C59 Forward or Back (2/2)

I took out the Japanese flashlight Sayaka gave me and opened the thermometer on the back. I put the thermometer in the water.

”14 degrees!”

”No wonder those fish were abnormal. They could feel the change in the temperature of the water!” I thought of how the fish scattered and desperately stuck to the cold cave wall.

Goo.

A gloomy voice came from the depths of the Sea of Lost.

Gurgle gurgle.

Two bubbles emerged from the bottom of the sea.

It was as if something was lurking in the darkness ahead of us, waiting for us.

Logically speaking, the sea in front of him was sealed off.

But we heard a faint sound.

It sounded like the wind, but also like the cries of some kind of creature, coming from the depths of the cave.

”...” ”Did you hear that …” Dick swallowed.

Turn back, or continue forward.

I tried to recall every detail of my journey from the tent to the present day, hoping to find even the tiniest bit of evidence that M. would not be in the Sea of Lost Things. I wanted to convince myself that it would be better to turn back.

Amidst the darkness, fear quickly spread through the ship.

Maybe if we went any further, we wouldn't find M.

Maybe M didn't break the glass door outside.

Maybe she went somewhere else.

Maybe something had happened to her.

”...”

In the midst of her silence, Sayaka spoke up with hesitation, ”I … We... ”I want to say …”

Sayaka has always been the most timid of us all.

I thought of that day in the dean's office when she didn't even dare to say what she wanted.

Even when they were recruited by the association, they were forced to join by the DickPound, yet they didn't dare to reject it.

Her voice was trembling now, and her face was pale with fright — though I wasn't much better off than she was.

”Sayaka...” Just as I opened my mouth, Darwin looked at me and interrupted me.

”Let her finish.”

”Everyone... ”I …” Sayaka took a deep breath.

”I... When she was young in Japan, there was a classmate called Tsuruko. One day, she disappeared, and after that, everyone went to find her … He searched every nook and cranny around the school, but he couldn't find any of them … A month later, the police found her at the bottom of the bridge at the sewer. She was dead, and we had an ominous rumor about the bridge, so no one went there to look for her … ”Everyone is very afraid of where to go …”

Every time Sayaka tensed up, she would lose the key point when she spoke.

”But Crane, she … She's a good friend of mine... I really regret it. If only I had been a bit braver back then, even a bit braver … The crane may not die... ”Please, everyone, don't leave M...”

Sayaka covered her face and cried softly.

”Please, everyone …”

”Sayaka...” I never thought that Sayaka mustered her courage to continue walking.

”Hey, don't cry anymore, how could there be any ghosts in this world?” Darwin was obviously unable to calm the girls down, and was actually a little helpless. ”How many times have I told you all that you need to believe in science …”

”Lieutenant, advance at full speed!” Dick pulled the motor again.

The sightseeing boat moved slowly into the darkness, heading for the place where the sound had come from.

Gulp.

Another bubble popped up.

We aimed all the light sources in our hands at the spot where the bubbles were coming from.

One minute passed, two minutes passed.

Nothing happened.

Darwin suddenly reached his hand into the water.

After two seconds, he let out a long breath. ”This is the source of the rising water temperature.”

I immediately inserted the thermometer. The water temperature was as high as 45 degrees Celsius.

”The change in the temperature of the water in the Lost Sea was caused by the crack in the ground. Do you remember yesterday, the guide said that this area of water was made from living water, but you couldn't find the source? Maybe the source of this water is not from the surface rivers at all, but from underground — ”Darwin glanced at us.

”The density of the karst cave's rocks is not high. Perhaps because the ground is cracked, the lower layer of groundwater is flowing up. Theoretically speaking, the deeper the underground water is, the closer it is to the crust, and the higher the water temperature is.”

”Yeah, I remember the geography class saying that every 300 feet (100 meters) below the ground level increases the temperature by 3 degrees Celsius...” Sayaka nodded her head in acknowledgement, ”Right now, we are measuring a temperature of 45 degrees celsius, excluding the temperature of the water in the lake, the hot water under this crevice must have come from at least 1300 meters underground or more.”

”Could it be that there's a volcano down there?” I thought of hot springs in Japan.

Sayaka shook her head. ”Tennessee doesn't belong to the Volcano Zone.”