Deep Sea Embers
chapter-530

In the first few moments, Heidi remained still, refraining from quickly rising from her bed where she had been recovering from her illness. Taking her time, she scrutinized the environment of her room, tuning into every sound that came from beyond its walls. Slowly, she raised her wrist, examining the number and sequence of the vibrantly colored stones embedded in her bracelet.

Then, she felt a pull towards the “amethyst” pendant that hung against her chest. As she touched it, a subtle chill spread across her fingertips, emanating a soothing aura of strength and protection.

The memory of the pendant’s unique origin and its source of power crept into her thoughts. Ms. Heidi, a practicing psychiatrist, displayed a peculiar expression momentarily. But just as quickly as it appeared, she suppressed this odd sentiment, leaving behind only a heavy sigh of resignation.

“Fate is truly an enigma…” she whispered to herself.

“In your perception, fate indeed remains elusive and mystifying.”

The suddenness of the deep voice from beside her caught Heidi off guard, reflexively causing her muscles to tighten in surprise.

She spun towards the source of the voice and was met with the sight of a shadowy figure seated near the room’s window. The figure donned an ancient brown robe that hid most of its body, and a large hood shrouded its facial features. By the slouched posture, the profoundness of the voice, and the visible wrinkles at the edge of the hood’s shadow, it was evident that this was an elderly individual.

Golden rays of sunlight painted the room, capturing the slow dance of dust particles that floated in the air, reflecting the warm hues of the setting sun. This sunlight, when cast on the enigmatic person, gave the robe a phantasmal and slightly transparent effect.

A rush of questions overwhelmed Heidi. Who was this mysterious visitor? When had they entered the room? Had they been observing her all this time?

Almost involuntarily, Heidi’s hand moved towards a box placed beside her bed.

But before she could make contact, the mysterious voice, deep and gravelly, advised, “No need for such defense, Miss Heidi. On this day, I am not an adversary. The weapons you keep, whether a blade or a firearm, won’t harm a transient wanderer like me. Please, sit. My visit is simply for conversation, maybe to offer some distraction from your solitude.”

Yet Heidi, her face devoid of emotion, swiftly retrieved a hidden gun from the box. She aimed it steadily at the stranger, demanding in a firm tone, “…Who are you?”

Rather than responding, the hooded entity lifted its arm, seemingly captivated by the play of sunlight upon its hand. As it did so, the robe’s sleeve slid down, unveiling an arm that resembled a dried twig, covered in wrinkles that looked eerily like deep fissures.

Heidi’s face was a canvas of heightened alertness, her eyes narrowing as she observed the curious spectacle before her. When illuminated by sunlight, the stranger’s arm underwent a baffling transformation. At intervals, it seemed almost transparent. For a few heartbeats, she could distinctly see beams of sunlight penetrating the arm, casting a direct glow onto her.

“It’s utterly wondrous… I had nearly lost memory of the sunlight’s embrace,” remarked the cloaked individual. The emotion in his voice was a cocktail of nostalgia and something deeper, more ineffable. Turning towards Heidi, he continued, though it felt as if he was equally addressing himself, “Before the onset of the fourth protracted night, the world will shift. The sunlight softens, and the distinct ‘barriers’ it once created become hazy. Those who’ve been banished, abandoned, erased, or transformed will be granted a brief reprieve, a momentary return to this realm. Together, we revel in this dusk, anticipating the sun’s descent.”

The stranger’s voice, rich and methodical, resonated as if he was narrating an age-old scripture.

He seemed like a seer, declaring destiny to all who would listen.

His words, almost hypnotic in their cadence, sparked a revelation in Heidi, and she blurted out, “The Ender Missionaries?!”

Slowly, the hooded figure tilted his head upwards. Beneath the obscurity of the hood, a set of uncanny golden eyes met Heidi’s gaze unflinchingly. “Miss Heidi, did you liaise with the Promised Ark? Did you witness the journey’s culmination?”

“I have no desire to entertain the allurements of fanatics,” Heidi responded, her voice frigid. Her finger applied a slight pressure on the gun’s trigger, while her other hand protectively clutched the amethyst pendant on her chest. A palpable tension permeated her being.

Although she had expertise in dealing with psychiatric patients and had faced monstrous apparitions in dreamscapes, the “Ender” sect was uncharted territory for her. These interdimensional zealots were almost mythical in the material world. Her training at the martial school affiliated with the Academy of Truth hadn’t prepared her for a confrontation of this nature. She was uncertain about the efficacy of her firearm or the potency of her otherworldly abilities against them.

Yet, the enigmatic guest remained unfazed by Heidi’s palpable animosity.

He was a stark departure from the Ender Missionaries she had read about in academic sources.

