Twisted Stars

The girl's sobs hammer against your eardrums, wrenching your consciousness from the torrential flood of memories.

Memories flicker like slides jammed into a battered projector. Each shift of the frame sends a scream shrieking from the depths of your soul.

The warmth of a living presence cuts through the darkness, but a searing pain erupts from your forehead, radiating to your limbs.

Someone flicks your forehead with a sharp snap.

Murphy huffs, hauling you up from the ground.

The sea's embrace turned sharp, the water reacting with your scorched skin in a choking struggle. Blind chaos, like a specter in the night, tore and broke your body.

Then, that chaos bore a flicker of warmth. In the boundless dark, loneliness, helplessness, and despair receded swiftly, a mysterious glow shining in the frigid cosmos.

As if touched by the universe's mercy, your consciousness teetered on the edge of the spiritual realm. Your body melded with the sea's oxygen, and you snapped your eyes open, feeling the water rush in.

Finally, a gentle light sliced through the ocean's darkness. A pale blue force reached for you, a goddess of safe passage extending her hand.

You close your eyes, recalling the moment the flames seared your vision, when a warm light tore and stitched your will back together.

Murphy mutters, tiptoeing to brush your bangs aside. Her flick was measured, just enough to snap you awake without lingering pain.

The girl stays hunkered by the coral, zoned out, your call missing her.

You squat beside her, eyeing the coral, and her fixed, almost blank stare.

Playful payback or just for fun...

You warm your hands and flick her forehead...

Murphy grabs her forehead, set to boss you around, but then realizes it's her fault and chokes back the rest.

The thick air clears, her worry and gloom pushed aside by rivalry.

Murphy swings a fist high, but drops it softly, grazing your shirt.

Your ears pick up a weird, low hiss, mixed with a particularly rhythmic beat.

You signal Murphy with your eyes. She nods tight-lipped, and you both dash toward the noise.

Time until Alignment: 90 minutes

The instant her fingertip brushes the Keeper's hand, a gentle, wordless white wind slams into the explosion's ground zero.

It's such a soft force, yet it hauls Ramona into an endless white void with surprising power. As coordinates flip wildly, her guts feel like they're being twisted dry.

Celeste lowers the compass, gasping. With the captain's support, she sits down, hands folded in her lap, looking even frailer than before.

Celeste shakes her head silently. In Ramona's foggy mind, still reeling from the blast and trauma, she can't tell if that's positive or not.

As their gazes shift to her, Ramona opens her mouth to speak, but a low buzz fills her ears, her brain firing off warning signals.

Celeste blinks, as if confirming the captain's words.

Celeste stops midway, freezing like a cog out of place. Her lips twitch a few times, but nothing comes out.

Elton pats her back soothingly, finishing for her.

Elton meets her resolute eyes, then chuckles.

Celeste stares at the captain emotionlessly for a moment before nodding faintly. She lifts the compass...

The Awakener shuts her eyes, white light swirling in her palms, distant seabird cries faintly echoing...

Elton's pained grunt snuffs out the light.

Celeste looks at the captain, then Ramona's anxious face, and finally stares blankly at her fingers.

Ramona props up the captain, fingers checking his pulse, her look turning serious.

Elton takes a few deep breaths, easing his heart's spasms.

Then, he holds a wooden mug up to Ramona. Who knows where he pulled that from.

The captain looks unsurprised. He tilts back to down the strong liquor in one go, and tosses the mug aside.

Elton's smile now holds a touch of peace, like he's truly braced for the reaper.

Celeste closes her eyes too. Her form grows more transparent, but the link to the captain gleams brighter, solid enough to see plain.

With the Awakener fading, the Sona-Nyl becomes storm-tossed driftwood, slammed by wave after wave to dizzying heights.

The cabin's power buckles under the impact. One last spark arcs, plunging the room into darkness.

Everything fades except the enemy's low snarls, cutting sharp.

Ramona readies her weapon, signaling the two behind to stay quiet. She edges to the door, braced, a faint clock tick rising from her Gnosis surge.

Time seems to stand still in a silent limbo. Her nerves are strung so tight, she can hardly track its passage, five seconds, twenty, a minute? Or has the flow of time been suspended?

Metal clatters suddenly. Before you can react, the door is yanked open and hands reach out, hauling you and Murphy in.

The wires in the deck's framework hum faintly once more, the bulbs flickering rapidly before glowing dimly at last.

Ramona scrambles for her dropped rapier, a surprised grin spreading.

After dropping another wave drawn by noise, you finally get a breather.

Murphy edges warily to a defeated Seafarer, with Ramona close behind.

They exchange a look before joining hands to roll the Seafarer's limp body over.

The abdomen was bulged grotesquely by the parasite inside, its skin stretched thin and transparent, its organs nearly visible.

The parasite writhes under everyone's eyes, bloating the host's abdomen. The stretched skin loses its texture...

