1) The Passage, day 20.

Day 20,

I’m alive.

I don’t know how or why, but I am.

The storm several days ago was like a war.

Of me and Lys versus the sea.

The ruthless winds bombarded me, mercilessly. The ferocious waves assaulted the boat with fury. The whole ocean howled for hours without respite. The sky was torn apart by thunder and lightning, exuding flashes of bloody light. Still, the eternal darkness was always lurking, grinning.

Is it possible that all the hatred and anger I carry inside my soul suddenly poured into the ocean?

I chased your bloody light. Your wounds, your light.

But I collapsed. I was exhausted, and I left the waves and the boat to fight instead of me. 

Destiny has decided in my place. And I got lost.

I kept Timo, the spruce bunny, very close to me the whole time. I needed courage.

I would have died without Lys. As I have without you.

But I'm still here. We have won.

This boat danced a dangerous tango with the aggressive waves. More than once, we risked capsizing or sinking into the abyss. Yet, as you can see, Lys is a better dancer than me.

Finally, as if cast out by a spell, the fury of the storm disappeared. Suddenly.

The storm ran away with its tail between its legs as if it were fleeing from something even worse. And indeed, it was.

The smoky serpent had returned with its oppressive and suffocating presence. Under that sky so torn and bleeding, yet so empty and dark.

The thunder kept cracking, making the air electric. And cold.

An intense and penetrating cold. Sidereal.

Only my soul was colder.

I was lost. I was adrift. I was alone.

I had broken my promise again.

And then? The darkness. Another "crisis" had arrived.

I woke up with scratched arms and ragged clothes ... and one of the portholes in my hand. 

Did I really rip off a porthole?

It seems that I have gotten worse in the past few days.

By now my dreams and reality are confused. Memories are dreams and dreams are memories.

By now I do not know who I am anymore. And where are you?

Lys has taken extensive damage, including the ripped porthole. The interior looks as though a tornado went through it; there are pans in the shower, and many glasses are broken. But, despite everything, I'm still here.

I am still alive.

I had to spend a few days fixing everything.

The hydrophone sang the day before yesterday. A feeble song. Different. Far away. Sad.

Like the song of those who are lost and have lost. A song like mine.

Then it moved and cautiously approached, growing stronger, more intense, more desperate.

And finally, in that sea of darkness and fog, I saw them: two young white-beaked dolphins. 

They had probably lost their pod in the storm and were now lost. Just like me.

I leaned over the railing and one of the dolphins jumped out. Such a majestic creature.

I had a very strong urge to throw myself into the sea. To swim with them. To give them a hug.

To try to get their attention, I ran inside to look for some fish to give them, hoping that they would not abandon me, that they would not leave me alone.

I found two beautiful pieces of cod kept on ice, and threw one at each dolphin: the first, apparently more lively and bold, caught it in mid-air; the second, shyer, waited for it to fall into the water, and then, seeing it motionless, he ate it.

Apparently, they liked the cod, since in response I received an incredible choreography of jumps and pirouettes. They seemed more at ease.

Today a light appeared, in the distance, yellow and bright, like a mirage in the fog.

Then it disappeared, extinguishing all hope.

And it reappeared a few minutes later ... A lighthouse!

I found a lighthouse!

I found a lighthouse!

I FOUND A LIGHTHOUSE!

Dilgan the shy and Mismar the bold, as I decided to call the two dolphins, decided to follow me, and they play in my wake.

They must be really desperate to have adopted me as a new member of their group.

But, at least, I'm not so alone anymore.

It is a strange feeling.

Sometimes I hear them whistling loudly from the hydrophone.

By now they have learned that by doing so they will make me appear with two pieces of fish for them.

Such intelligent animals.

Well, after all, they are dolphins.

The lighthouse is difficult to follow; its light sometimes changes direction. Sometimes it twists; sometimes it disappears.

Damned fog. Damned sea. Damned everything.

The light has been stronger the past few hours.

And the snake suddenly dissolved.

And it's definitely warmer.

I can finally see the stars again ...

It has been a long time since I last saw them. All those little lighthouses on the other side of the universe, so alone.

How much I wish I could be friends with one of them.

Now that I pay attention, the constellations ... are different ...

And the polar star ... does not shine bright in the sky ...

Why are the stars so different ...

They are all wrong ...

Where am I?

I have to go. In the sea ... there are strange lights ...

I'm in serious trouble,

Help me.