the MV Feadheus. It turns out the previous captain was a fishing enthusiast and liked to hike steep mountains. It was a fixed-blade knife. The blade was silver or stainless steel. She was happy that it was light and because it looked damn sexy for a knife. The handle has graving from the knife designer, ¡®2nd Edition Louis Krudo'', after she inspected it. Knowing a knife designer would be a badass.


    Somon finished his third cigarette and flicked it towards the dark ocean. It extinguished the remaining embers of the cigarette butt. Massive storm clouds quickly covered the clear sky. The group felt the sudden drop in temperature and shivered. They stood and looked up towards the sky. It seemed like it was about to rain excessively because of the huge dark clouds forming above them. Somon noticed the surrounding islands were slowly retreating underwater. Something is about to happen again. I¡¯m really liking this planet more and more. These creatures might be massive, but they sure are cowards. He grinned and looked up as well.


    The forming storm clouds kept gathering until they produced green-colored lightning. Tiona felt the cold temperature in her bones. Is this the Absolute Ruler¡¯s right-hand attendant¡¯s grand entrance? Or is it another massive creature that we¡¯re about to witness? Now, I can¡¯t agree more with Ari¡¯s gut feeling. She saw a green-colored flash on the horizon. A green lightning streak from the horizon arrived within a blink of an eye into the clouds right above them, causing a shock wave that dissipated the gathered storm clouds. The group covered their eyes from the green flash created by their arms.


    With the group''s new body and eyes, they quickly saw a lone figure free-falling toward them at an unnatural speed, head first, right in front of them. Five meters above the bonfire, it suddenly flipped and stopped in midair, spreading its arms sideways, creating a violent gust of wind that not only extinguished the fire but also blasted off the dried burning woods in random directions.


    Tiona examined the hovering lady¡¯s dress, which looked like a maxi-layered Japanese silk that bounced the moment she stopped her free fall. The excess fabric danced in slow motion, despite the absence of wind in the air. Wearing a laced see-through bustier bra with floral designs and a black ribbon choker necklace with a green pendant made her look like a Lolita cosplayer back on Earth. She also wore a black circlet headpiece with a grey-colored tear-shaped gem in it. She was shocked when the woman who was hovering over Tiona, looked at her and raised her skirt, bowed her head, and made an elegant curtsy.


    The four gentlemen beside Tiona stopped looking at the hovering lady and turned to stare at her instead.


    Oh dear gods, why me? What do I do? Do I curtsy too? Damn it, how did she do it again?


    ***

 Chapter 3 Overwhelmed

    Chapter 3


    Overwhelmed


    Don''t be fooled by the vast, silent emptiness of space, as its secrets are many and varied.


    - from the journal ''The Second Life of Captain T. Mane'' by Capt. T. Mane


    Bathed in the moonlight of the silver moon, Tiona looked up at the supposedly right-hand attendant of the Absolute Ruler. Her grand entrance left a damn impression on the group, including Tiona. She felt the hair on her nape stand up as the unknown girl started her descent. The magical descent alone increased her heart rate from excitement, knowing this world has magic in it.


    So this is what real magic is like. I wonder if we could perform similar feats. . .Her mind wandered from admiration.


    Tiona was about to respond to her curtsy when an identical storm-cloud formed above them, painting everything in a green hue. The temperature dropped even colder than the first guest¡¯s heroic arrival. She noticed the unknown girl have stopped her descent, looking up, and seemed lost in thought.


    Nesshara stopped her descent as she remembered what the Absolute Ruler had told her.


    ¡°If you ever encounter a warrior with fire affinity with a white mask, call off the mission and return to me immediately.¡±


    A bolt of lightning, thicker than the first lightning, struck the forward part of the vessel, causing MV Feadheus to sway heavily. The crew instinctively grabbed anything in their reach to maintain balance.


    Nesshara noticed the four gentlemen in the corner of her eyes running towards the port side of the ship and saw the woman staring at her with brave eyes. Finally, she ignored them and flew above the ship. She landed on the monkey island and observed the newly arrived guest.