Splat!

The Seafarer's gut deflates like a balloon. The parasite stops moving. Ramona swings her sword toward empty space, flicking grime off the tip.

Before you can stop her, Ramona rips fabric from the Seafarer's clothes, wraps the tip of her weapon, and probes the corpse's abdomen, stirring its guts.

With a flick of her sword tip, the lifeless parasite rolls out, murky sludge spreading along deck seams in all directions. The captain quickly pulls Celeste to a new spot.

The parasite looks like a jelly, tentacled mass, yet up close, it echoes a mammalian embryo. Even through the skin, it radiates deep blasphemy.

Ramona frowns, sheathing her rapier and picking up the Seafarer's spear. She lightly slices the parasite's jelly skin...

Black pus gushes out. Murphy yelps and leaps back several steps.

You and Ramona exchange glances, the gush from the parasite is unmistakably your "old friend": D-Slime.

After the captain's affirmative nod, Ramona pieces it all together.

She turns gravely to Murphy, who's pulling the captain around, dodging the flowing D-Slime.

You head toward where you and Murphy heard the noise, and return to the lower deck, leaving the hiding cabin.

The cabin overrun with D-Hyperplasia stands silent, the growths sprawling wilder and more chaotic than when you left.

Time until Alignment: 80 minutes

His gaze sweeps over the oddly shaped corals, finally settling on the largest, most eye-catching one.

The coral clusters erupt from D-Marks, roughly shoving aside the deck, pointing straight at the upper bulkhead.

You recall every exchange with Tulu after the blast, he stays remarkably calm.

You tuck Tulu and Ramona's link deep in your spirit realm, instinctively hiding the storm that ravaged your mind.

The shattered dome of Gnosis rebuilds slowly, the soul-ripping pain fading. Right now, you don't want to burden your exhausted partner with more worries.

You glance guiltily at Celeste, the mentioned Awakener looks back. You wink at her, and she just watches for a moment, silent.

Elton shakes his head.

Elton pats Murphy's head reassuringly. Looking up, he finds himself surrounded by the tense stares of you and Ramona. He pauses, then chuckles dryly.

Under Ramona's cover, you climb the stairs. Elton helps with Murphy's weight, even so, reaching the four-story bridge takes effort.

Elton nods, fishing the keys from his pack, and teams up with Ramona to shove open the bridge door.

Elton charges into the bridge, with Ramona chasing after.

The bridge is larger than expected, with a rare two-level layout, it's grander than any bridge you've seen in a photo.

You can imagine that the Sona-Nyl was a shining paradise on the sea before its conversion into a cargo ship.

You nod. With Ramona's help, you lay Murphy down.

Her breathing steadies a bit. It no longer sounds as labored as before.

Elton speaks as he deftly turns the central wheel, yanking pistons one by one.

You poke your head from the hatch, peering at the deck's far side, chimney-like vents puff thin white smoke. Soon, splashing sounds come from the stern.

Elton nods, letting out a deep breath.

Elton shuts his eyes, pipe creaking as it's clenched, as he breathes deep a few times, calming his turmoil.

The silent Awakener glances at Elton, stepping slowly before him, extending her now semi-transparent hands.

He looks at you and Ramona, his tone softer.

A.F. 21 Early Autumn Southern Leonia

I didn't know any mine shaft, had never been to an orphanage, and ol' John was a stranger's name.

All I knew was everything about that town was slipping away.

My childhood, my parents, my siblings, dismissed as some absurd dream.

Even I was starting to believe it.

But dreams are not that hard to forget.

A.F. 22 Deep Winter Elworth, Seafarers' Sanctuary

As I spoke, the hunched contact snatched the manifest from my hand. He didn't seem to care what I said, just mumbling "confirm" vaguely.

Polar winds whipped off the contact's hood, revealing an utterly grotesque head.

Eyes huge and bulging, lids that couldn't close, and gill-like flaps linking jaw to collarbone, it had a fish's face.

Swallowing revulsion and nausea, I tipped my hat anyway.

As I was about to board, an unfamiliar woman's voice stopped me.

It was an adult woman in a black veil, dressed too lightly, even barefoot. In Elworth's polar chill, she stood out starkly.

The contact dropped flat, body smacking cold black rock with a cringe-inducing thud.

After ten years at sea, through grit, luck, and shady jobs, I owned my ship and was a captain now. But being a captain meant nothing in this secretive cult.

I had never met the higher-ups, but from the Seafarer's reaction, I knew her status was lofty.

So I knelt like him without hesitation.

At the priestess's hint, I popped open the pocket watch, the dial was covered by a swirling silver.

A forgotten memory...

My past was denied by all. This silver fluid, fished from what was once my hometown, might be my last clue.

Bring my hope. Bring it to me.

The Seafarer High Priestess Miryam assigned me a new task. That voyage's cargo: a baby girl.

