29th February, 2024
"The Paradise...
The declaration — an unspoken promise that sent shivers through the assembled crew.
"It's here...."
A collective gasp, like a symphony of disbelief, echoed across the deck. Eyes widened, hearts quickened, as the revelation unfolded.
Shocked murmurs echoed as each sailor turned their gaze toward the canvas of the nightscape, a masterpiece painted on the canvas of the nowhere Atlantic sea. The ethereal glow of the northern lights projected into the sky, casting a spell of sheer brilliance. It was a celestial dance, a prelude to the spectacle awaiting them.
The ship sailed through the tranquil waters, an intrepid explorer navigating the uncharted expanse. Each soldier, a protagonist in this maritime odyssey, gazed upon the horizon where their destiny unfolded in the shimmering darkness.
The northern lights wove tales of magic, illuminating the path to a promised paradise. A covenant etched in the silent pact between the crew and the cosmos, binding them to the allure of the unknown.
"General, we will dock at Frostholm within the next 30 minutes, with no casualties reported throughout the entire journey," Joseph finished his report, Cain, the warhardened general, fixated his gaze like daggers upon the upcoming territory.
The land, visible from afar, painted an illusion of paradise, a mirage enticing the weary travelers. But in the heart of this Eden lay the veiled dangers, known only to those who dared to venture into the unknown abyss.
"What about those two kids in the cell?" Cain inquired solemnly, the memory of unwanted passengers lingering in the ship's confines.
Joseph hesitated, then replied, "Those two are alive as well, General." He tactfully avoided mentioning the oversight in checking on them, banking on the assumption that the emptiness of their plates each day masked any potential issues.
Cain's eyes narrowed, fixating on Joseph. "Good. You know what to do with them, right?" The weight of the general's stare bore down on Joseph, who shivered before nodding affirmatively. "Yes, General."
An inward sigh escaped Joseph as he processed the unspoken directive. Finally tasked with the unsavory duty, he couldn't escape the realization that the general preferred to keep his hands clean.
_________
Within the confines of the cell, Wang Xiao lay in a corner, cocooned in slumber. His eyelashes fluttered before he gingerly placed a hand above his face, shielding himself from the intrusive light. "Umhmm? It's already day...."
As he roused, the surroundings remained an ethereal white, a surreal dreamscape. The mystery deepened, and he strained to see beyond the luminosity. Delicate strands of rainbow-colored hair, captured in the brilliance, drew his attention, and he murmured in realization, "It's you...!"
The girl, a spectral presence, stood with closed eyes, her gaze directed at him. Slowly, she raised her hands, gesturing towards the cell's exit, which had been securely locked until now.
Wang Xiao followed her gaze, and to his bewilderment, the once-locked door now stood slightly open. "... It was open the whole time!?" he wondered, his astonishment echoing through the cell.
Was it nothing more than a self-imposed illusion, a mental shackle he had unwittingly placed upon himself while the door, in truth, was never locked?
In that moment of reflection, Wang Xiao acknowledged that he had never truly tested the door.
Whoosh!
An unexpected sound shattered the stillness, causing Wang Xiao to pivot in cautious response. The once-blinding light had vanished, leaving only the echoes of its brilliance and the absence of the enigmatic girl. "Again?"
Stunned, he shook his head, determined to grasp the truth. Approaching the door, he reached for the handle.
*Creak...*
The door groaned in reluctant surrender, sending an involuntary shiver down Wang Xiao's spine. Relief flooded his senses as he stepped into an unguarded realm at the rear of the ship.
A triumphant smile adorned his face, the realization of freedom sinking in.
_______
Amidst the lost time of the ocean, in the deepest cracks, another surreal world unfurled its existence...
In those crays, lays a whole together another world, filled with the dormant life assumed to have long disappered from the face of the planet.
Near those cracks, the current was so high that no surveillance ever managed to get past it without getting destroyed, but the collosal beasts that lived within, had a skin that can't even be pierced by bullets, the currents unaffecting then, as some lived in the boiling water.
It was as if, a ocean hosted another earth under it, something ancient and majestic.
Beneath the unfathomable depths, where the ocean whispers its ancient secrets, a dormant behemoth stirred. The very fabric of the sea seemed to quiver as the colossal creature, a whale of majestic proportions, began to rouse from a slumber that transcended the annals of time.
A deep resonance echoed through the water, settling like a seismic murmur across the hidden expanse. The creature, not a mere twenty or thirty meters, but a leviathan surpassing a hundred, unfolded its colossal form. Its eyes, once veiled in the darkness of the abyss, now gleamed with an unearthly intelligence, catching the ambient light filtering from above.
Boom!
As the behemoth ascended, the ocean shook in awe and horror.
The colossal whale breached the surface with a surge that sent cascading waves in every direction. The sheer power of its emergence was a spectacle, the sea trembling beneath the weight of this ancient leviathan.
In that moment, the creature's eyes, sharper than harpoons, fixated on the world above. They mirrored the shadow of a cargo ship that floated unsuspecting on the surface.
The whale's ascent carried with it an aura of primordial majesty, as if the ocean itself had birthed a guardian from the depths, a sentinel of times long forgotten.
Above the surface, the currents were felt, and Cian's eyes narrowed as he walked towards the edge instantly. "What is that? Focus the lights over there!" he yelled, his voice cutting through the night air.
The crew aboard the cargo ship scrambled, responding to Cian's urgency. Floodlights swung into action, their beams converging on the disturbance in the water. The restless sea, stirred by the awakening leviathan, seemed to shimmer with an eerie glow.
Whoosh!
Amidst the mesmerizing display, the colossal whale breached the surface, its massive body soaring over the sea.
Gasps of awe escaped the crew, enchanted by the creature's ethereal dance with the Northern lights.
Amidst the mesmerized crew, a weathered sailor named Jake erupted, "Captain, it's a whale! But it's like none we've ever seen before!"
The colossal creature arched in the air, casting a spell of hushed awe over the ship. Yet, as reality dawned, an undercurrent of panic surged. "Hold on tight! Brace for impact!" Cian's urgent command sliced through the tension.
"It's descending!"
"Oh my god! It's coming down on us!"
"Is this doomsday?"
"Hold on, everyone!"