"They will never stop... Even if the path is fraught with thorns, even if the enemy is formidable, nothing can stop them."
—A pair of unseen eyes
The weather is finally improving today... The dark clouds that had gathered over the ocean are gradually dispersing, and the sun is shining brightly as if reborn. Its intensity is extraordinary, even streaming into Atlantis...
Taga opened the door to his hotel room, and was greeted by a peaceful scene within Atlantis. Looking at Atlantis, Taga recalled the friendly and kind people of his time in the Alkaros Empire. Just as peaceful as the Atlantis before him...
Taga slowly walked out of the hotel... He walked down the bustling streets. Atlantis's merfolk vendors were hawking their wares, other merfolk were chatting, and merfolk children were happily playing. Looking at this scene, Taga's lips curled slightly, feeling a sense of well-being. Taga strolled along the street, constantly drawn to the fish-people's novel wares. Before arriving in the Alkaros Empire, he had never seen Atlantean specialties. He gazed at the merchandise with puzzlement, suspecting that perhaps because the Atlanteans, isolated from the rest of the world and having spent almost their entire lives at sea, were barely aware of the continent's existence, and therefore, naturally, didn't sell their wares to the mainland nations.
Taga smiled at this thought, then glanced over and saw a unique jewelry store selling countless pieces. The owner, noticing Taga's gaze, called out, "Little brother! Are you interested in our jewelry? Come on over!" He then waved and beckoned Taga over.
Taga looked at the enthusiastic owner and slowly walked forward. She reached the stall and picked up a necklace, examining it carefully. The gemstones, set in a stone reminiscent of some beast, evoked a sense of wildness and power. The shimmering gems reflected Taga's face. Taga carefully toyed with the necklace, Tina's thoughts lingering in her mind.
"If she were here... she'd probably love it..." Taga gave a wry smile at the thought, then looked up at the shopkeeper and asked, "How much is this necklace..." Taga handed it to the shopkeeper, who glanced at it and said, "About five Ocean Dollars."
Taga looked at the shopkeeper and nodded. Then he pulled out his purse and took out five Ocean Dollars. When Taga first arrived in Atlantis, Aluka had given him fifty Ocean Dollars, saying he'd have to pay for anything he wanted with them. Taga had wanted to exchange them, but Aluka forced them into his pocket, forcing him to accept them.
Taga handed the Ocean Dollars to the shopkeeper, who smiled and took the money, then thanked her. Taga smiled back politely, pocketing the necklace. She turned and continued browsing. The street vendors were so numerous that she felt overwhelmed.
At that moment, two murloc children were chasing each other, laughing happily. The one being chased didn't notice Taga in front of them and bumped into Taga's leg. The murloc fell to the ground after bumping into Taga. Taga seemed to notice the collision and turned to see two children, one of whom was sitting on the ground. Taga turned around, knelt down, and helped the murloc up, gently asking, "Are you okay, little one? Are you hurt?" Taga asked the murloc gently.
"No... Thank you, brother... I'm sorry I bumped into you..." The murloc patted his butt and apologized politely. Taga closed her eyes and smiled in response, but then she opened them and the murloc's face had transformed into Tina's.
"Why... why... Taga... why didn't you come back to save me... why did you leave me..." Tina, her face covered in blood, continued to complain about why Taga didn't come back to save them. Taga stared at Tina in shock and murmured, "No... I didn't... I wanted to go back..." Taga's tone was filled with panic and sadness. He wanted to explain everything, but the words wouldn't come out...
"Then why did you leave us? Why did you flee like a coward?" The crowd around him gradually turned into soldiers who had died in the Alkaros Empire. They all repeated the same words: accusations, spitting, and curses. Taga looked around helplessly, his breathing becoming rapid, his expression shifting from shock to panic to grief.
Taga listened to the soldiers accusing him. He roared, clutching his head, and ran towards the inn. From the perspective of the others, Taga suddenly clutched his head in pain, mumbling to himself for an unknown reason, then suddenly roared and ran away. The children's father, who had seen Taga like this, quickly pulled the two children away from him.
Taga ran furiously the entire way. The inn wasn't far from the market, but he seemed to be running for an eternity... He ran as hard as he could, as if stuck in some kind of loop. All around him were soldiers from the Alkaros Empire, spouting harsh words. Taga tried to reach the inn as quickly as possible... but he couldn't get out... Taga slowly crouched down and said, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry! I really am..."
