"Well... maybe he's stuck in a coma forever." "Did water get into your brain, you lump of pork fat?" "Who are you calling a pig, you short little brat?!" The shrill voices pounded inside Talon's skull. His eyelids weighed like anchors and his body felt completely disconnected.
"Shit... did I really fall into a coma? Did I overdo it this time?" the young tyrant began connecting the dots, and fear chilled his bones.
"Okay, you two. Leave the captain alone. Go below deck. Apparently, another pack of killer whales started circling the ship. We don't want it more wrecked than it already is," the old marine's voice barked at the boys.
Soon, footsteps and the sound of a door closing reached Talon.
"A door? Below deck? Huh?" The young captain's fingertips began to tingle, and he felt himself close to waking.
"What a hassle, kid. Having to make meat porridge for a bearded man is humiliating. I wonder why we didn't just let you die..." the marine's voice was low and oddly paternal. Like a grandfather scolding his clumsy grandson.
It didn't take long for something warm and sticky to slide down Talon's throat.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS????!!" Panic took over the young tyrant's mind, and the adrenaline rush snapped his eyes open.
Talon's desperate green eyes met the dark, surprised eyes of the old man.
"Damn, just three days asleep and you're as hyped as seven rookie sailors," the old man burst out laughing.
Talon began frantically wiping his mouth, until he saw the small bowl in the marine's hand. A dark red goop with some oil and a strong fishy smell.
"What the hell were you feeding me, you damn geezer?!" Talon shouted, and the old man laughed again.
"Is that any way to talk to someone who's been taking care of you this whole time? Damn, young people really are stupidly ungrateful," the old man made the most fake scowl possible. He couldn't hide the joy of seeing Talon moving again.
Ignoring him, Talon realized he was in a bed. He couldn't feel the sea's sway. No sound of water. Nothing.
Around him, a room furnished with dark wood, old fabrics, and a design reminiscent of Earth's Victorian era.
"What the hell is this place? Where the hell are we?" Talon looked at the old man in alarm, a hint of panic in his eyes. Over the past days, the young captain had grown more comfortable at sea, and now, supposedly on land, he felt vulnerable.
"The story's actually pretty short... After fighting that thing in the eye of the vortex, the ship was about to sink and you wouldn't wake up even if 100 naked mermaids were dancing in front of you," the old man got up and left the foul-smelling food on a table.
"I highly doubt he managed 100 mermaids for me... That would've woken me up instantly," Talon thought.
"We sailed for a whole day across a beautiful sea. The number of fish we found was extraordinary, and the crystal-clear water let us see far ahead before anything could ambush us. And the light rain quenched our thirst," the old man told his tale like a seasoned storyteller, and Talon began to relax a little.
It would never compare to being at sea, but at least he was starting to adapt to solid ground and not the rhythm of the waves.
"Eventually, we found this place," the old man spread his arms, showing the room.
"It was at dawn on the second day in those crystal waters. This mansion's been our home for over a day. So you've been unconscious for three full days," he finished, crossing his arms and waiting for the captain to process everything.
"Calm... That means there are only two days left before everything ends???" Talon yelled, pulling up his bracelet.
"Actually, in a few seconds, exactly 24 hours. According to Simon, that storm was strange and he mentioned something about time dilation... I don't understand you young folks' stuff," the old man said while glancing at Talon's forearm.
Beep! [Initialization: 24hrs remaining.]
Of course, Talon's bracelet already had dozens of notifications waiting to be read. But one stood out and made him shiver.
[Saturation: 98%]
"H-How is my [Saturation] so high?" Talon turned his gaze, and the old man scowled at him.
"Why do you think, idiot? We've been feeding you beast meat this whole time. Since we knew your percentage was low, we kept up massive doses every day," the old man's raspy voice echoed loudly through the room. Apparently, he had done most of the work and was tired of it.
The young tyrant shook his head, trying to hide his embarrassment. He was wearing new pants and a white linen shirt. Clearly, someone had recently changed his clothes.
"Well, you should go downstairs and take a look at where we are. I didn't bother trying to describe it. It'll be easier to see for yourself," the old man started leaving the room, and the sound of footsteps descending stairs reached Talon's ears.
"Wait... We're not on an island?" the young captain got up, ignoring the protests of his sore muscles, and grabbed the foul-smelling food.
"Well, I gotta eat this soon. Something must happen when I hit 100%, right?" But curiosity didn't outweigh disgust. He walked with the stinking food toward the stairs.
The wood was relatively firm, considering the mansion's old feeling. Dozens of broken frames and empty moldings lined the walls. At the end of the stairs, a grand room with a statue made of bronze-colored metal stood out more than anything else.
The statue was of a tall, bald man with two round holes in his forehead. The fact that he had a tail extending from his waist revealed his clearly non-human nature.
Talon didn't waste more time staring and headed toward the large double doors that likely led outside.
He turned the handle and pushed the heavy door with more force than necessary.
The young captain's eyes widened.
The sunrise was beautiful. Strong winds hit his face, bathed in orange light. But what startled him was that instead of sand, the ground was white.
With each step away from the mansion, he felt more and more disbelief. To his right, a calm lake with some grass and two massive trees. Even two swings hanging from ropes and vines
.
But on the horizon... the feeling of helplessness consumed him. Half-shrouded in mist or simply too far to see clearly, several massive white pillars pierced through the clouds.
"Skull... The Fist's Island... The red pillar... The Eye... This place... Is it the Titan's ribcage?"