Chương 73: Miracle

Never in a million years did I think what I had just witnessed would happen. Never in an eternity did I think this would happen. It was a shocking event, a monumental occasion that deserved its own ceremony and a national holiday. It was something truly worth fainting over because it was something that has never happened in a multitude of years. And I couldn't believe that I, one of the many readers of Night Hoppers, was the privileged one who got to witness it in the flesh with my own eyes.

I couldn't believe it; I didn't want to believe it. I thought I was in a dream; I thought I was stuck in a dream where Theo snored incessantly and a wholesome one-to-one conversation with the sassy, boisterous Queen Maya was possible. I thought this all had to be a dream, I wanted to believe that this was all a dream, since this felt impossible. It was a miracle. No, more than a miracle.

For Ellie Grace, the so-called 'silent killer', the girl with virtually no presence, someone who was shrouded in mystery, someone who had never opened her mouth to speak since her traumatic event, had just opened her mouth and spoke.

"Robert." It was just that one word, but everything about that one word was mesmerising. To hear someone speak for the first time after countless years feels unreal, almost dream-like, since you've already been accustomed to them staying silent 24/7/365. And what about the voice itself? Her wraith of a voice sounded angelic, god-like and seductive. It couldn't be described with words. It sounded more than soothing, more than calm, more than sweet. Despite this, hearing that voice sent chills down my spine.

How could a voice which sounded so feeble and serene be so eerie and chilling simultaneously? I might never find the answer to that question. I had to convince myself that I was in a dream, that I was in a nightmare where everything was going wrong for me. I had to convince myself that maybe I was just going paranoid and that this would all pass when I woke up. This definitely can't be real.

I, as well as the rest of my friends, had been socialised to believe that Ellie Grace was someone who would never open her mouth. Ever. Therefore, I needed some form of escape from this sickening alternate universe. Slap! I slapped myself in the cheek as hard as I could, but my vision still didn't change. I was still on the deck, and Ellie was still staring at me wondering what the hell I was doing. My breathing rate increased and the thumping of my heart was like a drum. Goosebumps formed on my arm.

I thought I was going to find some solace on this deck, unencumbered by the interference of mana beasts, but hearing someone who hadn't opened her mouth for at least a decade speak for the first time felt too daunting; I couldn't even muster a smile. For some people, change is hard to get used to. We get used to our daily lives, such as our morning routines, meal times and when we go to sleep. But when something changes, many people refuse to accept it, believing that everything is still the same.

It could take ages for people to get used to a change. For some people, accepting that something has changed is impossible. I knew for sure that this change, this monumental change, was something that I could never get used to, something that could possibly fall in the latter category. I wanted to walk back to the cabin to get some sleep, but before I could, I heard a voice behind me that said the opposite of what I wanted to hear.

"This is not a dream." The voice was devoid of any emotion, devoid of any life, yet it was so soft, so gentle, like a mother talking to a baby. Except that Ellie was the mother and I was the baby.

"E-Ellie?" She had just read my mind perfectly. That question was the only thing circling around my brain as I tried to find my way out of this chilling alternate universe. I thought Ellie was going to say something else, and I braced for impact. Instead, she just smiled. It was a genuine smile which reminded me of when Maya smiled at me just a few minutes ago. Seriously, what was going on?

"A-Are you going to say something else? If so, what else are you going to say? If I'm not in a dream, then what is going on? I thought you didn't speak. I thought you would never open your mouth ever again, but you've just opened your mouth and spoke to me-" Ellie put a finger to her lip as if to silence me. Instantly, I stopped talking. This was too much.

I found those innocuous words chilling, piercing my heart not because they were offensive and impertinent, but because the shock I received from them was too great. I just wanted this nightmare to end and live in a world where Ellie was as silent as a ghost. I wanted to wake up and realise that the dreams I had been having were all just nonsense. However, in a sudden twist of fate, Ellie opened her mouth again, speaking in her unusually peaceful, gentle voice.

"I want to talk to you, Robert."

Blearily, he opened his eyes. He was sprawled out on the floor. His sheets weren't even covering his body and his legs were comfortably placed on top of someone else's legs. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and peered through the window. It was still night time; dawn hadn't arrived yet. The sickening sounds of snoring could be heard from all directions, but he ignored all the noises and stood up, letting out a loud yawn as he stretched his arms.

