Charles climbed out of bed and ordered his first mate to unwrap all of his bandages. Faced with the dense tattoos now covering the man's body, Charles leaned in to examine them closely.
"Help me! I'm trapped inside this body and can't get out! What replaced me is a demon! Don't believe anything he says!"
Just reading the first line sent a shudder through Charles, and a flood of thoughts surged through his mind. But he glanced at the silent first mate beside him, said nothing, and continued reading.
"Don't trust Jinnie! She's not your daughter!"
"Don't go searching for anything—you already have the life you once only dreamed of."
"Your name is Freud. Women, wealth, honor… you have everything now. You are happy, so don't think about anything else!"
"Never go to sea. There are no answers for you there."
"Remember, your life's goal is to kill Sika! It killed my wife, Jinnie!"
"Go find the Black Crystal. I've heard it's highly poisonous. Eat it and see if it does anything."
