Sea of Golden Sand: Chapter 8
Yellow sand has buried what used to be an island. Now only bare city walls, scattered roof tiles remain, and some dried, withered branches and twigs reaching up high towards the sky.
MC: I seem to really recognize this place…
I walk alone through these ruins poking out from the yellow sand. Rafayel quietly follows beside me, seeming to be waiting for something.
MC: This street, I’ve walked it… I’ve seen that style of roofing tile…
MC: This seems to be…
I caress the leftover ruins and broken walls, and come to the side of a small broken window. Outside the window, I can almost hear the sound of lead-grey waves beating against the rocky reef.
The solitude and loneliness that was in the dream seem to have gained concrete form, and tightly wrap around me.
MC: Here, this is the place I dreamed about!
Rafayel: …
Rafayel: You’ve remembered.
MC: In the dream, I seem to…
Seem to have been repeatedly doing something… beside me, there should also be a thing of some kind…
I sift through the yellow sand and search. A strong intuition tells me there is definitely something very important here.
MC: You said this is the place where the Sea God legend began…
MC: Legend… there must be some kind of legend here…
Finally, I find a piece of a shattered stone tablet in those ruins.
When I hold this stone tablet in my hand, my heart suddenly begins to pound uncontrollably.
MC: This is the one…!
It isn’t until Rafayel presses down on the back of my hand do I gradually calm down a little.
Rafayel: This stone tablet, only those who have made a mutual bond with the Sea God can converse with it.
MC: …
Rafayel: The Fishtail Beacon that I gave you before, did you bring it?
Rafayel very rarely has times when he is this serious. A strange premonition spreads in my heart, as if something uncontrollable is about to happen.
MC: … I brought it.
I pull it out from my waist band. Rafayel pulls me over and we hold it together.
Rafayel: It’ll hurt a little.
Before I can react, he uses the fishtail beacon to slice open both our palms.
MC: … Ouch!
Fresh blood very quickly flows out of the wounds. Rafayel tightly holds my hand, until our blood is completely mixed together, and drips on the old weathered stone tablet.
MC: …!!!
Starting from where the blood droplet lands, it’s as if a ray of light gradually begins to glow from within the tablet. The wind scatters the dust on top. As the light gets stronger and stronger, line after line of golden symbols slowly materialize before our eyes.
MC: This is…!
Rafayel: The Tome of the Sea God.
MC: The Tome of the Sea God? What does it say?
Rafayel: …
Those symbols are like golden leaves on the surface of water, floating and gliding towards all four directions, and spread out into a grand chapter.
Rafayel: About Lemuria, prophecies of Sea Gods through the ages.
That is ancient Lemurian writing, I don’t understand it at all, but one symbol gives me a sense of huge familiarity.
MC: I seem to… recognize it…
I lightly touch that floating golden symbol. The moment I make contact, from under my fingertips comes white light like ripples.
Some sort of sensation seems to be passed up from my fingertips, and wind into my mind like silk threads.
MC: This symbol… I’m the one it represents?
Rafayel: …
MC: Rafayel, what does the prophecy say, does it have anything to do with me?
Rafayel looks again at those symbols. Because the stone tablet is fragmented, some of the golden words have also been lost.
Rafayel: It says… the seas will eventually gradually dry up.
MC: And then?
Rafayel: …
Rafayel: Only by restoring the Sea God, can the sea be awakened.
Rafayel: So, the Sea God must personally kill his beloved, and personally take back what was once lost.
Suddenly, I seem to understand all of it.
MC: … The Sea God’s heart.
Even more silk threads draw out of those golden words, tumbling and circling in my mind.
MC: If the Sea God’s heart is not taken back, the Sacred Flame will go out, and the Sea God will forever sleep eternally…
I pull up Rafayel’s hand. On his palm a cluster of black flame lights up. I tightly grip my fist and let fresh blood drip, and that flame suddenly becomes bright and dazzling.
In the raging flames that spring up, I seem to see the two of us from another time and space.
—You want me to offer the most devout faith… you’ll have to offer something that is one of a kind in exchange for it.
—Then I’ll give you my heart. The Sea God’s heart, you want it?
MC: …!
The flame gradually weakens, and our surroundings return to nightfall. Rafayel and I silently look at each other in the evening breeze.
MC: It turns out, you really are the god who gave me this heart.
Rafayel: Prophecies are just the nonsense people spew in their dreams, they cannot be completely believed.