At that moment, a hand patted Taga's shoulder. Taga looked up and saw it was Aluka. "Are you okay? Why are you squatting in front of the inn?" Aluka asked with a worried and puzzled tone. Taga turned to look at the people around him and saw that the soldiers had disappeared.
"Are you okay?" Aluka asked again when he got no answer. "I'm fine..." Taga slumped to the ground, his back drenched in cold sweat, and his forehead also dripping with sweat. Taga wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, breathing heavily, unable to understand why he had just experienced such a hallucination.
"If you're alright, do you need to go get some rest?" Aluka looked down at Taga. He didn't understand what Taga had been through, only that he was crouched in front of the hotel, mumbling to himself. Taga looked at Aluka and nodded slowly, then stood up and walked towards the hotel. Taga returned to his room and lay directly on the bed, dazed. He gasped for air, raised his hand to the ceiling, and clenched his fist.
"If this was just a dream, then it's fake. Tina and the others would never say such a thing!" Taga closed his eyes. This time, he didn't enter a dark space. Instead, he saw a cloud of smoke. Turning around, he saw that he was now in the middle of a battlefield. Taga suddenly remembered where he was. He looked at the familiar spot and said slowly, "This is... in front of the main city of Alkaros..." Taga cheered around him. He looked at a massive army not far away, seemingly engaged in combat with another.
Taga quickly ran over. As he got closer, he saw Tina fighting fiercely. He felt a surge of joy, but he couldn't tell if this was a dream or reality. Distortion, sitting on the tentacle, frowned slowly, then leaped up. Taga shouted, "Watch out!" Unleashing all his strength, he rushed forward! He immediately blocked Tina's path... but... the tentacle passed right through him, piercing through her instead.
Taga watched Tina die before his eyes... He slowly knelt down... Tina's last words were, "Taga... my only family... you must live well... you must fulfill your dream..." Then she closed her eyes. Taga feebly tried to lift Tina's body... but no matter how hard he tried, his hands kept piercing through it. Taga stared at Tina's corpse... then, with all his might, he cried out in agony, "No! Tina!! I can't do this! I'm so useless... I can't save you..." Tears streamed from his eyes...
The surroundings shifted again, returning to the darkness of the previous space, but an uninvited guest seemed to appear before him. Taga watched a pair of feet approach him, and he slowly raised his head... It was Distortion! Taga's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Distortion, his teeth gnashing as he stared at him.
At this moment, Distortion spoke, "You are Taga...? How can you be so useless?" Distortion's words were filled with mockery and derision. Taga looked up at Distortion, his enemy. He wanted to kill him, but his mind told him that Distortion was just an illusion.
"You're not thinking I'm hallucinating, are you? Hahaha! I'm a real god! And you... are just my nourishment... the nourishment of my pain. The more pain you suffer, the happier I am." Distortion, with a snarky expression, approached Taga, constantly belittling and mocking her. Taga clenched his fists, his rage flaring. He swiftly threw a punch, but it pierced Distortion's body in an instant.
"Do you think you can hit me? I'm telling you... I even killed Bane! Hahaha! What can you do? You can't even protect what you hold most dear! And you still want power! Hahaha!" Distortion laughed wildly at Taga. Taga lashed out with his fists, each one tinged with lightning, as if to unleash his fury on him. But each one pierced Distortion's body.
Distortion swung his tentacles and sent Taga flying. Before Taga could even react, he was sent flying dozens of meters. Taga slowly stood up, looking up to find... Distortion had left the dark space...
At this moment, Taga couldn't help but feel someone calling his name. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Aluka calling him. "Taga! Hurry up! It's already the next morning!" Aluka urged.
Taga slowly picked up the alarm clock beside his bed and checked it, realizing it was already the next morning. Rubbing his forehead, he slowly stood up and walked to the bathroom. Turning to Aluka, he said, "Wait a moment... I'll take a shower first, and then I'll meet the king with you." Taga forced a smile. Aluka looked at him and could only nod helplessly.
In the bathroom, Taga rinsed himself with ice-cold water, trying to convince himself that his dream and what happened at the market yesterday were all hallucinations. He closed his eyes and quietly felt the energy in his body. He felt it slowly grow stronger.
Five minutes passed... Taga put on her clothes and walked out of the bathroom, saying, "Come on, Aluka... take me to see your king!" Taga said in a spirited tone. Aluka looked at Taga and nodded with a smile, then took Taga out of the hotel and to the Atlantis Palace to meet the king...