The soft sunlight filtered through the pale curtains into the room. The rhythmic crashing of waves against the ship's hull induced drowsiness. The atmosphere was comfortably warm. Xin Tingting burrowed under the thin blanket on the wooden bed. The faint salty scent of seawater mixed with the breeze that slipped in, making her frown slightly in annoyance.
She turned over once again, eyes shut tightly, trying her best to ignore the world.
"Just a little longer…" she muttered to herself, her voice hoarse from a dry throat, unwilling to speak. But then, a sound rose from the depths of her stomach ggrrrnnnkkk…
That sound was pitiful, desperate, and utterly lacking in dignity so much so that even she had to open her eyes with a weary sigh.
"I'm so hungry that my stomach is making noises…?" she mumbled grudgingly, barely able to accept the truth. She buried her face deeper into the pillow, as if hoping her hunger would be ashamed and retreat quietly on its own.
But her stomach didn't give up. It growled again, softly yet pitifully, insisting on its presence and need for attention.
A slender hand emerged from under the blanket, lazily waving at the air as if to chase away the wind, the sound, or perhaps even the reason she had to get up now. The blanket wrapped around her body was warm and soft, dream-inducing. The wooden bed, though slightly hard, had a thin mattress underneath that offered strange comfort and solace.
Her feet remained firmly under the blanket, absolutely refusing to touch the cold wooden floor beneath.
The small crumpled bed seemed more alluring than the aroma of soup or freshly cooked rice. She sighed in exasperation half in mockery of her own fate, half in amusement. "Just a little longer… just one more moment with my eyes closed…"
But her stomach wouldn't stop trying…
She threw an arm over her forehead and sighed again, pitying herself so lazy it could bring her to tears. Yet the growling from within only grew louder, more insistent, as if to remind her that this wasn't the time to procrastinate.
"…Fine," she groaned, her voice drained of all energy.
Xin Tingting slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes a little before stumbling out of the guest room with a weary expression. Her body felt so light it might be blown away by the sea breeze.
The waves still crashed rhythmically against the ship's hull like the heartbeat of the ocean. But louder than that was still the protest of her stomach.
"Hungry… Where's the kitchen?" she mumbled softly.
She wandered through the narrow corridor, eyes sweeping hopelessly for a miracle wishing to find the kitchen or at least the smell of food to guide her. But all she saw was a seemingly endless stretch of wooden hallway, with identical doors that made her feel like she had wandered into a maze.
The musty scent of old wood filled her lungs with each breath. It wasn't unpleasant, but in this moment, it made her feel like she was walking through a lifeless, cold world of confusion and silence.
Each door was lined up too neatly, as if designed to trick the eyes on purpose. Whether she looked left, right, up, or down every direction looked exactly the same. She couldn't even tell if she had already walked past here.
"Where exactly on the ship am I?" she muttered, more annoyed than hungry now.
Her small feet stepped on the cold wooden floor. She placed a hand on her stomach as it began to protest again, as if to mock her, then let out a heavy sigh of resignation.
She continued walking aimlessly, letting her instincts guide her, hoping that luck might take pity on her and drop a pot of rice or soup into her path.
But before she could think further, a dark shadow darted past in front of her with unnatural speed for such a narrow space, making her freeze in her tracks.
"Hm?"
Her beautiful eyes widened as she leaned forward slightly, trying to see clearly what had just run past her.
The creature in question had glossy jet-black fur and unnaturally long legs that trotted effortlessly along the wooden corridor, seemingly unaware that it was aboard a ship in the middle of the sea. Its bright eyes glanced at her briefly before returning to its path.
Xin Tingting stood frozen, brow twitching in disbelief. What she had just seen left her breathless.
"Am I really so hungry I'm hallucinating… and saw an ostrich run past me?"
Her voice was filled with disbelief, but she didn't dare argue with her own eyes. She stood there, dazed hungry, confused, and unsure whether what she saw was real or just a hunger-induced mirage.
"Or was that… an actual ostrich!?"
The dark shadow was gone now, leaving behind only the fading sound of thudding footsteps and the lingering scent of wood dust in the air.
The hunger vanished instantly, replaced by an overwhelming sense of curiosity she couldn't ignore.
"What's it doing on a ship in the middle of the sea? Don't tell me… it escaped from the cook's chopping block or something?" Xin Tingting murmured, chuckling quietly to herself.
Then, without hesitation, she broke into a run, chasing the shadow ahead.
The wooden floor beneath her feet was damp and slippery from sea spray carried by the wind throughout the day. But her eyes were locked onto the strange creature disappearing behind a thin mist, and she didn't notice a rope stretched across the floor.
Her steps slowed slightly as she entered a strangely silent section of the hallway. Wisps of white mist curled silently around her.
The girl moved forward cautiously, eyes still fixed on the fleeting shadow she had glimpsed through the fog only moments ago.
The air around her was so still that she could hear her own breathing. The soft sea breeze whispered by. Her heartbeat quickened without her realizing it.
The sound of waves hitting the ship echoed rhythmically… like a quickening heartbeat.
Her small feet stepped unknowingly onto the damp floor just as her toes caught on a rope stretched across it. She lost her balance. As she fell, her hand accidentally knocked over a glass of water sitting beside a wooden bucket.
Crack! The sound of glass shattering rang sharply through the silence. Water spilled and mingled with the salty droplets already on the floor.
The large ostrich nearby flinched violently. Its head snapped back toward her in alarm, its wide eyes gleaming. The crest of feathers on its head drooped in panic. It stared at the falling girl with suspicion.
In its mind, the sound of breaking glass signaled danger.
And because of its fear, it misunderstood and thought the girl meant harm. It seized the moment and leapt forward with all its strength, slamming into her side with such force that the impact echoed through the ship.
She didn't even have time to scream. Her body was hurled across the deck, all the way to the ship's edge.
"Ah~!"
Her cry was swallowed by the sea wind.
Suddenly, the wooden floor disappeared beneath her… She realized she had gone overboard. Her hands reached out, grasping for something anything but found nothing.
In that split second, as her body hung suspended in midair, everything seemed to stop.
Her eyes widened in shock, lips parted silently, heart pounding as if to burst from her chest. Time seemed to freeze but gravity was not so kind.
Then suddenly
Splash!
Xin Tingting's body slammed into the ocean with a deafening splash, tearing through the stillness around her.
Icy coldness pierced her immediately, making her gasp. Her breath caught, salty seawater stung her nose harshly, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Her limbs thrashed instinctively, mind blank she didn't even know which way was up anymore.
The only sound she could still hear… was water. And her own screaming voice inside her mind.
On the silent, empty deck above, the black ostrich stood tall and elegant in the sea breeze. It tilted its head slightly, gazing down at the water below, where ripples still lingered from the impact.
Its large round eyes gleamed in the sunlight, focused intently as if observing something with purpose. Then suddenly, it let out a faint cry
Wraaank…
A soft, low sound like a stifled laugh. Short. Deep. But unmistakably clear.
It blinked slowly. Whatever fear it once had had been replaced entirely by smug satisfaction.
The ostrich flapped its wings gently like clapping in amusement then turned and walked back into the shadows of the deck…
Leaving behind only the sound of wraaank echoing in the sea breeze.