Caelyn woke up the next day, back sore from leaning against the hard stone wall, with Leslie sitting next to her.

“Caelyn, you’re awake,” said Leslie, giving her a gentle smile. “Come, come with me. Let’s go for a walk.” The girl got to her feet and held out a hand for Caelyn, who accepted with a sigh.

Even now, Caelyn did not know what to think of Leslie. The girl had not done anything wrong, besides cheering for Oliver’s ousting. After all, Oliver did threaten to kill the two of them, and he was the one to start the fight. She was not even the one to beat him to that bloody mess—that was Travis. Besides, Oliver was probably still alive, wandering on the shore right now. It was not like Leslie cheered for his death. So why did she make Caelyn feel so uncomfortable?

“I know you’re upset, Caelyn,” Leslie turned her head away, “but I was afraid that Oliver would kill you if nothing was done. He deserved it.” Her voice cracked, and she paused seemingly to swallow down the lump that forms in the throat when one is on the verge of tears. “I admit. We… I shouldn’t have reach so low and acted the way I did.” Her voice cracked several times as she said that. “It’s just… I didn’t… want anything to happen to you.”

Caelyn did not reply. She looked down at her feet and the stones beneath them. There was nothing wrong with Leslie’s words nor the expression behind them. Yet something about the girl still bothered her for a reason that she still did not know, even as they reached the edge of the sea, where the wind was the strongest. In the distance, dark clouds that had formed during the night loomed over the waters, imposing an ominous reign upon the otherwise pale sky.

Leslie turned to Caelyn and said, “You remind me of someone… who I was very close to.” She paused. “More than remind, actually. You look as though you were her identical twin. And every time I put my eyes on you, I see her.”

“What happened to her?” asked Caelyn, looking away from the sea.

The girl’s face was covered with the shadows of her hair. “Murdered.”

“Oh,” she covered her mouth with a hand and tilted away from the girl, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“No, no. You don’t apologize. It happened a long time ago.” A tear dripped down from her chin, darkening the sands below. “Right before my eyes,” Leslie whimpered, “a man choked her to death. It was in the middle of the afternoon. We were walking, the two of us, on a street that was neither crowded nor sparse. A man walked up to us, took her by the neck, and choked her. No one did anything to stop him.” She covered her eyes with both hands as dripped from her face. “I ran away.” Then, almost inaudibly, she whispered, “I keep running.”

Feeling an unpleasant prickle on her neck, Caelyn rubbed her neck, while a single tear rolled down from her eye. Leslie could be lying, but Caelyn did not, nor wanted to, think so. The pain in her voice was real. In that moment, everything about her was real, or perhaps more uncolored. Leslie did not appear to be the tough, charismatic girl that Caelyn had met three days ago, but rather a lost and lonely one like herself.

“I had lost someone too,” said Caelyn, putting a hand Leslie’s hunched shoulders. “It was my father. I loved him very much.”

Leslie looked up and wiped her hands on her shirt. “She was my little sister.” When Caelyn raised an eyebrow, she said, “Adopted, but I loved her nonetheless. No… no I don’t. If I loved her, then why did I run away instead of saving her. At that crucial moment, did that love just go away?”

Caelyn drew her hand back, blinking. An orphan, just like her? She remembered her father, telling her to run just before he was killed by the man who had broken into their home. What became of him, she did not know, but she hoped that the worst had befell him. He had taken away her home and family.

She clenched her teeth and shook away those thoughts.

“Come, let’s return to camp,” Caelyn said, turning away from the ocean and from Leslie. “If we don’t return soon, Courtney will start worrying about us.”

As Caelyn took a couple of steps away from the waters, Leslie said, “I’ll stay here a bit longer.” She paused. “I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. If you want, I’ll stop clinging you around from now on.”

Caelyn did not reply. As the sound of the waves became ever more distant, a shallow memory came and went. Perhaps she had met Leslie before, or perhaps it was one of those brief recollections of things that never really happened.

