Chapter 1170

No one spoke much. The memory of Rose's voice still lingered, soft as the wind, impossible to forget.

Jude finally tore his gaze from the sea, turning back to face them. The morning light softened their exhaustion, but didn't hide it. They all bore it, this shared burden of fear, of love, of loss.

"We can't stay here," Jude said, his voice quiet but firm. "She'll come again. We have to move, to think, to find some way to reach her. To stop this before it takes her completely."

Lucy nodded without hesitation. "Agreed. But we need a plan. We can't just chase shadows and hope."

Sophie glanced at Jude, then at the others. "What about the cave near the river? The one we found early on. It's hidden. Defensible. We can regroup there, figure out our next move."

Zoey straightened, wiping soot from her fingers. "It's better than waiting for her to find us out in the open. If this island is changing her, changing everything, we need cover."