The gently swaying candle flame cast a faint glow, imprinting a hunched shadow on the white wall.
This was a room in the Scholar's Tower in the capital of the Gabella Empire. An old man with completely white hair and beard was bent over a huge pile of books and scrolls, carefully turning through them page by page as if searching for some information.
The bells of the Imperial Capital Clock Tower rang outside. Their ancient, melodious sound echoed across the entire city, announcing the arrival of midnight. Yet the old man seemed not to hear them and continued poring over the pile of books.
The door nearby opened silently, and a young man carrying a candlestick walked in. He said softly, "Mentor, it's already midnight. You really should get some rest."
"What? It's that late already?"
Only then did the old man close the hefty volume in his hands. He pulled out a handkerchief and rubbed his aching eyes. "I suppose I should get a good night's sleep. Mm... Give me a hand. I'm getting more useless with every passing day."
The young man set down the candlestick and slowly helped the old man to his feet.
"At today's Royal Council Meeting, everyone was extremely curious about what you've been doing these past few days. Even His Majesty asked me about it again in private."
"Haha, it must have been quite a headache coming up with a suitable explanation for me on the spot, right?"
"Uh..." The young man named Mond hesitated awkwardly for a moment. "Is that meteor from a few days ago really worth taking so seriously?"
The moment he said this, the smile on the old man's face froze. His slightly furrowed brow showed that his heart was no longer at peace.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."
Seeing the old man's grave expression, Mond looked ashamed.
"Sigh, Mond, I'm not blaming you. Being bold enough to question things is a good quality."
The old man hurriedly reassured him. "Indeed, this meteor has left me deeply uneasy, though I hope I'm simply worrying too much. If, unfortunately, it really brings disaster as recorded in the ancient scrolls, then judging from the accounts of the previous occurrences, this catastrophe will far exceed our imagination. Let me first tell you about what happened the last few times."
Then he spread out a piece of parchment and began slowly recounting what he had discovered over the past few days...
In a dark alley beside the Imperial Capital Clock Tower, accompanied by the bells still echoing through the night, a shadow slipped in noiselessly. Cloaked and walking slowly toward the depths of the alley with his back to the moonlight, he kept his face hidden beneath the shadow of his hood.
At the first corner, he stopped.
"What took you so long tonight?"
A gruff voice rang out. Another cloaked man had been waiting there for some time. His face was likewise hidden beneath his hood, with only a thick beard faintly visible.
"The wind is about to rise. Make more preparations."
"What preparations?"
"Hemp rope, canvas, and harpoons."
The bearded man nodded and said, "With those, we can set sail without worry. Go on. We'll pray for you constantly at the church in the harbor."
Then he slipped into the shadows and vanished. After confirming that nothing was amiss nearby, the first cloaked man left as well.
In the Scholar's Tower, some time had passed since the old man finished his account, yet cold sweat had broken out on Mond's forehead.
After a long silence, Mond finally spoke. "If that's the case, shouldn't we report it to His Majesty immediately and warn the people?"
"No. We know nothing about the disaster itself. We don't know what form it will take, nor exactly when it will arrive, and we lack any effective means of dealing with it. Revealing it too early would not only accomplish nothing, but could also cause widespread panic and even give those with ulterior motives an opportunity to take advantage."
"You're right. I was too rash."
The old man's disciple looked somewhat ashamed.
The old man opened the window, and a rush of fresh air quickly flooded into the room. He gazed at the dark, heavy night outside and murmured, "The wind is about to rise..."