"We'll meet again."
Those were Nujah's final words.
Then he dissolved into shadow and sank quietly into the darkness of the ocean.
Silence fell over the deck.
But it didn't last long.
Heavy boots echoed across the upper floor.
Armed soldiers poured into the room.
Leading them was a familiar figure — Ferinhard.
His eyes were sharp, his expression like ice.
Two more figures followed behind.
One: Mabaki — clad in black armor etched with glowing red seals.
The other: Maria — silent, elegant, and almost glowing with ethereal light.
The ship's owner stood frozen in fear as Maria tossed him a pouch of gold.
> "You saw nothing," she said softly.
"And you'll remember nothing."
The man nodded, almost hypnotized.
The trio descended below deck.
There, waiting for them:
The crow, huddled in the corner...
and Vercurius, still bound, human, but fully conscious.
But Nujah was nowhere to be found.
No shadow.
No trace.
Nothing in the room indicated he'd ever been there.
Even the shipowner — who had seen him minutes earlier — could no longer recall his face.
Ferinhard glanced at Vercurius.
> "No need for questioning. Release him."
The soldiers hesitated.
But Mabaki raised a hand.
With a sharp snap, the chains fell.
Vercurius stood slowly.
His eyes met Ferinhard's.
> "You're late," Vercurius said.
> "And you're still overdoing it," Ferinhard replied.
The crow fluttered up and landed on Vercurius's shoulder.
> "Sooo... nobody's mad at me, right?
I mean... things got a little out of hand."
No one answered.
A long, quiet conversation followed.
Questions were asked — most went unanswered.
Plans were shared — but the details remained buried.
Then, from above — sounds from the upper deck.
They moved to return to their own ship.
But…
The ship wouldn't move.
The sails were torn.
The rudder was shattered.
The core seal that powered the vessel was cracked.
And worst of all —
the key seals in their coat pockets were gone.
Each of them instinctively checked...
Empty.
Ferinhard clenched his fists.
> "Now what?!"
Silence answered.
Then someone noticed.
Maria was gone.
So was the crow.
No sound. No footsteps.
They had vanished. Without a trace.
The ship fell quiet again.
But this time…
Not just shadows had vanished —
trust had gone with them.