Deep Sea Embers

This kind of a daily scene that ordinary folks took for granted, for some reason, gave him a strange sense of calm inside. But before he could act on it, Nina’s voice had come again from the kitchen: “Uncle Duncan, is there any news in the newspaper?”

Glancing down at the newspaper, the first of which was the date of “August 14, 1900 in the New City State Calendar,” followed by the news that the church inquisitor had led a team to arrest dozens of cultists: this was probably the weightiest front-page in the entire newspaper.

“It says that the inquisitor led her team to arrest dozens of sun heretics,” he said casually, “and it mentioned that this was the largest heretical rally that the church had successfully cracked down upon in the past four years. The paper is also reminding the public to pay attention to night safety and to identify the heretical believers around themselves.”

“Ah, I heard that on the way here too!” Nina puts away the washed bowl into the cupboard and quickly scrambled to wipe the table, “It’s really scary. I’ve heard the teacher say those cultists who worship the sun will even sacrifice the living to their god… I can’t believe there would be crazy people like that believing in such an evil cult.”

Duncan didn’t know what to say for a moment. It didn’t matter what he said, it would still feel weird. It’s not like he could tell the niece that he had recently experienced the pleasure of being sacrificed and then counter sacrificing the cultists?

However, one thing’s clear from Nina’s reaction: she obviously did not know the fact that her “uncle” had become a sun heretic. To the poor girl, her family had only behaved a little grumpier due to the illness and constant abuse of alcoholic painkillers.

Maybe one day in the future, some cultist named “Ron” will really fall to the last step and drag his last living relative into the endless abyss, but at least until today, this has not happened yet, nor will it happen in the future.

“Uncle? Why did you suddenly stop talking?” Nina grew a little curious about the silence behind her and spoke with concern, “Uncomfortable again?”

“No, I just got a little distracted,” Duncan shook his head, “what you said is true, the stuff they’re doing is indeed mad… The newspaper also mentioned that the public should pay attention to safety and report those with suspicion in a timely manner. During this period, try not to go anywhere outside of school and home.”

Nina nodded, but then she let out an “ah” exclaiming sound like she just remembered something: “But… But I already made an appointment with my classmates to visit the museum in two days…”

“Museum?” Duncan casually asked, “What museum?”

“It’s the Oceanographic Museum near school at the edge of the upper sector,” Nina explains, “and I’ve heard that there’s been recent exhibits of offshore mineral specimens… Is it okay?”

“Go if you want,” Duncan thought for a moment before nodding his head, “since there are patrols of church guards and city-state police everywhere, those cultists will not be bold enough to jump out in the next two days.”

Nina nodded happily, “Mmm!”

“Are you going to school in the afternoon?” Duncan asked again.

“Mhmm, the afternoon is history and I don’t want to miss Mr. Morris’s class,” Nina nodded, “he’s a very famous expert in the field of history… But it is strange though that an old gentleman as famous as him isn’t lecturing at the university in the upper sector. Most students here in the public school don’t like history to begin with. They’re always asleep during his lectures…”

Duncan shook his head calmly, “I can’t answer you that.”

Don’t joke around. Ignoring the part about Mr. Morris who teaches history, even Nina had only just come into his life so where would he get that information? What’s more, the memory fragment from the body definitely didn’t have anything either. A sick ailing cultist wouldn’t care about anything aside from keeping himself alive.

Nina still had classes to attend in the afternoon so she didn’t stay in the antique shop for long after lunch. After hurriedly packing up her things, the girl merrily trotted out of home and made the trip for school on foot through the cobbled streets.

From the antique shop to school takes about an hour of time. If she goes at her pace, the girl should make it without being late.

Of course, there’s the public transport in the city along the streets that everyone could ride – a streetcar powered by steam-engine. Unfortunately, six pesos for a ticket was a price beyond the means of a lowly student without a job.

The excuse Nina made to Duncan was that it’s better to run since it’s better for her health. However, Duncan knew that’s not true and even thought about buying a bike for her. It’s something he saw a lot of people ride during his outing to the news stand.

In a society that has developed steam machinery, the industrial product of the bicycle wasn’t too expensive for ordinary folks to afford. Nevertheless, it’s definitely not cheap for the residents of the lower sector where most of their wages goes into their daily expenses.

Duncan didn’t know where the identity he currently occupied would go in the future, but watching Nina trot all the way down the street corner, what’s the word, a desire to be kinder to this girl.

He didn’t know why he had this desire, perhaps it’s for the previous vegetable soup and salty pancakes, but it would pain him to see such a kind and diligent student lose her way in life.

I should start thinking up a way to earn money in this city-state.

With all sorts of thoughts swirling in his mind, Duncan put the newspaper in his hand down and slowly paced to the end of the second-floor corridor. Through the open window, he stared off into the city streets in a somewhat dazed state of contemplation.

In this world, “abnormalities” and “visions” have long become a coexistence for civilization. Neither the church nor authorities have hidden this fact from the people’s affairs.

Take Nina for example. As a high school student, even she would have access to the information about the supernatural, and not the simple surface stuff either. Sure, the knowledge didn’t involve everything, but it’s not too far off either like the list of anomalies and visions.

Duncan lifted his head and stared silently at the sky at the thought of the list.

Vision 001, Sun.

The giant body of light moving in the sky that came into existence after the collapse of the ancient kingdom of Crete.

The sphere of influence is infinite, stretching across the whole world while being unmanned in its operations. Humans can’t touch it. Nevertheless, it operates within the bounds of what is described as a vision.

According to historical records, on the day of the collapse of the ancient kingdom, the sea raged as the city-states were shattered, and all the core members of the first dynasty died heroically in the darkness with their blood soaked into the sea. From then on came Vision 001 that rose from the ending of one dynasty to the next, but also the rising of a new era in a world of darkness.

The ancient kingdom of Crete, the first city-state civilization established by survivors after the beginning of the Deep Sea Age, lasted only a hundred years, but left also countless legacies behind as a blessing to their descendants.

The word “Crete” meant “eternal night” in the ancient language.

It was a night that lasted for a century.

All of this was written in Nina’s history textbook.