In Frost, the southern port, in a secret facility deep underground, irrelevant personnel have evacuated the scene, and Agatha and Tirian are waiting for Duncan's arrival.

Behind them was the huge machine that had been secretly built by the former city hall - the egg-shaped pressure-resistant cabin was firmly fixed between the beams by steel cables. Lights poured down from the ceiling, shining on the metal shell of the submersible, giving the latter a cold and silent glow.

Silence enveloped the hall. After a moment of nervous waiting, Agatha suddenly raised her head and broke the silence with a ghost-like, hoarse voice: "He's here."

As she finished speaking, she opened her arms to the air, and blazing green flames rose from the scars and cracks all over her body. Her posture was like embracing the sun. In front of Agatha, a dark green flame suddenly burned in the air, and then condensed into a rotating flaming door. Ai in the form of a skeleton flew out of the door first, and then a burly figure in a black coat and bandages walked out of the door.

Tirian bowed to the figure and stepped aside. "Father."

Agatha put away her hands and suppressed the flames on her body. She clasped her hands in front of her chest and lowered her head slightly as if praying. "I'm sorry, you still need to come in person."

"It doesn't matter. This avatar has nothing to do anyway. It's more efficient to come and see the scene in person than to listen to the report." Duncan waved his hand, looking past Tirian and Agatha, his eyes already fell on the huge machine behind them, "...Is this it?"

"Yes," Agatha nodded gently, "It is the legacy left by Governor Winston - perhaps it is also the result of the hard work of other former governors. According to the current inspection conclusion, the submersible is nearly completed and in good condition."

Duncan hummed softly but did not say anything else. He just stood there quietly, as if watching a piece of solidified history, without saying a word for a long time.

The dusty history was also watching him. Time was condensed with ambitions and lonely quests that are no longer known today. Under the interlaced lights, in this hall that was almost sealed in dust, all the fears and courage of mortals were cast in this cold steel.

Duncan could almost hear the obsession and roar cast in the steel.

He took a few steps forward, came to the edge of the guardrail, reached out his hand to touch the cold and hard shell of the submersible, and deep inside his lifeless body... he seemed to feel a faint throbbing, and then the feeling disappeared in an instant.

But this fleeting feeling still made Duncan feel familiar. He recalled and found the source of this familiarity:

That was when he first set foot on the surface of Plande and stood in front of Nina as "Uncle Duncan", and Nina ran to him with a smile on her face and opened her arms towards him; that was when he found the silver brooch on the Lost Homeland and heard the name "Lucretia" from others - at that time, the slightest attachment and memories surged up from the bottom of his heart, as if it was a little bit of humanity that survived in a body to the end but could never completely dissipate.

Duncan retracted his arm and lowered his head to look at his palm thoughtfully, as if he was looking at the former owner of this body. After a long while, he spoke softly: "Ah, you know about this..."

Tirian's voice came from the side: "Father? What did you say?"

"Nothing," Duncan turned around, "Is this submersible usable now?"

"This..." Tirian said with a hint of embarrassment, "We carefully checked the facilities and the status of the submersible. The main structure of the submersible is intact, but there are two problems. The first is that the original technicians of this facility seem to have all died, and the data and equipment left in the outer hall are seriously damaged. This problem is relatively easy to solve. Some 'old guys' in the Sea Fog Fleet should be able to handle this thing - after all, it was built based on the blueprint left by the Frost Queen. The second problem is more troublesome..."

Tirian paused for a moment, organizing his words before continuing, "Based on preliminary inspections, we found that this submersible is very different from the ones used back then. It doesn't rely on air pumps on the surface, but uses built-in oxygen cylinders for oxygen supply. However, we only found the location to install the oxygen cylinders, but not the corresponding cylinders. Perhaps this part has not been manufactured yet, which is why Ms. Agatha said it was 'nearly completed' just now. It may take quite some time to temporarily manufacture an oxygen supply system that suits this submersible."

Duncan turned his head and looked at Tirian quietly.

Tirian was a little nervous: "Father?"

"I don't need to breathe," Duncan looked into Tyrian's eyes. "Now is there a problem?"