“Oh, Caelyn,” said Courtney, eyes lighting up as she saw Caelyn approaching, “where were you?”

Yawning and rubbing away the tears, Caelyn replied, “I was going on a short walk with Leslie.” She noticed that everyone was sitting around in a circle discussing something. “What’s going on?”

“Did you have a strange dream last night?”

Caelyn scratched her head. “I think. I was in the forest and… there was a man—”

“With golden eyes?”

Caelyn’s eyes widened. “Yes.” How did Courtney know? Did she have the same dream?

“And did he tell you to head for the center of the island?” When Caelyn nodded, Courtney crossed her arms and said “I dreamed it too. We all did.”

They all had the same dream? How was that even possible?

“Right now, we’re uncertain as to follow this man’s advice or continue with our original plan. What do you think, Caelyn?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. What does everyone else think?”

“There are some who think that it wise to follow the man’s direction, while others are more cautious of heeding to his words. I myself think that the only hope we have of leaving this island is to do what the man says.”

“Indeed,” Cain said, rising to his feet. “Whatever is happening is beyond our understanding. If we continue down the shore, there is no certainty that we will find anyone. If we head towards the center of this island and meet that man, there is no certainty that we will return to our homes. It is uncertainty either way.” He glanced at Caelyn and sighed. “And the forest is dangerous at night.”

“I think,” said voice from behind, “that we should risk the forest and head for this man. He seems to be the key to all this.” Lucis strolled past Caelyn and sat down at the center of the circle, facing Cain. “If we keep going, then we will just walk in a circle. Wouldn’t that be meaningless?”

Charlotte, who sat beside Diana, nodded. “And also, if this man is able to talk to us through our dreams, then what is preventing him from just not letting us leave any other way? Especially if he was the one to put us here in the first place.”

“I have decided,” said Cain. “We will head toward the center of the island and meet this… man with golden eyes. Prepare to leave.”

No one needed to prepare, and by the time they were ready to head north, Leslie had joined back with them. She walked in the front, alongside Cain, leaving only Courtney and Caelyn in the back. But even after they started walking, Lucis was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was walking out of sight, or perhaps he had decided to stay behind. Whatever the reason, not a single person cared—no one even asked about his absence.

Along their path, the ruins, like stone giants, loomed over them. In the slant of the morning sun, the shadows of these colossi fell upon them and cast them into a dim and bleak aura. Regardless, there was a certain beauty in the ruins, the setting of some sort of tragedy. Though the ones who once dwelt here were gone, these structures still stood with an immortal’s fortitude. A chill wind swept past them, causing Caelyn to shiver and hug her arms close to her chest. The holes in her tattered clothes offered little protection from the cold air. She wished she still had that blanket—at least that had provided a modicum of warmth.

Out of curiosity, she glanced at Courtney, whose fingers danced as they turned and twisted and spun the pendant. It was in the shape of a slender teardrop, hung upside-down so that the pointed end faced the ground, and had the color of pure gold. A small jewel laid at the center, glittering even when touched by shadows.

Caelyn approached the girl. “That is a beautiful pendant.”

Eyes wide, Courtney turned her head toward Caelyn. She seemed to be blushing, but it was hard to tell in the dimness. “Oh, thank you. My mother gave it to me. It’s a… family heirloom.” She gave it a tug.

“That’s really nice,” Caelyn said, touching the ribbon on her wrist. “My father gave me this ribbon.”

“Your… father?” Courtney eyes became even wider as her mouth fell agape. “It is beautiful. The most beautiful I have ever seen.” She gave her pendant another tug. “I would rather have that… than this.”

Raising her wrist so that Courtney could have a better look at the ribbon, Caelyn grinned. “I know, right? Perhaps someday I will make it my family heirloom.” Her smile faded as she noticed Courtney’s glum expression. The chain of the necklace dug into the girl’s neck. “This ribbon is but a strip of cloth to anyone but me. It’s precious to me because my father gave it to me. I’m sure that necklace is precious to you too.” She tried to muster a comforting smile.

