I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

A sailor was rammed into a cannon, and a cannonball immediately burst from the black muzzle. The cannonball flew up and hit the ship where the protagonist was. Wood was broken and people were thrown into the air by the explosion.

The perspective then shifts to the second floor of the ship's cabin, where a bandaged figure stands by the window, extending his bandages and the smoke swirling around them.

The camera pans forward along with the bandages, heading towards the amber in front.

This series of long shots begins and ends with the protagonist, with smooth camera movement, and showcases the intensity and brutality of the battle. Even Ms. Merritt, who is not interested in this kind of battle scene, has to admit that this part is quite wonderful. The special effects, the personnel arrangements, and the arrangement of the shots are all excellent.

The bandaged man repelled the seemingly unskilled priestess, interrupting her chanting, and simultaneously engaged the protagonist in several back-and-forth battles.

Soon, the bandaged man was ambushed by the protagonist and suffered a serious, fatal injury. The smoke around his body began to become chaotic.

A low murmur reached Ms. Merritt's ears.

In an instant, she felt a chill run down her spine, because the voice sounded so real, like someone was constantly reciting in her ear.

She quickly looked to her left and right; in the huge screening room, she was all alone.

After taking a sip of sparkling wine, Ms. Merritt saw the bandaged man, as if he were bringing some kind of calamity, fall into the water and spread out, turning the already dark seawater black.

A huge dark shadow appeared in the sea.

In an instant, even though the storm had not yet subsided and the battle was not yet over, the entire film suddenly fell silent.

Only a thumping sound, similar to a heartbeat, could be heard.

The voice resonated with and touched Ms. Merritt.

thump--

thump--

thump--

She had no idea what would happen next.

All she knew was that the big one was coming.

Chapter 376 Who doesn't have a girlish heart?

The battle continued. The fight between the other bandaged man and the mercenary leader, Ayame, was full of power and grace. However, with the monster beneath their feet stirring, no one could escape their fate.

thump--

Defeated and falling into the water, Ayame looked at the light reflected on the water's surface and reached out her hand, but more darkness enveloped her body.

In an instant, all the ships were swallowed up and sank by the nameless darkness, and only the eternal sea occupied all of Ms. Merritt's thoughts.

When humans are in the deep sea, they will be in a superposition of both confinement and openness.

In that dark and gloomy world, some unknown thing was stirring, stirring up the deepest fears in the human heart.

The vastness of the ocean, and the various creatures hidden within it, inspire endless reverie and unrestrained imagination.

Since ancient times, the ocean itself has been one of humanity's fears, and along with the sky and the earth, it has been deified.

Now, Ms. Merritt understands this feeling all too well.

For a moment, she felt like she was suffocating.

It was an indescribable sense of suffocation. The air in the screening room suddenly became as heavy as the sea, making it difficult to even breathe. Ms. Merritt couldn't help but hold her breath, feeling a tightness in her chest. Her legs involuntarily struggled, like a drowning person.

In this situation, she saw a huge, unimaginable black shadow rising from the seabed, and all the people who had fallen into the water, the fragments of the ships, the shrapnel of the shells, everything seemed to be tiny and insignificant.

Within that enormous shadow, even death cannot be called eternal.

The people who fell into the water were enveloped in blackness, silent and still. No one knew what their final fate was. Were they devoured and torn apart by the shadows, dying in agony? Or were they dissolved and vanished without a trace? Or were they simply transported to the ocean miles away, safe and sound?

The unknown is the greatest fear.

Ms. Merritt even felt that the whole room had darkened.

The oppressive, stifling air of the humid early summer in the French countryside pierced her lungs like a ghost, like sticky glue, gradually blocking her airways. As clouds obscured the last ray of moonlight, the projection room became pitch black, with only the projection screen emitting a faint light to illuminate the room.

Silence reigned, with only the faint sound of ocean currents passing by her ears filling Ms. Merritt's body.

She stretched out her legs, gripped the sofa armrests tightly, her eyes widened, and she looked like a drowning person, her face ashen.

Until the camera is pulled out of the water, revealing the protagonist's face, who is pulling the camera's main perspective up to the surface.

For the first time, Ms. Merritt thought this person was incredibly handsome.

She realized that it was the female protagonist, Amber, who had been pulled up.

All around were the wreckage of ships; the remains of the unfortunate hadn't even floated on the water. Amber coughed up a lot of seawater and lay on the wooden plank, her whole body soaked.

Ms. Merritt noticed that her body, which had been charred from using the prayer, had recovered, and the moonlight shone on the girl's body, making her radiant.

French films often emphasize the beauty of a young girl's youth, and in this scene, a desolate sea, a huge dark shadow that could appear at any moment, and the cold moonlight, amidst which stands a pure and innocent girl, is a scene that can touch the heart of any viewer.

To Ms. Merritt's relief, the director did not immediately introduce a romantic relationship between the male and female leads, as is the case in some traditional films. The two drifted at sea like survivors, intoxicated by the illusions reflected in the matchbox. After drying their clothes, Amber fell into a deep sleep while holding the dog, and the male lead gentlemanly stayed by her side.

Some directors like the "suspension bridge effect," which manifests in the presence of a sex scene before a major battle or a kissing scene after a crisis. Ms. Merritt believes that this simply means they don't understand how to gradually portray emotions and can only force two people together in this way.

