Prologue

The dark cold seeps through every pore, penetrating my internal organs, flowing through every blood vessel, and ultimately reaching the heart

This is a world without boundaries and without sound, where there is nothing, only me continuously plunging deeper into the sea

However, there is an advantage here—I do not have to think about anything, nor do I need to recall what those vague faces are called, how to address them, or deal with the insincere smiles and the teeth that have been whitened by flattery

At least in this moment, I am free

It is wonderful, even if forgotten by the world and abandoned at the end of time, there is nothing to regret, for the world I inhabit is nothing but endless disputes and hypocrisy

If time were a handful of sand that could slip through my fingers, then in the end, at least a few grains would remain in my palm; however, time is more like a vast sea, unable to retain anything, even the last drop of moisture will evaporate into nothingness under the sun

I am probably truly exhausted; this place is dark and cold, yet it has become the only place that brings me peace. Nothing can disturb me anymore, and nothing can command me.

The sun is very far from me, has always been very far, and it is still the same now

It shines from a place very far away, separated by layers upon layers of flowing seawater. I gaze at the constantly shifting colors, the deep blue at the center of my vision, as vibrant as the wings of some poisonous butterfly in nature, appearing both beautiful and cruel

I am falling, slowly and inexplicably descending, the water flowing through my fingers feels smoother than my mother's high-quality silk dress

Darkness enveloped me, both gentle and cold

I cannot hold back the water that flows through my fingers, nor is there anything that can support my body, even though at this moment it feels as light as a feather

I am continuously falling, watching as the remaining patch of azure above me gradually dims in the distortion, while the shimmering light floating is slowly consumed by darkness

It turns out that the depths of the sea are so dark, so cold, and so lonely