[North Sea 3rd POV]
The man stared at the distant ship through the binoculars, unmoving, transfixed by the shape cloaked in smoke. Slowly, he lowered the binoculars.
The sea was quiet—unnaturally so. No waves lapped against the hull. No wind whispered across the deck. Just silence.
And then…
Nothing.
A breathless, waiting silence.
Suddenly:
Thooooom...
A deep, low vibration like the sound of something ancient waking beneath the ocean.
Then silence again.
And then, faint and distant:
Hhhnnnnnnnngggg...
A groan—not mechanical, not human, but something else entirely. It echoed across the water like a mournful cry from the deep.
A moment passed.
Then, from nowhere:
Click... click... clack...
[A/N: Thalassophobia sounds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9IsWErMNbQ]
Sharp, irregular sounds. Like bones tapping on metal. Like something crawling where it shouldn't be.
The man froze. He didn't dare move. He only listened—heart pounding—knowing something was coming.
The black smoke leisurely drifted onto the yacht, and when the man saw it, he instinctively stepped back. Someone nearby approached the smoke and touched it—only to turn to ash the very next second.
The man watched in horror, then turned and ran in the opposite direction. But as he did, he realized the black smoke was surrounding the yacht from all sides.
The man had no choice but to watch as everyone on the yacht turned to ash—one by one. And finally, it was his turn.
"Fuck."
That was the last thing he said before he, too, crumbled into ash.
Once everyone had perished, the entire yacht sank into the black, smoke-covered water.
Near the coastlines of the countries surrounding the North Sea—the United Kingdom, France (Paris), Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden (Gothenburg), and Norway—panic was beginning to spread.
People who approached the black smoke rising from the sea and touched it turned to ash instantly. Those who witnessed others turning to ash began to retreat in fear, rushing to get away from the coast.
What were people doing at the beach at night? Probably gallivanting or enjoying the night.
[New York, Queens 3rd POV]
{15 March, 15:45} A man dressed in sandals, short pants, a rolled-up long-sleeve T-shirt, and a hat with a moon symbol on it was seen walking up a staircase.
He opened the door to the rooftop of the building he was in, and the moment he stepped outside, he jumped onto the roof access structure—hands still in his pockets.
He could really jump.
He looked toward the east-northeast with a serious expression for a moment—then simply looked up at the sky.
"What a hassle," he muttered, beginning to do something, but suddenly froze mid-action as a voice echoed in his head:
「Relax. It's okay.」
He decided to sit down and continued staring at the sky.
Suddenly, someone entered the rooftop, but the man didn't bother to move from his spot. The person who appeared was a woman, scanning the area until her eyes landed on him, perched atop the roof access structure.
"Sir, you can't just leave like that. You have to talk to me," the woman said.
The man calmly stepped down from the structure.
"Sorry Tess. Put me on your good side," he said as he looked at her.
Tess frowned, clearly irritated. Without another word, she turned around to leave, and he followed behind her.
[Alabama 3rd POV]
Somewhere in Alabama, hidden deep within a secluded monastery, a man dressed in monk's robes sat cross-legged, quietly sipping tea. He appeared old, yet there was a youthful quality to him—timeless.
Suddenly, a knock came from outside his room.
"Come in. Speak your mind," he said calmly.
A figure entered and bowed slightly before speaking. "The Vael of Drakthar is reacting to something. You need to see it."
The monk rose and followed the messenger. They arrived at a chamber where an ancient object pulsed with a faint glow.
It looked like a stone encased in dragon scales, clearly ancient. Strange markings were carved into it—symbols from a lost or unspoken language.
The monk reached out, touching the artifact briefly. Then, he looked toward the east.
"I see," he said quietly, turning to the man beside him.
The other man looked confused, and the monk noticed the expression.
"There's no need to worry," the monk said. "If Moñan Ver doesn't involve himself, then it's fine."
With that, he returned to his room and resumed sipping his tea in silence.
[United Kingdom, London 3rd POV]
In the middle of an alley, three boys stood—one of them performing some kind of magic while the others watched, nervously glancing around.
It was still night, and the troposphere remained covered in black smoke.
The boy—or rather, the teen—casting the spell was Morgave. He held an orb in his hands, chanting an incantation in an unfamiliar language.
