Black Hole Ocean
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As the sun sank over the horizon, the sky glowed a deep crimson. The sun hung low and orange in a cloudless sky. The sea was calm around the schooner, but the wind from the north was rising to an uncomfortable level that made it difficult for the helmsman and crew to control the ship. They could only steer as hard or as loose as the wind would allow.
The schooner rocked gently back and forth on the waves as they came into Black Hole Ocean. There were no islands or coastlines here—just an endless ocean with not even a single island of rock visible.
The captain had called out a warning, telling those who were standing on deck to stay away from the railings so that there wouldn’t be any unfortunate accidents. Those men who needed to relieve themselves were instructed to go below deck.
Those on watch at the masthead saw the ship’s course change suddenly. As a result, they shouted orders down to the sailors in their charge: “Turn starboard! Starboard!”
The ship began to turn sharply, and then the men on deck realized something strange: A few moments earlier the wind had been blowing toward them; now it had turned completely around.
The men looked out at the blackness of the water. Then one man yelled in amazement.
“There’s a giant shadow!”
It was a small fishing boat. It was a mere speck against the expanse of the open ocean. The men on the deck of the Schooner Gull cried out together. Their voices were hoarse from shouting.
They’d just heard the voice of someone far across the vast stretch of sea. Someone was calling their names.
One of the men at the masthead shouted, “I know him! That’s Captain Torelli!”
At his call, everyone looked up to see what the man meant. But all they could make out was the silhouette of something moving through the dark water.
A sudden wave crashed onto the deck before the schooner. Everyone on board jumped back to avoid getting drenched by the cold seawater that splashed up from below.
Suddenly, a man dressed in a red coat stood out in the rain on the bow of the vessel. The wind blew at him wildly. The man seemed to have been blown along on its gusts, as though he weren’t actually standing on the deck of the ship at all.
He held the end of a long rope in both hands, dangling from it to keep himself steady. He was trying to shout out to the people aboard the schooner. But the waves washed over his face before he could get a word out, and he couldn’t be sure whether the men at the masthead had heard his voice or not.
In fact, they had definitely heard his voice and seen his form. One man had even taken off his hat so that he could wipe the rain out of his eyes and see clearly enough to read the message written on the man’s jacket:
“Captain! We’ve arrived at Black Hole Ocean! Are you here?”
But none of the other men understood what the writing said. And so the message was quickly forgotten about. Even if they had recognized the name, it didn’t necessarily mean anything. There were a lot of captains named Torelli in these parts.
Then another man stepped up onto the bow. This was a tall, burly man wearing a brown coat decorated with embroidery. His hat was wide-brimmed like the one worn by the first captain. He too spoke out into the wind.
“Is this your boat? Is that the schooner you were looking for?”
He wasn’t able to hear a reply. So he continued his questioning: “What happened to the captain? Where is he?”
Again, there was no response. All they heard was the roar of the storm.
So the burly captain shouted again and repeated the message once more: “Captain! We’ve come to pick you up! Are you there?”
But the answer this time was no different than before. Only when he asked his final question did they finally understand what he was trying to say:
“Did you run into some kind of trouble?”
“We did,” the voice called out. “That’s why we’re here.”
The two men on deck exchanged glances. They’d heard of a terrible place called Black Hole Ocean, where nothing lived except death. What could be so bad that it made anyone want to risk their own life coming to find a shipwrecked ship?
“Why do you suppose the captain wants us to rescue him?” the burly man called out in a loud voice.
“Who knows?” came the answer from the darkness above them. “Maybe he doesn’t have anywhere else to turn to.”
The two men on board didn’t respond. Instead, they just watched the dark silhouette as it swayed back and forth.
***
Black Hole Ocean.
Even though it wasn’t really an ocean, it was also known by that name. It was the most dangerous place in the world. No one knew what lay beyond the boundaries of its waters. If anyone ever got near it, they would probably never return—or so legend had it.
It was a mysterious, terrifying place. People who sailed past it reported that the water was pitch black and full of a thick mist that obscured everything. It was rumored that strange creatures lurked within the fog, and no one dared approach the area.
This area was considered one of the Five Realms of the North—a territory that included the lands bordering the Black Hole Ocean. Ships sailing northward would go right around the Black Hole Ocean, but those heading south would sail close to it.
The only ones who ventured inside were the sailors from far-off lands seeking treasure, or merchants transporting cargo through the waters. Those who set foot on land were usually swallowed up by the black water and vanished without a trace.
There were plenty of stories about people who had been drawn toward the center of the Black Hole Ocean by a mysterious force. But there was one person whose journey led him to that place—and he survived.
He was a sailor. But not just any sailor—he was one of the most powerful seafarers in all the world. In his hands, he wielded a massive sword that allowed him to cut through steel plates as easily as he could slice up vegetables. He could also wield magical powers, making use of the spirits of monsters and demons to fight alongside his allies.
And he was well-liked among his companions because he was honest and always fair. That was why everyone trusted him; he wouldn’t take advantage of their kindness even under dire circumstances. He was a good person who took great care to make sure no one died in battle.
And he’d come to Black Hole Ocean because of his friends.
One day, this sailor left his home country and decided to travel across the world. On his journeys, he met many interesting people and learned many valuable things. One story after another unfolded, and he found himself growing ever more intrigued with the world around him.
It was on one such trip that he ran afoul of a group of pirates, forcing him to abandon his ship and flee ashore. There, he encountered someone who looked very familiar—but it wasn’t until years later that he realized she was actually an old friend from his homeland.
