Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 683: The Light Fades Again

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After their recent conversation, everyone in the room seemed to have gained a deeper understanding of the enigmatic “Master of the Vanished.” This insight had prompted more reflective discussions, significantly shifting their dialogue.

However, this new comprehension also introduced a disturbing tension. The room fell eerily silent, with several attendees, including Helena, unsure whether to proceed with the discussion. Vanna and Morris were visibly tense, while Shirley soothed a restless dog. Meanwhile, Nina watched Duncan with a curious expression, undisturbed by the sudden appearance of stars.

Lucretia observed everyone with a cryptic smile, apparently satisfied with the unfolding events.

Alice appeared detached, lost in her thoughts. She had zoned out when Lune began discussing the concept of “assembly” and only seemed to reconnect with reality after a while, asking in confusion, “Is it over? Is it time for dinner?”

Her offbeat remark broke the tense silence. Banster, seeking clarity, turned to Duncan and hesitantly asked, “What exactly was that just now?”

As Banster spoke, Frem quickly moved away.

“Just asking,” Banster added, looking helplessly at Helena and Lune, who also subtly retreated.

With a hint of resignation, Duncan confessed, “I have many secrets, some of which… even I don’t fully understand.” He then turned to Lune seriously, “But I am thankful for the theories you and Morris proposed… Your insights have helped clear up some of my own confusion.”

Lune responded with a resigned yet humorous tone, “Next time you decide to resolve a confusion, perhaps warn us in advance when you manifest a vision. Though, I suppose that might be asking too much.”

Duncan smiled and promised, “I’ll try my best.”

With that, they concluded the discussion, but the thoughts inspired by Lune’s “assembly model” continued to linger in many minds.

Returning to his seat, Duncan absentmindedly touched the folded paper in his pocket again—primitive ash, the “intersection” of universal laws, the clash between compatibility and incompatibility, an observer’s perspective within a subset, and more…

He withdrew his hand, exhaling softly at the revelation.

Lucretia’s eyes were involuntarily drawn to Duncan as she experienced a sudden surge of emotion, her heart racing. She glanced at her father and for a brief moment thought he had disappeared.

He seemed momentarily transported to a distant, unreachable realm beyond their world. In that fleeting moment, Lucretia recalled a haunting memory, seeing the Vanished disappear into dense fog at the border.

But it was just an illusion. Looking again, Duncan was still there, seemingly unchanged.

“So, any more questions?” Duncan asked, addressing Helena and Lune as they resettled across the table.

As they resumed their discussion, Alice, still a bit confused, idly scratched her head and settled back next to Duncan. “Oh, it’s not over yet?” she asked, uncertainly.

Lune gave Alice a meaningful look, ready to dive deeper into their conversation. However, he suddenly stopped, frowning slightly as if tuning into a distant sound. Helena, noticing his change in demeanor, asked urgently, “Is there a message?”

Lune looked up, his expression serious. “Psychic communication from Wind Harbor. Ted Lir is reaching out to me,” he declared. “He’s reporting that the research facility near the ‘glowing geometric body’ has just picked up signals emanating from within the structure…”

As he spoke, Lune’s gaze briefly rested on Lucretia, adding, “It’s the same signal that the Bright Star received during the last solar eclipse.”

Upon hearing this, Lucretia abruptly rose from her seat.

Outside, evening was drawing in. The sun hovered on the horizon, not yet fully set, as Vision 001 descended towards the sea, its two rune circles glowing as they approached the water. The fading sunlight cast a fragmented golden glow over the sea, creating a breathtaking display where sky and sea met.

Near Wind Harbor, the vast “glowing geometric body” floated serenely on the water, emitting a pale, golden light that differed from the setting sun, weaving a visual tapestry of dual sunlights across the sky and sea.

The light from the geometric body was gentle and tranquil, much like any typical day. However, sensitive observation instruments detected an anomaly. Certain spectrums of this “sunlight” were oscillating in a complex, periodic pattern, emitting mysterious waveform signals.