MC: But if you brought me here because you wanted to take back this heart…
I pull Rafayel’s hand that is carrying the dagger, and press it to my chest above my heart.
MC: I’m willing to return it to you.
Rafayel: … Do you know what meaning this holds?
MC: Of course.
MC: … We already made the exchange a long time ago. You are the Sea God who owns my most devout faith.
MC: This heart originally exists for this very reason.
Rafayel: …
Rafayel: You’re willing to return it, but I’m not willing to it.
MC: Why?
Rafayel: A god’s duty is to protect his followers.
Rafayel: If the legend about the Sea God is fated to come true, then—
Rafayel raises his hand. Among those floating golden words, cluster after cluster of black flames ignite from every symbol that represents “me”.
Rafayel: Why can’t the Sea God be the one to change this legend, then.
MC: Rafayel, what are you doing…! This is a prophecy for all of Lemuria!
On line after line on the Tome of the Sea God, the symbols that represent “me” are gradually swallowed by the black fire, and disappear from that legendary story.
At the same time, my memories related to Rafayel also gradually separate from my mind.
MC: No, you can’t…
Rafayel: Since the ending cannot be changed, then let’s erase this story from the very beginning.
As the black fire burns away those special symbols, I can only feel something is being drawn out from my own body.
It seems like it is some sort of connection with Rafayel, deeply etched into the deepest part of my soul.
MC: Rafayel… you stop that!
Rafayel: …
Watching Rafayel’s face, I gradually sink into a daze—how did I get to this place?
MC: Rafayel!
This name, it’s so familiar, but how do I know him…
Rafayel: Very soon it will be over.
MC: You can’t, I don’t want to forget…
But, my brain is a blank white expanse.
??: Stories about Lemurians must be re-written by the Lemurians themselves.
MC: (Rafayel… who is Rafayel?)
??: …
The face before me becomes more and more unfamiliar.
Darkness drowns my line of sight like seawater…
At the end before both my eyes close, only a stretch of dim purple remains before me.
Rafayel: … Farewell, bride of the Sea God.
Golden sands cover what was once an island. Fragmented walls and scattered roof tiles cover the ground. Withered branches reach out to the sky.
MC: I feel like I know this place...
I walk around. Rafayel quietly follows after me, seemingly waiting for something.
MC: I've walked these streets... I've seen these roof tiles... We're in...
I run my hand along a wall, reaching a broken window. I can almost hear the gray waves lapping at the rocks. The loneliness and silence from my dream materialize, wrapping around me.
MC: This is the place I've dreamed about!
Rafayel: ... (sighs) Your Highness remembers.
MC: In my dream, I was...
I was doing the same thing over and over... And next to me was... I start to dig. My intuition tells me an object of great importance is near.
MC: You said a Sea God's legend originated from here... There...has to be…
I find a slab, cracked, in the ruins. My heart is racing as I hold it.
MC: This is it!
I only calm down when Rafayel puts his hand on mine.
Rafayel: Those who share a bond with the God of the Sea can read the slab.
MC: ...
Rafayel: Does Your Highness have the Fishtail Beacon?
It's rare for Rafayel to be very solemn. Deep down, I sense an unpredictable event is about to happen.
MC: ...Yes.
I remove it from the belt on my waist, and Rafayel holds it with me.
Rafayel: The pain will last for a moment.
Before I can react, he cuts our palms with the beacon.
MC: ...Ouch!
Our wounds begin to bleed. Rafayel grips my hand tightly till our blood mixes on the slab.
MC: ...!!!
From where our blood fell, light appears. The breeze blows away the dirt on the slab's surface. The light glows brighter and brighter. Golden symbols manifest before us.
MC: This is...!
Rafayel: The Tome of the Sea God.
MC: The Tome of the Sea God? What does it contain?
Rafayel: ...
Like golden leaves on the water, the symbols float and form words.
Rafayel: It's Lemuria's history and the Sea God's prophesy.
I don't understand the ancient, Lemurian text, but a symbol stands out to me.
MC: I...recognize this...
I touch the floating golden symbol. At that moment, a white light is emitted. The sensation I feel winds around me like a thread reaching my mind.
MC: It...It's me?
Rafayel: ...
MC: What does the prophecy say, Rafayel? How is it related to me?
Rafayel looks at the text again. Because of the slab's deteriorated state, there are gaps between the golden symbols.
