Chapter 1733

The light touched the edge of the horizon, a slender strand of gold that coiled downward like a slow-falling ribbon, delicate and deliberate. Jude sat up first, the weight of anticipation threading through his chest. The others followed, stirred not by fear but by instinct. The glow bathed their skin in a warm hue that felt sacred, like a blessing and a challenge all at once. Every breath they took was deeper now, every heartbeat echoing louder against the quiet hush of the island. The forest didn't move. Even the birds had stilled. The island was holding its breath with them.