Chapter 17: Second Wave

Chapter 17: Second Wave

That night, despite the utterly uncomfortable conditions, Tom slept like the dead. For the first time, he didn't have nightmares.
No dreams at all. Except, perhaps, toward morning, when he dreamt of his first encounter with Charlotte.

It was back when he was a young cabin boy, catching sight of her—the daughter of the ship's owner.
That day, she wore a white dress, her hair tied into two small pigtails. Such hairstyles were rare for girls, let alone women. Perhaps that's why she etched herself into his memory back then.

They didn't exchange a single word. Only their gazes met. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. That was all.

When the first rays of sunlight broke, Tom was already awake. He wasn't sure if his encounter with the mermaid the previous day had been a dream or reality. So, he wanted to see her again to confirm.

Time dragged on painfully slowly, yet she never returned... and Tom grew tired of waiting.

— It must have been a dream after all.

He needed to find the others on his own. Perhaps someone was gravely injured and needed help. Besides, he had to move forward—find a way, get back home...

Stepping onto the shore, Tom was greeted by a breathtaking view of the pristine nature of this tiny island, unseen by most.
The snow-white sand, still faintly warm, pleasantly caressed his feet, and a natural path led into the island's depths through a forest.

Colors so vivid, Tom hadn't seen in ages. The green leaves seemed greener than the very concept of "green" in his mind. And those colorful birds perched on vines, serenading him with their songs.

It was paradise. The raw power of nature in all its beauty and perfection, preserved far from human eyes at the edge of the world, guarding its natural splendor and wild architecture—a blend of simplicity and complex equations, answered only by magical chance.

A pity he glimpsed this beauty, touched it for a moment, under such dire circumstances.

— It'd be nice to walk here with Amy and Charlotte.

Tom involuntarily thought of his loved ones. "I wonder how they're doing..." Were they worried about him? Probably a pointless question... Of course they were. So he needed to sort everything out quickly and return to them...

— No more sea adventures...

I doubt Tom meant that definitively. People often make bold declarations about themselves and their lives, only to forget them by the next day.
These were words spoken in emotion, in a state of shock and uncertainty about tomorrow and what it might bring. Still, at least this way, Tom began to slowly tip the scales of choice with grains of sand. It'd be amusing if those grams ended up tipping the balance... As so often happens in life.

In another world, in another life, other people—and deities—played a game.

— Look! He's starting to figure it out! Turns out he's not as hopeless as I thought at the start!!! You're lucky! See that, Deniale???

But Deniale couldn't care less... He was merely waiting for this round to end.
For this dreary tale to conclude, so he could finally find peace. Though no... Peace seemed forever out of reach. For that, he'd need to win.
And he had no chance. At least not in this game.

— I don't think he meant it seriously...
— Really!? He looked quite confident when he said it. Maybe he'll be your winning ticket—don't you think? I'll have to try harder to beat you...
— I think it'll be the same as always...
— There you go again! It's getting boring playing with you...
— Isn't that what you wanted? Total victory, on all fronts...

He didn't even realize how sharp his words were... These people... They understand nothing until you shove it in their faces, and even then, they're convinced they figured it out themselves.
Her patience wore thin with his gray, emotionless face... She craved many things, but not this.
Besides, he wanted it! He started this game! He challenged her! He made the stakes! Why was she the one to blame now...
Regret and sorrow, entwined with resentment, gripped her fragile heart, and she nearly cried.
But he mustn't see her tears. Not now... Not under these circumstances...
She whispered softly, swallowing the pain that begged to burst free...

— That's not what I wanted...

He pretended not to hear... Deniale had no desire to talk to her today. He wanted nothing more.
If he were the old Deniale, the human who hadn't lost so many fragments of his soul, he would've understood her.
He would've known what to say, how to comfort her. He would've leapt into the fight with eyes full of fire and enthusiasm, playing with her... But it was too late now.
And after this round, it would only get worse...

Continuing his exploration of the island, Tom finally found Richard.
He'd swallowed a lot of water, and when Tom found him, he was unconscious.
His ribs were badly broken, his arms scraped raw, yet he was breathing. That meant the worst was over.