Before, I'd only held my younger siblings in those "dreams." Sadly, those happy, peaceful memories faded when I woke up.

The westerly winds dragged out the trip, in the final week at sea, all fresh water went to this little one.

She didn't mind my knotted beard, giggling in my arms.

I handed her to the High Priestess.

A.F. 31 Summer Solstice Atlas Ocean

Two years had passed, and I had done the priestess's secret methods countless times, none had made that Silver Core glow.

Endless failures and effort nearly made me quit chasing the truth... the truth of my hometown's vanishing.

I sent most of the crew to lifeboats, then sank with Sona-Nyl, clinging to memories of my past.

In the endless descent, wind brushed my face.

Wind squeezed the water out of my lungs, blew away wound-corroding salt, and lifted a sinking dream in the deep.

Then, I saw her, a girl, enveloped by gentle breezes and white birds.

My name is Celeste. As long as you need me, I'll be here.

She was a trace of my homeland's existence, a fairy tale from elders' lips in my youth. She proved my haunting past was real.

Her arrival proved that I was not a rootless lunatic.

Three Months Ago Elworth, Seafarers' Sanctuary

That boy, who once carried the blood of a Seafarer but now bears the body of a Golem, smiled shyly, To me, Caecus was just a kid.

He was very much like the younger sibling who existed in my memories, a shy and sensitive boy.

Saying goodbye to Caecus, I brushed past the last piece of "cargo" being unloaded and walked onto the ship.

That thing was still breathing, white cloth rising faintly. Black slime dripped from it, something fading away.

Control your curiosity, Elton! Don't look. Don't think. Don't... FACE IT.

The hem of Celeste's skirt revealed a girl, nearly startling me off my feet.

She looked... familiar. I swear I had seen her somewhere.

I remembered her, from deep memory, at a ritual.

After the "Divine Mother" was afflicted by Dissolution, Miryam chose a new "vessel" for the divine embryo, sinking her into a decades-long sleep.

With the Stellar Alignment near, the priestess woke her up. This shipment was supplies for the "Divine Descent Ritual."

The baby I bottle-fed in storms would be denied growing up forever.

Like magic, she pulls crude wood-carved statues from her bag. They make one dizzy at first glance, revered by the Seafarers but worthless to outsiders.

She was my distant ancestor, a victim of barbaric customs in a bygone era, and the only proof that my "homeland" had ever existed.

The experiences from her past life had sealed Celeste's "self" deep within her soul. I couldn't deny her first request to me.

Besides...

Besides... it was I who sent Murphy down this path.

A path riddled with Dissolution, leading to ruin and oblivion.

I must atone for this.

Elton's confession leaves you and Ramona speechless. You stare at her mutely, reading the same shock in each other's eyes.

Elton crouches by Murphy, brushing away the sweaty hair stuck to her forehead. After checking her condition, he sighs deeply, then stands to face you again.

Woo...

The horn blares, startling everyone. Elton reacts first, lunging for the console to manually stop the whistle.

Ramona rushes outside the bridge, and you follow, both leaning over the rail to look down...

Wandering Seafarers on the lower deck crane their necks up, locking their dead fish eyes on yours.

You poke your head from the bridge door, Seafarers litter the deck. Some normal-looking, some parasite-bloated, some snake-like...

You nudge the lifeless Seafarer at your feet.

In the fight, you targeted its sudden parasite bulge as a weak spot, its skin tore from your attack, spilling sticky gore.

Ramona brushes aside tangled seaweed and bits of coral, revealing the Seafarer buried beneath.

It's dead too, eyes cloudy gray, slimy skin wrinkled and quickly dehydrated. Still, you recognize it clearly.

Its skin is white, standing out among the drab Seafarers, like a goose around sparrows, or a white steed among gray donkeys.

Just as Ramona finishes speaking, a massive impact shatters the door.

The fish-like Awakener boy retracts his halberd, looking down at the sprawled Seafarers. The shadow of a huge pipe hides half of him, obscuring his expression.

Caecus notices the captain, then turns away, ignoring everyone inside. He steps aside, bowing deep toward the deck, welcoming his new master.

The giant walks in with heavy steps, gripping the doorframe overhead, blocking all moonlight outside.

Time until Alignment: 60 minutes

Goliath ducks into the bridge, his massive frame nearly sealing off that side of the door.

The young Seafarer's breathing comes to a halt: his fish-like eyes widen in tension, fixed on Goliath.

Goliath ignores the boy's stare, or rather, the kid's petty zeal doesn't warrant his notice.

Caecus bows his head, glancing at his flame-scorched tail fin, silent.

Goliath's gaze sweeps boldly over you all, lingering on Celeste and the captain.

Caecus looks at the captain, hesitating. After a few silent moments, he draws a deep breath, as if resolved.

He swings his weapon, slamming the cabin wall.