“After the arrival of the Promised Ark, we discerned an anomalous presence, Miss Heidi,” he stated, exuding a sense of refined calm. “Post the conclusion, a boundless, infinite abyss manifested, an expanse of pure nothingness… We were on a quest to circumvent the impending doomsday. However, now it appears that what lies beyond this apocalypse is a void, even more daunting than the apocalypse itself… You’ve interfaced with this abyss and become intertwined with its essence. This arouses our curiosity… What truly transpired?”

The words of the mysterious visitor were shrouded in enigma, reminiscent of puzzles that danced on the edge of comprehension. It seemed as though, while he retained a semblance of sanity, prolonged isolation or some other perplexing experience had eroded his capacity to converse in an everyday manner. Nevertheless, Heidi’s keen instincts sifted through the ambiguity of his words, igniting a flurry of emotions within her.

Her brow creased in deep thought. “Are you referring to… Duncan Abnomar? Are you suggesting he ushered in this ‘void’ you speak of?”

The elderly interlocutor slowly rose from his seat. As the sunlight graced his form, he loomed far taller than Heidi had initially perceived. Despite a stoop in his posture, he was almost towering in stature. “It’s uncertain. What we’re aware of is the emergence and gradual spread of this void. It might, in due course, engulf the entire night sky of what you call the fourth extended night…”

In response to his abrupt motion, Heidi’s alertness heightened, causing her to slightly elevate her gun’s aim. “What’s your intent with me, outsider?”

“We’re in dire need to fathom the essence of this void,” he responded, a surprising touch of candidness in his voice. But soon, he somberly added, “It seems, however, my timing was flawed.”

His response left Heidi momentarily disoriented. She reflexively queried, “What are you implying?”

He chose not to respond directly, and his gaze fixated on the sunlit horizon beyond the window.

“And what did you mean by the ‘fourth long night’ you alluded to earlier?” Heidi probed, persistence evident in her tone.

The cryptic visitor gestured dismissively.

“In our limited time frame, I can offer only so much clarity. The moment for my departure nears,” the mysterious Ender intoned, his footsteps echoing softly as he approached the sunlit window. “Our paths might cross again in a subsequent interval, or perhaps not, contingent on the void’s expansion rate. Regardless, our reunion is inevitable… Twilight beckons.”

With those final words, his silhouette dissolved, assimilating seamlessly into the golden rays of sunlight, leaving no trace behind.

Heidi was left utterly agog.

Had it not been for the vivid memories etched in her mind, the palpable weight of the gun in her grip, and the reassuring feel of the amethyst pendant, she might’ve believed she had traversed another dreamlike sequence.

As the lingering aura of the Ender dissipated, a discernible shift permeated the room’s ambiance.

It was as if an invisible tether, a restraining energy, had evaporated from the space.

Simultaneously, the hurried cadence of footsteps resonated from the sick room’s corridor.

…

Aboard the “Vanished,” within the confines of the captain’s quarters, Duncan sat contemplatively at the navigation desk, still ruminating on the knowledge he had gleaned from that supernatural dream.

After a seemingly endless span of silence, Morris’s voice unexpectedly broke the stillness, jolting Duncan from his reverie. “You know, I had half-expected you to invite Heidi to join our ranks on this ship.”

Duncan raised his eyebrows and offered a wry smile to the seasoned mariner. “Wasn’t it you who warned against letting her anywhere near the ‘Vanished’?”

Morris chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I did have my reservations about this ship initially,” he admitted sheepishly. “But back then, Heidi was completely in the dark about our undertakings. Now that she’s been pulled into our world, keeping her at arm’s length seems unnecessary.”

Duncan stroked his chin contemplatively. “True, but when you really think about it, do we have a pressing need for a psychologist aboard the ‘Vanished’?”

His gaze drifted to the window as he mused aloud, “Who amongst us could benefit from psychological guidance? Neither you nor Agatha require it. I’m certainly not a candidate. Vanna’s mental fortitude is frankly astounding, even to me. Shirley’s stability is intrinsically linked with Dog, who, let’s remember, is a shadow demon. As for Nina, she embodies a sliver of the sun’s essence. And then there’s Alice – she’s blissfully unaware most of the time. Did I miss someone? Oh, the goat head, perhaps?”

The goat head artifact on the navigation desk rotated animatedly as if on cue, its voice echoing with an eerie resonance, “Ah, esteemed captain, your loyal first mate remains steadfast and unyielding. I assure you, my mental state remains unflappable. Moreover, I’ve indulged in various psychology modules during my existence, and I’m perfectly equipped to…”

“I know, that’s enough,” Duncan commanded tersely.

The goat head subsided instantly, uttering a subdued, “Understood.”

Turning back to Morris with a wistful smile, Duncan quipped, “You realize, if Heidi were to embark on this journey with us, she’d likely be the one most in need of psychological assistance.”

Morris looked thoughtful for a moment, then slowly reached for his trusty pipe. Just as he was about to take a puff, he mused, “That might very well be the case…”