(The monologue is the manager of Julie and the others. You don't have to watch it. If you watch the anime, this chapter will make up for the word count...)
It felt like someone was shaking my body.
He opened his eyes and looked at me worriedly. His hair was as black as his eyes, and it fell to the ground.
It was a beautiful young lady about my age.
[Oh…!]
When I was about to sit up, my head hurt so much that I couldn't help but moan.| He started to chant. The girl let out a low cry,"Ah…!」She lifted me up with her slender hands.
What was this place…?
What was going on?
He pressed his head and looked around. It was a spacious lounge. There were high-end round tables and chairs that looked like antiques everywhere. There was also a bar in the corner with many wine bottles. In addition, there was a small stage with the music score half-flipped.
There were several young men about my age lying on the smooth wooden floor-there seemed to be more than ten of them. Everyone pressed their heads and cried out in pain.
I suddenly realized that our races are different, and the majority of us are fair-skinned. However, there were tall, blonde, blue-eyed teenagers with Germanic styles among them. They looked like curly-haired teenagers who had been sunbathing on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea for many years. It was obvious that they were of different nationalities. There were also short yellow-skinned youths. There was also a short boy with light black skin and a girl with the same skin color. However, the two of them realized that they were talking in different languages and seemed to be quite confused.
They groaned and complained of a headache| I could only understand English and French. The rest were mostly foreign languages that were very fast. I couldn't understand what they were saying at all.
A yellow-skinned youth walked over and helped me get up. I said " Merci " in French. He seemed to understand and nodded at me.
[What is this place…]
The English pronunciation was very clear, and because it was quite loud, everyone turned their heads.
There was a white teenager standing there-thin, short-haired, freckled skin, and he looked quite healthy, as if he often basked in the sun.
"I was caught by an adult in a strange carriage and fell asleep after eating. He woke up here. And he had a terrible headache…What was going on?」
I stood up and said that I was in the same situation. The young man said uneasily,
[Is everyone in the same situation…?]」
Only the children who understood English nodded.
The freckled teenager looked around the lounge. After walking around the room anxiously, he raised his head and stared at the door.
He reached for the doorknob.
…It opened.
He approached the door and peered outside-it was a long corridor. The dazzling oil lamps shone brightly on the luxurious wooden walls and the crimson carpet.
The freckled teenager looked at them with an uneasy expression.
[Where…]
She tilted her head and asked doubtfully,
[Is it shaking?]
[... Yeah.]
After hearing what he said, she could indeed feel the floor shaking rhythmically from left to right, and it would continue shaking every few seconds…
What was this place?
Why was he here?
The girl who was holding her head suddenly raised her head and shouted in a sharp voice,"
[Is it an earthquake?] That's right! It must be an earthquake!"
The lounge was in a panic.
A few of them even hurriedly hid under the table. In a panic, just now stretched out to me| The Chinese youth who had helped said,"
[... No.]
He spoke English, and his pronunciation was quite accurate.
Everyone turned to look at him.
[This shaking is not an earthquake.]
The freckled teenager asked,
[... What right do you have to say that?]
The young man from China said in a calm voice,"
[Because this is not land.]
[What did you say?]
"This shaking... is a wave. We are at sea, so this room should be the cabin. I don't think this is a building on land, but a ship.」
The lounge fell silent again.
2
The freckled boy led a few people who had recovered from their headaches into the corridor. Amongst them were the youth from China and the black-haired girl who helped me up.
The corridor was dazzled by the light from the oil lamps. The dark red carpet was a high-quality item that I had never stepped on before. Every step I took would sink in. My feet seemed to be pulled and I almost fell.
Just as I was muttering something, the young man replied,
[Yes! This must be a floor closer to the deck.」
[How do you know?]
"For cruise ships like this, the top floor is usually reserved for first-class passengers who pay a high price and enjoy a luxurious cruise. Therefore, the lounge, guest rooms, and even the corridors were very luxurious.」
[Oh…]
"Further down are the cheap rooms for second-class and third-class guests, or the facilities for crew members. Therefore, the lighting was very frugal, and the carpet was old. Further down was the cargo hold or boiler room. The dirty appearance made it impossible for people to imagine that they were on the same boat.」
[... You're quite clear.]
The freckled youth muttered suspiciously. Hearing his words, the young man smiled bitterly."