He didn't care that other people were sleeping beside him; he was ready to start his day. After all, his shift was due to start in about an hour. Turning around, he began to walk towards the stairs leading to the deck. But then, some of the incessant snoring that had been doing a disservice to the whole room stopped, making him turn his head.

"Ben…" Theo groaned, his voice raspy and unsettling.

"Go back to sleep…"

"I think my shift's about to start," Ben whispered back.

"I want to get some fresh air before I start."

"What time is it?"

"I don't know. I think it's about time. I don't think I can sleep with all the snoring anyways." Ben's gaze remained fixed on Theo as he shut his eyes and turned his head to the other side. Then, he turned around and started walking towards the stairs while trying to minimise the amount of noise he made. However, again, there was something else trying to stop him. Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. It's definitely time for my shift, Ben said in his head. This person must have just finished theirs.

Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. After a few more footsteps, the person revealed themselves to be Maya De Souza. Her face was rosy-red, her footsteps were repetitive and the crown on her head was holding back her tousled hair like a headband.

"Is it me next?" Ben asked in a low whisper.

"I don't remember the order, sorry."

"I think it's Ellie's turn next," Maya whispered back.

"I just saw her going up the stairs. You should be after her. Go back to sleep for an hour. It'll help a lot." However, Ben didn't listen to Maya's advice. He was rooted to the spot as he scrutinised Maya's facial expression and watched her trudge back to where her sleeping bag was, placing her legs neatly and quietly below the sheets. As soon as her head hit the pillow, the golden crown on her head fell on the ground with a moderately loud thud. That was the signal for Ben to walk up the stairs.

Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. Why are these stairs so loud? Ben thought as he channelled all of his internal energy into minimising the amount of noise produced. Can mana even conceal one's presence? Is that what Ellie always does? Soon, after complaining in his head about a matter that was so futile, Ben reached the deck. He was certain that it was his turn to keep a lookout for enemies, and he wasn't going to listen to what other people were saying.

If Ellie was up there by herself, then that was fine. Maybe she might need another helping hand, and that was when Ben would step in and be her saving grace. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Maybe having two people up there wouldn't be so bad. Eventually, he was greeted with a sight to truly behold: a pristine night sky with stars that sparkled and shimmered like glitter that had been laid sporadically.

The moon, which was spotless and not concealed by any clouds, was a giant collection of small specks of glitter put together to form one giant circle. It was truly beautiful. Without the fear of mana beasts and without worrying about treasure and mana crystals, Ben could finally admire the sky that had been presented in front of him, a sky that was navy-blue where clouds and any other threats were absent. Just a clear night sky that spanned for ages.

Ben was sure that he could smell the salty aroma of the sea to accompany this view.

"It's truly amazing," Ben whispered to himself, unconsciously spilling the words out of his mouth.

"I never get to see something like this on earth." If he really was the only person on this deck, then of course he could speak all he wanted about this beautiful natural landscape. If it really was his turn to guard the deck, then of course he would also want to admire this breath-taking view simultaneously. It would be killing two birds with one stone. However, he also had a conscience, and despite his light impudence at times, he was still aware of people's personal needs.

He shouldn't disturb others while they are sleeping, meaning he shouldn't make too much noise. Those were his expectations. He was about to tip-toe all the way to the end of the deck, when suddenly, something in the distance caught his eye. It wasn't a horde of mana beasts ready to attack, nor was it another ship in the distance sailing towards them. It was something far from what he had expected. What had caught his eye were two silhouettes at the far end of the ship. They seemed to be a boy and a girl… wait.

A boy and a girl? There were only two girls in Ben's group of Hoppers: Maya and Ellie. And if Maya had descended the stairs and went back to sleep, then that girl must be… No. Maybe that boy standing next to Ellie was Cayman, and it was actually their turn to patrol the ship. That could be it. Ben had not caught glimpses of who else was sleeping when he left the cabin, so maybe the boy talking to the girl was Cayman, and maybe he was just overthinking things.

