Palace at the End of the World

Something was emerging from that uniform grayish-white backdrop, like a long tunnel reaching its end as the sight beyond its exit abruptly came into view.

Shirley nimbly climbed up the mast, widened her eyes excitedly as she peered into the distance, and shouted happily toward the deck, "There's something ahead! Not an illusion—it looks like something solid!"

The scene emerging at the end of the "route" gradually came into focus. The uniform grayish-white background began dissolving rapidly like morning mist beneath sunlight. Duncan was the first to make out the shimmering water—then the thin mist floating upon it, and many shadows of varying sizes farther away.

Those shadows floated upon the glimmering water, gradually resolving into distinct islands.

It was the mysterious "archipelago" Captain Karani had mentioned in her log!

Everyone aboard the Lost Homeland came up onto the deck, gazing at the sea and islands that seemed to have suddenly emerged from nothingness, filled with inexplicable excitement and faint nervousness. They watched the gleaming sea rapidly spread toward them, reaching all around the Lost Homeland's hull. The sound of rushing water suddenly rose, followed by an impact and tremor that ran through the entire ship—the Lost Homeland had entered this sea. After that long and bizarre journey through the "rift between time and space," the sound of waves breaking against the hull was unexpectedly delightful.

The sailor gripped the wheel tightly, standing upon the raised platform at the stern as he looked over the sea and archipelago rapidly filling his vision. Fragmented memories seemed to awaken, countless coherent and incoherent scenes tumbling through his mind, and an indescribable sense of temporal dislocation washed over him—

He remembered this place. He remembered the chaotic voices aboard the Sea Song when it finally reached an island after a long drift. Sailors