Duncan and the others made their way to the stern deck, their eyes locked on the large “glowing geometric body” near Wind Harbor, visible in the fading twilight.

With concern in his voice, Frem turned to Lune and asked, “Is the signal still ongoing?”

“It’s still transmitting, a twelve-second cycle, repeating three times before pausing for thirty seconds, then starting again,” Lune confirmed with a nod. “Ted Lir has reached the research facility and is currently monitoring the situation.”

Lucretia quickly added, her gaze fixed on the nearby waters where the Bright Star was anchored near the Vanished, “The pattern of transmission and repetition is the same as what we experienced before.”

At that moment, a distinctive structure on the bridge of her research vessel began to rotate slowly. It resembled a mechanical flower bud and was aligning itself toward the distant sea. The front of this cabin opened, revealing precision optical lenses that caught the glint of the sunlight.

“I’ve instructed the crew on the Bright Star to activate the optical lens,” Lucretia explained to Duncan, her attention divided between the conversation and her ship. “During the last sun outage, I was the first to detect the strange light signal. Since then, Wind Harbor has developed similar equipment for their research facility. If they’ve detected the signal there, we should be able to observe it from here as well.”

Nina, surprised by the unfolding events, asked, “Isn’t it affected by this distance?”

“The light does weaken and can be interfered with, but the distance here isn’t significant enough to be a concern. The real question is deciphering the meaning behind this peculiar signal,” Lucretia replied, her brows furrowing in concern. “The last time this signal appeared, it coincided with the sun’s disappearance, but this time, the sun seems unaffected…”

“We should head to Wind Harbor first to ensure everything is in order on the city-state’s side,” Duncan decided. As he spoke, the Vanished began to pivot, its bow turning as it gradually picked up speed toward Wind Harbor.

After a brief delay, the Bright Star received Lucretia’s instructions and mirrored the Vanished’s movement.

Lune watched with interest as the Bright Star and its unique “experimental cabin” on the bridge responded in sync with the ship’s movements. He commented, “What an exquisite design… Miss Lucretia, did you oversee all these modifications yourself?”

Lucretia replied nonchalantly, “I spent a century designing a ‘pioneer exploration ship’ capable of undertaking frontier missions under any conditions. There are many aspects of this ship that fill me with pride.” She then quipped, “But is this really the time to be analyzing the engineering feats of the Bright Star?”

“We don’t have much else to do at the moment,” Lune replied with a casual shrug, seemingly unfazed by the situation. “In fact, I find myself quite intrigued. We’re facing a phenomenon I’ve never encountered before. If we manage to decode the signal from that glowing geometric body, we might gain insights into the true nature of the ‘sun’ above us. That would be a significant discovery.”

Lucretia remained silent, her focus largely on the Bright Star and the “servants” she had left on board. These servants, intricately crafted by her own hands, contained fragments of her soul and functioned as extensions of her being.

She carefully issued commands, ensuring the ship’s complex and precise observation instruments were operational.

Suddenly, Lucretia looked up, urgency in her voice. “The signal’s strength has surpassed what I observed last time,” she announced, her eyes fixed on the pale golden sunlight that stretched across the sea. “This situation seems somewhat different from the previous incident…”

Meanwhile, Duncan’s gaze was drawn toward the sun, now partially submerged below the sea line.

“The sun disappeared last time…” Shirley’s voice trembled slightly, revealing her anxiety. “This time, at least, the sun doesn’t seem to have changed…”

Her words trailed off as a deep, resonant humming filled the air, vibrating in everyone’s chests and unsettling their souls.

Suddenly, the sky in the distance darkened.

Shirley looked up, her face blank with shock.

A black, chaotic sphere, resembling a void and surrounded by two ring-like “bright edges” that glowed like molten steel, appeared ominously on the horizon.

The sun had disappeared once again.

“…Damn it.”