Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2626

As the Night Garden passed through the invisible barrier, it continued to glide across the turbulent waters that covered the infinite expanse of black glass. Great waves rose as its immense mass displaced myriad tons of water, crashing into the towering walls of the wharf and escaping into the wide canals of the Eternal City.

Standing at the edge of the titanic structure's open gate, Sunny observed the wrath of the elements in silence. The living ship slowly drew closer — as it did, the wharf, which had seemed improbably enormous before, suddenly did not feel so big anymore.

Sunny saw the branches of the trees that grew on the surface decks of the Night Garden sway as it passed him, slowly entering the awaiting berth.

He could not help but feel amazed at the precision with which Jet had steered the wide breadth of the titanic ship into the gate of the great wharf — there was barely a few dozen meters between the tall sides of the Night Garden and the walls of the berth, and that gap seemed minuscule in comparison to its gargantuan size.

The ship continued to sail past him for a long while as it entered the wharf, seemingly endless. Eventually, however, Sunny saw the stern of the Night Garden — which meant that countless kilometers away, its bow had reached the end of the horseshoe-shaped berth, resting against its barrier.

Finally, the living ship came to a halt, swaying gently on the tumultuous currents of water.

‘What now?’

They had intended to find a way to repair the Night Garden here, but the Great Citadel did not exactly come with an instruction manual — let alone the wharf where the Demon of Repose had built her ship once, thousands of years ago.

Sunny did not have to worry, though.

Soon after the Night Garden came to a rest inside the colossal berth... the wharf came alive.

The rest might have just felt a strange, almost palpable energy permeate the air, but Sunny could sense far more. In his eyes, which could peer into the nature of things, the titanic structure lit up like a radiant star. That was because an impossible amount of soul essence was flowing through it, the raging currents infusing every centimeter of the stone walls and the wooden scaffolds with a daunting, exuberant vitality. Various areas of the wharf slowly awakened from their long slumber, igniting with shimmering light.

‘Wow’

Sunny sensed the ground beneath him tremble. Then, the vast vertical plain of the huge gate he was standing on began to move with a powerful shiver — at the same time, the other side of the gate moved, as well.

Seemingly slowly because of its prodigious size, but breathtakingly rapid in reality, the gates of the wharf closed. Sunny, who had unwittingly caught a ride on one of its wings, barely managed to keep his balance when the two sides shut with a deafening thunderclap, cutting out the Night Garden's path of retreat.

Of course, if there was a need to make an escape, the titanic ship could simply ram the gates with the indestructible immensity of its stern, causing mayhem and devastation on an unimaginable scale. But Sunny hoped that it would not come to that.

Nothing happened for a minute or two — outwardly, at least.

Then, Sunny heard the roaring rustle of flowing water echoing between the sides of the living ship and the walls of its berth. That was the turbulent water inside the wharf draining away through invisible channels. Its level slowly dropped, and the Night Garden lowered with it.

Sunny had expected some mechanism to catch and secure it in place. And there was indeed a mechanism... of sorts.

As he watched in wonder, the wooden interior of the colossal wharf blossomed with myriad flowers and leaves. Then, enormous branches stretched outward, gently catching the Night Garden and fusing with its hull.

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