He repeated the words until the orb began to levitate, rising slowly toward the blackened sky. A vibrant hue of swirling colors emerged, weaving through the smoke above.
A small hole opened in the thick haze, and moonlight poured through, illuminating the area around Morgave.
As the light bathed him, a female ghost began to materialize.
Morgave pulled the orb down toward the ghost. The orb drew her in, absorbing her essence. Once the ghost vanished inside, the smoke began to dissipate—and slowly, the moon became fully visible again.
The sky cleared. The sea, too, was now free of the black smoke.
But those who had turned to ash did not return. They remained dead.
People often forget: most lives don't end with meaning. They simply run out of time—unnoticed, unresolved, and uncelebrated.
[New York, Manhattan 2nd POV]
{18 March, Saturday} You open your eyes and turn your head to find a woman sleeping next to you. Smiling to yourself, you kiss her gently on the cheek before getting out of bed.
You head off to take a bath. Afterward, you make your way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
A few minutes later, someone enters—and you realize it's Sarah.
She looks at you like she wants to say something but settles for, "Morning."
You greet her back while continuing to prepare the food.
Sarah takes a seat and asks, "Why don't I return home next week? My control is fine."
You pause, thinking it over, then look at her and say, "If you feel ready, I can take you anytime you want. Just tell me when."
Suddenly, another person enters the kitchen—it's Julia.
You all sit down and decide to eat breakfast together. After finishing the meal, Sarah and Julia head off to take a bath or shower.
You stay behind, relaxing in the living room and watching some TV while you wait—they're all getting ready because today, you're heading to the mall for groceries and a bit of shopping.
Once they're done, you choose to take your four-seater car instead of the other one.
At the mall, you start with groceries. After finishing the grocery run, you all move on to shop for clothes.
You watch as Julia and Sarah excitedly jump from store to store, shopping non-stop—and naturally, you're stuck holding all the bags. Eventually, you grow tired of walking and decide to grab a drink and sit down for a while.
[3rd POV]
Scott stood up from where he was sitting and walked over to get a drink of water from a tap. He opened it, but the water shot straight into his mouth, nearly choking him before he managed to shut it off.
He looked around—shocked, and slightly terrified.
He opened the tap again, but this time, the water flowed normally.
Confused and unsettled, he muttered to himself, wondering what had just happened. As he walked back to where he'd been sitting, he kept glancing over his shoulder at the tap.
A little while later, the girls returned from their stroll. They noticed Scott's puzzled expression and asked if something was wrong.
"It's fine. There's no problem," he said, brushing it off.
As they passed by the fountain in the mall, the water suddenly froze midair for a few seconds. Scott noticed it—and it immediately made him think.
It's not a coincidence, Scott thought.
They eventually finished shopping and drove back to the penthouse. Once there, Scott told the girls he was going to check something upstairs at the pool.
""YOU HAVE A POOL?"" they both exclaimed in unison, shocked and surprised.
Scott smirked and revealed a hidden staircase leading to the upper floor.
The floor above featured a fully stocked bar, a billiard table, a cozy leisure room, a large, beautifully simple bedroom, and an infinity rooftop swimming pool.
Sarah and Julia looked around the upper floor. Sarah was drawn to the cozy leisure room, while Julia glanced at the bar before turning her attention to the bedroom.
While the girls were exploring, Scott headed straight to the pool to check something.
He raised his hand—nothing happened.
He spoke a few words—still nothing.
He tried a series of hand signs—nothing.
He even did a little dance—nothing.
Then, he performed a few movements that resembled Tai Chi or yoga—but still, nothing.
He tried a few more things—some of them… questionable.
But no matter what he did...
NOTHING HAPPENED.
Finally, he gave up trying and just stood there, thinking—trying to recall something he once saw on TickTalk...
°Empty your mind.
Be formless, shapeless, like water.
You put water into a cup; it becomes the cup.
You put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
You put it into a bottle; it becomes the bottle.
Now water can flow, or it can crash!
Be water, my friend.°
After thinking about it, a swirling, water-shaped orb floated in midair—an abstract sphere made entirely of water.
[TO-BE-CONTINUE]