When he told her that he was on his way back to the port city where he’d originally started, she said that there was a rumor going around that the harbor had been destroyed. She explained that if that was true, then he was probably better off staying away. But still, he insisted, saying that it had to be false. He wanted to see what was left of his hometown for himself.
His friend warned him that there might be something lurking within Black Hole Ocean, but he brushed off her concerns. After all, he knew that he couldn’t possibly die at the hands of a beast, and he was confident he could defeat anyone who tried to get in his way.
Besides, his friend had already seen how tough he was. Even if he was attacked, it would only be by accident. As long as he remembered not to trust anyone, he would be fine.
He continued on his journey until he reached the border between the Black Hole Ocean and the lands surrounding it. Once there, he saw a ship floating on the surface of the sea and quickly boarded. When he got closer, he noticed that there were no signs of struggle or combat anywhere aboard.
As he made his way to the captain’s cabin, he heard a voice shouting for help from within. His eyes opened wide when he spotted the figure lying before him. Someone in the same position on a deck back at home would have been dead, but here there was no sign of blood or injury.
In fact, the young woman appeared perfectly fine—her hair neatly combed and her clothes neatly arranged. All of this meant she shouldn’t even be alive. Yet, there she lay, calling out to him.
“You’re safe? I don’t understand… Why are you still breathing?” the captain asked incredulously.
The stranger nodded, seemingly satisfied with his response. “I am thankful to know that,” she replied.
The captain was speechless. Her reaction confused him, but he didn’t dwell on it too much. Instead, he simply stood up and went to the helm, which was positioned directly behind him. At the wheel sat his first mate, a man who had served him for a while now.
The first mate greeted him warmly, saying that everything was fine and there hadn’t been any trouble on board, but then the captain grew suddenly worried.
What happened? Why did this girl appear unconscious like this on our ship? he wondered.
Then again, perhaps we’ve already passed through the Black Hole Ocean, and the girl was somehow thrown into the depths of the ocean. The thought scared the life out of him, and he began to worry that they would never see each other again. Still, there was nothing he could do about it. After all, the girl had chosen to come along.
“Sir! Sir!”
He turned around to find the young woman staring at him with tears in her eyes. It was the first time he’d ever seen her cry and, at that moment, he felt as though he’d lost a part of himself.
After a few moments, the first mate came over and asked if everything was okay, to which the captain replied that, yes, everything was fine. After that, he returned to the helm and ordered the boat forward.
For some reason, he kept thinking about that young woman. Was she really safe, or was she suffering right now somewhere within Black Hole Ocean? No matter what she said, it didn’t make sense for her to lie down and let herself drown if she could breathe underwater. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to believe that she had intentionally put herself through that pain.
If anything, maybe she was so weak that it had taken her this long to recover from her injuries? The thought comforted him slightly, but he soon shook it off. That idea wouldn’t have made sense, either, because she seemed far too healthy for it to be true. So why then?
The captain had no idea how to explain it all, but there was one thing he knew for sure: If he could save her, he would. Whatever it took. No matter what the cost, he would bring her back to land—even if it meant losing his life in the process. He just needed to figure out a way to get rid of these pirates who were keeping them hostage.
But how? As it turned out, his first mate had already found the answer. A group of ships had been sent ahead to set up an ambush. They had sailed through the Black Hole Ocean, but they were now safely hidden inside a cove that wasn’t visible from the ocean itself. This was done so the pirates wouldn’t catch a glimpse of the approaching ship.
In other words, the captain would have to sail directly into the pirate’s trap. But once they were close enough to the shore to see the cove, they would realize the danger they were in and decide to escape to safer waters. With that in mind, the crew prepared to set sails and head straight for the shore.
However, when they were halfway there, the pirates spotted their ship and began firing their cannons at them. Their cannons weren’t strong enough to take out a large ship like theirs, so they were forced to maneuver away. They knew better than to engage in battle against a pirate ship at point-blank range.
Once they did manage to pull away, the captain ordered a lookout to go and check the status of the enemy vessel, but the lookout never returned. The only thing they knew for certain was that the pirate ship was following closely behind them.
With that information, the captain decided to steer straight into the pirate’s cove. There was still no guarantee that the ambush would work, but the captain figured it was worth the risk to try and save the lives of his men. However, before they could reach land, they heard cannon fire coming from below decks. One by one, the crew fell to the ground, and the boat quickly started to sink.
It didn’t seem like the pirates intended to harm the crew; it was more likely that they simply wanted the ship itself. In other words, their lives didn’t matter to them. The captain and his first mate were trapped on board the sinking ship, and now they faced certain death.
But something amazing happened that night.
Suddenly, the young woman appeared on deck and looked as if she were about to faint. She held onto the railing of the ship with one hand and gripped her wound with the other. It didn’t take long for everyone to notice and rush toward her side.
“Are you okay?” the captain asked.
She nodded and said, “Yes,” as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her expression was filled with despair, but she didn’t utter another word.
“How are you feeling?” asked the captain.
She looked up at him and smiled, saying, “I’m fine.” Then she slowly closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.
The next morning, they woke up and noticed that the pirate ship was nowhere to be found.
The captain thanked God for sending his guardian angel to watch over them, and he vowed to return home and tell his father and sister all about her bravery. Before he left, he promised to find her someday and make her happy again.
That was the story of the girl whose body floated on the sea during a pirate raid and the hero who rescued her.
The End