Shattered Memories

Those chaotic, fragmented memories were like a flash suddenly exploding through the darkness, illuminating countless shadowy things that had once been hidden. Though disjointed and incomplete, an intuition rising from deep within made Gawain instantly realize what they were—

They were records of that mysterious voyage, or rather, part of those records!

Victoria's voice drifted away vaguely, but Gawain's consciousness had already sunk deep into the images that were beginning to fade.

He "saw" an unknown beach. Strange rocks jutted across its desolate shore, while winding cliffs and gravel-strewn slopes stretched over from the distance. On the other side, the sea surface rose and fell gently, fine waves lapping against the reefs near the beach. The glow before dawn rose from the horizon, and sunlight, faintly majestic, shone upon the cliffs and slopes, gilding the entire world.

A massive three-masted ship rested on the distant sea surface. Its broad hull was covered in runes and mysterious lines, and the symbols of storm and ocean showed that it belonged to the Storm Church. It remained steady upon the gently rolling waters, unmoved in the slightest by the fine waves.

Gawain "walked" into the memory and found himself standing on the beach, surrounded by many shadowy figures. They were all shrouded in hazy black mist, their faces impossible to discern. They were discussing long voyages and the weather, and every voice stirred a vague sense of familiarity in Gawain, yet he could not recall a single corresponding name.

It was as if those names had been completely erased from his subconscious. Even when he recalled some Memory Fragments, he could not retrieve them.

Memories could not be interfered with or altered. Gawain did not know how to turn those shadowy silhouettes into clear forms, so he could only follow the memory's guidance