Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 541: The Chasm

In a world teeming with unexplainable phenomena, especially in the ocean’s vast depths, Duncan confronted an idea that felt nothing short of madness. He stood before a stone sphere, with a diameter of ten meters, that floated on the surface of the water. This was not just any sphere; it bore an uncanny resemblance to a celestial body. The audacious thought in Duncan’s mind was that this object before him might be a genuine celestial entity, transformed and somehow made to levitate on the sea. The very concept seemed to transcend any semblance of reality.

Yet, once this thought anchored itself in his consciousness, it refused to fade. Despite its inherent implausibility, Duncan found himself engrossed, turning the idea over and over in his mind. The sphere was eerily familiar to him. Not just in the way it looked, but it evoked a profound sense of intuition. As he observed the pale texture of the object, he was overcome with an overpowering sensation—a feeling that connected him across time and different realms. The sphere reminded him so much of something from a place he once knew: the moon from his homeland.

Next to the gleaming ship named “Bright Star”, the moon-like object floated serenely. Duncan was so absorbed in his contemplation that minutes felt like hours. His trance was eventually broken by the sound of footsteps and a familiar voice. “Papa, this is it,” Lucretia called out to him.

Duncan turned towards his daughter, his face reflecting a myriad of emotions. “Ah… yes, this is it…”

Spotting the unusual look in her father’s eyes, Lucretia’s voice carried a touch of worry. “Papa, you look a bit off-color. Is something amiss with the stone sphere?”

Gathering himself, Duncan replied, “I’m alright, Lucy. Thank you.” He gestured towards the sphere and tried to speak, but words failed him. How could he begin to convey the idea of a ‘moon’ to his daughter? It was like the time he struggled to explain what a ‘planet’ was to Tyrian.

Wishing to divert the topic, he queried, “Has the sphere altered in any way since it landed? Has it maintained this state?”

Lucretia nodded affirmatively. “Ever since I discovered it, it has remained unchanged.” She began detailing how she stumbled upon this peculiar entity and the efforts taken to transport it to Wind Harbor. “The sphere remains suspended above the sea, held aloft by some unknown force. Left undisturbed, it holds its position but can be moved by external forces, like ships. Although its exterior is hard, it feels like stone. Our attempts to extract samples have shown the surface layers have a stone-like composition, but the deeper layers have proven impervious to our drills…”

Duncan focused on every word Lucretia said, absorbing the information. “Have you uncovered any other peculiarities about it?” he inquired.

Lucretia delved further into their findings, “We’ve been particularly intrigued by the radiant patterns or ‘lights’ that surround this sphere. It’s as if a vast and intricate web of luminosity encases it. Remarkably, this illumination is comparable to the strength of the sun. Its brilliance could potentially light up an entire city. Yet, what baffles us the most is that this light doesn’t seem to be emitted from the sphere itself. Instead, it’s as though the radiance materializes spontaneously in the surrounding vicinity, dispersing uniformly from that point.”

“To confirm our observations, we fashioned an expansive tent to shade the entire sphere. But, even this did not diminish the glowing patterns or affect the intensity of the ‘sunlight’ upon the adjacent sea. Another intriguing detail is the fine layer of ‘dust’ that clings to the sphere’s exterior. Despite our efforts to gather samples, the dust remains steadfastly attached. It won’t simply drift away or settle at the bottom. It’s like some unseen magnetic force binds it there.”

She tried to capture the essence of all the tests and observations made by the researchers on this perplexing object, presenting them to Duncan as coherently as possible.

Throughout her detailed account, Lucretia watched Duncan closely, searching for any clue to his innermost thoughts. But Duncan was an enigma. Beneath his intent gaze and thoughtful expression was a maze of emotions she couldn’t decipher. It was clear, though, that this mysterious object deeply preoccupied him—more than she or even Tyrian had anticipated.

After reflecting for a moment, Duncan asked, “Have many samples been gathered?”

Lucretia responded affirmatively, “Indeed, we’ve meticulously scraped the sphere’s exterior in several areas. And while its core remains challenging to access due to its density, its external layer is more yielding. From this layer, we’ve obtained grayish-white particles that closely resemble fine stone powder…”

She paused, uncertainty flashing in her eyes. Gesturing towards a floating research platform nearby, which had been specifically set up for in-depth studies on the sphere, she offered, “Would you care to take a closer look?”

Duncan nodded, “I do.”