The metal vibrates with a massive echo, like rage roaring from a trapped abyss, deafening even to the striker.

Carrying Murphy on your back, you flee the bridge with Elton and Celeste, with Ramona close behind.

Just as you're about to descend the stairs, the giant leaps down from above.

Ramona darts in front of you.

Goliath snaps the weathered iron stairs and bars your path with his massive cleaver.

Mentioning Tulu makes your brain ache again, that baseless pain, like midnight gales ravaging your sanity, scorching nerves and will.

The familiar sensation of collapsing washes over you. It's a soul-deep pain, like wounds nearly healed being torn and stitched over.

Ramona seems to sense your distress, keeping an eye on Goliath while gently touching your arm supporting Murphy.

You whisper back to Ramona's concern. You draw a deep breath, and let the salty sea air push down the bloody tang rising in your nose.

Then you look up at Goliath again. He watches you with amusement, as if your pained twitches entertain him, a smug, wild grin on his face.

The girl's weight bears down on you, your back, arms, legs, all tremble uncontrollably.

You grit your teeth, mustering strength to hold the burden of her soul.

Buzzing erupts in your ears, chaotic flutes piping through the hum.

This absurd symphony makes your eyelids flutter, your brain swarming with unease and disorder.

You sense an odd fatigue, a familiar fatigue, an unprecedented fatigue. Nerves numb gradually, limbs growing limp and weak.

The world before you blacks out in waves, heavy curtains quietly shrouding your reality. Noise and chaos recede, silent flutes like invisible feathers brushing your mind.

You fight the inexplicable drowsiness, but to no avail. Ramona's voice fades rapidly. Before grasping what's happening, you crash hard to the ground.

Your brain struggles to process what's happening, but one thing is certain: the algae-green tentacles block the giant's blade, and they likely feel as soft as orange pulp.

She gets no response, the endless flow of water echoes in the deep dark.

Water, endless water.

Black waves tower higher than Elworth's tallest peaks. They crash straight into the city, washing away history and future, drowning them...

Floods and waves follow, subjects drowned before getting a chance to say farewell to loved ones, crushed to dust by nature's might.

Murphy struggles up, dazed, gazing around.

Her familiar group huddles nearby, murmuring. At her voice, they all turn.

Her vision clears gradually. Murphy rubs her eyes, spotting %player% in the circle's center, deep in sleep.

Ramona looks at her partner, %player% lies peacefully beside her, sunk in a coma, face flushed and calm, like {Male=he,Female=she} is savoring a sweet dream.

A hard-to-name emotion swells in her, gaze lingering on that serene face as the world quiets.

The captain swallows the rest.

Radio's on the bridge, and heading back now is suicide.

Ramona's eyes light up. She chides her own panic quietly, and presses her school badge communicator.

Sizzle, sizzle sizzle...

Ramona yanks off her brooch, prying open the communicator shell with a pin she carries.

Ramona tinkers with the internals. It's not long before she uses the simple pin to bypass the communicator energy core's final safety layer.

A quietly churning mass of Silver appears before everyone.

Two minutes later

One minute later

Ramona rearranges the communicator's guts, gears and mystery wires all pulled and recombined.

Murphy crouches beside her, timidly holding the part, but peeks curiously anyway.

Ramona covers Murphy's eyes with her hand.

Blinding white bursts from the communicator, spreading outward like sky lightning, bleaching the hold pale.

The fluctuation hums, like stellar tones from deep space, the communicator glows mysteriously, as if linking distant galaxies.

Ramona briefs Doll on the ship's events: the descent ritual, the Seafarer cult, Murphy, the Keeper's coma...

Ramona nods, urging the captain on.

Metal clangs abruptly, Ramona snaps to combat stance, shielding the captain and Murphy.

The eavesdropper raises a bone spear and flees, Ramona chases, catching only a black robe vanishing down the corridor.

"Meanwhile Sona-Nyl, Engine Room"

Fragile deck planks and steel frames can't block the Gnosis waves, the energy shockwaves sweep the blasted engine room.

From charred wreckage and ruins, she stirs stiffly, like a wolf lured by the scent of blood, or a puppet without thought.

Her every move pulled by some unknowable force, face blank, she slowly shoves debris aside, crawling from the ruins.

No one knows what grim obsession and power drives her, her lovely face is smeared with grime, eyes hollow and gray, with no spark, yet flickering with eerie light.

Like terror rising from despair's abyss.

Your consciousness detaches from your body, drifting and lingering in an illusory dream.

Surrounded by darkness, the small silver light around you is quickly devoured by the encroaching blackness.

You feel something slipping away from your spirit realm. You reach into the darkness and find it's a fragment of your memory.

In your memory, Ramona brings you back to Mythag University. Doll greets you at the school plaza, showing concern for Ramona and harboring doubts about you.

Then...

Then your memories rapidly fade away, like flowing water.

