Chapter 1461
Rose was the first to rise.
She didn’t speak. She just walked toward him, fully nude, her hair cascading down her back like a curtain of midnight. Her skin glowed golden in the morning sun, and her smile was soft, familiar, achingly perfect.
He opened his arms and she came into them, melting against him like she was always meant to be there.
Then the others followed. One by one, they came to him - Sophie, Lucy, Layla, Zoey, Emma, Grace, Natalie, Susan, Stella, Scarlet, and finally, quiet little Serena. Each kissed him. Each whispered something soft - an "I’m yours," a "we’re ready," a "forever."
Together, they made their way back toward the camp, no longer needing clothes, no longer bound by shame or modesty. Their bodies were part of the island now, just as much as the trees, the river, the stones.
And the island welcomed them.
When they stepped into the clearing, the treehouse shimmered in the light, moss growing thicker along its base, flowers blooming along the railings. Vines with pale golden leaves crept up the trunks of the trees, glowing faintly in rhythm with each footstep. The entire forest had changed overnight - as if responding to what they had become.
Jude stopped at the center of the clearing.
The circle had returned - twelve women forming it around him, eyes clear, hearts open, voices humming softly in harmony.
Sophie stepped forward and held out her hand.
"We’re ready," she said.