Academy Ark

Countless threads emerged from the sea like a tangled mass of hair, weightlessly drifting upward into the air—and there were still more appearing, more and more.

Alice's eyes widened as she watched the scene in confusion and shock. Then, ghostly green fire flickered in her eyes—and the same flames gleamed in Duncan's. Thus, the "threads" visible only to the puppet were revealed before Duncan as well.

"Are these... the people of Lightwind Harbor?" Alice stood stunned for a moment before finally breaking the silence with a mutter. "The people are gone, but all the threads are still here?"

Duncan said nothing. He merely stared gravely at the densely packed threads floating in the air. Though he could not confirm it by sight alone, he faintly sensed that there were far too many of them—though even if each person produced five threads, their number far exceeded Lightwind Harbor's elven population. It was as if... the soul threads of elves from all over the world had gathered here.

Their immense number made the interconnected threads appear hazy. They drifted faintly and formlessly in the wind, hanging over the waters of Lightwind Harbor like an undispersing mist, carrying an almost dreamlike... beauty.

And a chilling strangeness.

Alice had recovered from her initial fright by now. She curiously observed the mass of threads over the sea, looking like a cat that had spotted countless balls of yarn—restless yet hesitant. Remembering the captain's usual instructions, she carefully tucked her hands back and tried not to touch any nearby threads. Yet her eyes constantly darted about, wanting to grab them but not daring to.

Naturally, this did not escape Duncan's notice.

"Captain, I'll just touch one a little. I won't grab it... I want to see their 'condition'..." Noticing Duncan's gaze, Alice immediately said cautiously. She