This is the end. The end of the gap year, the end of the trip, and the end of my mission.
Things are going to change after this. I'm going to change. Not that I haven't already.
The ritual of the Patron's Broach was successful. I am not perceivable to the world. It's a
bit complicated, how it all works, but that's the gist of it. My tour group doesn't know
I'm here. They don't see me, hear me, nor can they feel me. It sounds like it would
be hard to navigate, right? Well, no, because I can control it. We've been in Thailand for
a week and a half now. Our first stop was Bangkok. We were there for a week, then moved
to Krabi, where we've been for a few days. This is the last stop on my journey. And on
the gap year. Well, that's not entirely true. There are plans to visit Koh Lanta before
everyone heads home. I will not be going with them. This is my last stop. The last stop
I will need. Supplemental log two. I think I've found a way to bury these logs within
the recorder, hopefully deep enough so that the recorder guy doesn't find them. Unfortunately,
I think they'll be so deep they might pop up at any point cutting into future recordings.
So if that's what you're hearing, sorry for the interruption. But it's important that
I document my thoughts. I don't know what's going on. And he's just being so secretive
about all this. It worries me. Not that it's any of my concern. I just want to know. End
of supplemental log two. Krabi is such an interesting place. In its early days, it was
part of the Sri Vajaya Empire, a powerful Buddhist maritime kingdom. It was a small,
sleepy province for a long time, specializing in rubber, tin mining and fishing. Under the
rule of the various empires at the time, Krabi became a coastal trade hub since many pirates
and merchants sailed by it from around the world. Now, as the place evolves like Krabi
did, culture is shared. When a place is visited by so many different people from so many different
places, stories are shared. And there are no stories like those carried across the waves.
Now, the story I want to talk about isn't actually Thai in origin. If I have enough
time, I can talk about the Krasu or the Peapop, some of the more fascinating Thai spirits.
But I'll start with Umi Bozu. Originating from Japanese folklore, Umi Bozu completely
embodies the fear of being watched. See, according to legend, when someone dies at sea, their
soul is lost on the waves, destined to roam forever. Sometimes they just become creatures
like sirens. In this case, they become a phantom. Umi Bozu are just that, wispy, vague figures
that once died on the waves. They are said to appear when someone is close to death.
Now, there are some misconceptions here. Many sailors believe they cause the tranquil sea
to turn violent. That is not the case. They simply show up before it happens because they
can sense the incoming danger. Now, Umi Bozu aren't really that scary. They're harmless,
in fact, as most phantoms are. However, there is one. Umi Bozu, the sea priest. This creature
is said to be the very first human to ever die by the ocean's hand. It is one of the
most terrifying creatures I've learned about. Let me explain why. I once spoke with someone
who had seen the sea priest. Not many who glimpsed the figure lived to share their story.
She was older when I met her, but it was during her youth when it all happened, some 30 years
prior. I wish I had a recording of our conversation, but unfortunately that was before I thought
to record, as I do now. She worked on an oil tanker then. She was the third mate who oversees
safety gear assist with navigation and does night shifts. It was that last small fact
that both saved her life and scarred her forever. As she explained it, it was a calm night,
thick with cloud coverage. She was making her usual rounds, patrolling the upper deck.
The ships sailed on, the waves calm, and the fog eventually died down. She noticed a large
black cloud in front of them. Storm cloud, maybe. It looked so far out, it was not an
issue. She would report to the second mate and forget about it. Much later, as she was
wrapping up her shift, she looked toward the cloud again. It was still there, of course,
still beyond the horizon. She didn't know why, but she quickly became very paranoid.
She felt as though she was standing on the other side of one-way glass, being watched
by someone unseen. The deck was empty. It was her nerves. Simply her nerves. Nothing
to worry about. No one was watching her. Only someone was. She was sure of it. She couldn't
shake the feeling, like hearing shuffling over your shoulder or breath on the back of
your neck. She was panicking now, spinning in every direction, still completely alone.
She rushed to the side of the ship, feeling sick. The breeze was calming, and she was
able to catch her breath. As she slowly looked up from the waves, she laid eyes on that same
cloud from hours ago. It had not moved. It had not shifted with the wind. She stared
at it, feeling that same panic return. It was a peculiar shape, almost looked like a
person from the torso up. She raised her eyes, tracing the figure against the dark sky. Two
circular lights sat right where this figure's eyes would be. She almost laughed, shaking
her head at this crazy thought. Sometimes being out on the sea would do that to you.
As she looked into these stars, something happened. Something so small and meaningless.
It blinked. The stars vanished, reappearing only a second later. It was no cloud. It was
the sea priest. She could see it now, looming past the horizon, unimaginably large, blocking
out stars in the night sky. She stumbled back, pressing up against a wall behind her. The
figure watched her, silently. It was her imagination. It had to be. This was impossible. It hadn't
blinked. It was a cloud. As she tried to convince herself, she continued to stare at the figure.
Her heart sank when she watched it slowly cock its head. Her breath was gone. She could
feel her heart in her throat. She ran. But where? No matter where she would go, this
thing would see her. It was bigger than the night sky. She wanted to leave. At that moment,
she wanted nothing more than to be back in her home, in her bed, away from here. She
turned a corner, rushing upstairs and heading for the bridge. She looked over her shoulder,
the thing still watching, still there. As she turned back, she slammed into the cabin
door. Only, it wasn't the cabin door. It was wood. She stopped and turned around. She was
not on the tanker anymore. She was, as she wanted to be, back in her own room. The lights
were off and the bed was made, exactly as she left it. She moved slowly. Was it all
a dream? She opened the window above her desk. It was dark out, seemingly the same time it
was on this ship. From her small apartment, she looked out at the city skyline. That same
dark figure was looming past the horizon, looking away. She began to shake again. It
was no dream. Somehow, she was back home, but no time had passed. She watched as the
figure slowly turned around. She ducked below her window, curling up and covering her eyes,
for she could not bear the thought of it seeing her again. That was when I met her. She still
has intense agoraphobia and has not left her home in three decades. She later found out
that same oil tanker she was working on sank that same night and she was presumed dead.
Now, something important about the Sea Priest. Since it is the oldest phantom in the material
plane, it is much more powerful than the others. From the tales I've collected, I believe it
has the power to grant wishes or desires, something like that. That is why I'm here.
That is the final goal of my mission. I have a request for the Sea Priest. My plan to summon
it was laid out from the very start. My plan to summon it was laid out from the very start.
By attracting so much attention facing so many creatures, I'm sure it will see me and
the danger following me. It is only a matter of time before it appears. It's said if you
make eye contact with it, the Sea Priest is obligated to listen to you. The reason this
is so difficult is because of its sheer size. This creature is so large, it's difficult
to make out its shape. Which is why I sit here for so long, watching the dark horizon,
tracing the stars and the clouds. One has not moved in a very long time. I see you,
Umi Bozu, the Sea Priest. I see you. He watches. He sees all. I have a wish for you. I want
to know all who know my story.
Dear listener, I'm sure you still have some questions. Before I go, I wanted to answer
them. This was my goal all along. Through my quest, by doing the rituals I did and finding
the Sea Priest, I made myself anew. I am imperceptible. I am known by all. That makes me a paradox.
I am an enigma. As of why, well I'm sure you can guess, it is the greatest gift to watch
and see. To view the world and to learn new stories. This way I can see so many stories.
I'll never miss anything. I'll be a part of it all. If you know of me, I know of you.
I see you. As you listen now, I am with you. And I always will be watching. My name is
*** and I will always see you. I hope you can live the rest of your life. All of you.
I will see it all. Thank you for your attention. I'll be seeing you.