Chapter 1179
"We can’t stay here," Lucy said, standing, brushing dew from her pants. "It’s too exposed. And we’re too close to where it tried to take her."
Jude nodded. "The river," he said after a moment’s thought. "If we follow it upstream, maybe we’ll find where it starts. Maybe that’s where its power comes from."
Zoey agreed. "If we can find the source, maybe we can end this. Cut it off at the root."
Together, they broke camp, their movements swift, practiced. They packed their few belongings, doused the fire, and began their trek along the cliffs, seeking where the river curved inland. The forest rose ahead of them, green and dense, the morning light filtering through the canopy in golden shafts. The path was rough, the ground uneven beneath their feet, but they kept on, side by side, hearts bound by the same purpose.
As they walked, the tension of the night slowly eased beneath the rhythm of their steps, and the warmth of the day coaxed them into moments of softness. Jude caught Sophie’s hand and held it tight, their fingers entwined as they navigated the narrow trail. Lucy fell in step beside him, her arm brushing his now and then, a silent promise of protection. Scarlet laughed quietly at something Zoey whispered in her ear, and for a moment, it felt almost normal-almost like the days before the island’s magic had turned dark.
Rose walked close, her strength returning with each step, her smile shy but real, and when Jude glanced at her, his heart ached with love so fierce it almost stole his breath. She leaned into him, just for a moment, and he wrapped his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her hair, grateful beyond words that she was still his to hold.
The river came into view at last, its waters clear and swift, the sound of it a balm to their frayed nerves. They followed its winding course, the trees opening up here and there to let the sunlight dance on the water’s surface. The island felt quieter here, as if watching, waiting, but content for now to let them pass.
But even in this peaceful stretch, Jude felt the undercurrent of the island’s magic, a hum beneath his feet, a promise that the fight was far from over. And as the day wore on, as they pressed deeper into the unknown, he knew that whatever waited at the river’s source would be another test-one they would face together, come what may.
The river’s voice grew louder as they followed its twisting path, the water tumbling over stones, carving its endless song through the island’s heart. The sound was soothing at times, almost masking the hum of the island’s magic beneath their feet, but Jude could feel it-like a pulse beneath the earth, like a breath waiting to be drawn. His hand never left Rose’s as they walked, and whenever Sophie or Lucy came near, he felt steadier, as if their closeness gave him strength against whatever darkness might be waiting at the river’s source.