The sky gradually darkened.
Ray sat boredly on the reef, yawning, then looked down to tally the day's catch.
Besides a few scattered small fish, he hadn't caught anything substantial.
But at least it was better than returning empty-handed.
These fish were enough to take care of tonight's hunger.
He turned his head, looking toward the coast behind him.
Phrolova and Phoebe had already set up a simple shelter, and a campfire was quietly burning, illuminating the deepening twilight.
The two sat around the campfire but remained silent.
Phrolova was indifferent by nature, never wasting energy on things unrelated to herself, so naturally, she wouldn't initiate conversation with Phoebe.
Phoebe, being simple and not familiar with Phrolova, though wanting to chat, didn't know where to start. She could only silently look around, trying to ease the awkwardness.
This silence continued until Ray returned, breaking it.
In a sense, Both were like two parallel lines that never intersect.
Only his presence could briefly connect them.
"You two look bored?" Ray walked over to the campfire carrying a few cleaned fish.
Phoebe looked up, her eyes immediately lighting up with joy upon seeing him return. "Mr. Ray!"
"This is today's catch. Not much, but enough to fill our stomachs." As he spoke, he skewered the fish over the campfire, then looked toward the dark coastline in the distance, letting out a slightly regretful sigh. "Ah, too bad I forgot to bring drinks. If we had a few cold ones, sitting here eating grilled fish and feeling the sea breeze would be such a treat."
Phrolova sat quietly nearby, silently watching him. After a moment, she turned her gaze toward the distance as if nothing were amiss.
No one knew what the girl was thinking at this moment.
Only, it seemed as if some color had gone missing from her eyes, forever losing their original luster.
After that, the atmosphere fell into silence once more.
Ray handed the grilled fish to Phrolova and Phoebe, but the former frowned slightly, declining his offer.
"I don't like grilled things."
That was her reply.
So Phoebe took out the Green Branch Laurel Fruits she carried with her and offered them to Phrolova.
This time, she didn't refuse. In fact, she seemed to quite enjoy the tart flavor.
"Not bad."
She commented softly.
Phoebe: "..."
Ray: "..."
As he suspected, Phrolova really likes this taste.
Time passed quietly.
Ray sat alone by the campfire. Phoebe and Phrolova had long gone to rest. To be safe, he had to keep watch. Though Phoebe insisted on staying with him, he ultimately persuaded her to go back.
He yawned, occasionally adding some firewood to the flames. Later, he simply lay down on the sand, gazing up at the boundless starry sky.
These stars, whether in the past or now, had never changed.
Yet, under the clamor of the waves and the shroud of night, the stars in the sky seemed somewhat dimmer too.
"...So boring."
There was no signal here, nor any entertainment.
He could only sit there like that.
Maybe go night fishing?
Forget it.
Better not go too far from them. What if something happens?
The sea breeze brushed gently, making the campfire flicker along with it.
She appeared silently and sat down beside him.
"Aren't you sleeping?" Ray didn't look, he already knew who the person sitting beside him was.
"Can't sleep," Phrolova replied softly.
"What about Phoebe?"
"She's already asleep. Truly an innocent child. Even in such an environment, she can fall into deep sleep." Phrolova's voice was ethereal, echoing across the open coast, like a lingering echo from the past crossing over to the present world. "Perhaps... she trusts you too much. And you? Don't you have any feelings about that?"
As she spoke, her wine-red eyes suddenly shifted to meet his gaze, and beneath those seemingly calm eyes lay indescribably complex emotions.
"Feelings?" Ray continued gazing at the boundless starry sky, his eyes catching a fleeting meteor across the heavens. "What feelings could I have? Trust is a strange thing to begin with. To put it bluntly, it's just a one-sided investment and expectation, given without reservation."
"This emotion isn't mutual; it's just a wishful attachment."
"Perhaps the person you trust ultimately won't turn out as you wish. That might be an unacceptable outcome for you."
"But for that person, it might just be an insignificant matter, or even, never truly taken to heart."
Under these stars, the girl lowered her head. The breeze lifted her long hair, swaying with a lonely sentiment, gradually permeating the world.
Her slightly parted lips seemed to have words stuck in her throat, things she wanted to say but didn't know where to start.
"What a cold and heartless guy."
Phrolova looked up at the starry sky, listening to the sound of the wind being torn apart.
"I'm curious, if you were about to die, what would appear in your mind at that moment?"
"A person?"
"Words left unspoken?"
"Or... some regret that slipped away before it could be mended?"
Ray fell silent for a long time.
"Honestly, I don't know," he said. "Such questions are still too profound for me. Or rather... there isn't a definite answer. When people truly make decisions, they aren't really that indecisive; they make instinctual choices in an instant."
Phrolova: "..."
Flowing death paved the long night, and her heartbeat was already lost.
"Did you come here to talk heart-to-heart with me?" Ray asked her. "Do you feel a bit better now?"
Phrolova chose to answer his question with silence.
She let out a soft sigh and stood up. "Is that how you see it? Though I'd like to continue debating with you, unfortunately... it seems something doesn't intend to let us have peace."
Only then did Ray notice the faint black mist beginning to permeate the surroundings, surging from the deep sea like muddy tides.
He immediately stood up, scanning the area with alertness, then rushed toward the shelter to wake the sleeping Phoebe.
"Mmm... Mr. Ray, what's wrong?"
Phoebe rubbed her eyes, still groggy.
Only when she clearly saw the sudden appearance of Tacet discords (Remnants) around her did she become much more awake.
"Tacet discords? Why are there so many?"
"Don't know, but..." Ray drew the Swiftblade Carlotta had given him. "Now, the fight begins." He looked toward Phrolova beside him and asked, "What are those black things?"
"The Dark Tide."
She replied flatly.
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