However, Ben had this uneasy feeling in his heart that something awkward or terrible was going to happen at any point. He wanted to get closer and listen to their conversation, but at the same time, his brain detected that it would be an invasion of privacy to eavesdrop and stopped him before his leg could move.

"I don't know what to do…" Ben muttered, letting his words trail off.

"If that boy really is Cayman, then I might be in trouble."

"Ben! What the hell are you doing?"

"Huh?" Instinctively, Ben averted his gaze from the boy and the girl talking. His eyes suddenly met Theo's eyes; Theo's face displayed a cruel look of disdain.

"I told you already that it's not your turn yet!" Theo said in a loud whisper.

"Go back to sleep! You have at least an hour until your shift starts!" However, Ben shook his head, pointing to where the boy and the girl stood.

"That's Ellie," Ben muttered whilst leaving his arm hanging.

"So? That other guy could be Cayman. If it's just a conversation between two siblings, there's nothing out of the ordinary there. What are you trying to tell me?"

"If they're in a conversation, and Ellie's one of the members of that conversation, does that mean…?"

"Does that mean what?"

"Does that mean that Ellie is talking?"

How should I respond? I know that I'm normally socially awkward, but this is surely too much to handle. I struggle to talk to regular people, heck, I sometimes struggle to talk to my friends and family. So how the hell am I supposed to know how to respond to someone who hasn't spoken in at least a decade? My brain was tangled with unwanted thoughts as I tried to formulate a response. A myriad of thoughts clouded my brain, spanning a multitude of different topics and countless situations and scenarios.

How was I going to respond?

"Robert."

"Huh?" Unconsciously, I looked up, meeting Ellie's emotionless, indifferent gaze. That was when I could finally acknowledge how beautiful she was in person, significantly more beautiful compared to what Night Hoppers had portrayed her to be, and at least a hundred times more beautiful than what I had envisioned her to be when reading the novel. Her light brown hair was luscious and straight, and her bright blue eyes seemed to symbolise peace.

The golden crown on Maya's head would truly suit her; maybe she was an even better fit for the crown. I couldn't believe the fact that despite knowing each other for just over a month, I had never been this close to one of the main characters of my favourite novel before. That made responding harder; I was ensnared in her cloud of magnificence with no way to escape. The feeling of tension surrounding me was tangible. How should I respond? Should I ask her how her day has been?

Should I ask her how she was feeling and whether she suffered from being seasick? Soon, a whole slew of options clouded my brain, adding to the already crowded web of thoughts circling around my nonplussed mind. It opened the doors for new possibilities and new questions that I could potentially ask her. Eventually, I would have to muster a response. After all, time flies just as fast when you're stressed.

"H-How are you doing?" I stuttered, forcefully letting the words slip through my mouth. However, Ellie remained silent and steadfast, reminiscent of her usual demeanour. In response to my very basic question, Ellie stuck out her hand and gave me a thumbs-up. I simply nodded.

"H-How are you feeling right now?" Again, Ellie simply stuck out her hand and gave me a thumbs-up. What was she thinking? Was she going to talk again, or was she finished talking? Was she pranking me? Questions, no matter how realistic, filled my brain like water in a container.

"A-Are you going to talk?" I expected Ellie to say 'yes' since I had finally found out she was capable of simple speech. However, contrary to my expectations, she nodded subtly whilst maintaining her stoic square stance. I sighed. Although a miracle had just happened, it had happened for only a few seconds. Maybe she was done talking and had finally resorted to using hand gestures again. However-"Robert." There it was again. I was certain I caught that in 4K; Ellie had definitely opened her mouth to speak.

I saw it. Her mouth definitely moved this time. I couldn't possibly be hallucinating that. The chances of the overlords playing tricks on me from above were close to zero, with the difference being negligible, since the fact that Ellie had spoken was all but confirmed.

"Robert. I want to speak to you."

"T-Then speak to me," I replied hastily, finally acutely aware that I was socially awkward.

"Use your words, not your hands." In response, Ellie nodded. This was going nowhere. I just wanted some alone time, some time to myself where I could contemplate and ponder over my new life, but with this many people on the deck, this was never going to happen.

"My shift," Ellie continued, her words as lifeless as if a ghost had said them.

