Rustle, rustle, rustle.
Vaguely, he seemed to hear the sound of water. The boy on the bed suddenly shouted and sprang up, instinctively shrinking into a corner. He pressed the index and middle fingers of his right hand together, a faint glow of fire gathering at his fingertips.
Only then did he survey his surroundings and realize he was in a room. It was small and sparsely furnished. Apart from the bed he had slept in, there was only a table and a chair. There was not even a wardrobe.
But he did not care.
The black-haired boy did not care. He jumped out of bed, quickly put on his shoes, and then cautiously opened the door.
Outside was a passage that was not particularly well lit. Voices drifted over from farther ahead. He pressed his fingers together and drew a talisman, deep black light gathering at his fingertips as he swiftly sketched a pictographic symbol.
The boy pressed the symbol against his chest. His figure immediately vanished, and his reflection disappeared from a mirror hanging on the wall.
The black-haired boy tiptoed out of the room and walked along the passage wall. After passing a series of wooden doors, he saw the exit just ahead. Suddenly, a wooden door in front of him opened, and a burly man wearing only a pair of shorts walked out.
The boy carefully passed beside the yawning man as he headed deeper into the passage. His figure blurred, and he dashed out of the passage.
As soon as he emerged, the brilliant sunlight nearly blinded him. Only afterward did he realize that he had come onto the deck. Looking around, he saw blue-black seawater in every direction.
He was on a ship!
"Good morning."
A familiar voice rang out. The boy jolted and