The night passed without incident.
When Ray opened his eyes again, a faint fish-belly white had appeared at the horizon, but the streets were still immersed in a hazy bluish-gray.
It seemed sunrise was still some time away.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes, unable to remember when exactly he had fallen asleep.
He only vaguely recalled that it seemed to be when he was dreaming of Phoebe- no, not that, when he was indulging in fantasies, he unknowingly fell asleep.
Probably because he had traveled all day yesterday; he was just too tired.
He sat up from the floor bedding, stretching his somewhat stiff shoulders.
The room was very quiet. Besides the soft breathing of the girl beside him, there was only the rhythm of the wall clock interwoven with the sound of rain from earlier, one beat after another.
"How long did I sleep...? It's already getting light outside."
He slowly sat up, supported by his arms, his gaze falling on the still-sleeping Phoebe.
Her long lashes fluttered lightly, filtering the dim morning light. Lively, star-like eyes remained tightly closed.
Actually, Phoebe... is really cute.
Even if she does talk in her sleep about pizza toppings.
Perhaps his movements disturbed her dream. Phoebe let out a vague, soft murmur, her eyelashes trembling a few times before she shifted slightly, still deep in sleep.
"Mmm... Benny, stop that..."
"Pizza... how can you put crown pear on it... Mr. Ray is really..."
But...
What on earth is she dreaming about?
Why is she still hung up on Crown Pear Pizza?
Never mind, let her sleep.
Looking at the girl's simple, pure sleeping face, Ray couldn't help but shake his head gently. He turned and walked into the bathroom to freshen up.
It was still early.
What should he do during this time?
Go fishing for a bit?
And, while he was at it, see if there were any boats heading to Stillwater Bay?
Yeah, decided.
He walked out of the bathroom, put on his jacket, left a short note for Phoebe, then gently pushed the door open.
But the moment he closed the door behind him and turned around, he ran into an unexpected person in the hallway,
Phrolova.
She seemed to be heading out too. Seeing him, a flicker of unmistakable surprise passed over her face.
"This really is... quite unexpected." Phrolova pressed her lips together softly, speaking as she walked toward Ray.
The latter was also slightly stunned, not expecting to run into Phrolova here.
She was right next door to me?
Fate truly works in mysterious ways.
"Good morning," Ray took the initiative to greet her.
Phrolova gave a light nod, but her gaze fell on the tightly closed door behind him, a note of amusement in her tone. "Heading out so early? Not resting a bit more with that little priest...?"
"How do you know Phoebe is in the room?"
"Well..." She pretended to think. "Intuition, perhaps. So, how was last night?"
Catching the teasing in her words, Ray immediately adopted a serious tone. "Don't get the wrong idea. We shared a room, but nothing happened."
"I haven't asked anything yet. Why the eager explanation?" The smile in Phrolova's eyes deepened as she looked at him with interest.
"I... never mind. Let's not talk about it." Ray changed the topic somewhat helplessly. "Speaking of which, why are you at the Riccioli Islands? Inspiration gathering? Or a vacation?"
"Want to know?" Phrolova brushed past him, taking a few steps before turning back, a meaningful smile on her face. "What if I said... my purpose for coming to the Riccioli Islands is the same as yours?"
Hearing this, Ray was taken aback. "You came for the Tidebreaker Whale too?"
"Yes, and no." Her answer remained veiled in mist. "We live in the same world, naturally drawn by the same melodies. In the end, we are the same kind of people, just walking different paths."
'Starting with the riddles again.'
Ray directly ignored the second half of her hint-laden sentence. "What does a performer like you want with the Tidebreaker Whale?"
"Want to know that much?" The corner of her eye lifted slightly as she turned and began walking away. "Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough."
With that, she said no more and walked straight toward the other end of the corridor.
Ray hesitated slightly, then stepped forward, following her retreating figure.
...
...
The street was thick with fog.
Besides the faint sounds from the distant docks, the surroundings were so quiet it felt as if they still hadn't woken.
Phrolova and Ray walked side by side through the empty streets and alleys. She didn't show any displeasure or discomfort at his following; instead, she felt a rare sense of peace in this quiet world of interwoven black and white.
That was the tranquility she had once hoped for, even longed for.
It's just a shame it had all eventually turned into fleeting smoke.
He was no longer him.
'And I... am no longer me either.'
"A bit hungry. Why aren't there any breakfast stalls on the street?" Ray muttered softly while looking around.
He wasn't even sure himself why he had followed Phrolova out. It was just that the moment he saw her turn and leave, his feet seemed to move on their own accord, and by the time he realized it, he was already walking beside her in the fog.
Phrolova glanced sideways at him, her tone indifferent. "Is the meaning of your existence reduced solely to eating?"
"Can't say it like that. If you're hungry, you eat, it's the natural order of things." As Ray spoke, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a crowd gathering by the shore, a group of people making a commotion, seemingly engaged in heated discussion.
He couldn't help but stop and listen closely.
Phrolova also stopped, wanting to know what was happening.
"I'm not lying! A bunch of Remnants suddenly appeared at Serene Bay!"
"Right, I saw it too! It was like they just spawned out of nowhere."
"If our gondola hadn't been fast, we'd probably have been dragged underwater."
"Stay away from Serene Bay for a while. That place is seriously weird now!"
Serene Bay? Remnants?
Ray's heart stirred. The innkeeper had clearly said that was where the Tidebreaker Whale rested; logically, Remnants shouldn't appear there... Could this be related to the Tidebreaker Whale's recent abnormalities?
Full of questions, he approached the crowd. Two fishermen were panting heavily, faces pale, describing tonight's ordeal to the people around them.
"Remnants... appeared at Serene Bay?" Ray asked.
"Yeah," one fisherman looked at him, still shaken. "My buddy and I wanted to try our luck early at Serene Bay, hoping to catch some big ones under the Tidebreaker Whale's protection. Who'd have thought we'd catch no fish and nearly become fish food ourselves!"
"Could you describe what happened in more detail?"
"What, young man, are you planning to go there?"
Ray shook his head. "Just curious how the Remnants formed."
Logically, the appearance of Remnants always had a cause; they didn't just materialize out of thin air.
The fisherman scratched his head, trying to recall. "I can't really explain it either... I just remember the seawater suddenly turning pitch black, and then those things appeared. We were so scared we fled without looking back. I'd advise you not to go there. If something happens, there won't even be anyone to collect the bodies. No, no, I need to go rest."
'The seawater suddenly... turned pitch black?'