Six years of silence have now drifted by,
Beneath a quiet, ordinary sky.
We built a life, Umi is fourteen now,
But kept alive a secret, solemn vow.
We learned to laugh, we learned to live again,
But always mapping, wondering where and when
We'd face the ghost of home, a poison in the breeze,
Whispering plans beneath the sleeping trees.
(Verse 2)
Late nights I spent on archives, dusty lore,
For any crack in that forbidden door.
One fisherman's report, a panicked scrawl,
Described a glow beyond the harbor wall.
"Umi!" I yelled, the papers in my hand,
"I think I found the spot! Not on the land!"
She ran to me, her eyes alive with fire,
"Is this it, Dad?" her voice a hopeful wire.
I showed her maps, the coordinates, the date.
"Get ready, kid. At dawn, we tempt our fate."
(Verse 3)
We took a boat out on the water's gray,
To chase the demons of that yesterday.
Six spots we checked, six deep and empty dives,
The ocean mocking our tenacious lives.
With every failure, hope began to fade,
The sadness fell, a familiar shade.
"It's hopeless," she expressed, "They'll never rest."
"Hey," I said softly, to put it to the test,
"Look here at me. As long as I can stand,"
"I'll search for them across this sea and land."
(Verse 4)
One final mark, a cross upon the chart,
A final chance to tear the dark apart.
"My turn," Umi said, her voice strong and clear,
And in her gaze, I saw she'd conquered fear.
She slipped below the waves to find her god,
I stayed on watch upon the deck I trod.
Ten minutes passed, then darkness filled my head,
And Umiko's smiling face was there instead.
A puppet for the voice that purred its cost,
"You seek the prize to find the ones you've lost."
"The artifact is yours, a simple trade."
"Give me yourself. Her guide. The life you've made."
(Verse 5)
A sudden splash, a hand upon my face,
Umi pulled me from that awful, trance-like space.
I told her of the deal, the choice I had to make,
The wicked trade for our new family's sake.
Her face grew hard, her eyes became like stone,
"No way, dad. You are not in this alone."
"We stand together. There is no other deal."
Her voice was fire, her conviction real.
kriegerdemon666