"Hey, hey! Please don't doubt me. I only took a cruise as a third-class passenger.」
[Oh…]
We introduced ourselves as we walked.
The freckled youth called himself Xiu Yi. The name of the young man from China was Yang.
[Who is this?]
Since he was asked, he answered.
[I'm Alex. Please give me your advice."
"French? I mean, Alex spoke French at first, and there was a slight accent in English.」
"No, I'm from Suval.」
[I see. I know that the common language of that country is French.」
The black-haired girl did not seem to understand English or French. However, it seemed that she knew that everyone was introducing themselves, so she pointed at her face and said,
[Li.]
Then, he used his finger to indicate that he was fourteen years old.
Just as Yang had explained, the floor with the luxurious lounge seemed to be the highest floor of the ship. They found the stairs and climbed up to the deck of the cruise ship.
One by one, they came to the deck. The old deck creaked as everyone stepped on it.
The youths who came to the deck…all stood there with their mouths agape.
It really was the sea.
The sea at night…
Shrouded in the unimaginable darkness of the city, the pitch-black waves crashed and rocked the boat. The pale moon hung in the distance, casting a floating ray of light on the sea. As far as the eye could see, it was a deep and vast sea. Other than this cruise ship, there was nothing else.
A youth was running on the deck.
[Hey--!]
He shouted,
[Is there anyone here?!] Save us!"
Only the sound of waves could be heard in the silence.
The other hungarian girl also started running.| A full girl. She leaned against the railing and was about to shout…
Whoosh!
A strange sound rang out.
The girl's scream was heard after the sound of the wind breaking.
Xiu Yi hurriedly asked,"
[What's wrong?]
" Something brushed across my face. When I stepped near here, something suddenly flew over and fell into the sea…"
Xiu Yi's hand reached for the girl's face.
Even in the darkness, it was clear that his hands were covered in blood.
The girl's right cheek seemed to have been cut by something, leaving a shallow groove. Blood dripped from there. When the girl realized this, she immediately screamed and fell to the ground.
The black-haired Li and I helped the girl up.
Xiu Yi and the others looked in the direction the girl pointed, but because it was too dark, they did not know what it was.
Yang Hui, who had entered the helm, shook his head and said,"[I have no choice.]
"The helm is broken. No…it should be said that it was destroyed.」
[Why? Why are we here? Also, there doesn't seem to be anyone else on this ship besides us? Why are there only children like us?」
Facing the shouting youths, Yang could only shake his head in confusion."
[... I don't know.]
Xiu Yi stood up and said,
" I'm afraid something will happen if we continue to stay on this ship, right? That's right! Where's the radio? This kind of ship should have a radio, right?"
[Yeah. Hey! Alex…The radio room should be at the bow.」
Yang asked me, but it was my first time on this kind of ship, so I knew nothing about it. I could only shake my head. Yang Xiangxiu said,
[It should be over there…!]」
The two of them ran out together.
However, he immediately returned dejectedly.
"What's wrong?"
" I can't help it... There's a huge chimney blocking the passage ahead. There was no way to go from the deck to the bow. I think it should be a decorative chimney…but it's too big. It's almost as if they've made it big on purpose to stop us from getting to the radio room..."
[Then what should I do…]
Xiu Yi raised his head.
[Of course there is a way. He didn't leave the deck. Instead, he turned around and returned to the cabin. He walked down the stairs, then walked toward the bow of the ship from the corridor and climbed up the stairs at the other end. This way, he could reach the other end of the ship. Next, he would use the radio to call for the rescue team at sea.」
Yang nodded.
[Yeah. They should be coming to save us soon.」
Suddenly there's softness on my arms| It was a soft touch. Li seemed to be very uneasy as she leaned over. Although we didn't speak the same language, I still nodded at her, indicating that there was no need to worry.
The two of us, one on the left and the other on the right, supported the hungarian girl whose cheeks were bleeding as we walked down the stairs again.
The corridor was still the same, the light from the oil lamp was dazzling, but soft.| The soft, dark red carpet was different from before. It was like the color of blood with a hint of black. The hungarian girl, supported by the two of us, quietly cried. Li and I looked at each other and used more strength to support her arm.
Back in the resting room, the youths who had recovered from their headaches were all terrified when they saw the injured girl.
The teenagers who stayed in the lounge each found a chair and sat down, lowering their heads uneasily. The bright light from the chandelier illuminated every face, making them pale and lifeless.
