A deep, eerie voice echoed through the ship’s cabin:77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7pZppLgz9
“Final round: Treasure Hunt — begins.”
“In this sunken ship, dolls are hidden everywhere. Collect the remaining ones, and you’ll be free to leave. But remember — limited quantity, first come, first served~.”
As soon as the voice faded, the entire hull shuddered violently, as if some colossal creature in the deep had rammed into the ship from below. The wooden beams groaned and splintered under the pressure, creaking like bones at their breaking point. A low, tortured moan reverberated through the vessel.
Frigid seawater began seeping relentlessly through the cracks between the planks, swirling around their ankles, rising slowly but steadily. The icy sting was sharp and invasive, like a thousand tiny needles pricking into their skin.
Glen tightened his grip on her hand, his voice low but resolute.
“Since we survived the sea once… this time, we’ll make it out together.”
Tamsin’s eyes shimmered faintly with unshed tears. She bit down on her lip and nodded.
As they pushed through the narrow corridor, the air grew heavier and damp, clinging to their skin like a second, cold layer. The walls were slick with moss and black streaks of water damage. Their footsteps echoed against the tight space, and the warped floorboards let out a chorus of uneasy groans beneath their weight.
They entered the cargo hold. The air reeked of rot, seawater, and decayed timber, thick enough to choke on. Heavy ropes dangled from the beams overhead, crisscrossing like a sagging, wet spiderweb. The hanging lantern swung wildly with the rhythm of the waves, its light casting restless shadows that crawled along the walls.
Tamsin’s breath caught in her throat.77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ylbUnEBRx
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Up on the highest crossbeam, a doll hung limply by the neck, as if suspended by invisible hands. Its body swayed gently with the lantern light, its head tilted at an unnatural angle. The split seam at the corner of its mouth pulled into a crooked, mocking smile.
Tamsin frowned, her voice steady despite the chill creeping down her spine.77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvnbR1S66t
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“We have to climb up.”
She grabbed a rope and began to ascend, but the damp fibers were weak and rotting. They snapped and frayed beneath her grip, forcing her to cling on with every muscle in her arms and shoulders. Sweat—cold as seawater—slid down her temple.
The ship rocked sharply with the swell of the sea, nearly throwing her off. Glen’s heart lurched—he caught the lower end of the rope, bracing it with all his strength to steady her climb.
Finally, Tamsin’s fingertips brushed the doll. She yanked it down and stuffed it into her bag, then slid carefully back to the deck.
When her boots hit the floor, her knees nearly gave out. She and Glen locked eyes, breathless and pale, the pounding of the storm echoing in their chests.
“Got one,” she whispered, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound calm.
They moved on through the creaking passageways until they reached another cabin. A broken bed lay toppled in the center, its mattress long since rotted through and reeking of mold. Splintered pieces of furniture floated in shallow, stagnant water, making brittle cracking sounds as they stepped through.
Swallowing back their unease, they forced themselves to search. Tamsin dug into the damp, foul-smelling mattress, while Glen crouched by the shattered cabinet, brushing away wet fragments piece by piece.
Suddenly, Glen’s fingertips touched something cold. He jerked his hand back, clutching a soaked doll. Its button eyes glimmered eerily under the dim, swaying lantern light.
His expression hardened. “Another one.” He slipped the doll into the bag.
They pressed on, climbing up to the upper level of the ship—the captain’s quarters. Unlike the damp, decayed rooms below, this chamber carried an unsettling stillness. The air was thick with the mingled scent of salt and stale tobacco.
On the wall, an old compass had frozen in place, its needle pointing nowhere. The floor sloped unevenly, warped from water damage. Scattered across the desk were nautical charts and waterlogged journals, their curled edges and blurred ink marks etched deep into the wood, as if time itself had gnawed at them.
Glen scanned the room carefully. His eyes landed on a corner of the wall—there, an old military cap hung neatly. Salt crystals clung to its rim like fine bone dust, yet the fabric itself was strangely clean, as if someone had just wiped it.
An uneasy chill crawled down his back.
He reached out. The moment his fingertips brushed the brim—
Clack.
The cap dropped to the floor. Beneath it lay a doll, its stitched mouth stretched into a grotesque grin, its black button eyes staring straight ahead.
“Got it,” Glen said under his breath, bending down quickly to pick it up. He shoved the doll into the bag.
Tamsin scanned the room, but there were no other clues. The two exchanged a silent glance, then stepped out together.
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They circled to the other side of the ship, reaching a half-flooded cargo bay. Wooden crates floated on the water’s surface, knocking dully against the walls.
Tamsin’s breath quickened. The cold humidity, the tight space — all of it brought back that night ten years ago, when the world sank into darkness.
Her legs froze. She couldn’t move.
Glen noticed her fear and rested a steady hand on her shoulder.77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivzVVg08H0
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“Don’t worry. I’ll go.”
He dove into the icy water, splashing down.
Moments later, he surfaced, clutching a waterlogged doll — its eyes stitched unevenly, its grin twisted. He tossed it up onto the deck. Tamsin caught it with trembling hands, clutching it tightly against her chest.
“Two more,” she whispered, barely audible.
They searched every corner afterward, but no more dolls appeared. Glen’s gaze landed on a rusted iron door at the far end of the corridor.
“The last ones… must be in there.”
Tamsin nodded, steeling herself as she pushed it open.
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To be continued...
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