Deep Sea Embers

However, Duncan appeared to be lost in his own world, his eyes transfixed on the sketched representation of the moon on the parchment. Its likeness seemed uncannily familiar to him, causing him to ignore Tyrian until his son reiterated his question.

The sudden repetition seemed to snap him back to reality. He looked at Tyrian and hastily inquired, “What did you mention about Lucretia?”

“Er… these are the details she dispatched from the Bright Star,” Tyrian answered, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Duncan’s unusual demeanor unsettled him, but under his father’s overpowering gaze, he divulged all he knew.

Lucy had discovered a mysterious luminous object in the border region some time ago. Since then, she has been meticulously analyzing it. The intriguing sphere was the central part of the celestial debris. Tyrian narrated the entire saga, covering every tiny detail, from the scholars in Wind Harbor’s current assessment that the fallen celestial object originated from Vision 001, to their ongoing investigation into the stony sphere, including the challenges they had faced.

Throughout Tyrian’s recounting, Duncan remained silent. He listened attentively, his grave demeanor placing immense pressure on Tyrian. It was as if he intended to imprint each word deeply into his memory, dissecting each syllable multiple times to fully understand its implications.

After about ten minutes, the domed office descended into silence once more.

Duncan remained quiet for an extended period, finally letting out a soft sigh just before the tension in the room reached its peak. He asked, “Why didn’t you inform me about this sooner?”

“Lucy wished to touch base with you once she had made some headway in her research. But, more crucially… we were dealing with Frost’s crisis at the time.”

After a brief pause, Duncan felt his heartbeat slowing down. Upon hearing Tyrian’s explanation, he finally gave a slight nod of agreement, “This object is currently in Wind Harbor, correct?”

“Er… yes,” Tyrian replied, nodding quickly. He felt his lips growing parched and his anxiety escalating as he watched the subtle changes in his father’s expression. After several bouts of hesitation, he couldn’t help but ask once more, “Do you recognize this mystifying sphere?”

“It’s referred to as the moon, or at least it resembles it. However, the moon I am familiar with is not ten meters in diameter, nor does it have the ability to float on the sea and be hauled back to a city-state by a ship using a steel cable,” Duncan responded, speaking slowly and thoughtfully.

“Perhaps this is merely an artificial construct mimicking the lunar form, or potentially it could be an artifact from the ancient realm of Crete…” His voice trailed off abruptly. A vast paradox and disarray of thoughts whirled within his mind, inhibiting him from forming a cogent hypothesis about the current circumstance. Nonetheless, one undeniable truth stood out to him.

The illustration on the parchment clasped in Tyrian’s hands was unmistakably the moon, regardless of whether the stone sphere that Lucretia discovered in the sea was the ‘authentic’ moon or a man-made airborne object, created by the Crete kingdom as an imitation of the moon.

A question persisted: Why was the lunar image he knew so well materializing here? What was its purpose in this peculiarly warped alternate reality?

Amid his swirling thoughts, he furrowed his brows, addressing Tyrian: “You just mentioned… the scholars of Wind Harbor confirmed that the mysterious luminous object plummeted from the rune circle of Vision 001?”

“Yes. They had affirmed the resemblance of the gap in the solar rune circle,” Tyrian responded.

Promptly, another query arose, “You stated it’s named the moon… so what exactly is this ‘moon’?”

Duncan hesitated, suddenly finding himself at a loss for the appropriate words to define such a rudimentary term for Tyrian.

After a moment’s thought, he blurted out, “It’s a planet…”

At this, Tyrian’s expression morphed into an even greater state of bewilderment: “What is a planet?”

Duncan fell silent.

After what felt like an eternity, Tyrian’s voice rose once again: “Is this a forbidden inquiry? Have I overstepped?”

“No, it’s not off-limits… it… should be the most fundamental question, but I find myself unable to articulate an explanation,” Duncan gently shook his head, his gaze meeting Tyrian’s through the mirror, his expression a kaleidoscope of emotions, “I’m sorry, Tyrian. The answer to your question is elementary, but helping you comprehend it is proving to be a herculean task.”

Tyrian looked somewhat taken aback.

Observing his father’s complex and regretful expression in the mirror, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu… as if this moment had transpired long ago, buried in the depths of his murky, distant memories, on a forgotten, hazy afternoon…

That day, he and Lucretia had stood on the deck of the Vanished for the last time, resolute in their decision to ask their father about the world beyond the border.

At that moment, his father’s reaction mirrored his current one: in possession of an exceedingly simple truth but at a loss on how to elucidate it to others.

Suddenly, Duncan’s voice rang clear from the mirror, jolting Tyrian from his deep reminiscence: “I’ve altered the plan, the Vanished will set course for Wind Harbor next.”

As his father reacted in the expected way to the spherical object dubbed the ‘moon’, Tyrian felt a surge of anticipation. He knew that this was how events would unfold.