Now, in the interactions between Amber and the male protagonist, what Ms. Merritt sees is only a bewildered young girl and a persistent mercenary, a scene of the two helping each other and overcoming difficulties together.

The drifting at sea was unsettling, but the dog could still catch fish. The two people and the dog warmed themselves by the fire on the wooden planks. The girl ate food that wasn't "elegant" for the first time. The excitement and exhilaration of encountering the island, and their interactions on the beach—this part of the story brought a sense of calm.

Despite the long and perilous journey ahead, and despite being stranded on a deserted island where survival is a struggle, at least for now, the two of them have nothing to worry about but each other.

Ms. Merritt was very familiar with this feeling. After thinking for a moment, she realized that this was the kind of everyday portrayal that island nation films excel at. Unlike many European and American films, many island nation films do not have many clear goals or a sense of rhythm. Many times, they simply depict the daily lives of the protagonist and the people around them, but they do not make people feel bored or dull. On the contrary, they make the characters more vivid through these little details.

Many art films from Europe and America are truly artistic; they can put people to sleep. The various neon-lit scenes, montages, stream of consciousness, and actors with sullen faces all stimulate the audience's sleep-inducing nerves.

When Ms. Merritt saw this scene, she couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

Because Amber is a girl who has been burdened with responsibilities since birth, she may have grown up according to her family's plans and had no freedom of her own.

And now, without a doubt, is the freest time of her life.

Ms. Merritt knew very well how precious such moments were, because she knew that later in the story, they would surely continue their journey and eventually reach their destination. The freedom and comfort they enjoyed now were just a fleeting dream, and they would eventually wake up.

This feeling of lamenting the fleeting nature of good times is like a light wine; it goes down the throat and then rises to the heart.

The so-called "mono no aware" (the pathos of things) may be such an emotion.

Even when the protagonist discovered the pirates' camp and was able to steal the pirate ship to continue to their destination, Ms. Merritt felt a pang of disappointment.

Without a doubt, she was completely captivated by the characters in the story and immersed in it.

Drifting at sea, they arrive at Long Maple Island and pretend to be siblings living there, teasing the little girl. Amber says she wants to give up her responsibilities and stay there as an ordinary girl. This part of the story perfectly resonates with Ms. Merritt. She feels that this is the warmth and healing she wants, a coming-of-age story that is both artistic and touching.

Even looking at Lu Ban, she felt he was somewhat handsome.

Who doesn't have a girlish heart at first?

If the story ended here, Ms. Merritt's rationality told her that it would certainly not be perfect.

But she also hoped the story would end there.

However, the director certainly didn't want the story to end there, and a turning point occurred.

Chapter 377 Parting Sorrows

The bandaged man escaped and arrived on the island. As an assassin carrying official secret orders, he issued a warrant for his arrest at the island's government office.

The protagonist and Amber were also present when they heard the wanted poster. They knew that their peaceful lives would always be disrupted in this way.

The protagonist enters the government office alone, intending to kill the bandaged man and then escape with Amber.

Ms. Merritt finished the wine in her glass.

She watched intently as the protagonist fought his opponent, eventually killing the bandaged man.

Then, Ms. Merritt saw the monster.

From a decaying coin, the grotesque monster from the beginning of the film appears in the house.

These monsters can corrode and infect everything. Those who fall to the ground are assimilated into the monsters while they wail in pain. Even the seemingly invincible dogs cannot move freely in this spreading black mist.

"Oh, no."

Having read this far, Ms. Merritt had already guessed what was going to happen next.

She saw the black mist engulf the island, transforming its inhabitants into twisted monsters. She saw the protagonist and the dog escape, taking the girl and her mother with them. She saw Amber witness all of this and make her own choice.

The pale flames that ignited somehow gave Ms. Merritt a sense of holiness.

As the black flames, a mixture of vibrant colors, burned away all the filth, the girl stood amidst the flowing flames, and Ms. Merritt's mind flashed back to their daily lives together.

She was caught in a dilemma.

This conflict is not a confrontation between two factions in the plot, but a conflict about the girl's choice: to give up her responsibilities and wander the world, or to uphold her responsibilities and give up her freedom.

To the freedom-loving French, going into hiding and fleeing is the best option; after all, as long as they raise the white flag, everything will be resolved.

But as the story unfolds, Ms. Merritt realizes that if she doesn't protect this world, even more tragedies will occur.

These tragedies are not just numbers, but are unfolding right before our eyes.

Those twisted and terrifying monsters can only be resisted by the witch.

Ms. Merritt knew that Amber had made her own choice.

She chose the world.

Ms. Merritt poured herself another glass of wine, which she drank in one gulp.

She rarely gets drunk, but now she's willing to get a little tipsy, think a little less, and just follow the plot of the movie.

Even the enormous cherry blossom trees in full bloom on the island and the rows of red torii gates failed to capture Ms. Merritt's interest.

She was filled with melancholy, the melancholy of parting.

For Ms. Merritt, the ten-odd minutes of the storyline from the island's Taisha film was a gradual transition.

Through the opinions of the people she encountered regarding the shrine maiden and Amber, she gradually constructed an answer that she could not refuse.

That means it's best for the amber to stay here.

It is precisely because of this helplessness that Ms. Merritt feels even deeper sorrow.

If something is wrong, then the character's act of doing it and giving up something beautiful will make people feel angry, regretful, and resentful.

But when this is the right thing to do, it only makes people lament the capriciousness of fate and sigh at the helplessness of life.