An eerie, distant flute sound pierces your mind like a hook, instantly sealing off all your senses.

...

...

Lost in an unknown place, you are not sure how much time passes.

You feel nothing but the gradually intensifying sound of the flute.

The sound of the flute grows stronger, but as it surpasses the threshold of human tolerance, it suddenly stops, leaving only indistinguishable white noise echoing in the void.

A lingering sound echoes from the depths of the universe, akin to chaotic sleep-talking or the restless tossing that disturbs the stars.

A silver glow blooms in place, and your taut nerves begin to unravel.

Your consciousness space is as bright as daylight. Before you can react, you feel a sudden plunge...

With Ramona's help, you sit up and look around, finding yourself in a cargo hold, surrounded by D-Hyperplasia and your companions.

You look down at your hands, trying to hum the melody you just heard, but find that you can only exhale in bursts.

Ramona speaks as she meticulously checks your head again, gently pressing almost every inch of your skull with her fingertips.

Murphy silently stares at you for a long time before she shakes her head, her expression blank.

Murphy stomps her foot, points at you and Ramona, then at the captain and Celeste.

Murphy sniffs, swallowing the sob in her voice.

Celeste stares blankly at the captain, as if trying to confirm something.

Her form has already become translucent, as if she's vanishing from reality. Captain Elton reaches out to pat her head, but in the end, he only touches the air above her.

The Awakener nods slightly and raises both hands. The compass in her hand moves on its own, emitting faint glows.

Caecus bursts through the cabin door. As soon as he steps inside, Ramona and Tulu both stand up to block his way.

Celeste lowers her hand in confusion, looking at Elton, awaiting the next command from her Linker.

His gaze sweeps over everyone and comes to rest on Captain Elton.

Elton waves his hand at you, approaching Caecus while signaling Ramona and Tulu to lower their attack stances.

He throws a glass vial onto the deck, allowing it to roll towards Elton's feet with the tilt of the ship.

Elton doesn't give Caecus a chance to finish. He pulls out the cork and swallows a handful of pills without hesitation.

Caecus closes his eyes, his expression calm. You can't tell if he mourns his fallen comrades.

Caecus finishes speaking and turns to leave.

The young Seafarer follows the giant closely, step by step, in silence.

Startled, Caecus widens his eyes. He is completely unprepared for the question.

"Our Lord" is on the tip of his tongue, but Caecus takes a deep breath and swallows it down.

He obediently lowers his head while Goliath rampages through the engine room, which is already indistinguishable from ruins.

The giant blade drags across the desolate scars, splitting the ash and dust after the explosion like a newly carved river.

The giant delivers a heavy kick to the back of his knee, and the pain from the bone displacement forces Caecus to collapse onto his knees amidst the rubble.

Caecus is terrible at lying and stumbles over his words. His clumsy lies can't even convince himself, let alone Goliath.

I... I'm going to die...

Goliath grabs Caecus's hair and yanks it upward, forcing Caecus to look up and meet his gaze. Cold sweat rolls into his eyes, stinging his fragile mucous membranes.

I will die... I will die for betraying Lord Goliath...

The very next moment, Caecus is slammed to the ground by Goliath, like a broken mast.

Caecus flees the engine room. After Caecus becomes long out of sight, Goliath mounts his weapon by the burning power furnace.

A mere swipe of a tentacle leaves a gaping wound on the giant's lower back. Strange-colored blood quietly oozes out, seeping into the crevices of his dark skin.

Goliath retrieves his weapon from the fire and presses the giant blade against the wound without hesitation.

Under the intense heat, muscles rapidly atrophy, accompanied by the smell of burning metal. The wound no longer oozes bluish-black fluid.

After being away for a while, Caecus returns visibly tired, but Goliath doesn't care.

Words slipping from the Seafarers' mouths make Goliath frown. They are unrecognizable, incomprehensible, their meaning rejecting him, rejecting those without divine blood flowing within.

The disjointed prayers eventually merge into a chant-like flow, greatly annoying Goliath.

In the Seafarers' fervent prayers, amorphous energy streams drift through the hull breach, entwining around Goliath.

The familiar pain and tightness make Goliath clutch his neck; veins bulge at his temples, and his eyes strain, wide and bloodshot.

The shackles that bind him since he linked with the "Apostle of the Sea"... shackles he once thought he escaped after that explosion...

They punish him once more for his blasphemy against "God."

By the time the giant reacts, the mist has condensed into thick, tangible sludge, transforming into an alien dagger pressed against the wound on his neck.

"Philistine." There is only one person who knows Goliath by that term now.

After a brief moment of contemplation and silence, the Seafarers erupt in joyous cheers.

Goliath tries to push the dagger away but ends up cutting his finger on its suddenly sharpened tip.

Time until Alignment: 30 minutes

Celeste reaches out the door, eyes closed, sensing your direction and feeling the sea breeze hitting her slender wrist.

