Deep Sea Embers

“Is that really it? Just like that?” He couldn’t help but glance at the pirate in the mirror, his voice laden with doubt. “A submarine, loaded with explosives, went a thousand meters deep and resolved the ‘uncontrolled supernatural phenomenon’ that was worsening? Let’s not even discuss the power of those explosives at that depth—simply from a supernatural standpoint, could such an explosion even destroy a supernatural phenomenon?”

“We can only speculate,” Tyrian seemed unfazed by his father’s skepticism. “In truth, nobody knows what occurred a thousand meters below the surface, nor what the fourth submarine witnessed down there. Our only link to the depths was the partial perception the priest shared through psychic resonance… a scream, a roar, and a rumble. These brief fragments revealed little truth.

“However, after the fourth submarine’s explosion, no more ‘third submarine’ replicas emerged from the deep sea. Thus, we can only assume… the issue was resolved.”

“The issue was resolved…” Duncan furrowed his brow and shook his head. “Fine, let’s say it was resolved. What happened to the Abyss Plan afterward?”

“The Abyss Plan didn’t end, and that’s the oddest part,” Tyrian stated bluntly. “After such a costly event that finally resolved the third submarine’s mysterious crisis, one would think we should have reevaluated the Abyss Plan and halted this perilous endeavor. Yet, Queen Ray Nora disagreed, not only announcing the project’s continuation and the construction of a fifth submarine but also… elevating the Abyss Plan’s priority to the highest level, employing an exceptional amount of manpower and resources.”

Duncan’s expression grew serious, as he realized that the truly “uncontrolled” element of this tale might have only just begun. The “charges” against the Frost Queen and the rebellion half a century ago all originated from this.

He looked intently into Tyrian’s eyes: “It appears you didn’t support your queen at that time.”

“We had heated debates, which is why I mentioned I was no longer directly involved in the ‘Abyss Plan’ after the ‘thousand-meter’ depth. I believed things were headed in a dangerous direction,” Tyrian spoke slowly, his voice subdued. “But looking back, I should have done everything in my power to stop the Frost Queen, not avoid her… I had too much faith in her and didn’t realize she was fallible too.”

“Do you believe the Frost Queen truly made a mistake?”

“The Abyss Plan led to a series of crises under the Frost Queen’s reign and provided her adversaries with opportunities to take advantage. This increasingly extreme exploration eventually cost Queen Ray Nora her life. At least from this angle, it was definitely a mistake.”

“…What transpired after Ray Nora insisted on continuing the Abyss Plan?”

“After that point, I was no longer directly involved with the project and didn’t know much about it. However, from what I occasionally heard, the project faced numerous difficulties, and increasingly strange and terrifying incidents began to occur,” Tyrian said calmly. “The fifth submarine, built with the most advanced engineering technology and durable materials of the time, experienced various accidents during its dives as if something tried to stop humanity from exploring deeper into the ocean.

“Those involved in the project started losing their minds, experiencing mysterious injuries, or vanishing, only to reappear disoriented in the city center. The explorers who participated in the dives became suspicious and irritable, transforming from disciplined and respectable scholars and soldiers into eerie fanatics. It was even rumored that the ‘fifth submarine’ itself underwent inexplicable changes during its dives, with its internal workings increasingly resembling a… ‘living creature.’

“Despite all these changes and the increasingly alarming atmosphere surrounding the project, the Abyss Plan persisted. Those involved, including those plagued by madness, accidents, and injuries, neither had the courage to withdraw nor question or defy orders from above. It was as if…”

Tyrian hesitated, struggling to find the right words to describe the situation.

Observing this, Duncan gently added, “As if the underwater ocean was calling them.”

“Yes, as if the ocean was calling them,” Tyrian agreed, nodding and giving Duncan a peculiar glance. “A very… accurate description.”

“Don’t overthink it. Please continue.”