They stood up and asked us,"
[How…]
[How is the situation?]
Xiu Yi hurriedly stopped them.
[…I'll explain it now.]
Xiu Yi explained what happened on the deck on behalf of everyone. Then, he suggested that everyone head to the bow of the ship where the radio room was located. No one objected. They all nodded helplessly.
Everyone introduced themselves briefly-their names, age, nationality, and how they got on this ship.
There was only one thing that made everyone different: nationality.
England, France, Germany, Austria, Austria, Italy, the United States, Turkey, Arabia, China, and…Suval.
Including Li, there were a few people who did not speak the same language. However, none of the eleven young people seemed to have the same nationality. It was as if they had been captured from all over the world.
Then, there were similarities.
Even if everyone was an orphan, no one would come looking for them after they disappeared.
He walked into the corridor again. This time, all eleven of them were present. The same corridor, and they were going in the opposite direction.
Perhaps it was because of my uneasiness that my head started to hurt again. Without thinking, she pressed her head and groaned softly.| Noticing my appearance, Lily stopped.
[Alex…]
Lily pointed at the heart-shaped pendant hanging around her neck. It was a pink pendant made of bright porcelain. She grabbed my hand and forcefully touched the pendant. Then, she gestured for me to close my eyes and relax.
The heart-shaped necklace seemed to be Li's amulet. She seemed to be saying that as long as you have it, you will be fine.
His large eyes were filled with a tranquil radiance. What a gentle girl, I thought. He nodded at her to express his gratitude and continued to walk forward with everyone.
Xiu Yi and Yang, who were walking at the front, suddenly shouted loudly. Everyone was shocked and stopped in their tracks.
[... It's blocked.]
Xiu Yi muttered to himself.
[What's going on?]
The hungarian girl with the injured cheek pushed the others aside and moved forward. Because everyone was leaning to the side, even if they were standing at the back of the line, they could clearly see what was in front of them.
In front of him was a wall.
The black wall that extended to the ceiling blocked the corridor, making it impossible to pass through…! Yang's expression changed drastically as he turned around and rushed out of the corridor.
[Yang...]
I called out to him, and he turned back:
"This isn't the only corridor on this floor. I want to make sure there's a corridor that leads to the bow!」
Everyone nodded in agreement and followed behind Yang.
However…all the corridors were blocked by the same black wall. The hungarian girl began to sob. Some people were also affected by her and were about to cry.
Xiu Yi and Yang began to discuss in low voices. Then, he raised his head and shouted,
[Everyone, let's go find the elevator!]
Everyone raised their heads.
Xiu Yi said in a powerful voice,"
"We're going to the next floor. That place might not be blocked by a wall like here. Do you understand? Alright, let's go find the elevator!」
Yang pointed to a direction in the corridor."
[Over there.]
The two of them didn't say much and led the way.
There was an elevator lobby in a particularly bright corner. The shiny black iron fence made people feel gloomy. There was also a staircase with white tiles next to it, but for some reason, the lights were not turned on. Only that place was dark.
Xiu Yi looked around at the youths.
[There are stairs here too. What do you want to do?」
Everyone looked at each other.
Perhaps they were afraid of the dark stairs, everyone rushed into the elevator. Seeing that they had filled the elevator, Xiu Yi stood at the side in a daze. He seemed to have pulled himself together again and said,"
"There's probably enough space for two people…Yang, Alex, you two lead them to the next floor.」
[Hughie, what about you?]
I asked him. He grabbed Li's hand and walked towards the stairs.
[Li and I will take the stairs. Alright, I'll see you downstairs."
Li looked back at them and waved her hand vigorously-it was so cute. I glanced at Yang and hurried to the elevator.
The iron fence made a clicking sound.」After that, she shut the door.
The elevator buzzed and slowly descended.
Under the light, everyone was nervous and silent.
Right at this moment…!
[Waaah!]
The girl's wail rang out-it was Li's voice.
Yang hurriedly tried to open the iron fence. The elevator finally stopped on the next floor. After a short noise, it shook and the iron bars slowly opened.
Everyone scrambled out.
[Li…]
[Hughie, what's wrong?]
I took a step towards the dark staircase.
The surroundings were so dark that I couldn't even see my fingers. I could only call out with my voice. He could hear a faint sobbing sound coming from above.
[…Li!?]
