Chapter 1191

And then, at last, they reached the summit. The view stole their breath-the lake a mirror of sky, the forest endless, the horizon a blur of green and gold. The wind sang through the air, carrying the hum higher, stronger, until it seemed the spire itself breathed with them.

At the center of the flat summit, where the spiral ended, lay a hollow filled with water clear as crystal, the spiral's final curve cradling it like a secret. The hum came from the water now, from the spiral reflected in its depths, a song of welcome, of challenge, of promise.

Jude knelt at the hollow's edge, the water cool against his fingertips. Sophie and Rose joined him, the others forming a circle, their faces lit with wonder, with love, with the courage that had brought them this far.

"This is it," Jude said softly. "The next piece of the island's truth."