“No, it’s…” With a sigh, Courtney closed her mouth and shook her head. Then, hushed voice, she said, “It’s fine, I didn’t mean it.” She stopped tugging the pendant and let it drop against her chest. The teardrop turned from side to side as if it was shaking its head.

Caelyn took a few steps away from the girl, deciding to walk alone for a while. Sometimes, Caelyn would glance at Courtney, who flicked at her pendant, and wonder about the story behind that teardrop. There had to be one. It could not be as simple as family heirloom given to her by her mother. If it was so, then why would she be so averse to it? But if it held some horrible memories, then why was she still wearing it?

Shaking her head, Caelyn decided not to prod any further. It was meaningless to continue, and she did not want to dig too deep into someone else's life. To distract her thoughts from those mysteries, she focused on the environment around her, letting herself be immersed by this sublime world.

The forest had just become visible in the distance, a thin line of black growing with every step forward. As they came closer to the it, the road became cracked and uneven, until the path was mostly dirt strewn with rocks. Behind them, the dark clouds had reached the shore. The saltiness of the ocean’s breeze had been replaced by the storm’s sweet smell. While heralding winds passed through the ruins, shrill and eerie sounds filled the air with choruses of whispers.

“Good morning, Caelyn,” she heard from one whisper.

She jerked her head towards the voice. Lucis, with his hands tucked in his pockets as usual, casually swaggered along in the shadows’ darkest end. His dark hair fluttered with the vivacity of grass swaying in a summertime tempest.

Caelyn tilted her head. “Lucis, I haven’t seen you since we headed out from camp, where were you?”

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“Wandering these ruins and somehow I ended up here.” Reaching one arm towards the wall, he brushed his fingers along its rough stone. “In my wandering, a question came to mind—this world, and those inside, how do we judge them? These shadows surely make you cold, yet wasn’t this a blessing before, when the hot sun breathed down your back. Does it want you to feel discomfort, or does it want you to feel relief? Or does it not matter at all?” Lucis drew back his hand and scratched his head, looking up at the darkening sky. “Well, a shadow is coming. Let us see.”

Though Caelyn did not fully grasp what he had said, she nodded anyways. She could not blame Oliver for suspecting Lucis, the boy was quite mysterious after all. But he, with a temper as chill as autumn winds, did not seem to be a danger to anyone.

“What did the man look like?” Lucis asked, still looking up at the sky.

“Hmm?” Shouldn’t he know?

“I did not have that dream, for whatever reason I do not know. From what I have heard, a man with golden eyes had told all of you to head towards the center of this island. Could you, perhaps, give me more details on this matter?”

Everyone had the dream but him? Caelyn blinked. Even after quite a while after she woke up, the memory of the dream remained quite clear. “Well, I woke up sleeping against a tree in a forest. The man approached me and told me to head to the center of Vitaras, which is the name of this island, I think. That was it.” She scratched her chin and followed Lucis’ gaze upward.

“Did he not give a name?”

Caelyn turned her eyes towards the boy and raised an eyebrow. “He did… Adam, Deus of Vitaras.”

“Deus…” Lucis slowly nodded, repeating the word several times as if recalling a memory. “It is an interesting title to call oneself, don’t you agree?”

“Yes.”

They finally reached the edge of the forest, where the shattered stone road abruptly ended, succeeded by a dirt path. The trees seemed to speak as great gusts ruffled their branches and leaves. A few rays of sunlight reached to the ground, but they faded by the arrival of the dark clouds. Flecks of rain touched the back of Caelyn’s exposed neck. She took a deep breath of the fresh, sweet air brought by the storm and let out a satisfied sigh.