    Tiona arrived where the boys were standing and divided the group with her hand to open a path so she could get a view of the forecastle. She noticed the lightning charred the forecastle black. Soot and dancing red flames occupied the forward part of the ship.


    Tiona saw a silhouette of a woman with short hair behind the curtain of thick smoke and ash. The lady strut nonchalantly forward and out of the smoke, observing her surroundings. Green lightnings on the metal surface parted as if scared of the woman, who was wearing a white oval mask. She stopped walking once she was outside the damaged forecastle, and looked up - to the woman standing on the monkey island.


    The stand off continued for another minute, either of them not moving from their position. Everyone seemed to stop breathing as the tension rises. The green lightnings on the metal surface were gone; replaced with the silver moon¡¯s brilliant illumination. The smell of burnt paint lingered in the air and the ocean was eagerly spectating the stand-off because of its absence of waves and wind. Tiona''s heartbeat raced as she anticipated the events unfolding before her very eyes.


    ***


    ¡°By the order of the Grygel Empire¡¯s Absolute Ruler, these 5 honored guests are to be escorted to Shar Castle, Grygel Imperium¡¯s Capital. I believe you know the consequences of impeding the Absolute Ruler¡¯s Order, White Bone.¡± Nesshara announced. Looking at White Bone, unmoving and not responding to her, she internally sighed and prepared for battle.


    White Bone rose to fame because of her achievement in the last attempted invasion of the Grygel Empire. When the invading Empire successfully conquered the Kingdom of Nesshau in the year 949 of South Era, they sent two elite navy battalions four years later. The two elite navy battalions comprised two members of the Circle of Shadow Assassins and an army of 2,000 magically equipped army. They were supposed to hold the City of T¡¯anil for a few weeks until the main army arrives, but they were welcomed with a single person instead and met their demise.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Ulva and Eda''s official report, I wouldn¡¯t believe someone could decimate a full battalion from the Haranium Kingdom, let alone two battalions. Let¡¯s hope the stories were exaggerated. Nesshara thought to herself.


    Tiona caught on some clues from their first guest''s announcement towards the second visitor.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It looks like the first lady knows the second. She thought.


    And clearly, magic exists in this world, just like Harry Potter. But there¡¯s a difference though, I can¡¯t see any wands or hear incantations. She observed.


    Tiona saw the so-called ¡®White Bone¡¯ and studied her. She noticed she has two unique features to her. First, was the white oval mask, which has no describable features in it. It was just a plain white oval mask covering her face. Second, a smooth white armor that looked like a bone covered her whole right arm, from shoulder to fingers. She also wore a half plate armor made of dark red scale, and it looked damn bad ass to Tiona.


    Nesshara did not hear any answer from White Bone, thinking she didn¡¯t like dull conversations before a battle. Observing the owner of the white mask, the bone covering her right shoulder melted and absorbed into her skin. At the same time, a dagger made of white bone sprouted in her palm. Nesshara saw her knees bent slightly, so she quickly activated her full body barrier, covering her whole body with a thin green membrane. An enormous crater was created and White Bone disappeared from where she was standing.


    White Bone appeared behind Nesshara, stabbing her bone dagger in her left neck. Reacting swiftly, Nesshara blocked the bone dagger with her left elbow with a grunt. The barrier held, creating green sparks. Nesshara reinforced her green barrier on her left elbow, the barrier flickered.


    She weakened my barrier in just one blow. She gritted her teeth. Nesshara squinted and materialized a black dagger in her right hand, sending a quick diagonal slash into White Bone¡¯s right wrist.


    White Bone reacts quickly. Using his left arm covered with bones, she blocked the black dagger and sent a kick into Nessha¡¯s stomach.


    They continued to exchange powerful blows. These are certainly two warriors in battle. Brutal hits and skillful counteractions.


