Chapter 1741

Jude stood and felt it - a gentle tug at his core, like a pulse pulling him toward the west. The others felt it too, their bodies shifting, eyes widening slightly.

Without a word, they began to move. Naked or barely draped in soft wraps, they stepped through the open temple entrance and into the cool breath of twilight. The moss underfoot was darker now, deep purple with veins of pale gold that glowed faintly as they passed. The island reconfigured with every step - not violently, but fluidly, like a dream adapting to the dreamer.

The trees leaned away again. Flowers bloomed in spirals. Creatures hovered overhead, luminous wings flickering like liquid flame. They passed under archways made of bone-white roots and branches braided together in delicate symmetry. Each twist of the path brought with it a fresh sensation - sometimes lust, sometimes longing, sometimes joy so deep it made Jude's knees weak.