“I comprehend, I’ll relay the circumstances to Lucy.”

Meanwhile, Nina cast a concerned glance at Duncan, who was standing at the brink of the deck, his gaze locked onto the vast sea in the distance. Noticing Alice walking by, she took the opportunity to inquire.

“What’s ailing Uncle Duncan?” Nina murmured, “He’s been staring into the horizon for some time, seemingly lost in a sea of troubles…”

“I’m not certain,” Alice looked upwards, shaking her head in bewilderment, “he’s been in this state ever since he emerged from his cabin. He claimed that he needed to contemplate certain matters.”

“Contemplate certain matters?” Nina repeated, confusion glinting in her eyes.

“Did something transpire? Why do you ask?” Alice mused for a moment before an understanding smile lit her face, “Ah, that’s right, he was in communication with Tyrian, but I am unaware of the topic of their discourse.”

“Mr. Tyrian?” Nina recoiled in surprise, then her thoughts began to wander, her expression morphing into a peculiar one. “Is it due to Mr. Tyrian’s unwed status?”

Alice wore a puzzled look: “Huh? What do you mean?”

After pondering for a moment, Nina commenced her earnest analysis, “I heard Mr. Morris often fretting over Heidi’s marital prospects, and Mr. Tyrian, being older than Heidi, would surely have Uncle Duncan even more concerned.”

Alice was so perplexed that she could only nod in bewilderment.

No sooner had she finished speaking than Duncan’s voice suddenly echoed beside them, “Enough, you two. Nina, don’t jest with Alice in such a manner. She might take you seriously.”

Nina jolted, only then realizing that Uncle Duncan had somehow sidled up to her. Alice, on the other hand, wore a baffled look, pulling at her hair as she regarded Nina with suspicion: “Were you teasing me?”

“In any event, don’t take her previous statement to heart.” Duncan advised helplessly, then turned to Nina, “Rest assured, nothing is amiss.”

Nina made a playful face, but her expression still held a trace of worry.

“Uncle Duncan, what’s happening? You seldom appear so troubled…”

For a moment, Duncan didn’t know how to address the girl’s question. In his mind’s eye, he was still viewing the image from Tyrian’s office, along with the unusual sphere that Lucretia had ‘collected’ from the sea. He raised his hand to soothe his slightly throbbing brow, but the next moment, he paused and observed the young girl before him instead.

This tranquil, gentle, impeccably behaved miniature sun encapsulated within a young girl’s form was standing there quietly, her face etched with concern for him.

Duncan felt as though he could perceive directly the radiant remnants left in the wake of a star’s explosion, the dazzling flows of plasma that once coursed through the cosmos… The small sun tilted her head and extended a hand, gently tracing Duncan’s furrowed brow as if intending to smooth out the entrenched lines.

“Uncle Duncan, are you truly alright?”

Duncan remained silent. He softly captured Nina’s hand, placing it upon his forehead, then slowly exhaled. He had come to understand something more. Behind the imposing veil of reality, the world had once again divulged a fragment of its truth to him. However, he had no one to share this piece of truth with.

“Don’t fret, everything is fine, Nina.” He spoke at a measured pace, his demeanor gradually reverting to its usual calm, “I’m grappling with some issues that are currently challenging to elucidate to you. Once they’re resolved, I’ll provide an explanation.”

Nina paid close attention, subsequently nodding with fervor: “Okay.”

“Excellent, let’s return to the cabin first. We’ll have to set off shortly, but before we do, we need to make a slight detour to the Mist Fleet’s base. We have a delivery for Tyrian…”

Back at the governor’s dome office in Frost, the crystal ball steadily brightened with a gentle hum, allowing the figure of the ‘Sea Witch’ to materialize within the faint light.

“Brother?” Lucretia peered curiously at the scene, “Have you concluded your work there? Did everything proceed without hitches?”

“If you’re referring to the inauguration ceremony, it concluded this morning. Everything proceeded without a hitch.” Tyrian spoke, his expression growing somewhat complex, “But the reason for my call pertains to something else.”

Lucretia’s brows furrowed: “Something else?”

“Two matters,” Tyrian paused briefly, then began to speak as he poured a drink, “Firstly, I’ve procured the spirit lens you requested. I’ve managed to secure the highest-quality, most precise lens apparatus available through the city-state’s legal channels.”

Lucretia’s face within the crystal ball instantly lit up with delight: “Ah, that’s splendid. You’re truly dependable. What’s the second matter?”

“Guess who will be delivering the lens to you?”

“Is it your transport ship?” Tyrian remained silent, causing Lucretia’s expression to gradually shift, “It’s your transport ship, isn’t it?”

Tyrian continued his silence.

A realization dawned upon Lucretia. “It’s Father…?”

“Correct.”