The colossal worm passed through the steamboat, slowly slithering into the neat yet crowded houses.
"Captain, what is that?" Deep asked, his fishlike face filled with confusion.
"Its physical body is underground," Charles said, staring intently at the ground. "What we're seeing up here is just its Shadow."
Just as a person's Shadow is black, the Shadow of this creature was the giant worm. The strange light that transcended human vision, a color only he could see, was fading.
Seeing the crisis pass, the crew let out heavy breaths. Cold sweat drenched their backs as they patted their chests in relief. Just as they started laughing at each other's pathetic appearances after their narrow escape, several small dots in the distant sky immediately put everyone on high alert again.
