Chapter 1240
The river shimmered under the dull morning light, its surface barely disturbed by the slow-moving current. Jude crouched on the bank, his fingers trailing in the water. It was cold today, colder than usual, and it made his skin tighten the longer he held his hand there. Lucy stood a few paces behind him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, scanning the forest with tense awareness. Sophie arrived last, her boots brushing through the undergrowth, her breath a little faster than normal.
"We’re alone," she said softly.
Jude stood. "Good."
Lucy took a few steps forward. "We don’t have much time before one of them comes looking."
"Then let’s start," Jude said. "We all agree. Rose is the beginning of this. It started with her. We don’t know what took her - "
"Or what she invited in," Sophie cut in.
" - but we know it’s using her," Jude finished. "To spread. Layla. Zoey. Emma. The rest, one by one."
Lucy exhaled slowly. "I think the island wants us like that. Connected. Unified. But not by our own choice."
"Some kind of hive?" Sophie asked.
"Not exactly," Jude said. "More like... resonance. One infected mind influencing another."
"Like a spell," Lucy said, her voice darker. "But older. Not cast. Grown."