Miss woke up lying along the shore, the sun burning her skin, the waves trying to pull her back into the sea. She struggled to her feet and scanned her surroundings. At the horizon, she saw four islands lined up, each having distinct characteristics from each other. She focused on her spot; white sands, clear waters, birds above her head... Where in the world was she?
She turned, facing the rest of the island. It was a bit forested, offering things to forage. The sea could also provide food, if only she could swim. She walked towards the forest, hoping she could find shelter. She searched for a good while before she found a small inconspicuous cave with a bigger room inside. For the rest of the day, she foraged the forest, found freshwater sources and managed to build a fire. She was doing surprisingly well. Still, what happens now?
She stared into the fire, wanting to know what happens to her now. Nothing. She sighed and poked the fire with a stick. She always hated not knowing; she hated uncertainty. It was natural, she understood that, but she didn't know what to do. Now that she was alone, there was no one to guide her, no one to lead her the way.
Once it got dark, she lay onto the makeshift bed she made from large leaves and fell asleep almost immediately.
They will kill the village. You have to escape now.
Miss opened her eyes and saw Yerem on the floor, a knife sticking out of his back. She looked across the room and saw a girl younger than her, curled up and whimpering.
"Who are you?" she asked, walking closer to her. "Why are you here?"
Upon seeing her, the girl stood and eyed Miss with warning. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. The only thing Miss could hear were loud whispers every time the girl spoke.
This can't be real. She thought to herself. I'm at the island.
She woke up on her bed, the room dimly lit by the dying fire. Straining her ears, she heard whispers from outside the cave. Feeling fear kick in, she threw more wood into the fire, illuminating the cave more. She had a feeling she'll hate the dark from then on.
For days, she had the same routine: wake up, forage, collect water, try to fish... simply doing things to survive. Every night, she would dream of Silverstar, wake up from it and hear voices outside her cave. She relied on the light from the fire to make her feel safe.
....
She awoke to what felt like someone watching her. Usually, such a feeling only persisted during the night but today, it was bright out and yet the feeling was still there. She got up and started her daily routine. However, by the beach, a figure stood out.
He was sitting by the shore, gazing at the four islands. His black hair gave Miss a spark of hope that perhaps someone in the village survived. She was hesitant to approach him but it seemed the person knew she was already there.
"Ah, you're awake." he said gently. "Do you have a moment to talk?"
Miss felt drawn towards the man. He glanced towards her and a chill ran down her spine when she noticed the man's eyes were gold. He acted in a manner which seemed gentle, yet passed as condescending to her... Does she know him?
"Are you from one of those islands?" she asked, carefully approaching him.
"I wish you no harm, Miss. Sit."
She paused. After a while of consideration, she sat beside the man, keeping a certain distance between them. The man nodded at the islands in the distance.
"Those islands are ruled by opposing forces." the man scoffed "Of course, you already know that."
Miss remained silent. The man continued. "Have you heard of the story of Goldthorne?"
Miss remembered what Alexander told her back when she did the burial rites for the orphans.
"What is this Goldthorne you mentioned?" he asked her.
Miss simply shrugged. "I've no idea. I have never heard of such a place."
"That does not matter as of the moment." Alaster interrupted, "Why was it sacrificed? What happened to it?"
.......
Miss fixed her gaze on the islands. Recalling that memory made her miss Alexander so much. She felt her chest tighten. She took a deep breath and turned to the man.
"What happened to Goldthorne?" she asked.
The man smiled and began to tell his story.