Using branches and massive palm leaves, Tom fashioned a makeshift shelter and dragged the unconscious Richard inside, then went to search for the rest of the crew.

By day's end, Tom had found nearly everyone. They all had injuries and fractures—some had fever, others couldn't move on their own—but they were all alive.

All except Otto, whom Tom couldn't find. Strangely, no one else from the crew had seen him either. It seemed he'd been washed to a different island, or perhaps his battered body awaited them on the rocks...
They needed to recover quickly and search for him, but there was no strength left for today.

— Bari, we need to start a fire. Take someone and gather branches for it.
— Aye, aye, Captain!

While the crew members who could move prepared dinner, Richard regained consciousness.

— Tom!
— Rich! You're awake. Thank God!
— Didn't think you could kill me that easily!
— Of course not, Rich! You have no idea how glad I am.
— I'm glad to see you too, Captain. If only my head didn't hurt so much... How did this even happen?
— Where should I start?
— Honestly, I don't remember a thing... Just you coming to the bridge before the storm hit, and that's it...
— Oof... You took quite a beating, Old Man. We got caught in a fierce storm. The ship was battered, and most of us were thrown ashore. Lucky it happened close to land.
— As always, you saved us all, Captain...
— Maybe...

Tom sounded uncertain. He couldn't recall at least half of what happened, though the mermaid had said it was him...
Still, she must've been a dream. So what difference did it make what she said?

— Listen, Rich. Were you unconscious the whole time?
— While I was lying on the shore, I woke up a few times, but only briefly.
— Strange question... But did you see anything odd...
— What do you mean, Captain? And even if I did... I might've seen all sorts of strange things, but they were just delusions from my battered mind, so what does it matter?
— Maybe you're right, Richard... Maybe.
— Though, you know what?
— What!?
— I remembered something. One time I woke up, and a little cloud was hovering right over my face, sprinkling me with a pleasant cool rain.
I think it was a hallucination, but after that, the pain in my legs seemed to fade, and I fell asleep so easily...

— Interesting... I heard the others...
— What about the others?
— Oh, never mind, Rich. You need to regain your strength. Once you and the others recover, we'll figure out how to get out of here.
— Alright, Captain... You should rest a bit yourself.
— I'm fine, still got time for that.
— I get why you're doing this... But it won't bring that moment any closer.
— What do you mean? What are you getting at?
— I meant everything will be fine... If need be, I'll carry you to Miss Warren myself, so don't worry so much. These aren't the worst dangers we've faced. We'll manage, like always...
— Ha! Thanks, Richard. Maybe you're right...
— Of course!

The massive yellow-orange disc sank slowly and imperceptibly to the human eye beyond the horizon, opening the gates to welcome Lady Night.
She would reign now—this order had persisted since the dawn of time and would reign even when time itself died...

This balance of light and darkness... It inspires. For even if you fear the night, you can be certain—the sun will come! It will rescue you from the bloodthirsty claws of fear unleashed with night's arrival.
No matter what, the light will return. It will definitely return.
Just like Tom.
He believed that no matter what happened, he would return. He would live, he would save everyone, find Otto, repair the ship, and return to Charlotte.

He still hadn't recalled why their ship was destroyed or what happened during the storm.
But that didn't matter now.
Right now, Tom felt freer and more confident than ever.
Finally, as it seemed to him, he'd found the answers he'd long sought. It took nearly dying for the first time for him to realize what truly mattered.

And everything in this story is perfect. Perfect thoughts for a perfect ending. Yet Tom hadn't recalled key details—he hadn't remembered Steffen, nor the mysterious voice that spoke to him against the backdrop of a blood-red moon.
None of this came back to him. The storm's magical waves had lulled it all within him, but the effect was surely temporary.
And then... that mermaid...

Was she real...?

Bidding farewell to the day, Tom stood alone on the beach, gazing intently into the water.

— If she was just a dream... Why do I keep waiting for her!?