Chapter 1180
Zoey crouched at the water’s edge, trailing her fingers through the cold stream. "It’s beautiful," she murmured. "Whatever else this island is... it’s beautiful."
Scarlet knelt beside her, dipping her hands in to drink. "Maybe this is where it ends," she said softly. "Maybe we can cleanse whatever’s left inside Rose. Maybe this is where we break its hold for good."
Lucy sheathed her blade, her gaze fixed on the stone. "Or maybe this is where it starts. We need to be sure before we act."
Jude nodded, stepping closer to the spring. The water’s voice filled his ears, but beneath it he thought he heard something else-a low, distant sound, like a song half-remembered, carried on the wind. He turned to Sophie, to Rose, to all of them. "We do this together. No one steps into that water alone. No one touches the stone until we’re ready."
Rose’s fingers tightened on his. "Whatever happens... I trust you."
He looked at her, at the depth of love and fear and hope in her eyes, and he drew strength from it. "And I trust you. All of you."
They made camp near the spring, the ground soft with moss, the air cool and sweet. As night fell, they lit a small fire, its light dancing on the stone and water, casting strange patterns on the trees. They ate in silence, sharing what little they had left, and when the meal was done, they sat close together, drawing warmth from one another against the chill.
Jude sat between Rose and Sophie, his arms around them both, their heads resting against his shoulders. Lucy kept her place at the edge of the firelight, her blade across her lap, eyes on the dark woods. Zoey and Scarlet curled together beneath a blanket, whispering soft words that only they could hear. Grace and Susan, Stella and Natalie, Emma-they were all near, all safe, for now.
The night deepened, the stars bright above, the spring’s voice a steady song beneath the quiet. And as Jude listened, he felt it again-that promise, that warning, that the island’s heart still beat beneath them, waiting.