American Horror Story just wrapped the final chapter of its sixth season, an ultra gruesome, twist-packed dive into the haunted lost colony of Roanoke. Not only did AHS mastermind Ryan Murphy fill its 10-episode run with several big surprises, but the network famously kept its promotion more mysterious than the actual show. As its premiere date drew closer, they released a series of teasers dubbed “misdirects.” Of the handful of clips released, only one revealed the true theme, and fans were left in the dark right up until the season's kick-off.

When FX renewed the series in October, Murphy quickly assured viewers that season 7’s lead up won’t follow suit. In fact, Murphy revealed the premise would be announced in the spring of 2017, and that it wouldn't be as secretive as season 6. Now, Murphy already seems to be making good on his promise.

Only one day after My Roanoke Nightmare’s finale, a potential season 7 teaser has already popped up on AHS’ official Twitter. The tweet is hashtagged #AHSRoanoke and plainly reads “The monsters are all gone,” so it’s possible the video is a simple kiss-off to the show’s latest season, but AHS rarely does anything without intention.

The seven-second clip features a close-up of crashing waves and the tagline “Sweet Dreams.” This could hint at any number of plot lines, but a nautical terror would certainly be a new direction for the AHS team. When paired with the Roanoke finale, the evidence gets stronger. Toward the end of the episode, a team of paranormal investigators revisit the Roanoke house, where they uncover a big, old, dusty wooden ship. Fans had tossed around the idea of a cruise or shipwreck as the season 7 theme, and at least one video pointed to a confirmation. Is it possible some of the “misdirects” were actually stories Murphy was already plotting?

The showrunner has already begun dropping more concrete clues for season 7; he also revealed the next installment would include several returning characters from season 4’s Freak Show. While AHS has always made reference to its previous seasons, it seems Murphy is ramping up his efforts to connect them. In Hotel, Gabourey Sidibe’s Queenie from Coven made a guest appearance at the ghost-ridden Hotel Cortez, and the link between the pig man in both Roanoke and Murder House seems too obvious to be a coincidence. Along with the recent news of an eventual Coven and Murder House crossover, it’s safe to say season 7 will continue to flesh out AHS’ broader backstory -- and exporting the cast to sea could be fascinating.

American Horror Story will return to FX in 2017.

Source: American Horror Story/Twitter