Tirian: "..."

The new Frost Archon was stunned for a moment before he suddenly realized what was going on. An embarrassed look immediately appeared on his face, and he nodded hurriedly: "Ah, then there is no problem at all..."

"There are few people in the entire Sea Fog Fleet who can breathe, and you are entangled in this problem. It seems that recent events have really busy you." Duncan shook his head. "Well, since there is no problem, let's prepare it quickly. Get this submersible ready in the shortest time possible. This is the thing I care most about in Frost."

Tirian stood up straight in an instant. Although he had not heard an order from his father for a century, he still tensed his muscles reflexively: "Yes! Father!"

Then, Tirian left - to fulfill his father's command as quickly as possible.

Duncan turned around and observed the strange-looking diving equipment for a while, then noticed that Agatha was still standing there and looked... as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Duncan turned his head and glanced at Agatha and her shadow on the ground beside him. Then he nodded: "You can speak now. We are the only ones here now. Tell me, what's going on? Who will speak first?"

Agatha was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "You... have discovered it?"

"There are two shadows in the firelight. Although one of them tried hard to hide, the fire on you came from me. This hiding seems a bit... clumsy to me." Duncan turned around with a gentle look in his eyes. "I discovered it when I first came here, but since you didn't want to talk about it, I didn't ask."

"I just think that this matter should not be known to General Tirian for the time being."

Agatha said this and slowly took two steps to the side.

Her shadow remained where it was.

The next second, the shadow on the ground suddenly shook, and then a vague and illusory figure who looked like a former gatekeeper stood up from the shadow and bowed slightly to Duncan. A hoarse voice that was almost identical to Agatha's rang out: "Nice to meet you, Duncan...Captain."

"This should be the first time I see you," Duncan looked at the blurry and swaying shadow with a hint of surprise. After observing it curiously for a few seconds, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Agatha not far away. "Has she always been so blurry?"

"It will be very clear in the mirror, but there is no mirror here," Agatha explained immediately, "Also, according to our tests, 'she' will become blurry when she feels nervous. The more nervous she is, the blurrier she becomes. Now... she is a little nervous in front of you."

"...It's amazing." Duncan felt more and more incredible. He looked at the phantom. Even though he had just discovered the other party's existence, he was still amazed at this moment. "I thought you had disappeared into the darkness - Agatha read the memories left when you disappeared."

"I did disappear for a time, but eventually returned to this world," said the hazy shadow. "I'm sorry, I don't know how to explain this process. When I realized my existence again, I was already a reflection in the mirror..."

Agatha at the side said immediately: "We suspect this is related to the 'key', but we don't have any evidence."

"key?"

"That brass key," Agatha nodded. "According to her vague impression, she reappeared in this world when I got the brass key. Perhaps the key not only has the power to store information, but can also preserve memories, personality and even soul to a certain extent. When the conditions are right, the preserved memories and soul can be 'reshaped' in some form..."

Duncan listened quietly and did not speak immediately.

The key left by the Frost Queen Lenora is now on the Lost Homeland, in the hands of his "real body". Out of caution, he has not tried to use the key on Alice until now, and now it seems... this caution may be correct!

Agatha touched the key, and the "fake Agatha" who also held the key returned to this world. What would happen if the key was used on Alice?

Could that key contain the memories or even the soul of Frost Queen Lenora?

Successive Frost Archons were constantly affected by the Brass Key in the process of coming into contact with it. They passively learned the truth of the Abyss Project, passively took over the "inheritance" of the Frost Queen, and were even disturbed by the Queen's will. All along, this "influence" was simply and crudely explained as the "Curse of the Frost Queen", and now what happened to Agatha... made Duncan realize the possibilities behind the key.

Considering that Alice and the Frost Queen have identical looks, this possibility points to a more disturbing direction - the doll is a container, the key stores the soul, and the two combined into one is the Frost Queen.

Duncan remained silent, but sighed softly in his heart.

He understood why Agatha had not mentioned this matter in front of Tirian just now.

But then, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Alice as a doll, and the brass key that "can store souls"... are they really the means for the Frost Queen to be resurrected? Is it that simple?