    Beautiful fireworks of green and blue colored the night sky. Clashing sounds of metals permeated the still ocean. The crew all stared above with mouths wide open with disbelief. Without warning, the second guest crashed through the thick hatch cover of the ship.


    A moment later, five transparent green orbs enclosed each crew. Tiona touched the transparent orb that seemed like cellophane; It felt like a bubble that if someone touches it, it would pop. Tiona looked up and saw Nesshara holding a short cylindrical wand, glowing with green color, pointing towards them.


    Oh, there''s the wand. Tiona noticed.


    Nesshara appeared in front of them kneeling in one knee and with rugged breathing, disheveled hair, and burnt clothes. She was facing the hole in the hatch cover the whole time. Compared to her arrival, Tiona noticed Nesshara was out of breath and seemed anxious.


    Nesshara furrowed her brows and activated her Circlet of Travel. The enchanted item activated, and it glowed with tiny green lightning sparks that didn¡¯t seem to harm the user. She looked up and a storm cloud formed with green lightnings in them. Feeling the familiar cold sensation in the atmosphere, she knew the countdown began. Following the drop in temperature, the blue motes in the air turned green. Nesshara glanced in the cargo hold''s direction and gritted her teeth.


    Nesshara heard a booming roar from inside the cargo holds, causing the crew to cover their ears with their free hands. The crew turned towards the source of the roar. Without warning, a huge red dragon pried the thick covers open from inside. It roared again, this time it sent a fireball towards the sky. It flew towards the group and stretched its massive wings. Its teeth glowing in red and immediately swoop down into the group with its enormous jaw open.


    Nesshara stood straight and her daggers vanished.


    So that explains how she did it. Nesshara thought.


    ¡°Pity, but you¡¯re just too slow.¡± She grinned in contempt.


    Nesshara held the glowing short cylindrical staff in her chest and it enveloped all six of them with a green glow. They shot towards the sky in an instant. The Red Dragon landed with its four legs in the location the group was in seconds ago. It looked up and growled, stretched its wings and flew towards the green storm-clouds.


    The fireball reached the green storm-clouds and exploded. The lightning that held the group flickered and disappeared. From their previous momentum, they were still moving towards the clouds, but so much slower. Nesshara looked down, seeing the red dragon closing in fast with its glowing teeth. Reacting quickly, she closed her eyes to focus. Charging the Circlet with all of her own Necrossin energy. The already active enchanted item received more external energy and glowed brighter. The energy transfer created several cracks in its surface. Occupied with the enormous flying lizard ready to swallow them whole, Nesshara wasn¡¯t aware of the cracks in her Tiara.


    The red dragon¡¯s perfect timing reached the group and caught all of them in its maw with a snap! Nesshara opened her eyes and bright green light flooded the mouth of the red dragon. It stopped flapping its wings for a moment and bright green energy seeped out of its maw. A massive lightning connected the storm-cloud and the green energy from its mouth, causing the red dragon to close its eyes from the pain.


    Its left cheek burst open from the contained energy. Quickly reacting, the red dragon covered its left cheek with its front leg, but four bright orbs slipped out, shooting into the clouds at terrible speed. The four bright orbs made it into the storm-clouds, then a blinding green flash separated the three orbs into three random directions.


    The red dragon saw the three green streaks of energy in the sky and plummeted with its maw wide open, revealing two unconscious bodies falling out of its mouth at great speed. White Bone quickly shape shifted into an injured and bloodied woman with a white mask. She immediately grabbed the two falling bodies and activated her Bracelet of Travel. A storm-cloud formed above the falling group, which were enveloped with green energy.


    Before hitting the still ocean, the green energy reached its peak and soared upward at breakneck speed. Transformed into green lightning, the group reached the storm clouds and caused a dazzling flash. A green lightning bolt shoots out into the distance, coloring the night sky with a green line of energy that dispersed after a few seconds.


    Silence returned after MV Feadheus sank alone in the middle of several moving islands in an unknown ocean.


    ***