Rafayel: The...seas will dry up.
MC: Anything else?
Rafayel: ... When the God of the Sea is revived, the seas will awaken. To take back what he's lost, the God of the Sea must kill his beloved.
Everything becomes clear.
MC: ...The heart belongs to the God of the Sea.
More threads appear in my mind, twirling and spinning.
MC: If his heart is not returned, the fire will fade. An eternal slumber awaits him.
I lift Rafayel's hand. A black fire burns in his palm. I clench my fist, blood dripping onto the flame. It burns brighter. In those fires, I see us of another time.
"Desiring the sincerest worship of mortals, thou must offer an irreplaceable object."
"The Sea God's heart, mine heart. Dost thou want it?"
MC: ...!
The fire flickers, and nightfall returns. Rafayel and I silently stare at each other.
MC: You're the god who gifted me this heart.
Rafayel: Prophesies are but delusions. They are not reality.
MC: But if you took me here to reclaim the heart...
I take Rafayel's hand which holds a dagger, and press it against my chest.
MC: I will give it back to you.
Rafayel: Do you understand the weight of your words?
MC: Of course... We made a vow. You are the God of the Sea who has my sincerest devotion. My heart exists for this very reason.
Rafayel: ...Though you are resolved for its return, I cannot accept it.
MC: Why not?
Rafayel: A god must protect his followers. If the legend pertaining to the God of the Sea is inevitable...
Rafayel lifts his hand. Amongst the floating words, every symbol that represents me is consumed by a black flame.
Rafayel: Shouldn't the God of the Sea himself change the story?
MC: What are you doing, Rafayel?! This is the Lemurian prophecy!
The symbols which represent me are engulfed in flames, vanishing from the story.
My memories of Rafayel begin to disappear.
MC: N-no... You can't...
Rafayel: If the ending is fixed, let us start anew and be rid of this tale.
As the black fire continues to burn, something is being torn from my body. It is my bond with Rafayel engraved deep within my soul.
MC: Rafayel! Stop! No!
Rafayel: ...
Looking at Rafayel's face, I fall into a trance... Why am I here?
MC: Rafayel!
A name so familiar. How did we meet?
Rafayel: It will soon fade away, like a dream.
MC: No, I don't want to forget...
But there is only emptiness.
Rafayel: Lemurians must rewrite their own story, with their own hands.
MC: (Rafayel... Who is Rafayel?)
??: ...
The person before me is a stranger. Darkness akin to The Deep drowns my vision...
Before my eyes close, I see a dull shade of bluish-pink.
Rafayel: ... Goodbye, my beloved bride.
黄沙掩埋了曾经的岛屿，只剩颓圮的城墙，散落的屋瓦，还有一些高高向天空伸去的干枯枝丫。
玩家：我好像真的认识这里……
我在这片露出黄沙的遗址中自顾自走着，祁煜安静地跟在我身边，像是等待着什么。
玩家：这条街道，我走过……那个样子的屋瓦我见过……
玩家：这里好像是……
我抚过残垣断壁，来到一扇破碎的小窗边。窗外，我仿佛听到铅灰色的海浪拍打礁石的声音。
曾经梦里的孤独与寂寞仿佛有了实体，将我紧紧裹缠。
玩家：这里，是我梦到的那个地方!
祁煜：……
祁煜：你想起来了。
玩家：在梦里，我好像……
好像一直在重复做着一件事……我身边，应该还有一样什么东西……
我在黄沙中翻找着，一种强烈的直觉告诉我，这里一定有一样非常重要的东西。
玩家：你说这里是海神传说开始的地方……
玩家：传说……这里一定有什么传说……
终于，我在那片遗迹里找到一块破碎的石板。
将这石板拿在手中时，我的心忽然抑制不住地猛烈跳动起来。
玩家：就是这个……!
直到祁煜按住我的手背，我才渐渐平静一些。
祁煜：这个石板，只有彼此缔结过海神契约的人才可以和它对话。
玩家：……
祁煜：之前给你的那枚鱼尾标，带了么?
祁煜很少有这样认真的时刻，奇怪的预感在我心里蔓延，仿佛有什么会超出控制的事，即将发生了。
玩家：……带了
我从腰间拔出，祁煜拉着我一起将它握住。
祁煜：会有点疼。
我还没反应过来，他便用鱼尾标将我们的掌心划破。
玩家：……痛!
