Shrouded Seascape

Slumped in a wheelchair and with IV bags dangling on the moveable metal frame beside, Roy was being pushed to the deck by the doctor.

Despite the doctor's repetitive persuasion for him to lay back in bed and rest or the warnings of the risk of infection and tearing his stitches, Roy remained unswayed.

The moment he got wind that the traitor was caught, a sense of unease gnawed at his heart.

His handler's words came to mind—there was a fellow agent within the cult.

Has Anna caught this other agent?

The weather was great today, and the deck reflected the bright sun's radiant rays. However, the sight that greeted Roy was far from great.

A bloodied woman lay helplessly at Anna's feet.

"I never would have guessed that the eye in that dream actually belongs to you," Anna sneered. "Truth be told, I even suspected Wang Sheng, but I've never suspected you."

Hearing the voice from above her, Li Lu's crumpled form shifted. Trembling, she raised her head, and with evident fear in her eyes, she looked at Anna.

Tears of grievance welled up in her eyes and were threatening to spill as she said, "High Priestess, I don't understand… It's not me! I swear!"

Isn't that the Asian woman who has always been by Anna's side? Could she be my fellow colleague? Roy's mind raced with speculations.

"Still denying it, huh?" Anna then stepped forward to rip off the silver watch from Li Lu's wrist. Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to that silver watch that was now in Anna's hand.

Using her nail, Anna pried open the back of the watch to reveal a miniature communication board.

With a twist of her fingers, she nudged a tiny dial, and the faint crackling of a hidden radio frequency sounded. This was a communication device disguised as an ordinary quartz watch.

"Quite a fancy watch you've got here, with such an interesting feature. Care to explain what these extra features do for you?" Anna questioned.

Li Lu's face went pallid. She knew it was all over now. With such irrefutable evidence placed before her, nothing she said would be of any use.

Anna slowly crouched down next to Li Lu. Her eyes glinted with an icy hostility as she stared at the caught traitor.

"Now, talk," Anna said, her voice laced with menace. "Who sent you here, and just how did you manage to sneak into my dreams?

"You'd better think carefully before you answer. Because your answer will determine your…. quality of life moving forward. Yes, quality of life."

Li Lu closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes once more, the fear and distress in her gaze was gone. Instead, they had been replaced with an unnerving calmness. She raised her head to meet Anna's gaze.

She dropped her voice full of grievances earlier and took on an eerily composed tone, "I have a question. How did you find out? From your actions before, you didn't seem to suspect me at all. This situation shouldn't have ever happened."

Anna was clearly curious about it herself. She turned to the smug figure of Li Long, who was standing a few steps away.

"Li Long. Care to enlighten us? How did you happen to catch her contacting someone while she was supposedly taking a bathroom break?

A crimson red crawled upon Li Long's face as he feigned an embarrassed cough. "Well… You know how long I've been cooped up on this ship, and I have my needs… But High Priestess! If it weren't for me, we wouldn't have found the traitor, right?"

Silence hung in the air for a few moments before realization dawned upon the crowd and they shot Li Long disgusted looks. Though they were all on the same side, it didn't stop them from judging Li Long's disdainful behavior. Even Wang Sheng shot him a look of disapproval.

"Argh! Li Long, you're even worse than a fly! What a pervert. To think you're that thirsty enough to spy on a woman shitting."

Li Long's feathers were ruffled at the remark, and he immediately countered, "Hey! Fucking watch your mouth! I thought she was taking a shower, alright! I don't have such weird kinks.

"Just because the High Priestess put you in charge doesn't make you the best. You didn't find the traitor, but I managed to; that's capability! And you? Just a junkie!"

Before Wang Sheng could retort, Anna's calm voice swiftly ended their argument.

"My apologies for the unpleasant display," Anna said and turned her gaze back to Li Lu. "Now, let's go back to our previous topic. Who sent you here?"

Hearing the question, Roy, who had been watching silently at the edge of the crowd, tensed up. His entire future and the difficulty of the mission ahead depended on what Li Lu would say next.

Li Lu lowered her head and remained silent. It was clear that she was not going to reveal a single word.

"Not willing to say anything, huh?" Anna muttered to herself, a smile of malice playing upon her lips. "I'm really sorry then. I'm really desperate to know just which organization dared send you here. If you won't answer willingly, I'll just have to use… other methods."

Long, sharp needles were wedged into the tender spaces beneath Li Lu's toenails. Then, Anna raised a foot and stomped down hard on the exposed ends, forcing the needles through to the other side.

Li Lu trembled involuntarily from the agony. Yet, she endured the torture and refused to say a single word.

"You'd better start talking," Anna warned. "This is just a mere appetizer and can hardly count as a warm-up back in my homeland. Back there, life is just a commodity, and those in power often think of many interesting and strange ways to intimidate the masses. I promise that you're not going to enjoy the local specialties from where I come from."

Seeing Li Lu's bloodied toes, Li Long couldn't bear to watch anymore and turned his back. He could only mutter in a soft voice audible to himself, "Such a waste… truly a waste."

"FBI? Anti-cult task force? Or are you… with the Foundation?" At the last word, Anna stared intently at Li Lu's face, watching for the faintest reaction.

Ever since Anna arrived on the surface, she had been on constant vigilance against an organization similar to the Foundation. If anyone were to pose a true threat to her plans, it would be them.

However, Anna was fated to be disappointed. Regardless of what she said, Li Lu's face remained expressionless. It was as if Anna wasn't talking about her at all.

Silence hung heavy over the deck, with Li Lu's occasional pained gasps breaking the tension on board.

Seeing Li Lu's firm resolve, Anna's gaze turned cold. She turned toward Li Long and nodded.

Li Long dashed through the cabin doors and rushed to the galley where he rummaged through the drawers for a few more choice tools to aid Anna in her questioning.

Anna picked up a sharp boning knife. She stuck out her crimson tongue and gently flicked it along the knife's edge.

"Such smooth skin… Young and tender… you're probably delicious. Since you won't talk, let's have a little meal while we chat."

Hearing Anna's words, the color drained off the faces of Wang Sheng and those who had come with him. Some distant memory was triggered, and they couldn't help but clutch their mouths to suppress dry heaves.

With a sickening squelch, the knife pierced through the flesh but expertly avoided major veins as it traced the line of muscle along Li Lu's calf.

"Mad woman! You're a mad woman!" Li Lu screamed through the pain. For the first time ever, real fear flashed across her eyes.