Here, at the edge of the tamed and untamed, Cain decided that they should take a brief rest before entering into nature’s wild domain.

Caelyn looked around for a rock to sit on or a wall to lean against. After searching for a while, she found nothing. All the stones were broken, and all the nearby walls were either broken to her knees or gone completely. So, without any other choice, she sat on the dirt and leaned against a tree trunk.

“Hey, how are you doing?” asked Charlotte, approaching where Caelyn sat. The wind blew her reddish-brown hair into her eyes, though it did not seem to bother her much. “I don’t remember talking to you after we first met.”

With a shrug, Caelyn looked up at her and raised her eyebrows. “I’m not quite sure. It changes like the ebb and flow of the tides.” She shook her hand in the direction of the sea. “Anyways, how are you doing?

Charlotte let out a laugh. “Well, I can say that this island is surely better than the trip I had planned. The weather here is nice.” A flash of light came from the sky, followed by a rumble. “Well, I really do like rain. And the mangoes, the mangoes here are the best. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water.”

“Where were you planning to go?”

“Ah, I had bought a nice house in a small fishing village up north. I wanted a calm place where I could work on my book. Well, I have to say, this island is a much better place. I love these ruins, they are so… I don’t know the word to describe them.” Charlotte laughed. “But as much as I want to live here for a couple of months, I don’t want to stay here forever. I want to return home.”

“Oh, you’re writing a book? What is it about?”

“Well, I planned to write a book. I haven’t started yet.” Charlotte brushed her hair away from her face, revealing her light brown eyes. “I have many ideas, but I don’t know what write about. It’s such commitment. What if I decide I don’t like the idea halfway through? I’ll have to start all over again.” She shook her head and sighed. “Reading is so much easier.”

The edge of Caelyn’s mouth curved into a smile. “Well, who knows? Maybe by the time we finally leave this island, you will have a full draft finished.”

Charlotte returned the smile. “Well, let us hope, then.”

“Let’s continue,” shouted Cain, gesturing at the dirt path leading into the forest.

As Charlotte turned to leave, Caelyn reached towards the girl’s hand and said, “Wait, tell me more about your book. Who knows, maybe I might be able to help.”

“Sure, come along,” said the girl, grinning at her.

The two of them walked in the middle of the group, with Diana in front of them and Courtney behind.

“I’ve always wanted,” began Charlotte, “to write a story about pirates. The ocean is, just, so vast. It’s like a land waiting to be conquered.” She waved her arms in grandiose ways. “So, the book will begin with a man who dreams of becoming a pirate and conquering this great expanse. Wouldn’t it be exciting to read about his adventures as he becomes the King of the Pirates?”

Raising her eyebrows, Caelyn slowly nodded. “Well, it does sound pretty tense. But aren’t pirates very violent? They attack and plunder other people’s ships.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if this man wants to become the King of the Pirates, then he would have to attack and plunder ships as well. That does not make seem very likable.”

Stroking her hair, Charlotte looked up and thought about it for a couple moments before replying, “He does that in order to feed his own crew. The book is set during a huge war, so many flee to the sea in seek refuge. He is among the many captains leading a crew wanting to live a better life. As the story goes on, he grows in wealth, fame, and power. Families, including children and elderly, join his crew to live a life free from the strife of war. Finally, by the end, he becomes known as the King of the Pirates.”

Once Charlotte had finished, Caelyn, mouth agape, clapped as loudly as she could. “That is an excellent story. You should definitely write about that.” She looked over her shoulder at Courtney, whose knuckles had turned whites pulling on the pendant. “Right, Courtney? That was a fantastic story.”

The girl, a shallow furrow between her brows, nodded. “Y-yes, it is very good.”

“See?” Caelyn turned back. “Even Courtney agrees. But go on, I want to hear your other ideas. I have a feeling they would be great as well.”

“Well…” Shaking her head, Charlotte groaned and rubbed her forehead. “I had so many ideas before, why can’t I remember any now?”