"I know," I replied, trying not to lace my words with hostility.

"This is my shift." I sighed. At least I get the gist of what she's saying, and at least I now know that even Ellie is capable of speech. But still, this was not going anywhere. It was like teaching a baby how to speak.

"Help me?" Once I realised that Ellie's next words were supposed to be a question, I nodded lightly, expressing my desire to help her on her shift.

"Thank you." Soon, a wave of silence engulfed us whole, similar to when I was talking to Maya. However, this was a completely different predicament; Maya is significantly easier to talk to and approach since she's almost always willing to talk about anything.

"You're a good person," Ellie said dreamily in her peaceful, soft, serene voice. Despite it sounding more like a whisper, at least it was an improvement from when she didn't speak at all.

"You're a good person. That's why I want to speak to you." I could feel my cheeks going red as a fairly strong wave struck the ship, causing the ship to lightly bob up and down. Ellie, the silent killer who never, no, who seldom spoke, had just called me a good person.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked, abashed.

"Anything."

"L-Like what? Well, I'm not really a sociable guy, so…"

"Neither." I flinched. Was I really engaging in conversation with someone who always refused to open her mouth?

"I like it out here."

"It's quite nice, right? The night sky has literally gotten me captivated. I can't take my eyes off it. What about you?"

"It's beautiful." And just like that, the throbbing of my heart subsided, my stomach stopped churning and sweat stopped dripping down my back. I could get used to this new-look Ellie, who seldom spoke and showed some sort of emotion. I could get used to hearing this sweet, angelic, mystical voice. I could finally relax. We stared in silence at the spellbinding sky, pointing out all the different stars on offer and gazing at the moon in a daze.

A light breeze made Ellie's hair flutter and dance gently, contributing to the undeniable elegance that was on full display. A miracle had truly been presented right in front of me. I soon found that I wanted to speak but I couldn't, because I was enthralled by the ethereal beauty right in front of me, something that I could never see on Planet Earth. And I was doing so with someone who had a special place in my heart because she was one of the main protagonists of my favourite web novel.

I realised that I was probably never going to get this opportunity ever again.

"It's nice," Ellie said, her tranquil voice a low whisper which seemed to linger and dissipate gradually.

"I know. Do you ever get to see stuff like this on Planet Zero?" In response to my question, Ellie simply shook her head. I had never seen Planet Zero with my own eyes before, and that thought was something that was bound to escape my head eventually. It felt dream-like. No, something that was beyond dream-like. Something so ineffable it can't even be described with mere words. However, all of a sudden, something broke my deep trance.

"I like talking to you." Those words immediately snapped me back to reality. I flinched, visually aghast. I thought I had heard wrong; did she just say that she liked talking to me?

"W-What about the others?" I asked, stuttering and realising that my social awkwardness had nose-dived back into my body.

"Have you tried talking to them?"

"Hard to talk to." I nodded, unable to refute those words. I suddenly understood what she meant; apart from Cayman, I was the only person she could trust. I sighed, keeping my mouth shut. After all, rarely speaking was a hallmark of my personality.

"Robert, talk to me." Ellie turned to face me with her peaceful eyes and her flawless face. She smiled. I could finally understand why she had been smiling at me constantly during the mission. No, she hadn't been doing it inadvertently. She was actually trying to convey a message; she wanted to open up to me and me specifically. Was there a special place in her heart for me as well? I couldn't tell. Soon, with minimal reluctance and an unwavering stance, I boldly and confidently opened my mouth to speak.

"Sure. We can talk. What shall we talk about?"

"Anything. Anything you like." And so we talked. I did most of the talking, whilst Ellie mainly spoke single sentences or words. That didn't matter though, because something I thought was never going to happen ever had just happened, and despite feeling slightly traumatised by it initially, I had learned to get used to it. I had gotten Ellie to speak, and that was probably the biggest achievement of my life so far.

We stood on the deck for what felt like hours, and when we weren't talking, we just stared at each other or at the dazzling night sky beyond us, marvelling at its sheer brilliance and beauty. Before we knew it, traces of sunrise permeated the air, and Ellie's shift neared its end. Morning had arrived, and with it brought a whole wave of new challenges.