Chapter 866 - 868
She didn’t say anything as Jude approached, but she leaned against him when he sat beside her. They watched the mist together for a while, her warmth seeping into his skin, grounding him. He didn’t need to ask if she felt it too. He could see it in the tightness around her eyes, the way her jaw stayed locked.
The others woke gradually, stirring from shared mats and curled blankets, some yawning, some rubbing sleep from their eyes with confusion already present. No one asked if they had dreamed. No one wanted to know. There was too much unknown now to risk that question.
Emma was the last to rise. She stood in the doorway of the shelter like a statue, watching the rest move through morning routines. Her hair was tangled from restless sleep, and her eyes were distant, as if she’d left part of herself in another world.
Jude approached her. "Did it come again?"
She shook her head slowly. "No. But it’s not gone either."
That day, they kept together. No one left alone, not even for water or firewood. Jude split the group into pairs and sent them to the usual tasks, always within shouting distance. He and Zoey repaired the fish traps near the cove, and although they made light conversation, he noticed how often she glanced over her shoulder, how tightly she gripped her makeshift spear.
Back at the camp, Grace and Stella collected coconuts and checked the berry nets for signs of rot. Natalie stayed close to Scarlett and Serena, and Susan worked with Amelia near the root cellar, restacking stones and double-checking food supplies.
It was an ordinary day by any other measure. But no one relaxed.
At lunch, they gathered on the upper platform, sharing what they’d seen. The mist hadn’t lifted. If anything, it had thickened as the sun climbed, dimming the forest with an unplaceable gloom.
"There’s something in it," Stella said suddenly, mid-bite of dried fruit.
Everyone turned to her.