A towering ship sailed forward, cutting through the waves of the western ocean.
Its destination: New York.
Aboard were a few passengers, traveling from London to begin a new life.
Even within the ship, passengers were divided into two classes — the wealthy and the poor.
The wealthy occupied the upper decks, while the poor stayed below.
Preparations were underway on the upper deck for a grand celebration — the birthday of a prominent businessman's daughter.
Meanwhile, the clock ticked toward midnight, marking the arrival of the New Year.
Down below, the poor passengers were also making humble preparations to welcome the coming year.
They waited eagerly for the clock to strike twelve — like a cat waiting to pounce on a mouse.
And finally, midnight arrived.
The rich celebrated with music and luxury.
The poor embraced the New Year in their own modest way.
After the celebrations, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
The poor were assigned a large hall, filled with rows of cots.
Some time later, a message came from the captain:
> "Everyone, please assemble in the main hall."
The passengers obeyed and gathered.
Even here, the divide remained — the rich at the front, the poor behind.
Soon, the captain and his crew entered.
One of the passengers stepped forward and asked,
> "Captain, how long have we been sailing? Where have you been all this time?"
The captain replied with a serious tone:
> "That doesn't matter now. I've called you here for a reason."
He cleared his throat.
> "We're supposed to be heading west — from London to New York. But there's a problem. The compass... it's not showing any direction."
Confused murmurs broke out.
> "What do you mean?" someone asked.
> "If you have your own compass, take it out and see," the captain said.
A man pulled one from his pocket. The needle spun wildly — not pointing anywhere.
A cold silence fell.
Confusion turned to fear.
The captain continued,
> "We don't understand why the compass is behaving like this. But there's a bigger issue — we've lost all radio contact. There's no signal. No way to reach anyone."
He looked around the silent room.
> "There's no need to panic. I just wanted you to be informed. Please return to your rooms. By the time you wake up tomorrow… we'll be in New York."
Some felt reassured.
Others remained uneasy.
The passengers returned to their rooms.
The captain and his crew remained on the bridge, trying to find answers.
But that's when the weather changed.
Rain lashed the deck. Winds howled. Waves crashed violently.
The ship rocked as the ocean turned wild.
> "No one should leave their rooms!" the captain shouted into the speakers.
"This is only a sudden change in weather. It will calm down soon!"
But even he didn't believe that anymore.
He clutched the railing, staring into the chaos, trying to hold the ship steady.
> "Captain! Look… over there!" cried his assistant, voice shaking.
The captain turned.
What he saw defied all reason.
Ahead, rising from the sea up into the sky, stood a massive white light — pure, endless, and blinding.
It wasn't lightning. It wasn't the moon.
It looked like something out of a dream… or a nightmare.
A silent wall of light, waiting to swallow the ship whole.
The captain's mouth went dry.
His hands trembled as he instinctively made the sign of the cross.
But in those final moments, what filled his heart wasn't fear —
It was regret.
Regret that his promise had become a lie.
Regret that he had offered hope… only to be proven wrong.
A towering wave struck.
The ship hurtled forward…
…into the light.
---