ghost

The scent.

Fluid without the scent of seawater. Foul nutritional fluid, or completely scentless distilled water. It maddens, drives mad.

The noise.

There is no singing. There is no dancing. Only an endless, drawn-out clamoring remains. A horrific murmur, bringing craze.

It's not all like that. Sometimes, in the momentarily returned quiet, there are voices to hear too. Clear voices.

...Is it 'I' who hears them? Not for sure. How should 'I' respond? Not important.

This ragged, dilapidated body... here and now lacks, beyond maintaining silence, any use.

...She's...

...Shark... no... Lauren... Laurentina!

Don't rush, Skadi. You're far more familiar with her past than I am. But as for her present, you do not necessarily know her more thoroughly than I do.

I know you've been emotionally excited by the prospect of seeing one of your colleagues, but do not make contact with her. Her slumber is the product of tremendous effort.

Shark... Shark of the Second. It really is you.

You're still alive... I'm not the only Abyssal Hunter still alive...

Of course you're not.

What do you mean...?

I wandered dry land for so many years, and she was the first one I ever saw. Rhodes Island, exactly how did you find her?

A deal, of no small cost, but thankfully enough for me to find out where the Church hid her.

When we brought her back, she still held the last of her clarity, but very rapidly fell into confusion.

Shark... can you not hear my voice? You should still remember me... no matter if it's me with you, or you with me, there's still so much for us to talk about.

But in her conversations with us... while her confusion hasn't relapsed, she only calls herself 'Specter.'

'Specter?' She wasn't called that before. She's an Abyssal Hunter, one of the fiercest, cruelest 'executioners' of the Second...

But she is presently Specter. Infected, has fled the Church of the Deep, and proclaims herself 'Specter.'

Skadi, no matter her past, in her final waking moments, this is all as she told me. As to her capacity as an Abyssal Hunter, she mentioned not even a word.

Why...?

Shark... no, Specter. She was taken away by a church on the land? They must have carried out so many cruel experiments on her.

They wanted to learn the secrets... Specter's secrets, the Abyssal Hunters' secrets. And you...

Isn't that your reason too?

You know this is no easy topic. But exactly as per my attitude regarding you, the Abyssal Hunters' secrets are in no way the ultimate truth I seek to learn.

I regard Specter the same way. She is first and foremost my patient, and then one of Rhodes Island's personnel. As for anything prior—anything she hasn't mentioned before, I have no need to investigate deeper.

I want to ask... when she'll wake up.

Keeping an empty nest only wastes time. That miniscule chance of a miracle is not something you'd be willing to stop in your own tracks for.

We are sustaining her life. Her outlook is neutral; whether or not she can recover entirely depends on her. Here on dry land, this is all we can accomplish.

I'll come back.

I want to meet her, speak with her, hear her singing. I've already... we've already been apart from our colleagues for far too long.

Your and her callings, significances at Rhodes Island are not the same. But provided she awakens, Skadi, she should be able to address your and my confusions alike.

I hope... we won't have to wait too long.

Somewhere outside Sal Viento

...Are we still hanging back, Captain? That's Skadi. She won't NOT find the way.

No harm in waiting. She's more familiar with Rhodes Island's other operators.

I see now. Aaaaall you need is to make a deal with Dame Kal'tsit, and that's why she's the only one you got in touch with.

But I've been stuck in there for ages. There's so much that can take the same answer, and be done the same way.

The situation is provisionally stable, but not completely secured. When the time comes, either myself or Skadi will be confirming whether we can take you back.

Hah. I'm not withered enough to collapse before I make it to Rhodes Island. Yet.

On that note, Captain, do you have any idea what kind of place it is? They don't even have auto-flush smart toilets!

I know.

So I'm not aaaaall in a hurry to get back to that landship. Skadi's got her worries to settle, and we can chit-chat over ours.

Speak what you feel.