Just as I was about to rush up, Yang seemed to have found a small emergency flashlight in the elevator and rushed over from behind. He pressed the switch to illuminate the darkness of the stairs.
The torchlight shone on the corpse.
Everyone let out a low wail and stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.
…Xiu Yi fell to the ground.
He fell on the landing of the stairs like a broken puppet. Lying prone on the ground, left hand pressing| Below his body, his right hand was neatly placed on his waist. Li was squatting at the side, looking frightened.
[What's going on!]
The German youngster shouted at Li. Because of his tall stature, he looked much older than his actual age of fourteen. His physique was already close to that of an adult, and he gave off a rather oppressive feeling.
Even though Li had been yelled at, she couldn't explain herself. She could only gesture with her hands and feet to show that she had followed Xiu Yi down the stairs and found him lying there.
The German youth shouted impatiently in English with a German accent,"
[Who can understand your gestures!」
Then, he rushed to Xiu Yi's side, intending to check his pulse. He picked up his right hand, which was close to him, and then pressed his fingertips on his wrist.| To the side.
His pulse had completely stopped.
[How did he die!?]
Li didn't know whose voice it was, but she shook her head to indicate that she didn't know.
On the pitch-black stairs, there was only the round light from the flashlight in Yang's hand. Yang seemed to have been too shocked and dropped his flashlight on the ground. The round light fell down the stairs with a clack, clack…The stairs fell into darkness again.
The silence was as heavy as death.
At this moment, someone screamed,"
"I don't want to! I can't stand it! I want to go home…!"
It was the voice of the hungarian girl with a bruised cheek, followed by the sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs. I hurriedly wanted to chase her back. Yang swallowed a breath and said,"
[Hey! Where are you going! Don't get separated!"
There was no response. Yang shouted again,"
[If we don't act together…it will be very dangerous!」
They had already reached the corridor of the next floor. Looking around, he could see the girl's back turn around the corner of the corridor and disappear into the darkness.
[Hey…!]
The youths who caught up from behind looked at each other.
They couldn't just leave her alone…In order to find her, everyone agreed to gather at the elevator lobby and began to search separately.
The corridor seemed rather dark.
However, the corridor outside the lounge that everyone was originally in was darker when they went down one floor. Moreover, it could be seen that the corridor was made of wood with more obvious knots. The dark red carpet was also covered in black stains due to years of use, and it became sparse in the central part of the carpet where people walked frequently.
Each room was a single room. The corridor did not change at all, giving people the illusion that they were walking around in the same place.
I'm stepping on too soft alone| On the soft carpet, the uneasiness in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
He had an ominous premonition.
His heart was pounding.
My footsteps stopped automatically. For some reason, she just didn't want to turn the next corner. After trying hard to motivate himself, he finally turned the corner.
Over there…
The hungarian girl they were looking for was there, standing alone. His eyes widened and his body stiffened. I looked into her eyes. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't.
…The girl was already dead.
Unknowingly, I opened my mouth and screamed loudly through the corridor. I couldn't imagine that it was my own voice.
She wasn't standing there, but her throat was pierced by a battle knife and nailed to the wall of the corridor. I approached the cabin, thinking about what I should do.| Move forward--
With trembling| When his trembling hands touched her body, he stabbed her| The tip of the blade that was stuck in the wall loosened, and the corpse fell into my arms.
It was very heavy.
Hearing the screams, the teenagers came over one after another. Everyone screamed when they turned the corner and saw the corpse. Yang walked closer, trembling."
[Is Alex…alright?]
I nodded weakly.
The gathered children looked at each other and trembled.| He was trembling. In the end, the tall and burly German youth shouted angrily,"
[Who killed him?]
[This…I don't know.]
In response to Yang's answer, he said excitedly,"
[I don't know…]
[No one has a knife, right? All of us came on board empty-handed. Moreover, why would there be such a dangerous military weapon on the cruise ship?」
[Then…?]
Everyone looked at each other.
Li, who was late, finally arrived at the scene. When she saw the girl's corpse, she held her breath and covered her mouth with her hand.
There was something I couldn't say in the quiet scene while holding the corpse.
There was an antique cabinet at the end of the corridor. The drawer was slightly open. From where he stood, he could see the contents of the drawer.
Inside was a small pistol that was shining with an ominous black light.
There were weapons on this ship.
But…
Why…?
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