Shrouded Seascape

Lily had no answer to this question. Though she had returned to her human form and could return home, the thought of going through with it terrified her.

She felt that the moment she agreed to it and gave it a definite time frame, the countdown would begin for her remaining time in this world.

"Stop hesitating about it. Nothing stays the same forever," Linda stated, cutting off Lily's thoughts. "Charles' opinion is clear. He wants you to return to your world. There's no point in you staying around and waiting any longer."

Feeling that she had said enough, Linda stood up and headed toward the door.

Reading the dilemma on Lily's face, Grace said, "No rush. Take your time. No one is pressuring you to make a decision now."

As Lily's good friend, Lily had confided everything to Grace long ago.

"I understand what Mr. Charles wants. He wants me to go back to where I come from. But… has he really forgotten about our promise? He said that when I turned back to human, he would…

"But then he just up and left!" Lily complained, her tone laced with a hint of hurt and bitterness. She felt that she had been abandoned.

Grace continued to comfort Lily gently, and soon Lily's mood gradually turned for the better. By the time they realized, it was already dark outside.

They had a long, relaxing soak in the bathtub before climbing into bed. Cuddling the black cat in her arms, Lily turned to her right and looked at Grace, who was reading a book.

"Grace, do you think Charles really likes me?"

"I guess so. I mean, besides his daughter, you are probably the closest person to him," Grace answered as she gestured with her scarred right hand to turn the pages of the book hovering in mid-air.

"I thought so too. We even kissed back then," Lily remarked as she slowly closed her eyes.

Grace turned her gaze from the book to Lily's sweet and innocent face. She raised her hand slightly, and the crystal chandelier above them dimmed until the room was bathed in soft shadows.

"Goodnight, Lily."

"Goodnight, Grace."

As the minutes ticked by, only the gentle rhythm of their breathing could be heard in the room. Lily drifted deeper into sleep, and the black cat in her arms slipped out from under the fragrant blankets and gracefully leaped toward the nearby window.

Lily mumbled a few inaudible words in her sleep and wrapped her arms around Grace's arm, snuggling closer to the older girl.

Just as the minute needle struck midnight, the peaceful silence of the night was abruptly shattered. The bedroom door flew open with a loud bang, instantly jolting Grace out of her sleep.

Grace instinctively muttered a spell; a fireball the size of a wash basin formed in the air and flew toward the door.

"Hey! What are you doing! It's me!" The lights flickered on, and the blue mist reverted to Dipp's fishman form.

"What's the problem? It's the middle of the night. Can't you wait till tomorrow morning?" Grace grumbled as she lightly pulled the blankets over herself and Lily.

"I'm not here for you! I'm here to find Lily." Dipp rushed over to Lily's side and shook her awake.

Lily groggily blinked herself awake and stared at Dipp with droopy eyes.

"Lily, you often meet up with the Captain's daughter, right? Do you know where she is now?" Dipp asked.

"Huh? Are you asking about Sparkle? She used to stay at the World's Crown, but I don't know if she's still there. I tried to reach her with her portrait before, but she didn't respond."

"World's Crown…World's Crown…" Dipp muttered to himself as he dashed out of the bedroom.

As soon as Dipp was out of sight, the drowsy Lily flopped back onto her pillow and drifted back into a deep slumber.

The next morning, while Lily was enjoying her breakfast, Grace recounted the events from the night before.

"Really? Dipp came to find me last night? Why don't I remember any of that?" Lily asked with a hint of surprise in her tone, her face full of disbelief.

"You probably thought you were dreaming. I was startled too. He just burst in out of nowhere and didn't even bother knocking," Grace replied.

Chewing on her spoon, Lily pondered for a moment before she asked, "Do you think…what Dipp said could be true? Could it be that Mr. Charles hasn't really gone back at all?"

"I wouldn't know about that. You were the only one there when he made his wishes," Grace replied before spooning a mouthful of milk-soaked dried bananas into her mouth. "Why aren't you eating? What's on your mind?"

Lily put her spoon down and rested her chin on her wrist.

"Say… why has Sparkle been ignoring me? Could what Dipp said be true? That Mr. Charles is still in the Subterranean Sea? But he clearly made his wish…"

Lily then stood up abruptly. "I'm done. I'll go to the docks to take a look."

She then rushed toward the door. A soft glow gradually enveloped her, and her small frame lifted into the air as she flew toward the docks.

Arriving at the docks, Lily was surprised to see dockworkers loading supplies onto a ship. Among them, Dipp stood nearby and was addressing a group of people.

"Dipp, where are you going?" Lily asked as she descended from the sky.

"Where else? To the World's Crown to look for the Captain's daughter, of course! If the Captain is really on the surface world, she would know for sure!" Dipp's eyes glimmered with determination; his demeanor was a stark contrast to his anxious state the day before.

"This is the crew I gathered. What do you think? They are all seasoned sailors. We've got a first mate, second mate, chief engineer, and deckhands, all accounted for!"

Lily studied the crew assembled before her, and a firm determination gradually suffused her face.

"I'm going too," Lily declared. "I want to ask Sparkle why she has been ignoring me. Plus, she probably knows more about what's going on with Mr. Charles more than anyone else."

Deep down, Lily felt that the chances of Dipp's words being true were slim, but she clung to that sliver of hope. What if it was true? Unbeknownst to her, she was creating another new excuse for her to stay in this world; she found it hard to leave this world behind.

Dipp was surprised that Lily decided to join them, but of course, he welcomed the idea. "Perfect! Now, we have a gunner as well. Remember to bring as many of your mice as you can. If we run into any trouble at sea, they might come in handy."

"Captain, it's probably not the best idea to take a woman on board," the seasoned first mate interjected.

Dipp let out a booming laugh. "She's not just any woman. Don't worry. With her on the ship, we'll be fine."

Suddenly the sound of rapid, determined footsteps echoed behind them. Everyone turned around to see the interim governor, Bandages, approaching them with a large entourage in tow.

"Why?" Dipp asked as he tilted his chin defiantly toward Bandages. "You are not joining, and yet you are still here to try to stop me from sailing?"

Bandages scanned the hastily assembled crew and commented, "They… won't do… Their origins are… not clear…Hope Island's… navy… has men…"

The moment Bandages completed his sentence, the synchronized sound of boots stomping against the ground echoed through the air. A dozen men stepped forward and saluted Dipp.

Their disciplined movements and the resolute gaze in their eyes made it evident that they were elite soldiers fresh off the warships of Hope Island. With their experience, they would be more than enough to assist Dipp in commanding the Narwhale.

Dipp stood in stunned silence for a brief moment before a broad grin broke across his face. He stepped forward and punched Bandage lightly on the shoulder.

"Bandages! I knew you'd lend me a helping hand!"

Bandages swayed slightly from the hit but quickly steadied himself. "Captain said… he'd kill me… himself…Maybe… you can… try to… find him."

"Don't worry! Leave it to me. Let's go!" Dipp replied before leading the crew toward the Narwhale's deck.

A piercing wail from the ship's whistle cut through the air.

As the sailors labored over the heavy winches, the anchor began to rise from the depths. One by one, the thick ropes securing the ship to the dock were untied by Bandage himself.

With all the knots undone, the Narwhale left the docks once again.

Standing on the deck of the Narwhale, Dipp watched as the dock gradually shrank until it faded into the horizon. He took a deep breath, allowing the salty sea air to fill his lungs.

"Narwhale! Set sail!"

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