The port area of Coral Island was as chaotic and noisy as ever. After parting ways with the crew, Charles headed straight for the Bat Hotel with Lily perched on his shoulder. Although he now had enough echoes to buy a house in the port area, he felt he wouldn’t be staying long enough to waste money on such things.

  As soon as he entered the hotel, he noticed something was off. The scruffy man who usually sat behind the front desk was gone, replaced by a middle-aged man whose attire was completely mismatched with the surroundings. Dressed in a white shirt and a black waistcoat, with a neat hairstyle, he looked nothing like someone who worked in a port.

  “Mr. Charles, has the Bat Hotel changed owners?” Lily asked, curiously observing the man.

  After a moment of thought, Charles approached him. “I need a room for a month, room 303 on the third floor, and send two meals to my room.”

  “Of course, sir. Your room is ready.”

  Just as Charles was about to pull out his echo coins, the man waved his hand, signaling that it wasn’t necessary.

  With a respectful smile, he said, “Mr. Charles, you don’t need to pay; this hotel now belongs to you.”

  “My hotel?” Charles scrutinized the man’s face but found no information there.

  “Who are you? Who sent you?”

  “The owner left a letter for you in your room. You’ll understand once you read it.”

  Taking the key the man offered, Charles walked to his room, puzzled. Upon opening the door, he found the interior had changed dramatically. The peeling walls had been repainted and adorned with classical wallpaper, and all the old furniture had been replaced with new classical-style pieces.

  Thick wool carpets covered the floor, and art pieces hung on the walls, making the room feel completely unfamiliar. The biggest change was a fireplace that had been constructed on the left wall, with a roaring fire casting warmth and light throughout the room, banishing the damp chill that had once lingered.

  Charles stepped back outside to check the room number; it was indeed the same room he had stayed in before. The new decor gave him the impression of stepping into a governor’s bedroom.

  “Wow!!” Excited, Lily jumped off Charles’s shoulder and onto the bed, rolling around. “Mr. Charles! Come quickly, this bed is so soft and comfortable!”

  Ignoring Lily’s enthusiastic shouts, Charles recalled the man’s words and scanned the table.

  A square envelope was placed squarely in the center.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “Who would write me a letter in the Sea of Earth?” A thought crossed his mind, causing his heart to race.

  He rushed over, tore open the envelope, and a folded piece of drawing paper fell out. It was a caricature of Anna, making a funny face.

  Charles stared at the drawing for a few seconds before flipping it over, discovering some handwritten characters on the back.

  “Gao Zhiming, how’s your search for the exit going? Any clues? I have some good news: I got married! Don’t worry, I didn’t cheat on you; the guy has a nice scent.”

  “I came to check on you guys temporarily. You men are really rough; you can live in such a place. I tidied it up a bit; no need to thank me, don’t overthink it; this doesn’t mean anything.”

  Charles read the characters over and over, feeling more confused as time passed. He couldn’t understand why Anna would do this.

  “Maybe we should tie up that guy downstairs; we might get a clue about Anna. Should we go look for her?” Richard, unusually serious, spoke in his mind.

  “You want to go?”

  “Don’t put this on me; you’re thinking the same thing, right? Wanting to find her but not wanting to at the same time.”

  “What would happen if we found her? Don’t forget her identity. Keeping her close while watching her devour people—can you accept that?”

  “Hey, you’re Gao Zhiming, and so am I. If you can accept it, I can too.”

  Frowning, Charles took a deep breath and placed the drawing back on the table. He sank into the leather sofa in front of the fireplace, instinctively rubbing his temple with his right hand. The soft leather and the warmth from the fire relaxed his tired body but couldn’t ease the turmoil in his heart.

  Anna was his childhood friend, and even though he now knew those beautiful memories were false, he still couldn’t forget them. Yet, no matter how deep his feelings were, they couldn’t negate the fact that Anna was a man-eating monster.

  After watching the flickering flames for a while, Charles finally spoke, “In this illogical Sea of Earth, is there any way—”

  Richard interrupted, “You’re thinking of a way to turn Anna back into a human? Dude, that’s a tall order. Not to mention whether that tentacle monster would agree, if we shifted our focus to help it, what happens to our search for the surface exit? Is a woman more important than going home?”

  Charles remained silent. Just as he was feeling increasingly unsettled, he noticed a small box on the floor that seemed to contain something.

  He walked over and discovered a torn letter inside. Bending down, he pieced it together.

  **Margaret Jane Cavendish (Sender)**

  **Mr. Charles (Recipient)**

  Margaret? Charles recalled the timid girl who was as nervous as a rabbit.

  He looked at the drawing of Anna on the table, then back at the torn envelope in his hand.

  Since Anna had torn this letter up, why had she left it here for me to find?

  After pondering for a moment, he folded the envelope back together, bit down on one end, and with a swift tug, tore it into four pieces.

  He tossed the scraps into the wastebasket and stood up, heading for the washroom.

  The girl had shown kindness by secretly feeding food to slaves. No matter what she wrote in the letter, Charles didn’t want any further ties with her.

  He had enough entanglements in the Sea of Earth; he didn’t want to add another.

  Charles’s peaceful island life didn’t last long. Just half a month after he had resumed painting to clear his mental pollution, he spotted the battered exploration ship of the Church of Light at the dock.

  “How did it go? Did you find a supply point island?”

  Inside room 303 of the Bat Hotel, Charles asked Kede, who looked worse for wear. As for the exit to the Land of Light, he didn’t even bother to ask. Given Kede’s fervent devotion to the Church of Light, if he had found it, his expression would never be like this.