Chapter 9

The sea was eerily still.

Talyra, Kael, and Lira stood at the bow of The Sea Hawk, watching as the mist slowly parted to reveal the Lost Isles. The air felt heavy, charged with a presence that set Talyra's nerves on edge. Towering cliffs loomed in the distance, their jagged peaks lost in swirling fog. Beyond them, dense forests stretched inland, their canopy so thick that even the midday sun barely pierced through.

"We're really doing this," Kael muttered.

Lira exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "I still think we should turn around."

Talyra shook her head. "We came for answers. The Starfire led us here for a reason."

Kael glanced at the pendant, its glow faint but steady. "And you think it'll just… show us the way?"

Before she could answer, a deep, guttural cry echoed from the cliffs. The sound sent a shiver down Talyra's spine. Kael instinctively reached for his dagger, and Lira's hand drifted to her twin blades.

"Not exactly a welcoming committee," Lira muttered.

Talyra turned to the crew. "We dock here. No one leaves the ship except us."

One of the sailors—an older man with a scar down his cheek—stepped forward. "You sure about that, witch?" His tone was wary but not unkind.

"Yes," Talyra said firmly. "If we're not back in three days, leave. No matter what."

The crew exchanged uneasy glances, but they nodded.

Lira sighed. "Well, guess I'm stuck with you both, then."

With that, The Sea Hawk cut through the final stretch of water, gliding toward the rocky shore.

---

The island felt alive.

As soon as Talyra set foot on the damp earth, she felt it—a pulse beneath her boots, as if the ground itself was breathing. The trees stretched unnaturally high, their twisted roots curling like grasping fingers. Thick vines draped over the rocks, pulsing with an otherworldly glow.

Kael knelt by the shoreline, running his fingers through the blackened sand. "This place is… wrong."

Lira scanned the treeline warily. "More like cursed."

Talyra gripped the Starfire Pendant. It was reacting—faintly, but enough to confirm they were on the right path. "The ruins should be further inland. That's where we'll find our answers."

Kael rose to his feet. "Lead the way."

---

They moved cautiously through the jungle. The deeper they went, the more unnatural the island became. The air shimmered in places, as if reality itself was warping. Shadows moved where there should be none, and whispers—soft, unintelligible—brushed against their ears.

Kael tensed. "We're being watched."

Lira's fingers twitched near her blades. "By what?"

Talyra didn't answer. She already knew.

They weren't alone.

---

The attack came fast.

Dark figures burst from the undergrowth, moving with inhuman speed. Their bodies were wrapped in tattered cloaks, their faces hidden beneath hoods. But their eyes—glowing, soulless orbs—burned with the same eerie light as the shadows from Ravenspire.

Kael barely had time to raise his dagger before one lunged at him. He ducked, barely avoiding the strike. Lira reacted instantly, her daggers flashing as she cut through the air, forcing the figures back.

Talyra raised her hands, summoning light. The Starfire flared, and the figures hissed, recoiling.

"They fear it," she realized.

She thrust her palm forward, releasing a wave of magic. The nearest attacker shrieked as the light engulfed them, their body dissolving into mist.

The others hesitated. Then, as if receiving an unheard command, they melted back into the shadows.

Kael panted. "What were those things?"

Talyra lowered her hands, the magic fading. "Guardians. Or what's left of them."

Lira sheathed her daggers, scowling. "Great. So we just walked into the home of ancient, light-hating monsters?"

Talyra ignored the remark, staring at the spot where the figures had vanished.

They weren't here to kill them.

They were testing them.

The island wasn't just cursed.

It was alive. And it wanted to see if they were worthy.

She turned to the others. "We keep moving."

The ruins awaited.