鲜血很快自伤口流出，祁煜紧紧握着我的手，直到我们的血完全混在一起，滴落在陈旧的石板上。
玩家：……！！！
自血滴落的位置，仿佛有光芒自石板内渐渐亮起。风吹散了上面的尘埃，随着光芒越来越亮 ，一行行金色的符号逐渐浮现在我们眼前。
玩家：这是……!
祁煜：《海神书》。
玩家：海神书?上面写了什么?
祁煜：……
那些符号像水面上的金色叶片，漂浮晃动着向四周荡漾，铺开成一篇宏大的篇章。
祁煜：关于利莫里亚，历代海神的预言。
那是利莫里亚的古文字，我完全看不懂，可有一个符号却让我觉得好熟悉。
玩家：我似乎……认识它……
我轻轻触碰那个漂浮的金色符号，接触到的瞬间，我的指尖下发出涟漪般的白光。
从指间似乎传来了某种感应，丝线一样蜿蜿蜒蜒地缠进我的脑海。
玩家：这个符号……代表的是我?
祁煜：……
玩家：祁煜，预言都说了什么，和我有关吗?
祁煜再次看向那些符号，由于石板残缺，金色文字中也有一部分遗失了。
祁煜：说了……·海洋最终会逐渐干涸
玩家：还有呢?
祁煜：……
祁煜：只有让海神复苏，才能唤醒海洋。
祁煜：所以，海神必须亲手杀掉他的爱人，亲手拿回曾经失去的东西。
忽然间，我好像什么都明白了。
玩家：……海神之心。
更多丝线从那些金色文字中抽出，在我的脑海里翻腾盘绕。
玩家：如果不拿回海神的心，火种就会熄灭，海神将永远长眠……
我托起祁煜的手，他掌心燃起一簇黑色火焰。我握紧拳头让鲜血滴落，那火焰倏忽变得明亮耀眼。
腾起的烈烈焰光中，我仿佛看到另一个时空中的我们。
——你想要人类献上最虔诚的信仰，就要拿最独一无二的东西来交换。
——那把我的心给你。海神的心，你要吗?
玩家：……！
火焰渐弱，四周重归夜色，我和祁煜在晚风中沉默地对视着。
玩家：原来，你真的是给了我这颗心的神明。
祁煜：预言都只是人们做梦时的胡言乱语，不可尽信。
玩家：可如果你带我来这里，是为了取回这颗心的话……
我拉起祁煜拿着匕首的手，抵在自己心口。
玩家：我愿意把它还给你。
祁煜：……你知道这意味着什么吗?
玩家：当然。
玩家：……我们早就已经做过交换了，你是拥有我最虔诚的信仰的海神。
玩家：这颗心，本来就是为此而存在的。
祁煜：……
祁煜：你愿意还，但我不愿意要。
玩家：为什么?
祁煜：神明的职责，是庇佑他的信徒。
祁煜：如果关于海神的传说注定要实现，那么——
祁煜抬起手，在那些浮动的金色文字上，有一簇簇黑色火焰自每一个代表“我”的符号上燃起。
祁煜：为什么不能由海神来改变这个传说呢。
玩家：祁煜，你要干什么……!这可是整个利莫里亚的预言!
一行行的海神书上，代表“我”的符号逐渐被黑火吞噬，从那个传说故事中隐去。
同时，和祁煜有关的记忆也逐渐从我的脑海中剥离。
玩家：不行，你不能……
祁煜:既然结局不可改变，那就从一开始，把这个故事抹去吧。
随着黑火将那个特殊的符号烧却，我只觉有什么东西正在从自己身体里抽离。
那像是某种，刻在灵魂深处的、和祁煜之间的连接。
玩家：祁煜……你给我停下!
祁煜：……
看着祁煜的脸，我渐渐陷入恍惚——我是如何来到这个地方的呢?
玩家：祁煜!
这个名字，好熟悉，可我是怎么认识他的呢……
祁煜：很快就会结束了。
玩家：不行，我不要忘记……
可是，脑海里却一片空白。
??：利莫里亚人的故事，必须由利莫里亚人自己来改写。
玩家：(祁煜……祁煜是谁?)
??：……
??: …
眼前的脸变得越来越陌生。
黑暗像海水一样淹没我的视线……
最后合起双眼前，我的面前只剩一片黯淡的紫色。
祁煜：……再见了，海神的新娘。
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