The two then proceeded to the elaborate research station, designed meticulously by elven engineers. A specially constructed bridge on the upper tier of the station led directly to the enigmatic sphere, granting them a firsthand experience.

To most, a ten-meter diameter might appear minuscule for a celestial object. However, standing beside it, the sheer size was nothing short of imposing. Its scale was equivalent to that of a three-story building, even if one ignored the additional height given by its elevation from the sea.

Elven engineers had ingeniously installed a viewing platform encircling the sphere’s midsection. Secured with sturdy straps and a sequence of anchors and support brackets, it ensured the structure remained stable. The platform might have been compact, only covering a small area, but it was spacious enough to allow for observation.

Standing at this platform’s perimeter, Duncan extended his fingers to caress what he believed resembled a moon. The texture felt coarse and icy, very much like touching an aged rock.

Pulling his hand back, he observed a faint residue of ash-colored dust coating his fingertips. As he rubbed them against one another, fine specks danced in the air before him.

Interestingly, some of these airborne particles gravitated back towards the sphere, adhering to its exterior once more.

Observing from a distance, Lucretia remarked, “This attraction between the sphere and its particles has perplexed us. It’s as if the sphere has an invisible magnetic pull on its own particles, drawing them back. But we’ve observed this pull is exclusive to the dust from the sphere and not with any other substance.”

Duncan merely responded with an affirmative hum, lost in his thoughts.

“I’ve heard from Tyrian that you’ve named this remarkable stone structure the ‘Moon’,” Lucretia began tentatively, observing Duncan’s reactions closely. “Your enthusiasm was palpable when you first witnessed it. Do you possess some knowledge regarding its origins?”

Pausing briefly, Duncan replied, “This… it’s not quite as I recall. It’s vastly larger in my memories, dwarfing its present dimensions.”

“Larger than the Vanished Fleet?” Lucretia questioned, a hint of disbelief in her tone.

“Exponentially so.”

“Even surpassing the Arks of the Four Gods? Or comparable to the entirety of the city-states?”

Duncan dismissed with a shake of his head, “Much more vast. Its enormity defies your comprehension.”

She pressed further, “…Could its dimensions rival the expansive stretches of the Boundless Sea?”

Considering her question, Duncan mused, “I can’t equate it to the exact dimensions of the Boundless Sea, but it could be. But you must understand, what we refer to as the ‘Boundless’ Sea is merely an expansive prison, ensnared by a veil of mist.”

Lucretia’s gaze deepened in astonishment. This conversation unexpectedly stirred dormant memories from her childhood. She recalled a long time ago when she had posed a similar inquiry to her father regarding the vastness of the Boundless Sea.

He had once described it to her as being of unimaginable vastness, surpassing the dimensions of the Vanished, greater than their own sprawling city-state. He said it was as limitless as its name suggested, a vast expanse that promised endless adventures and discoveries that one could spend an entire lifetime exploring.

Deeply influenced by his words, Lucretia aspired to be an explorer like him and later became a “Frontier Scholar.” Being part of the prestigious Vanished Fleet, she had journeyed alongside her father to countless destinations, venturing into the enigmatic realms known as the “Frontier.” She always held firm to the belief that her father’s childhood tales weren’t mere stories— the Boundless Sea was truly vast.

However, the notion that this “Boundless Sea” was nothing more than a mist-enshrouded prison jarred with her childhood beliefs. And now, she was confronted with a stone sphere, just ten meters across, which was allegedly even grander than the vast Boundless Sea.

Looking up, Lucretia tried to visualize this “moon” expanding to sizes beyond the Boundless Sea. This attempt stretched her imagination to its limits. It was one thing to hear about such enormity but another to try and visualize it.

“Such a colossal ‘moon’… What kind of world would be vast enough to house it?” she pondered aloud.

The concept that the Boundless Sea wasn’t the sum total of their world flitted across Duncan’s thoughts, but he resisted expressing it to shock the daughter further.

Because the truth was, he hadn’t gauged the full breadth of their world. He hadn’t traversed beyond the elusive veil that the “Frontier” represented.

He couldn’t confidently assert if the Boundless Sea truly encapsulated their entire world.

Furthermore, he recognized that Lucretia might struggle to fathom a cosmos so immense that it could cradle countless stars.

Even if she commanded a ship, even if that vessel bore the illustrious name “Bright Star.”

Breaking the silence, Duncan softly voiced his regret, “I’m sorry, Lucy.” He looked deeply into the eyes of the young “Sea Witch” and admitted, “This… is beyond what I can convey to you.”