The voyage lasted for several weeks, the fleet advancing smoothly across the Neraid Sea. The weather was calm, the waves gentle — almost unnaturally so. Adlet, Polo, Lucien, and Linoa spent the days in a relaxed atmosphere, sharing stories on deck, training lightly, or simply gazing at the endless expanse of water.
Adlet found solace in the monotony of the sea, his thoughts drifting in rhythm with the waves. There were moments, fleeting yet profound, when he felt at peace — free from the burdens of his past, free from the ever-present weight of expectations.
But that peace didn't last forever.
At last, the Forbidden Island appeared on the horizon — an enormous, dark mass rising from the sea like a sleeping beast. Jagged reefs surrounded it in a deadly crown, and the once-gentle waves began to churn violently as they drew closer.
A cold shiver ran down Adlet's spine as the island loomed larger in his vision. The sense of foreboding was palpable, its oppressive presence pressing against his chest. Something primal within him stirred, a warning born not of reason, but of instinct.
Lucien stood at the helm, his expression hardening.
"There's only one place where a ship can make landfall," he said grimly. "From here on, the real challenge begins."
The calm turned to chaos in an instant.
Sailors rushed across the deck, ropes tightening, sails shifting as they maneuvered through the treacherous waters. Lucien's voice rang out over the storm, crisp and commanding. Linoa stood at the bow, her face a mask of calm resolve, her long hair whipping in the wind, eyes locked on the island with a determination that sent an unspoken message to the crew — they were no longer voyaging to a destination. They were entering a battleground.
Adlet and Polo tried to stay out of the way, holding onto the railing as the ship tilted and groaned. The tension was palpable; every man and woman aboard could feel the island's oppressive presence bearing down on them.
Adlet's heart raced, his Aura humming with a strange energy — was it fear? Excitement? Or something else entirely? He didn't know. But something deep inside him stirred in anticipation, as if the island itself was calling to him.
Hours passed in this tense rhythm. The shore was now visible — they were almost there, as the first shadows of night crept over the sea.
Then, a sound shattered the air.
A deafening crash. Splintered wood flew skyward.
Adlet spun around just in time to see one of the fleet's ships torn apart — impaled and crushed by something massive rising from the sea.
A tentacle.
Dozens of meters long, slick and black, it split the waves with impossible force.
Before anyone could react, more tentacles erupted around the ships, striking like lightning. Each impact sent towering plumes of water and shattered debris into the air. The fleet was thrown into chaos — sailors screaming, masts snapping, vessels capsizing one after another.
Adlet stood frozen for a heartbeat, the sound of chaos ringing in his ears. His heart raced, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing — was this real? The tentacles moved with a terrifying, predatory grace, as if they had been waiting, watching, for this moment.
Then his ship lurched violently. A massive shadow loomed above him — another tentacle, rising higher than the mast, casting everything in darkness.
It fell.
The impact was like an explosion. The deck shattered beneath him, the shockwave flinging him high into the air before plunging him into the cold, violent sea.
The world spun — up was down, down was up. Every nerve in his body screamed, but it was drowned out by the deafening roar of the water. His chest tightened, his breaths coming in short gasps, but the sea was a violent beast, dragging him under, swallowing him whole.
Through the blur of foam and debris, Adlet caught a fleeting glimpse of Lucien soaring through the air, great wings of Aura spread wide, Linoa clutched safely in his arms.
Then the current took him.
The waves twisted and rolled, dragging him deeper. He tried to steady himself, to focus his Aura and resist the pull, but the force of the sea was overwhelming. His lungs burned, panic rising in his chest. The water roared in his ears — a monstrous, endless noise.
Something grabbed him by the waist.
A hand — or a tentacle? He couldn't tell. His thoughts were slipping away.
He was being pulled upward, toward the faint light above the surface. But his vision darkened, his strength fading fast.
His last sensation was the cold bite of the sea and the hollow sound of his own heartbeat slowing. Then — nothing.
When Adlet opened his eyes again, it was to the faint light of the Stars above.
For a moment, he wasn't sure where he was. The world was a blur, muffled and distant. Slowly, painfully, his senses returned. The crash of waves filled his ears. His body ached, but he was alive.
He was lying on a beach, half-buried in sand, sheltered beneath the curve of a large rock.
"Hello?" he called out hoarsely. "Is anyone there?"
No response. Only the distant roar of the sea.
Adlet's heart sank. He began to walk along the beach, hoping to find survivors, when he noticed movement in the distance — a silhouette sprinting toward him at full speed.
It was Polo.
His face was pale with panic, and he was waving frantically for Adlet to hide.
Adlet didn't hesitate. He dove into the nearest bush just as the ground began to tremble beneath his feet.
A thunderous rumble filled the air — the pounding of massive hooves. Through the leaves, Adlet caught sight of a colossal shape emerging from the forest's edge.
A horse — or something like it — nearly ten meters tall, its body plated in deep blue armor-like scales, a pair of long, spiraled horns jutting from its head. The creature's eyes glowed faintly as it thundered past, each step shaking the ground.
Adlet barely dared to breathe.
The Apex vanished into the distance, and the forest grew still once more.
Polo emerged from his hiding spot near a fallen tree, his voice low and tense.
"Not a sound, Adlet… Not a single one."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "We're on the Forbidden Island. There are Apexes here — high-ranking ones. If we want to stay alive, we'll have to move carefully. Very carefully."
Adlet nodded, still shaken. "How… how did we even make it here?"
Polo exhaled a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I dragged you here after the ship went down. Guess having a Guardian with aquatic traits has its perks…"
He raised his hand and summoned a small, translucent tentacle made of Aura from his fingertip, wiggling it in the air with a nervous smile.
Despite everything, Adlet couldn't help but smile back, a small warmth spreading through him. It was a reminder — amidst all the chaos, Polo had been there, and he would always be there.
"Thanks, Polo. I owe you one."
"Just don't make me do that again," Polo replied with a weak grin.
The two of them set up a small, makeshift camp just inside the forest, far from the beach. They built a fire from driftwood and dried leaves, keeping it faint and hidden beneath a canopy of branches.
They needed rest. They needed a plan.
And above all — they needed to survive.
As the night deepened and the sound of distant roars echoed across the island, Adlet stared into the faint flames, a chill running down his spine.
They thought they had survived the worst. But on the Forbidden Island, the real nightmare was only just beginning.