Elton stands at the wheel again. With no enemies to interfere, he steers the ship with a newfound sense of confidence.

He and Celeste work together to control the large freighter, which usually requires at least a team to operate.

Gusts occasionally send sprays of water into the air, but under their control, the Sona-Nyl remains as steady as a toy floating in a bathtub.

Guided by Ramona, you turn to look at the extraordinarily large full moon.

It is abnormally large, covering the night sky and sea with a glimmer identical to that of the full moon.

You realize it's getting closer. So close that your spirit seems to feel its abnormal radiation, both chilling and scorching.

Murphy's breathing grows louder, and as all eyes turn to her, each breath comes with a whistle-like sound, almost like air leaking.

Murphy raises her voice to answer you but accidentally chokes and begins coughing violently.

Everyone sees that she's barely holding on.

As you speak, you sit down against the wall of the bridge.

With your "fall," Murphy no longer pretends that everything is fine. She instantly loses her strength and moves along the wall to your side.

She leans against the wall and slides to the ground, no longer caring about whether her posture is ladylike or not.

She wants to find a support point to keep herself from completely collapsing. After some fumbling, she leans on your shoulder.

In just a few seconds, rapid yet rhythmic breathing reaches your ears. Murphy loses consciousness once again.

Horrifying bluish-black marks appear on Murphy's face, like plant roots deeply embedded under her skin, draining her fragile life.

Tulu glances at the enormous moon outside the window and shakes his head.

The next second, it is as if the world has hit the pause button, all sounds fading away.

If not for Murphy's faint breath on you, you might think that even time has come to a standstill.

Elton comes to his senses, paces around the console, and tries every operation he can think of, but to no avail.

The Sona-Nyl floats quietly in the waves, like a lonely giant embraced by the sea.

Tulu nods and extends a tentacle to help you gently lay Murphy on the ground.

You nod at Ramona and are just about to move when an icy hand gently grasps your ankle.

Murphy struggles to sit up, the black marks on her face fading as oxygen flows in and out.

She is as weak as a withered flower now. Her voice is a spent whisper, yet still carries a core of defiance.

You crouch down beside her, gripping her hand tightly, attempting to transfer warmth to her.

Time until Alignment: 20 minutes

You and Ramona return to the exterior of the engine room. The growth of D-Hyperplasia is worsening, visibly spreading along the way.

Ramona presses her ear against the door and listens for a moment. After confirming there is no sound inside, she nods at you.

Crack...

The door that once allowed you and Murphy to come and go freely is now stuck in the frame due to the rapidly growing coral. No matter how hard you and Ramona try, it won't budge.

You respond to Ramona with a deliberately casual tone. She emits a few indistinct nasal sounds, struggling hard not to burst into laughter.

Ramona rummages through her pocket and pulls out a broken communicator. The panel engraved with the Mythag University emblem is removed, revealing burnt internal gears.

Caecus kneels heavily on the ground, his weapon becoming a crutch that supports his defeated body. With his last ounce of strength, he grips the spear shaft as if holding onto the last ray of light.

He breathes heavily, seemingly muttering a few words. To make out his mumbled speech, you have to crouch down in front of him.

Caecus suddenly pushes you, loses his balance, and falls hard onto the cold, hard ground.

The next second, a familiar set of footsteps approaches you through the crowd of Seafarers.

Miryam stands atop the ruins, jagged metal shards cutting her feet, dark blood flowing.

Wherever she stands, a chilling trail of blood follows, emanating an icy dread.

Miryam glances at you, her demeanor lofty, showing no sign of defeat.

If not for the constant pain signaling from her body, the scene of her losing sanity and transforming into madness would seem like your imagination.

She completely ignores you and Ramona, advancing step by step towards Caecus. As she draws closer, the black ring around Caecus's neck begins to flicker once more.

The black ring, like a dark vine, tightens its ominous grip with each beat of Caecus's heart, consuming his life force like shadows at dusk creeping over the streets.

He tries to escape this torment, but the more he struggles, the stronger the ancient power becomes, mocking his helplessness and frailty.

His peripheral vision finally falls on you and Ramona, a fleeting look of desperation flashing across his eyes.

Ramona understands and draws her sword to block Miryam. The blade points at the woman's slender neck, with dark blood flowing down along the metal texture.

But the pain on Caecus's face does not lessen in the slightest. He kneels on the ground in a sorry state, unable to lift his head.

Miryam looks up, revealing an enigmatic smile. Her eyes are tainted by madness, filled with an indescribable menace.

Her tone rises, exuding a chilling madness that seems ready to devour everything.

Miryam abruptly pulls her hand back, and Caecus collapses like a discarded puppet.

He kneels down, lying on the ground, throat muscles twitching, celebrating the survival of his body with violent coughing.

Surrounding her, the eager Seafarers surge forward and surround you.