Tyrian looked away, gathering his thoughts: “It felt as though the entire project was driven and guided by an unseen force, or perhaps the ‘project’ itself had developed its own will, relentlessly pushing further into the deep sea. Those involved in the project became like individual cells within this vast will.

“In this atmosphere, the fifth submarine unknowingly reached depths beyond one thousand meters. I’m not sure how deep it ultimately went, but I heard… it was an astounding number, truly remarkable. From an engineering, materials, and technological standpoint of the time… it was an unattainable achievement.

“The deep sea embraced the Abyss Plan and welcomed the fifth submarine. The increasingly peculiar machine and its equally bizarre crew seemed to effortlessly navigate thousands of meters deep in the dark ocean as if returning home. Meanwhile, around the Abyss Plan’s vicinity… strange occurrences began to multiply.”

“Merchant ships frequently reported seeing ‘reflections’ identical to their own vessels near the sea surface. Dense fog often enveloped the eastern Frostbite, with shadows resembling ships or enormous creatures drifting within. In the kingdom, a substantial number of ‘strangers’ appeared, congregating near Abyss Plan-related facilities, claiming to be project participants, even outnumbering the actual project members.

“Under these circumstances, rumors – or rather, they could no longer be considered mere rumors – began to spread everywhere. At first, people claimed that the Frost Queen was conducting suspicious research, but soon, the narrative shifted to her studying subspace. Eventually, it was said that the Frost Queen was colluding with subspace and had already reached an agreement with its mastermind – Captain Duncan…”

Tyrian took a breath, gesturing with his hands: “And then, as you know, the Frostbite Rebellion that shocked the North took place.”

For a moment, the small warehouse filled with “antiques” fell into silence, only to be broken again by Duncan’s calm voice that emerged from the mirror: “It’s understandable that people connected this with subspace, but linking it to the Vanished is a bit too far-fetched.”

“Actually, it’s quite a reasonable connection, and it even involves me,” Tyrian said with a wry smile, shaking his head. “Who would have thought that I am your son — while also loyally serving the Frost Queen and participating in this terrifying project during its early stages? You know, conspiracy theorists always have the wildest imaginations.”

Duncan neither agreed nor disagreed, and after a brief moment of thought, he said: “In that case, the outbreak of that rebellion wasn’t entirely unfounded. The Abyss Plan that Ray Nora insisted on carrying out was too dangerous, and based on your description… her mental state at the time was indeed questionable.”

“This is precisely what I wanted to mention,” Tyrian interjected. “I know that all signs pointed to the Frost Queen losing her sanity at the time. She seemed like a madwoman being enticed by something, stubbornly following her own path, but I know that she… was always clear-headed, highly rational, and fully aware of her actions.”

“Really?”

“I argued with her, but I was still a trusted general. I could approach her — in fact, other high-ranking city-state officials could too. They all knew that the Queen had never gone mad nor intended to destroy the kingdom or endanger the world. Yes, they knew… but they were afraid, hesitant, and some had been bribed and misled. They weren’t as resolute as I was.

“But I know that perhaps the other participants of the Abyss Plan were indeed gradually being influenced by something, but she… evidently withstood this influence and exploited it to her advantage.”

“You mean that the Frost Queen actually had a coherent and ‘safe’ plan, and she was confident about accomplishing it, but she didn’t tell anyone — she didn’t even explain it to you,” Duncan looked thoughtful as he gazed at Tyrian. “And you still trust her unconditionally? Because you believe that, even if there is something threatening the city-states deep in the sea, everything is under Ray Nora’s control?”

“From your perspective, this trust is probably too blind.”

“Whether it’s blind or not is up to you,” Duncan shook his head. “I just want to say that the Frost Queen evidently couldn’t keep ‘everything under control’ — she ultimately died at the hands of the rebels, and the Abyss Plan was entirely buried. Things didn’t unfold as she had planned.”

“…I really can’t argue with that,” Tyrian sighed helplessly.