Awakening and A Gathering Storm

Nightingale was roused by the enticing aroma of food.

From the warm, soft depths of her covers, a slender arm, fair as a lotus root, restlessly snaked out first. Her eyes were still heavy with slumber.

Slowly, she pushed back the blanket, crawled out of bed, and settled on the edge, letting out a soft yawn.

Then, silence descended.

Nightingale simply sat there, still. Whether she liked it or not, she had grown accustomed to solitude, gradually shifting her mindset to discover the distinct essence that bloomed in her quiet seclusion.

For she could see nothing at all.

Precisely because of this, her other senses were far keener than those of ordinary people.

At this very moment, Nightingale could easily discern Ming Yu’s bustling movements and clearly catch the fragrance that wafted into the room.

By the bedside, the girl swung her delicate calves back and forth, idly playing with a few strands of hair that fell across her chest.

Her wait was not in vain.

Before long, a crisp knock echoed from behind the door, followed swiftly by an ethereal voice.

“Little Nightingale, good morning… are you awake?”

“Ming Yu…” Nightingale murmured softly.

Alas, her whisper was too faint to be caught by the person beyond the door.

“Still sleeping in, I see… cough, cough, I’m coming in, alright?”

Ming Yu rubbed her cheeks, then smiled as she pushed open the door.

The sight within the bedroom was somewhat unexpected.

The golden-haired girl sat on the bed’s edge, her face expressionless, eyes downcast, her pale, bare feet dangling. She presented a visual impact akin to a “moving ice sculpture.”

****

After Ming Yu had led Nightingale through her morning routine and breakfast, she intended to take her to a nearby gene clinic for a check-up.

Additionally, she planned to buy a few sets of clothes for little Nightingale.

As for Ming Yu herself, such items were certainly unnecessary.

Even if she were to buy clothes, they would be well-fitting men’s attire, or at the very least, long robes and trousers with a feminine leaning.

Buying dresses was out of the question.

Stockings were even more impossible.

High heels were unthinkable.

Thigh-highs also…

Ming Yu shook her head, leading little Nightingale to the convenience store downstairs. She picked up several black and white face masks and casually tossed them onto the self-checkout counter.

Her thumb and forefinger pressed against the smart earpiece fixed to her right ear. After fingerprint authentication, a beam of light shot from the earpiece, landing on the QR code recognition area of the self-checkout counter.

“Dear customer, your total for this transaction is ‘6’ points. Thank you for your patronage, please come again!”

After tucking the masks into her trench coat’s inner pocket, Ming Yu turned her head, glancing at the girl beside her.

Even at such a young age, her devastating beauty was already beginning to show.

She took out two masks, one white and one black.

“Little Nightingale, do you prefer black or white?”

“White.”

Hearing this, Ming Yu tore open the packaging and placed the white mask on Nightingale’s face, gently pinching the bridge of her nose. She then donned the other mask herself.

Breathing was still relatively smooth, though it felt a little stuffy.

No matter, a quick trip would suffice.

“Let’s go.”

****

At the gene clinic, the familiar scents of alcohol and disinfectant permeated the air.

With practiced ease, Ming Yu guided Nightingale through the entire process, waiting for the results of the physical examination. Afterward, they would see the doctor whose appointment had already been booked.

“Lady Silver Kite, is that right? Please, have a seat.”

The middle-aged man in a white coat, with squinting eyes, took the physical examination report. He gestured courteously to Ming Yu and Nightingale, then let his gaze fall upon the report.

Under Ming Yu’s watchful eye, the doctor’s brow furrowed initially, then deepened progressively until his forehead was a knot of wrinkles.

“Lady Silver Kite, this is your medical report, correct?”

The doctor handed back one of the sheets, placing it on the table for Ming Yu to confirm.

She glanced at it, then nodded.

“Yes.”

The sheet was filled with specialized terminology. She could barely recognize the individual words, but strung together into sentences, they made no sense to her.

Ultimately, this was the detriment of her lack of formal schooling. Ming Yu sighed inwardly, recalling her aversion to studying during her school days. Now, she could only offer a self-deprecating smile in her heart.

Beside her, Nightingale suddenly frowned.

She had heard Ming Yu’s thoughts again.

