"Other sailors said they saw my floating body on the sea after the storm ended, thinking I was dead, but surprisingly, I still had a breath left."
Mande wasn't overly concerned about Old Mark's strange story.
After all, what old sailor who has battled the seas for years hasn't seen a few strange things?
In contrast, he was more interested in the connection between Mark's described experiences and his subsequent mental issues.
Could the near-hallucination experiences this old sailor had when falling into the ocean be the root cause of his later psychological illness?
On this day, until nightfall, Mande pondered this question.
Until he routinely checked the mailbox, then saw the familiar academy stamp on the pristine envelope.
His expression paused involuntarily.
But the expression on his face differed from the excitement and joy three months earlier, turning into an odd anxiety and worry.