Miryam retreats to the edge of the hull's crack, gripping the sharp steel. Her expression is concealed in the shadow cast by her crown, and you can only see her lips move slightly, as if she is saying something.

And then, she lets go, falling into the sea.

The sea surface illuminated by moonlight is suddenly disturbed, creating a trail of foam that splits the waves and extends all the way to the other side of the ship.

Caecus can no longer speak; each attempt only produces more and more mucus, as if his extra organs have already been assimilated.

He has nearly lost his human form. Luckily, he remains lucid, merely curling up in pain instead of descending into the madness like Helot.

You crouch in front of Caecus and grasp his hand without hesitation.

You endure the pain and, with rationality, guide your spirit tendrils into Caecus's mind.

The house in his spirit realm crumbles. If you stop moving, mocking and scornful voices pour out from every corner, gnawing at the intruder's will like parasites.

You follow the moans of distress and find Caecus curled up in a corner.

His spirit is squeezed and marginalized, confined to a room resembling a ship's cabin. If it weren't for the rhythmic sounds like SOS signals, you might almost overlook his presence.

You reach out to him, and the moment your consciousness connects, a strong sense of suffocation surges up your throat.

The hypoxia reaction once again brings back the dizziness and pain you thought had passed, causing a momentary grimace on the faces of all connected to your spirit.

Ramona is the first to bear the brunt, immediately breaking out in a cold sweat and collapsing to her knees.

You reach out to help her, but feel dizzy and stagger two steps before collapsing to the ground...

You catch your breath and shake your head, steadying yourself with Caecus's help.

Ramona doesn't ask further, nor does she immediately follow you and Caecus. She scrapes the damp coal residue from the boiler and quickly adds some dry coal.

The spark plug rotates, rapidly evaporating the remaining moisture, and the smell of burning once again fills the engine room.

Elton turns the wheel a few times in vain; as expected, there is no control feedback.

The sea surges under the pale moonlight. The ship sways in the waves, and the deck creaks with the ship's motion.

Tulu, like an immovable statue of a deity, stands outside the door, blocking those Seafarers who seem never to tire.

As he speaks, his tentacles skillfully throw another enemy into the sea.

Murphy sits in the corner of the bridge. The tip of her ponytail casually rests on her shoulder. She looks pale and disheveled, a far cry from her once arrogant and spoiled self.

Her eyes are hollow and confused, gazing down at her chest.

Gently stroking her chest, her fingertips draw tiny circles over her heart. Beneath lies her fragile human heart, a ticking time bomb consuming her life.

Every heartbeat is filled with pain, tormenting her body. But what is truly terrifying is the horror and unease gnawing at her spirit.

Murphy's thoughts gradually sink into the mist of her heart. She closes her eyes, attempting to have a silent conversation with the parasite consuming her.

But before Murphy can wait for a response from the Fetus, her attention is drawn to the sound of something heavy hitting the ground outside the bridge door.

After raising his tentacles high once more, a sharp pain pierces Tulu's soul. The sudden suffocation shatters his gathered strength, and the tentacles crash onto the deck.

His guts feel like they are being torn apart by this force. Tulu pants heavily as he knocks down another Seafarer, then can no longer stand.

More Seafarers surge onto the deck platform outside the cabin. The smell of seaweed and rotting plankton instantly envelops everyone.

Goliath spits blood, his tone disdainful and mocking, mocking himself.

Goliath squats before Tulu. Even on one knee, he towers over Tulu's small frame. He looks down, watching cold sweat drip into those light orange eyes.

Goliath turns away and moves past Tulu, heading towards the inner side of the bridge.

Elton steps forward to shield Murphy, but Goliath doesn't even bother to spare him a glance.

Elton instinctively glances at Celeste, seeking encouragement from the usually silent Awakener.

But he receives no usual response. Even after taking the medicine from Caecus, Celeste's presence remains precarious.

Elton hesitates.

Tulu seems shocked upon hearing this. He struggles to stand up again, but the excruciating pain from the spiritual link shatters his focus, scattering his rationality to the corners of his limbs.

Murphy takes two steps forward, stands in the moonlight, and looks back at those she cares about and those who cared for her. Her figure seems lonely and blurred.

You follow Miryam's swimming direction and hurriedly make your way to the main deck.

The moment the last step is complete, an unknown behemoth rams into the freighter, causing it to tilt and veer off course.

Caecus and Ramona support you from both sides, finally coming to a standstill together.

The next moment, accompanied by the roaring of the waves, a massive shadow looms over you.

The phantom serpent suddenly raises its head high, lifting Murphy into the moonlight.

Pairs of tiny, delicate black hands emerge from the girl's chest, writhing and weaving together, layer by layer, enveloping her body into a massive black cocoon.

With a muffled growl, hands and black threads use the giant snake as a frame, entwining the cocoon tightly around its massive body.