“Oh, it’s okay. But, how do you even get the idea?”

“It’s interesting.” Charlotte chuckled. “I had a dream, one night, where I was on a pirate—” She yelped, jumping behind Caelyn and crouching close to the ground.

“What?” Caelyn looked around frantically. “What happened?”

“S-Snake.” Shaking, the girl pointed to a light blue snake half hidden in the bushes.

Taking a step back, Caelyn almost stumbled over the crouched girl, but she did not dare let out a single sound in fear catching the snake’s attention. Behind her, Charlotte’s heavy breaths could be clearly heard.

Perhaps hearing Charlotte’s shout, Leslie walked over to them. “Be careful, stay away. I do not recognize this snake. Whether it carries poison in its fangs or in its flesh, I do not know.” She glanced at Courtney. “You too. Let’s wait here until the snake is gone. Better to be safe.”

Just after she said that, the snake disappeared into the bushes.

“Oh, it’s gone,” said Leslie, raising an eyebrow. “Come let’s run to the others before it comes back.”

Still shaking, Charlotte stood back up. “C-Come, let’s hurry. I’m scared of these things.” Shivering, she reached out and grasped Caelyn’s hand.

“Don’t worry about the snake.” Caelyn gave the frightened girl a nod for reassurance before quickening her pace into a run.

It was not long until they rejoined the others. Caelyn’s arm was wrapped around Charlotte’s shoulder, pulling the girl tightly to her side. Poor girl, unlike Leslie, it did not seem that Charlotte had much experience with nature. Perhaps in her books, she had read about the beauty of the untouched world but never really entered it. Even now, Charlotte’s body shook beneath Caelyn’s arm. Of course, the snake was indeed frightening, but Caelyn’s fright faded soon after it disappeared into the shadows.

Hoping to distract the girl from her fear, Caelyn said, “What were we talking about? Oh yes, your dream about pirates.”

“Hmm, well, I was on a pirate ship, for whatever—” Charlotte flinched and let out a shout as some bird rustled the leaves above.

“It’s okay, just a bird, just a bird.”

“Well, I did not know why I was on that ship, but I was there, watching everything unfold. Then, he came into view. Oh…” she let out a slow breath, “he was spectacular. I do not know what about him made him so, but that memory of him continues to inspire me. He truly was the King of the Pirates. Wherever he went, the very sea cooperated with him. No storms or maelstroms got in his way. But any ships that attacked… he would destroy them with a single slash of his sword. Even though it was all a dream, I’ve never experience anything realer.”

“You know,” Leslie said, gazing around at the forest’s leafy ceiling, “I too had a dream, many years ago. I still remember it clearly. The trees in those forests were giants, even compared to the trees here. When you looked up, you could see a green sky filled with bright stars. It all felt… beyond description. But all of it was nothing compared to what laid in the heart of this great forest. Though the trees were small, they held a beauty beyond reckoning. The leaves, they were like gems. Purple, orange, verdant, so much color, and the sunlight so golden. It was an unearthly realm.” She nodded her head. “If I had not had that dream, I would have never taken to the forests.”

Caelyn nodded then shrugged. “Well, I’ve never had such dreams.”

“Oh,” said Leslie, raising her eyebrows, “listen. Don’t you hear?”

The faint sound of water rolling over stones could be heard from up ahead. Upon hearing the luscious warbling, Caelyn moistened her dry lips. She did had not realized how thirsty she was until she was reminded of. She had not drank any water since that morning, when Charlotte and Diana brought back some water from a well.

A while later, the group reached a brook that cut straight through that path. The water sparkled in the sunlight as though it was filled with jewels. Caelyn knelt down and began drinking alongside everyone else. Once she finished, she splashed the cool water on her face and sighed as the drops rolled down her neck. How she wished for a bath in the water and rid herself of the dirt and sweat clinging on to her.

