Rory

You: Chat

Have you read that book? The Revival of Whale Island.

The word "revival" means there was once a decline... and before that, a glorious past.

I want to find traces of both—the fall and the rise.

You: Chat

The history of this world is fragmented.

Verifiable historical records, collective memory itself... at some point in the early or middle years of the Eclipse Era, a whole section simply vanished.

What happened back then? I'm so curious.

You: Chat

So, my recent finds—three stones, two maps, and a little out‑of‑tune lyre.

At this rate, I'm gonna need a suitcase big enough to pack the whole coastline.

You: Chat

Artistic creation requires inspiration.

But inspiration... the moment you chase it, it runs away.

If I feed it something sweet, will it come back?

You: Chat

Last night, I heard a melody seeping through a crack in the wall.

Don't tell me it's just rain dripping—that's not romantic at all.

You: Chat

I've got a little deal with sweets.

I pay attention—they give me five minutes of peace. No ruins, no thoughts, just quiet.

Pretty good deal, if you ask me.

...Huh? What? Does that sound like something Annie would say?

Well, could be. They tend to have similar tastes, I guess.

You: Chat

When am I leaving? No idea.

Don't ask that too often—I'll start thinking you want me gone.

Not that I'd actually leave, even if you wanted me to.

You: Chat

Painting... sometimes I just stop halfway.

It's not that I'm out of ideas. Maybe it's that I'm afraid finishing it will be... the end.

And "end" sounds kind of boring.

But that rarely happens with music... Maybe because the melody you most want to write just hums itself out before you know it?

And by the time you realize it, it's already too late.

You: Chat

The day we found Whalefall Canyon...

We were collecting samples—a rare, intact jar with clear signs of erosion, perfect for sampling.

Then a tiny fish nearly bumped right into it. Good thing Jiyoon had quick reflexes and caught it in time.

Then the earthquake hit just a few seconds later. So that "good thing" didn't really do us much good after all.

Maybe we should be thanking that little fish instead.

Fish are way more sensitive than people. Spend enough time in the ocean, and you learn—when something's up down there, they always know before we do.

You: Chat

When you're out on an archaeological trip, aside from preparing all the safety gear ahead of time, being alert on the spot is just as important.

It's not smart to rely completely on machines. When we ran into that undersea earthquake, the OBS didn't report anything unusual.

Phew, I'm grateful for how sharp everyone was that day. That little fish, the Marine Archaeology Team, the beam from the lighthouse... And of course, most of all, myself!

You: Chat

It's kind of hard to describe what "thrilling" really feels like.

Like when the current swept Jiyoon and me apart. She was just a fist's length away, but I couldn't grab her no matter what.

Thankfully, Jelani rushed in with a safety rope tied around his waist...

Oh, and it was Naga pulling the rope—you know, that fussy, kind of soft‑looking guy.

Never would've guessed he's got that much strength in him.

And everyone worked together like clockwork—just don't go telling anyone I said that. Especially not Naga. Or next time, he'll send me the bill along with the rope.

You: Chat

Oliver? Oliver's a nice guy most of the time.

But sometimes, well... getting too nervous just makes things worse.

I mean, if all you're doing is yelling "Auntie, help me!" while your hands can't even work the thruster...

Then there's no way you're getting that Explorer—with over 30% damage—on the right course to survive.

I don't know if his aunt, the one with countless plots of land, even knows how to drive a sub. But me? I can.

As for the whole "license" thing... well, I'll go take the exam again someday. When I have time.

You: Chat

You can probably imagine it, right? When an undersea earthquake hits, most people's first instinct is to head up.

But going up wasn't an option for us.

Based on calculations, the current at relay point X72‑C31 will generate water pressure that the Explorer's thrusters can't handle.

That was Naga's call back then. Wow, I can still recite it word for word.

The thrusters were maxed out. No way we could go up smoothly. But then I thought of that little fish—the one that buried itself in the mud just before the earthquake.

So I figured, why not take a hint from it? Let's dive into the crack instead?

Jiyoon was cursing me out the whole time, but later she changed her tune and called me adventurous. Haha.

You already know what happened next. We made it through the crack—and found Whalefall Canyon.

You: Chat

Sometimes I wonder... was my call that day the only way out? Probably not.

There might have been other options—safer ones, ones that played by the book. Maybe we could have surfaced some other way and made it back alive.

But that whalefall? It might've stayed buried under the seabed. Sleeping even longer.

Funny how these sudden things—almost like chance—can turn a new page for the world.

You: Music Store

During the story

May beautiful melodies always be with you.