Chapter 1688

Scarlet and Susan kissed with abandon under a tree, limbs entwined, moving together as if in a slow, ancient dance.

And overhead, the stars sang.

Not literally - but it felt that way.

Every gasp and sigh, every whispered name, every cry of ecstasy fed the flower's light, until it rose in a golden flare, illuminating the entire clearing. As Jude reached his peak with Lucy, their bodies arching together in perfect surrender, the light exploded in a burst that shook the very ground.

Then silence.

Only breath.

Only love.

Only warmth.

Jude lay in the center again, just as he had beneath the blooming tree. This time, the moss beneath him felt like velvet. The stars above pulsed with the same rhythm as his heart. The others curled around him, glowing, breathless, sated. It wasn't just sex. It was the island's breath made flesh. It was ritual. It was worship.

The flower in the center of their circle had changed.