Chapter 14
"Scattered"
The quiet sea was probably hiding something arcane, either blissful or baleful. The cold breeze tenderly blew their hair, who were trying to traverse the Black Sea. Adrian and Derron who were enthusiastically rowing the boat, viewing the vast sea with a weird feeling.
Normally, a sea would catch the color from the sky, but the Black Sea's tremendous depth was entirely swallowing even the faintest light. Making its unique color is void, like a horror beyond stars.
Adrian, who had no fear of ocean depth, likely began to develop a phobia of deep sea. While rowing his paddles, he nervously looked at the dark water bodies with a little fear. He swallowed hardly, turning his gaze back to Derron and Allie.
"Um… Derron, do you know anything about that village? I'm feeling puzzled…" Adrian asked curiously, rowing his paddles with a curiosity.
Derron soon raised his eyebrows, nodding at him and before eventually replying, "Well… according to the Golden Ring tale, that village is named Abandoned Greyenian's Village. At first I didn't realize the connection of the tale with the village, until you mentioned Greyenian."
Derron then curled his lips into a faint smile, glaring at Adrian before adding, "Also, the Golden Ring has been taken by someone who mercilessly assailed the village along with his companion. His name is Xevock, the Black Star, the wielder of that ring before Nameless Bearer."
Derron looked aside, proceeding the tale even further, "The tale also says that Xevock betrayed his own companion in order to fully become the wielder. Marvolyn, the Lady of Trickery, she's considered sealed somewhere by Xevock…
"The cruel seeker then was able to wield the Golden Ring, however, the ring itself rejected his sinister will. With that, the ring was unleashing an extraordinary power into this world… Undying World. After all, everyone who has sinister will in their hearts will eventually be rejected by the ring." Derron closed the story, his words overwhelmed Adrian's mind with information.
Adrian thought for a moment, slightly raising his eyebrows before saying, "So… we'll fight Helmond who plays as Xevock, and Tyva as Marvolyn?... What a nightmare…"
"I think yes… that would be hard, I think." Derron muttered, he chuckled quietly while glancing at Adrian.
Until an idea popped up in his mind like a volcano, he then fixed his eyes toward Derron and murmured, "Derron, could we stop this game if possible? I'm curious about it!"
"hm… If I'm not wrong, this game can be stopped by voting, if enough voting is collected then the game can be stopped." Derron answered lightly. The clever boy simply added, "Also, just say 'cease the game.'"
"Do y'all want to do it?" Derron asked calmly, adjusting his glasses while looking at the two.
Adrian and Allie nodded in unison, preparing their voices to utter the line. Like a choir, they delivered the line as it echoed through the sea, the quiet sea…
"Cease the game."
No answer, only the gentle wind was whispering into their ears. Derron slightly smiled by the outcome, he knew that Tyva and Helmond did not answer the cessation of the game.
"I think they don't want to stop this game… Tyva is kinda naughty, but for Helmond… I don't have an idea." Derron mumbled, continuing to row the boat with Adrian following suit.
As the atmosphere fell to the grasp of silence, Allie attempted to shatter the awkward condition. She looked at the ashen sky that was adorned by the black celestial body, her look was calm and was a little nervous, before eventually murmuring, "Um… I-it's looks like we haven't found the fun yet, r-right?..."
Adrian fixed his eyes on Allie, a little smile etched on his face, he then tenderly whispered, "I hope so…"
Derron soon noticed Adrian's unease while rowing his wooden paddles, he slightly tilted his head in interest. He looked at the young prince, before asking, "Cadeyrn, are you afraid of the ocean?"
Adrian right away replied to Derron with a simple answer, "Y-yes?... I'm kinda afraid of this sea, it got me sick with its color."
"Woah! I didn't know you're afraid of this ocean, especially its color! I also find this sea is slightly horrible, the water color, and perhaps something that is now lurking on us from beneath the surface."
"It's kinda funny, you know…" Derron whispered quietly, followed with a little laugh.
"Ha! You got it!" Adrian chuckled, a burst of laughter was immediately resounded through the silent ocean.
A wave of euphoria embraced them immediately, creating a desolated paradise in the midst of concern and uncertainty. The tension then began to settle, like they had been stormed with happiness.
In the moment of joy, their ecstasy was instantly driven into a feeling of… apprehension. From a distance, a powerful roar coming from an unknown location was instantly piercing into their ears. The sound was fearsome, horrendous, and in every word that describes fear.
"What the hell was that!?..." Adrian questioned, his hands slightly trembled and tightly grasped on his paddles.
