"This island seems kinda funky, innit?"
"Yeah."
As we drew closer to the island, the crystal blue water transformed into an inky black. It was a sea of ebony now. I stared into these new waters as I rowed, and the thought of rowing in the misty void entered my mind.
(What is up with the void? Why does it make so many appearances around me?)
Maybe that's the essence of the universe. When all the stories end, when the last page is turned, when the book is closed, only darkness will remain. The universe will grow empty until a new fable begins.
"Ethan, I don't feel so good."
I looked at Marcus and saw his pale face, his sweaty brow, and his clammy hands. He looked violently ill, and it wasn't motion sickness from my rowing.
"What do you feel?" I asked softly.
"W-hat's the word?" Marcus scrambled. "Dread, it's dread ,yeah. It feels like I'm going to die from that. My heart feels like its gonna rip apart inside my chest."
(Holy shit, that's bad. Why don't I feel it?)
Since this is Marcus's inner world, perhaps he is more attune to it? It seems he'd have to adjust quickly - we were nearing the island. Sadly, it wasn't a tropical paradise like Hawaii or Okinawa.
"E-than," Marcus's panicked voice crept into my ear.
I didn't understand at first, but it finally hit me. As we were about to hit the island's shore, I felt it. A wave of inexplicable terror was washing over my mind; repelling me like a magnet of the same polarity. It felt as if my insides were freezing.
[Fragment of the 4th Wall is scrambling to protect your psyche.]
[Fragment of the 4th Wall is lamenting that it's not big enough.]
[Fragment of the 4th Wall is partially protecting your psyche.]
(Shit, how strong is this place?)
My near-impervious 4th Wall was having trouble. I felt stricken and couldn't move. Stepping outside of the boat and onto the island felt impossible - it was akin to walking in a dark hallway as a child. Your mind is sending warning signals and it's reeling.
"Okay, let's use some Dori advice. Just keep swimming, just keep rowing, just keep stepping. There."
I gripped the side of the boat and hopped off. I instantly felt worse.
"Ho, wow. Holy shit."
My brain felt lightheaded, like the air was being sucked out. I fell onto the shore, my hands bracing the impact. The island didn't have gentle beaches; only rocky shores made from sharp rocks and gravel. Thankfully, I didn't cut my hands.
"You okay?"
"Y-yeah," I replied.
I reached inside the boat and grabbed my axe and wooden sword. I'd use the former as a weapon, and the latter as a cane.
"Come on. This is the place right? It's time to clench our ass cheeks and face the fear."
Marcus silently nodded and stepped out too. For a brief moment, we froze and looked at the island. There were no trees or other flora, except these purple-white flowers. There were no obvious trails, so we aimlessly trekked.
"Let's aim for the center."
(I don't want to be right about this, but I'm probably right about this.)
I knew what island we were on, and what inhabited it. As we crept through the flower field, I fully absorbed the view, or lack thereof. Marcus was right, it was dreadful. The island itself was grey and uncolored. It was like walking into a black-and-white film, and the only sprinkle of vibrancy came from the heather flowers.
My eyes felt assaulted, like they were being forced to look through a filter. The flowers danced in my periphery, and they caressed my ankles as I walked. Those were the only parts of my body that felt unaffected.
(Wait, unaffected?)
[Fragment of the 4th Wall is jogging your memory.]
I remember now. Heather flowers were used to ward off ghosts and evil, and they meant protection. There was a reason they dotted this island. I slowly knelt and picked a flower, breathing in its aroma as I pressed it to my face.
Like fresh water to grime, my fears washed away. I was able to think more clearly and my body wasn't as tense. More voice felt stronger as well.
"Marcus, pick up a flower. You feel better."
When he did, his complexion bettered. His eyes were clearer; less fearful.
"Before we go any further," I said, "how would you rate your uber boater?"
It seemed my joke landed because Marcus smiled. It wasn't a laugh, but it was something.
"The lake was nice, the rowing was good. I'd say five stars. But, uh, coming here sucks."
I looked at this unwelcoming island.
"It's as they say: an adventure's value lies in the journey, not the destination."
"Yeah. It feels weird... we're so happy a few moments ago."
"Yeah," I echoed. "It does feel weird."
We resumed our trek, hoping to find the answers we wanted. This messed up excursion felt like an episode of Adventure Time; I was Asian Finn while Marcus was Hispanic Jake. Sadly, instead of finding the Candy Kingdom and a Princess waifu, we found a wolf instead.
My instinctual brain was blaring; it told me to run, hightail it, and get the hell out of dodge. Maybe people piss and shit themselves because their urine and fecal matter are afraid.
We approached the wolf, which was nestled under a rocky overhand for shelter. If I squinted, I could see a golden rope strapped around their haunches and nailed into the rocky wall. They looked painfully tight from here, and my limbs throbbed in sympathy.
[Fo cus on th e wolf.]
(Fine.)
I looked at the wolf - it was unlike anything I've ever seen. Their fur was a dark grey, as if woven from storm clouds. The wolf was chained and partially immobilized, but their muscles were still bulging, as though they were beyond lethargy.
The wolf's girth was triple the size of a regular one. They were long as a car, and felt as though they could easily trample some automobiles.
It was sleeping, but it periodically snarled, showing pearlescent white fangs. It's lips and expression were eerie - it didn't feel like an animal's. It was too human, I guess?
Marcus and I took a step closer, but that's when the wolf woke up. Its eyes flicked open in an instant and it made everything worse. If the mental pressure was set to 1, they increased the value by 6. We froze in the flower field, not daring to move further.
The wolf stretched and yawned, showcasing more of its vitality. Such a simple action that sent shivers down my spine and throughout body. Before it could stretch further, the chains tightened, and the wolf winced. It relaxed and nestled their chin on their paws, silently staring at us now.
[Well, it seems I have visitors.]
The words were nearly indescribable. It felt like hundreds of growls and snarls were mixed together to form a voice. There was an underlying gutturalness to the tone, sending tremors into my soul, and trying to shred my sanity. The wolf's entire presence was vicious.
The flower in my hand felt like a cheap charm instead of a protective ward. Everything was so insignificant under this wave of pressure.
My 4th Wall wasn't kicking in. It was probably doing the best it could. Except for Marcus, I was alone in this fight. What should I do?
"Hello there," I croaked.
(Fuck, is this the best I can do?)
[Hmm, yes. Mortals are here. I should welcome them, even if this is my prison,] the wolf said dismissively. [Welcome to the Island of Lyngvi.]
My suspicions were confirmed.
[My eternal prison till Ragnarok.]