Natalie spoke for the first time: "Whatever this is… it's part of the island's memory. But maybe we can fracture that memory."
"What do you mean?" Jude asked.
Natalie held his gaze. "The island made this place by forgetting something else. A dream of baskets and children, of laughter and ordinary roads. I think… we can remind it."
Soft murmurs circled. She continued: "If we bring parts of ourselves here, our memories, our rituals, our names, maybe we can weld ourselves into the island, not as victims, but as partners."
Grace nodded. "We remember. We speak. We won't disappear."
Then they all understood. And not one step faltered.