Deep Sea Embers

It was an island with winding coasts and rocky cliffs. The island was shrouded in a layer of fog. The situation on it could not be seen vaguely, but the undulating terrain and the strange rocks hidden in the fog Or eerie silhouettes like collapsed buildings.

It appeared very abruptly, as if it appeared near the White Oak out of thin air.

"What is that?" The first officer looked at the silhouette of the island that appeared on the sea in the distance in astonishment. The tension and fear caused by the concept of "sun" suddenly returning to his mind had not faded away. At this moment, he saw another island that suddenly appeared. Islands, so that even he, an old sailor who has been dealing with the boundless sea for many years, trembled a little at the moment, "An island... is there such an island near Frost? Is there such an island on our scheduled route? "

"There is no scheduled route anymore, and the White Oak is sailing in a sea of ​​visions—we are far away from the real world, and everything we see is normal," Lawrence's steady voice came, as if with a calming voice Strength, even though he was stunned by the disappearance of the "sun" a second ago, the old captain seemed to have completely calmed down at the moment, "In terms of the island... there is a 'Dagger Island' near Frost, but I'm not sure if it is... ...it's not quite the same as the one on the identification map."

"What should we do?" The first mate turned his head, "Should we lean towards it? Or stay away from it?"

Lawrence fell silent, weighing quickly in his mind.

That island appeared suddenly, just after I and the first officer suddenly realized the concept of "sun". Is its appearance related to cognitive correction?

The island is shrouded in fog. Is it a real thick fog, or an illusion caused by cognitive bias?

Is that island fixed? Is it really possible for the White Oak to get away from it? If the presence of that island was some kind of "intentional," it might continue to appear in front of the ship no matter what the White Oak did.

But in any case, from a prudent point of view, one should not approach the past hastily.

"Go around it," Lawrence said in a deep voice, "Go around it from the left and stay away at full speed."

"Yes, Captain!"

The first officer quickly ran to the bridge, and a moment later, a loud siren sounded over the White Oak, and Lawrence felt the ship under his feet begin to turn, and the steam engine deep in the hull was roaring with power.

Many sailors have noticed the sudden appearance of the island. Some people approached the edge of the deck, looking nervously at the fog-shrouded island in the distance, and under the eyes of everyone, the island was thrown to the white oak Behind the number, and gradually away.

Lawrence heaved a sigh of relief, turned around and walked towards the bridge.

His footsteps stopped suddenly.

A figure appeared in his field of vision—wearing a women's captain's uniform, with curly long hair hanging behind his head, arms crossed, and a slight smile on his face.

"Remember what I said?" the figure said, with deep helplessness in his tone, "You really should retire, don't wait until I appear on your boat to start regretting... Lawrence, you have already old."

"Martha..." Lawrence called out the name subconsciously, and then he quickly reached into his pocket, trying to take out the bottle of potion.

At the same time, a burst of astonishment also filled his mind-why so fast? Why did the effect of the potion wear off so early? It's only been a day since Martha appeared last time... Is the potion's duration already that short?

He felt his palms trembling and his arms trembling. He finally touched the bottle of medicine, but just as he was about to open the bottle, a hand suddenly rested on his arm.

At some point, Martha had already come to him. She stretched out her hand and pressed the old captain's arm with a worried expression on her face.

"The medicine is no longer working, and you know it," Martha said softly, "You drink it now, and I'll leave for a little while, and then reappear, and you drink the whole bottle, and I'll leave for a little longer , but it still appears... Lawrence, the medicine isn't working."

"I... I don't understand..." Lawrence blinked hesitantly. He looked at the kindest face in his memory, but felt a cold breath spreading in his heart, "I know my state, that spirit Physicians are also brilliant experts, but why..."

"Your mind is being affected, Lawrence, don't you feel it? This sea area is affecting you," Martha said softly—it may be Martha's voice, or it may be Lawrence's own subconscious. Obviously, Subconsciously, this experienced old captain has already noticed some truth, "As you stay here, your mind is deteriorating at an accelerated rate, be careful, Lawrence, you are already in the middle of the sea..."

"How should I get out of here?" Lawrence asked subconsciously, and before he knew it, he had already let go of the potion bottle in his hand.

The small medicine bottle fell on the deck, making a crisp shattering sound, and half of the medicine inside flowed out, mixing with the stagnant water on the deck, without distinguishing each other.

Lawrence lowered his head, staring blankly at the shattered vial.

Martha was still holding his arm, and said softly: "Go to Frost..."

Lawrence was startled, as if awakened from a dream, he raised his head, only to see that there was no one around him—only a little residual heat remained on his arm.

A sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from not far away. Lawrence looked up and saw the first officer walking towards him quickly.

"Captain, we've 'dumped' that island," said the first officer quickly, but then he raised his head and looked around curiously, as if looking for something, "Where's the person who was with you just now? Is that the sailor of the ship, too?"

"You read it wrong, I was always a..." Lawrence said subconsciously, but he realized it just halfway through, and suddenly raised his head to stare at the first officer in front of him, "What did you say? The person who was with me just now ?!"

"Yes, standing next to you just now, it looks like a lady—but I didn't see it clearly," said the first mate in a daze. "Could it be that I misread it?"

Lawrence's eyes widened, and his wide-open eyes even scared the first mate a little. After a few seconds, he suddenly said, "Can you see her?!"

The first mate swallowed subconsciously, he didn't know why his captain had such a reaction: "...I did see it."

As soon as the words fell, the experienced seaman seemed to think of something, and his face became tense: "Wait, was it an illusion just now? I was affected?"

"It's indeed an illusion...but theoretically, it should be an illusion that only I can see." Lawrence's face became extremely ugly, and he waved his hand to signal the other party not to be too frightened, but his mind was in a mess, "It shouldn't be, It shouldn't be..."

The old captain raised his head and looked around in a daze, as if he still wanted to find Martha.

And in his mind, everything seems to be mixed together - reality, hallucinations, memories, delusions...

There seems to be no boundary between reality and illusion here. In theory, the phantoms that only you can see also appear in the eyes of others. The false things are becoming real, so what about the real ones?

Is this sea area real? Is the White Oak for real?

What the hell is this place?

Lawrence was in a state of confusion, but suddenly a sailor's shout came from somewhere on the deck, interrupting his reverie.

Some sailors found something on the surface of the sea.

Lawrence and the first officer looked at each other, and the two quickly ran to the side. Soon, they saw something that caused the sailor to exclaim——

An island appeared ahead of the White Oak's side, with a winding coastline and high rocky cliffs, and the island was shrouded in mist...

The island reappeared.

"...that island can move..." The first officer swallowed nervously, and his worst guess became reality before his eyes, "It's catching up..."

"It's also possible that we ourselves have been spinning in circles, and this sea area is filled with 'curtains' that can temporarily blind our vision," Lawrence said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the island, "it's even possible,'Frost ' is now with us..."

The first officer looked at the captain in astonishment. He didn't know why the old captain suddenly mentioned the word "Frost", but soon he came to his senses and asked, "Captain, what shall we do this time? Continue Bypass it?"

Lawrence fell silent, thinking quickly for a moment.

What Martha whispered in his ear still lingered in his head—

"Go to Frost."

Of course, that island is not the Frost City-State, but it may have been some kind of "guidance" when it appeared near the White Oak again and again.

Not long ago, he led the White Oak to "escape" the Frost City-State with a strange atmosphere, but was trapped in this strange sea area, but now, "Martha" is guiding him, Let him "go to the frost".

There was also a strange island with an even weirder atmosphere in front of him—it suddenly appeared next to the White Oak twice in a row.

What is the right choice?

"...we're near the island."