The Voyage of the Helios

A legend born from the depths

In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, where light fades into silence and waves guard the world’s oldest secrets, a legend was born — The Haunted Whale.

For centuries, sailors whispered tales of a colossal creature whose glowing skin shimmered like moonlight trapped beneath the waves. They said it was no ordinary whale but the spirit of the sea itself, carrying within it the lost souls of those who drowned.

It was cursed, they said, to wander eternally — a floating tomb of echoes. Those who ventured near its waters never returned, leaving only their cries carried by the wind.

The Voyage of the Helios

In the year1469, the research vessel Helios set sail from the port of Auckland on a scientific mission to study a remote and mysterious region of the ocean.

Captain Imran Saadi, a man of reason and science, led the expedition. He didn’t believe in myths — only in data, sound waves, and logic. Yet, as the ship entered uncharted waters, the instruments began to detect strange low-frequency sounds — deep, rhythmic pulses, like the heartbeat of a giant.

At first, the crew was excited. They believed they were on the verge of discovering a new marine species. But as the sounds grew louder, a sense of unease settled over the ship. Some swore they could hear faint whispers hidden within the echoes, as though the ocean itself was speaking to them.

 

The Encounter

On the fifth night, the sea grew eerily calm. The stars vanished behind a shroud of thick mist, and the ocean became a dark mirror.

Suddenly, the ship trembled. A sound — deep and mournful — rose from below, shaking the metal hull. The crew rushed to the control room just in time to see a massive eye appear on the monitor, staring directly into the camera.

“God help us,” one of the scientists whispered. “That’s not a whale...”

The sea erupted. A wall of water rose higher than the mast, and from it emerged an enormous mouth — a gate of darkness that swallowed light, sound, and sanity itself.

The ship’s power failed. Screams filled the air as the Helios was dragged downward, vanishing into the abyss.

Inside the Beast

When Captain Imran opened his eyes, everything around him shimmered in a pale blue glow. He found himself inside what felt like a living cathedral, its walls pulsing softly like the inside of a heart.

He heard voices — human voices — whispering in dozens of languages. As he walked, he saw figures drifting through the water: transparent silhouettes, the ghosts of sailors, floating silently in the glowing mist.

One of them turned toward him and spoke:

> “We tried to understand the sea… and it consumed us. Now, we are part of it.”

 

Then he understood — the Haunted Whale was not a creature, but a gate between life and death, a keeper of memories, collecting the souls of all who had perished in the depths.

The Captain’s Final Words

With trembling hands, Imran wrote in his soaked journal:

> “The ocean remembers. Its silence is alive, and the Whale is its heart.

Whoever hears its call will never return.”

 

Moments later, the sound began again — the same deep rhythm, now closer, louder, as if it was calling his name.

The last thing he saw was a vast shadow rising before him, and then the sea closed over everything.

Aftermath

Days later, the Helios was found drifting in open water — empty, its systems dead.

Only the captain’s journal remained, its final pages stained with salt and fear. The words were barely legible, but one line could still be read:

> “We heard it… It watches from below.”

 

Since then, fishermen claim to hear strange songs at night — voices echoing beneath the waves, like the sound of someone crying through water.

Some say it’s just the ocean. Others swear it’s the Haunted Whale, still wandering the depths, calling out for the living to join the dead.

Epilogue

The Haunted Whale is not merely a legend about a sea creature; it is a story about human fear, curiosity, and the boundaries we are forbidden to cross.

The ocean hides more than life — it hides memory, sorrow, and truths too deep to bear.

And perhaps, somewhere in the dark, the Whale still waits… listening.