Captain – Chapter 484 – The Pursuit

Yes, playing the violin, just like that night.

The rain had just stopped, the violin music was obscure, accompanied by the young lady’s teasing and gentle storytelling. All the hatred and darkness born in childhood and lasting for more than a decade dissipated with the music.

That time, the music narrated a mourning for an old friend, but this time, he would use it to find her.

Going to the corner of the attic, sitting down against the wall, Caine took the small violin that had been abandoned for twelve years in this story and skillfully tuned it before playing that lullaby again.

The music flowed like water, lingering in the small attic. Under its accompaniment, even the cold, countdown-like “tick-tock” sound seemed to gain some warmth.

Oh, it also became clearer, as if the person carrying the pocket watch had turned around because of it.

“Meow.”

Curled up tiredly beside the young man, the Siamese cat looked at the empty space by the window and suddenly called out softly, saying it seemed to be working, because at least she was looking at him.

Although she probably couldn’t see him.

Roy indeed couldn’t see him. In her eyes, that corner was empty except for an old violin, but somehow, the familiar music kept coming, stirring her memories.

It was as if he were still there, playing a song of resolution.

“Oh, what is this sound? Is it our illusion?”

The devil’s feigned surprised voice disrupted the young lady’s thoughts and made the gentle music unclear and fragmented, as if this cold world was telling her:

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This is just an illusion. He is not here and never will be.

“No, this is not an illusion.”

Amidst the chaos, the Captain frowned slightly and stated firmly, and the music became stable again.

This time, the devil did not speak again.

“This music is so real, how could it be an illusion? It’s more likely a replay of that scene, or it’s revealing something. Ancestor, no matter how much you dislike me, you wouldn’t play this trick, would you?”

Taking a step closer to the corner, the music became clearer. The young lady made her own judgment while not forgetting to mock the devil’s “poor acting,” earning a few dry laughs.

“Child, I think we’ve already wasted too much time on this broken island. If you don’t hurry, I’m afraid even completing half the journey will be nothing but wishful thinking.”

Hearing the man’s “well-intentioned” reminder, Roy rolled her eyes at the air, then turned and went to the attic door, pushed it open, and walked down the stairs: “I don’t need you to remind me of that.”

“Besides, Ancestor, why do I feel you’re a bit, a bit…”

Pausing her steps, looking back at the attic, the Captain’s dark golden eyes showed some confusion: “A bit too anxious? As if my staying longer would ruin your plans.”

“Is that also my misconception?”

Faced with the young lady’s questioning, the devil uncomfortably laughed, trying to coax her like a child: “Of course not, it’s just the curiosity of an audience anticipating the story’s development. I’ve created such a good show with great effort; how can it be worth the price if I don’t see it through?”

“So, let’s move on quickly, child.”

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It’s unclear how much of this explanation the Captain accepted. She only responded with a light hum before turning away and continuing downward, her figure becoming increasingly faint in the process.

Finally, she completely disappeared, the last moment frozen at the doorway of the residence.

She didn’t push the door open, so she didn’t disturb Merri outside.

Or rather, in the Admiral’s memory, there was never such a young lady; he had come with the young master.

“Meow.”

The cat looked up and called out, signaling the young man to stop playing, then walked to where the young lady had stood and softly meowed, regretfully announcing that the reckless one hadn’t noticed.

“Not at all?”

Looking at the young man who slowly put down the violin, disappointed but clearly anticipating this outcome, the cat “meowed,” consoling him that there was actually some effect. Although she didn’t sense his presence, at least she didn’t think the attic was haunted.

Sighing lightly, the First Mate smiled bitterly and said: “A small comfort? What should I do next, continue to follow her footsteps, and then at those familiar places…”

“Call out to her again and again?”

“Meow.”

The cat nodded approvingly, saying he’d finally gotten it, then turned around, paced to the window, jumped onto the open windowsill, and after a moment of silence, meowed urgently.

“Meow.”

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You go ahead, I’ll follow you.

Seeing this, Caine stood up, hesitated for a moment before saying “thank you,” and then didn’t delay any further.

He knew that the cat’s “follow” wasn’t simply tracking footsteps, but crossing page after page of stories, possibly involving elusive fate.

This would make it very tired, but at this moment, he could do nothing but say “thank you.” Since that was the case, following the cat’s instructions without causing trouble was the best he could do.

As the young man’s footsteps faded away, the Siamese cat still sat on the windowsill, gazing at the clear, starry night after the rain.

It wasn’t worried about whether the young man would get lost in the dream, because the wheel of fate had begun to roll, the bond between the ship and the anchor point had formed, and such an absurd situation wouldn’t occur.

But logically, even if it wasn’t in a hurry, it should immediately start flipping through the storybook to find the next foothold, because the space and time in this dream were already distorted. Staying on this page for a moment might mean the two had already traveled a long journey.

Yet despite this, it still didn’t move, just looking at the starry sky as if looking at an old friend.

Under the starlight, its beautiful blue eyes rippled slightly, like a mirror reflecting the scene from the other end of time and space: the lightless sea, the lonely island, and under the stormy lightning, the person sitting on the throne with his burning golden eyes.

“Oh, look who’s here.”

The devil smiled, seemingly delighted to see an old friend, but there was not a hint of smile in his eyes.

Only indifference, cold to the bone.

“You said fate hadn’t abandoned me. You said I was fate. But in the end, you still stood on the opposite side, beside that child. What, does she remind you of…”

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“The past me?”

Sighing wistfully, the devil shook his head and leaned back, sitting back in the shadow of the throne.

Before suddenly hearing the violin music and realizing an “uninvited guest” had entered this dream, he had been in this posture. Now, he seemed to use this posture to express indifference.

“Mango, oh Mango, I remember you weren’t as nostalgic and sentimental as you are now. Do you perhaps think I’m forcing that child too harshly, so you want to go against me?”

“Or is this another guidance of fate?”

The devil’s questions came one after another, his tone increasingly low and detached, but without any pause, as if not asking the cat but simply expressing all the doubts in his heart.

Or perhaps he knew it wouldn’t answer.

“After a thousand years, has fate finally seen through me, seen through my sins, to pass judgment?”

The originally brilliant starry sky suddenly dimmed at an unimaginable speed after these words fell, as if a hand had lifted a black veil, covering all the light.

This page of the story, this period of time, collapsed silently, leaving only endless darkness.

In the abyss-like shadow, a final whisper echoed:

“Then let’s see who truly is fate.”