Chapter 84: Lost Song of the Deep (11)
“Yes, this morning at dawn, they returned to their rooms on their own, and their families were thrilled,” the waiter said, then added an important detail.
“But I heard they haven’t spoken since they got back. They’re ignoring everyone and won’t say where they’ve been for the past two days.”
The sea is not like land.
Someone missing for days wouldn’t just return by themselves.
If they had been at sea for a few days, they would have swollen up.
Is it really them who came back?
After closing the room door, Ye Nianchu looked at Qin Mubai. They understood each other and headed straight to the medical office.
In the spacious corridor, tourists and crew members were gathered.
Several curious eyes watched them.
Ye Nianchu pretended not to notice, raised her hand, and coughed lightly, pretending to be sick.
A few people glanced into the infirmary.
Inside were two crew members, two tourists, and a waitress.
They were sitting in a row with blank expressions.
The doctor put down the stethoscope and shone a light into each of their eyes.
Ye Nianchu had thought only four people were missing.
Now she realized it was five.
Could it be related to the sound of falling water she heard that evening?
She still remembered the waitress.
“There’s nothing wrong with their physical condition,” the doctor said, turning off the light. “Their body temperature is just a bit lower than normal.”
“Thank goodness,” the middle-aged woman sighed with relief, holding a young boy’s hand. “Why didn’t you say a word? I was worried sick.”
The boy only looked at her, not reacting otherwise.
The people with them were happy that the missing individuals had returned alive, even if they weren’t talking.
Ye Nianchu frowned slightly. Being able to pass the doctor’s exam meant they were alive, not ghosts or corpses.
As the people left the infirmary, Ye Nianchu noticed a faint fishy smell.
It smelled a lot like seafood.
Returning to their room, Ye Nianchu kept thinking about those people.
The waitress, in particular, seemed different.
And the smell...
Ye Nianchu recalled how they looked. “Their eyes...”
“Like they were looking at prey, even if it was their own family,” Qin Mubai said with a hint of a smile.
Exactly. Their gaze was cold, bloodthirsty, and superior.
Ye Nianchu thought for a moment. “They’re not the same as before. They’ve been replaced.”
Most likely by the 'Siren' that appeared that night.
The challenges in this round seem tougher.
They’ve damaged the cruise equipment.
Brought in the fog.
Made people fall into a deep sleep.
Now there are two more threats that can transform. And there’s more than one of them.
She checked the men’s hands; they were still human, not webbed.
---
The evening dance went ahead as planned.
Ye Nianchu and Qin Mubai decided not to attend. In the game, crowded places are often more dangerous, so it’s safer to stay away.
Plus, neither of them enjoyed noisy events.
They stayed at the café closest to the venue, so they’d be the first to know if anything happened.
The crystal staircase leading up to the venue shimmered with light.
The wind was stronger, and the waves were rising, as if something was about to break through the ocean floor.