Saying this now might be way, way too late... But I can't help but say it. Captain, relax. I haven't leaked anything about us to anyone, not once, not ever.

Those Church idiots wanted to find our secrets. They tried prising open my mouth, digging the words out from inside my throat.

I wasn't willing. Then they went and thought to find any hint, whisper, indication from within my flesh, from inside my brain. But... you've seen where that got them.

They never got their wish.

I saw. Were this the past, I would have to honor you... but at present, no one has the qualifications to do it for you, to officially and formally assess your conduct.

No, Captain, you have those qualifications. Let's go back to the past for just a bit... we both have the memories to talk the talk.

Very well, then. Shark... your judgment was proper. You protected our secrets with your life. Very well done.

Heh... hah, hahah, that soothes me.

Nothing else from me, Captain. I suppose you got to know everything going on with me all by yourself. It's a stupidly drier tale than what you've dealt with.

I just want to know, actually. If it's not you skittering everywhere by yourself, but rather 'us' now...

The Abyssal Hunters, back together again. What will we get up to, then?

My mission has never changed. But, Shark, who are you now?

Me?

Those dry-landers aboard Rhodes Island all say it, let alone Dame Kal'tsit. Now, even Skadi calls you 'Specter.'

You have chosen to accept this identity, and have had no need to continue being 'Shark.'

I'm still same as ever, Captain... I do something when I can do it. I have others to think about the rest for me. I'm Laurentina, I'm Shark, and I'm Specter.

Not a bad way to be.

And is there nothing else? Captain, it's been so long since we saw each other, we've gone through so much. Why did it take so few words for us to become like we were before?

But you never did care about much. Same then, same now.

There is something. But you have no need to recall it.

Something you want to know? What is it, then?

When were you captured?

On dry land. I broke free of those monsters, chased up onto shore, and while I was totally spent, those 'spirits' clasped me.

So... you ultimately know nothing of the remaining hunters who were dragged to the bottom of the sea.

Right. Everyone scattered.

Captain, if all that remains of the Abyssal Hunters are us three now...

Even so, we are still Abyssal Hunters. Our blood leaves us no escape from it.

That's true, I knew you'd say something like that. Believe me, I wouldn't run from my mission.

Weird. Who in the hell's Skadi meeting for this long of a chat? Sal Viento's turned into a real wreck these days. Like there's anything to keep her here.

It seems of the Abyssal Hunters who walk on dry land, she has changed the most, and undertaken more besides.

Landwalkers' emotions, hah. It stuns me how accustomed she is to living out of water. And all the connections she's worked up.

Utterly meaningless. But to you, it is not a way of life necessarily ruled out, Shark.

I get it, I get it. If they really can figure out how to cure my case of bad-mouth, I'll reconsider my lifestyle.

But right now, my top priority is to reminisce, shoot the breeze.

My weapon's duller than it was, my body's heavier than it used to be, and my reactions have slowed some too. If I'm going to be of real help to you, it'll take a bit more time.

*sigh*... Forget it! Skadi's taking forever to come back anyway, so let's take a break. Oh, I'm dying to sing. Captain, who's going first?

Hmph.

Through all those mad, chaotic, inescapable days of pain, I would've gladly even given up my ability to fight, if only I could just sing.

But in the end, shock and horror, that was the one thing I somehow couldn't do.

It's been too long... years, at this point. Does my throat still remember how to even hum? Let's try it and see.

When she prayed♪

The stars ceased to shimmer♪

And when she wept♪

The night let out a smile♪

Let's go.

Captain... Specter.

Done with your conversation?

Yes. It's all sorted.

You and the landwalkers find so much to talk about. What are you teaching them? Are you telling them the ocean's knowledge, maybe passing on the dance and song?

It's not important now... I didn't tell them any of that.

You're lying. Hahah, Skadi, you're lying to cover them! You care so much about them!

I bet you've sung, or danced, or at least taught them how to scrounge up something edible from the shore, like what the Ægir of the sea would eat...

Shark.