Derron quickly looked around, however, he found nothing that could catch his attention. Their hearts once again rattled, with Allie who was nervously trying to breathe properly.
Okay! This game is not fun at all! Where the hell does that sound come from!? Adrian looked down, he then turned his head toward Allie in concern. He looked at the girl who was nervous, her breath was heavy, and so Adrian asked, "Um… Allie, are you okay?"
Faced by a question, the shy girl immediately responded to Adrian and tried to assure him she was alright, "I-I'm okay, Cadeyrn!... D-don't worry about me, everyone…"
Until Allie's eyes widened behind her mask, finding something terrifying from a distance from behind Derron. Adrian also spotted the horrifying nightmare that Allie noticed, his eyes broadened upon seeing that.
"W-what is that…" Allie pointed, with her right hand trembling due to the great fear.
Derron quickly turned his gaze, feeling puzzled by the two's reaction. His eyes discovered a furious storm was approaching them, looming over the horizons with gray color. A few silver lightning tore the storm, delivering a loud sound that traveled miles away.
"W-what… how's it possible?..." Derron stunned, staring at the gale with an unimaginable fear.
Next to the raging storm, there was a sole vortex that stormed the ocean in utter chaos, worsening the situation into a complete madness.
"I-I swear I didn't know that there's a storm! How's that possible!?" Derron mumbled, shaking in fear while his gaze was locked to the storm.
Even at this point, the calm and clever boy was overwhelmed by the madness that was happening. Derron indeed could not think straight anymore, his fear had taken over him.
"I don't care about it! Derron, let's row this boat away from the storm!" Adrian declared aloud, his words instantly clarified Derron's mind.
"O-okay!" Derron shouted loudly, rowing his paddles with Adrian in an attempt to escape from the storm chase.
However, the storm's pace was unpredictably accelerating toward them at a quick speed. The three arduously tried to flee away from the gale, even the rampaging vortex, the tension rapidly increased to greater heights!
Even after a grueling attempt, the ashen storm soon shrouded them with chaos. An odd downpour combined with a chilling wind was instantly deteriorating the situation, with the ocean wave beginning to go berserk without mercy.
"Shit! It's all useless!" Adrian bellowed aloud in panic, even though he was still trying to row the boat in difficulty.
The scent of the rain was instantly piercing their nose, the smell was like a thousand rotten eggs that were thrown to them without a single pause. They began to nauseated by the scent, with their visions swirling like a vortex!
"What kind of this abomination!?" Derron bawled as he tried to keep his position.
Oh God! What is this!? Adrian looked at Derron and Allie with panic, he cannot utter a single word due to his mouth which began to become numb.
Their boat adrift on the ocean with so many waves hit toward them, their mind indeed starting to steer into insanity. They intensely tried to not to puke as possible, but with the furious and insane situation making it impossible.
Until their boat was sent into the air by a giant ocean wave, and with a quick speed… their boat landed on the ocean's surface, and plunged into the dark sea without a warning!
Oh God! I regret joining this game! Shit! Adrian plunged into the water harshly, with him hearing Allie's scream and Derron too.
With a difficult effort, Adrian tried to dive up determinedly, suddenly activating his survival instinct. As he managed to float in the water, he saw Derron and Allie from a distance, and they ultimately began to be separated.
"Allie! Derron!" Adrian screamed in despair, trying to scream aloud as he could.
Adrian desperately tried to swim toward them, ignoring his own fear. However, the wooden boat that Adrian thought had lost suddenly hit his head brutally, sending him down into faintness. The madness still continued to rampage, it would never fade instead it became more harsh than before.
…
A faint, a feminine voice, whispering into Adrian's ears. Adrian who was lost in unconsciousness, thinking he was dead for the second time.
Am I dead? For the second time?
Those voices… stop it! Please!
The voice became more clear and loud, with the voice trying to wake him up as possible.
"Adrian… wake up…"
"Please, don't leave me here… I'm scared…"
"Are you really going to leave me here all alone?..."
Adrian was puzzled by the voice, whether it was Allie or someone else? But it is too odd for him, it was impossible for Allie to know his real name. Until the voice finally echoed through his ears with its final line…
"Do not fall into treachery."
Until he slowly opened his eyes, in a slow and weak motion. At first, his vision was indeed kinda blurry until he adapted to it.
He found himself stranded on an empty beach, with a single motion, Adrian turned his gaze to the ocean with concern. He saw the Black Sea's furious waves, trembling in fear as he must.
He found no one in there, no Allie, no Derron, only himself.