Cain was the first to stand up. With crossed arms, he announced that they would be staying here for the night. Leslie led most of the group into the thickets to collect some firewood, while Courtney wandered alone into a relatively sparser part of the forest to collect something for them to eat.

“Why aren’t you going with Courtney to get food?” asked Theresa, leaning against a tree, with her eyes closed and her arms crossed. “You look lazy.”

Staring at the resting girl, Caelyn raised an eyebrow but did not say anything. She picked up a stick and, with it, started digging a pit for the fire.

“Well? Do you actually believe that the man with golden eyes would free us from this island?” Theresa shook her head. “It’s fruitless. The trustworthiness of this man is no more certain than the situation we are in. They are so naive. Just because he said that he would let us go doesn’t mean he actually will.”

“There was no other option.”

“You believe him too?” The girl sighed and opened her lids, revealing her cerulean eyes. “We fight. Beat the man up and force him to let us go. Why should we abide to his terms when we can make our own?”

“But…”

“You don’t understand what I’m saying, do you? It’s fine, just forget about it. Don’t tell anyone else.”

Theresa said nothing else for the remainder of their time alone.

As Caelyn dug the pit, she thought about what the girl had said. It was simply not reasonable. If they had died and ended up here, then the man who offered to return them home must beyond the ordinary. Even if the offer was a buff, the man did speak to them in their dreams. How could they beat up someone like that?

Just as she finished the pit, the others returned carrying large piles of sticks and threw it into one large pile. Only Lucis was still not back yet. After putting down a couple of sticks into Caelyn’s pit and arranging them until she was satisfied, Leslie started the fire. The flames burst into life; its black breath rising towards the darkening sky. They all gathered around the flames, for the light and for the heat. Strong winds made the fire flicker, threatening to put it to death. Leslie used her body to block these winds from reaching the flames.

But it was no use.

The dark clouds had covered the sky above them, and now, the storm’s arrows rained down and the fire soon extinguished, throwing them all into darkness. As the raindrops hit the ground, they made a sound that resembled a hundred whispering voices—the voice of ghosts.

A shiver went through Caelyn’s body—it felt all too much like that first night. She dug her fingers into the wet dirt on the verge of turning to mud. The shadow, it was coming. She could not see its outline, but she could feel its presence. Around her, the air felt heavy as though it was the water surrounding a swimmer submerged in the sea. She had trouble breathing.

Cain seemed to have said something, though his voice was drowned by the rumble of thunder.

A flash of light engulfed the entire forest and then faded away as quickly as it came. The rain stopped, and everything became silent. She could not even hear her own heartbeat or breath.

And she saw it.

The shadow, an outline darker than the surrounding blackness, slowly approached.

There was no escape—her body did not respond to her commands. She was the one closest to the shadow. Move, move, she had to move or else…

But she could not.

She wanted to scream, but her mouth refused to open. The cold, piercing cold, put her in such pain that she felt numb. Her eyes could only look in one direction—at the shadow and the endless void behind it. She was dead, in body, only alive in mind. She wanted death. She refused to let herself be… consumed by this entity. She wanted death.

Closer and closer it came, with nothing between it and her. There was nothing besides it and her. They were alone in the endless night.

The weight of the air sunk her into the ground, the mud consuming her piece by piece.

Her mouth refused to open, even though she wanted to scream. She wanted to cry, but tears would not come. There was nothing she could do as the entity came closer and closer, with nothing between it and her.

The shadow was but two pace away from her when it stopped and loomed over her. It was tall, even taller than the trees in the forest. At its feet, she was nothing but a shriveled leave waiting to be stepped on. It reached a hand towards her.

But another shadow jumped between it and her.

“Caelyn…” the shadow said—it was Leslie’s voice.

No more sounds came from the shadow of Leslie as the dark clouds parted. Scarlet light flowed into the forest, casting away the darkness.

The entity was gone.

And so was Leslie.