‘Back in the day, at the church school, I was quite the top student, but alas…’

‘Unwilling to accept assigned work and lacking money for university, I was tricked by Viktor and those guys into hunting sea beasts…’

‘Now I have money but no life to spend it…’

‘Well, at least I’m alive, luckier than that irresponsible scoundrel Viktor who abandoned his daughter with someone else…’

‘…’

She heard Ming Yu’s thoughts again.

However, an inexplicable wave of fatigue and lethargy washed over her once more.

Nightingale lowered her gaze, fighting off the urge to sleep, her lips pressed tightly together, her small hands silently clenching into fists.

‘What is Ming Yu saying…’

‘Father, did something happen to him…’

‘Were Aunt Misha and Uncle Exxon telling the truth…’

Her thoughts were in disarray.

On the other side.

“I know my own condition; there’s just something I’d like to consult you about,” Ming Yu stated calmly. “Will this illness cause changes to my body?”

“Changes? What kind of changes?” the doctor asked, puzzled.

“Uh, haha, it’s nothing…”

Ming Yu chuckled awkwardly, feeling too embarrassed to speak about a certain troubling matter.

The doctor gave her a peculiar look, his gaze lingering for a moment on her distinctive hair and eye color, before a look of realization dawned on him.

“Lady Silver Kite, I understand what you mean.”

“Indeed, such a possibility exists…”

Ming Yu: “…”

‘What do you understand?’

‘Huh?’

The doctor continued to explain:

“Although albinism is linked to genetic defects and is mostly a congenital condition, it can also be acquired later in life…”

“I’ve reviewed your report, and if there are no surprises, the synthesis pathways for certain pigments in your body are likely obstructed. This leads to hair discoloration and whitening, and your irises displaying a blood-like color…”

“This is a genetic disease, but compared to other issues, its impact on the body is actually not significant…”

“The real trouble…”

Hearing this, Ming Yu nodded slightly, interrupting the doctor.

She was already well aware of the remaining circumstances.

“I understand.”

With that, Ming Yu stood up, took Nightingale by the hand, and helped her sit in her own previous spot.

“The other medical report belongs to this child. Please examine it carefully… This child cannot see.”

Hearing this, the doctor nodded.

Two minutes passed.

This time, his brow furrowed even deeper.

****

Between June and October each year, sea hurricanes arrived as if on schedule.

It was an annual occurrence, and this year was no exception.

Ten kilometers away, at the edge of the fortress base station’s signal coverage area, a fishing boat bearing the Pharos insignia was engaged in fishing.

Near the fishing boat, two patrol speedboats were surveying the vicinity.

On one of the speedboats.

“Ha!”

Bryant raised his outdated smartphone, thrusting the screen’s image into the face of the young man across the table, and triumphantly elbowed his old comrade beside him.

The irritable old man who was elbowed became a little agitated.

“Seriously? You’re getting a flush with every opening hand. Isn’t your win purely by sheer luck?”

“Shaq, don’t be so impatient.”

“Heh, I’m not impatient.”

Shaq rolled his eyes, brushed Bryant’s arm off his shoulder, and left the cabin with a sour expression.

As the sky grew increasingly gloomy, the sea wind also became more turbulent.

He walked to the bow, lit a RICK e-cigarette, and scrolled through short videos of a somewhat suggestive nature on his phone, a wicked smirk occasionally playing on his lips.

Suddenly, dense black clouds spat out a silver serpent of lightning, followed by a dull rumble.

In the momentary flash of thunder, Shaq instinctively raised his head, noticing the thin mist spreading around him, and abruptly sensed that something was amiss.

Before he could react, the mist began to thicken at a visible pace, quickly reaching an impenetrable shroud.

“Gurgle gurgle…”

Eerie bubbling sounds drifted on the wind.

Before he could react, the bubbling sounds grew from distant to near, rapidly amplifying.

Shaq’s eyes suddenly widened, his pupils dilating abruptly.

The next moment, dark red blood blurred his vision, and the intense pain, before it could even reach his brain, was abruptly cut off.

From a high vantage point, a vast shadow swept beneath the sea surface. In its wake, both the fishing boat and the speedboats were torn apart like thin paper.

Deep red spread across the sea.