Chapter 1189

Rose came to his other side, her fingers threading with his, her smile fierce and bright. Lucy, Zoey, Scarlet, Grace, Susan, Stella, Natalie, Emma-they all gathered close, their bond unbreakable, their hearts set.

The hum sang through them, through the land, through the sky, and they knew this was only the beginning.

And they stepped down from the stone, hand in hand, ready to follow where the spiral led. Always together. Always forward.

Their descent from the stone outcrop was slow but sure, the path uneven beneath their feet, the wind carrying the hum of the island like a song meant only for them. The silver glimmer they'd seen on the horizon called to them with every step, its pull gentle but impossible to ignore. The river remained at their side, its course winding like the spiral itself, water gleaming in the afternoon sun, the air warm with the scent of earth and leaf and wildflowers hidden among the roots.