The cocoon's shell turns transparent from swelling. Countless hands intertwine to form a throne, lifting up a pale heart.

Miryam kneels at the bow, bowing to the extremely twisted entity.

The wind carries distant, unknown whispers, like a serpent hissing in the shadows, making your hair stand on end.

Ramona and Caecus support you on either side. The three of you stand in a straight line, looking up at the gigantic monster that blocks the moonlight.

Linking with Caecus feels like an adrenaline shot to the spirit, gradually piecing sanity back together through the pain.

The screeching flute sound and whispers in your mind cease. You blink, feeling clarity in the spirit realm for the first time since the explosion...

The formation of the giant cocoon brings heavy pollution to the surrounding Domain, making it hard to locate Murphy in the murky liquid inside. But undoubtedly, you see a spark of life.

Ramona rarely refuses you so firmly. She removes your hand from her arm and solemnly entrusts you to Caecus.

Caecus pins you down with one hand, effortlessly stopping your struggle.

But Ramona has only taken a few steps when Caecus's ear fin twitches sensitively.

The next moment, he drops his weapon, grabs you, and rolls away from where you had just been standing. A giant blade flies in from afar, shattering the deck and sending splinters flying everywhere.

Caecus shakes his head, indicating he is fine. After checking that you have not sustained any new injuries, he picks up his weapon and stands guard in front of you.

It is then that you notice his dorsal fin is grazed by the blade. The tissue, once as tough as a swordfish's fin, is now ruthlessly torn and hangs crookedly on his back.

With a face contorted by pain, Caecus still straightens his proud back, facing the sneering giant in the distance.

He uses all his strength to push you towards Ramona. With his thin body, he stands between you and Goliath.

The fake god collapses and disassembles amidst cries, gray-blue dust filling the sky and falling slowly.

Before the words are finished, the deck beneath their feet begins to shake violently. The ship lets out a sharp creak, like the last cry for help from someone drowning.

The ship rocks chaotically, and holding onto the railing is futile. The world collapses around you, and the falling dust completely obscures your vision.

You can no longer see the moon, can no longer see the sea, and it is difficult to make out your companions.

Just before the counterfeit dust engulfs everything, the world becomes extraordinarily clear.

The unceasing sound of the waves has quieted down, and under the clear night sky, the moonlight feels especially gentle and serene.

William's sharp gaze sweeps across the port. Finally, he lets out a deep sigh and smiles.

William approaches. You try to say something, but your gaze uncontrollably blurs for a moment.

All fatigue, confusion, and pain vanish into the void. The image of your companion running anxiously towards you becomes the last frame in your memory, followed by a wave of dark tranquility...

Three days later. Mythag University

Doll places a stack of paper reports on the desk, indicating that you should look through them yourself.

After three full days of body examinations, you're physically and mentally exhausted and are desperate for an answer.

Doll pauses, then continues.

Your heart is in your throat, and the tension has every muscle in your body tightly wound.

You hurriedly grab your coat, nod to Doll as you get out of bed. But just as you're about to leave the dorm room, Doll stops you.

Everyone stands in the school courtyard. After three days, everyone's state seems to have recovered quite a bit.

Except Celeste. She remains half-transparent, like a beautiful phantasm that could be blown away by a breeze.

Upon defeating the Divine Fetus and the disassembly of the Sona-Nyl, a familiar white wind enveloped you. Celeste performed a long-distance teleport, bringing everyone back to land.

As a consequence, Captain Elton's spirit was severely damaged. Even after receiving treatment at Mythag University, the link with Celeste cannot be restored.

The captain walks to you and waves at Celeste, whose body is transparent to the point of being barely visible.

She is as perplexed as you are, but quietly drifts to your side...

Elton gently lifts her translucent hand and places it on your outstretched palm.

Elton is stunned by her words, but after a few seconds, he bursts into hearty laughter.

The moment you link with Celeste, a fragile yet powerful consciousness floods your mind. Though you are standing on land, your chest feels the suffocation as if drowning.

Celeste's form is no longer ethereal; she truly exists in this world.

Elton waves goodbye one last time as you watch him set off on a new journey to find his lost home.

Ramona points at a nearby tree. Hiding in its shade is Caecus, his gaze tightly following the starting car until it completely disappears into Mythag's misty outskirts.

Mythag University Outside the Awakener Dormitory

The logistics department prepared the most luxurious dormitory for Murphy. When you open the door, Murphy is sitting on a soft wool mattress, drinking tea, with the tea tray casually placed on the bed.

Murphy's expression is relaxed, not feigned. Based on your understanding of her, she truly isn't good at lying.

The fork is already at your mouth, and you take a bite of the cake.

The chocolate's sour, sweet, and bitter flavors melt together in your mouth, while the nut oils blend them perfectly, making the brownie dance on your taste buds.

You and Murphy sit by the bed, chatting casually and finishing off a five-person afternoon tea dessert.