In the twilight, eight dark figures emerged from behind the broad-leaved grass, swiftly traversing the island's narrow paths. Three of them wore long cloaks and moved among the other five.
The five had a rough appearance, occasionally cursing and spitting on the ground. They navigated unfamiliar paths and knew many routes.
They crossed dry riverbeds and bypassed rivers. On their way, they entered a waterfall and climbed the stone steps inside a large cave.
After a while, they reached a village surrounded by a wall with numerous guard towers. Seeing the red flames, they hooted like owls, waiting for the watchman's response. Upon hearing the reply, they immediately raised their hands above their heads and slowly moved towards the large wooden gate. They knocked on the gate three times and then entered the village. At first glance, the village's appearance was quite disappointing. The wooden huts were clumsily stacked with beams and planks. Many of them had sprouted like mushrooms on the walls.
On the roofs of those houses, inspectors were constantly moving around, monitoring everything. The appearance of these inspectors was very inconsistent. They had no uniforms and were only distinguishable by the foolish expressions on their faces and the armbands they wore.
The huts built at higher elevations were connected by a haphazard network of hanging bridges that seemed ready to collapse at any moment but were miraculously sturdy.
However, the arrangement of the buildings was like a maze, so there was only one path to the heart of the village. Many pirates roamed the village's streets and alleys. The village's wall was made of very sturdy wood, resistant to magical attacks and fires.
When the group of eight passed through the village gate, a group of pirates came to greet them. However, the warm welcome ended upon seeing the bag of money.
The three separated from the others and went in a different direction. One of them said, "Captain, we better be careful… this is a pirate village."
The captain, with a grim face, replied calmly, "No sailor is willing to join us on this journey… our only option is to hire from this island."
The captain's assistant knew this too, but common sense dictated that he should remind him.
The pirate island was within the forbidden sea. Although it might not be as dangerous as the end of the world, still, not everyone sailed there.
"Remember, the one who succeeds knows which tool to use in every situation… you can't climb a mountain with a nobleman; this job requires a tough person," the captain said. The assistant nodded in agreement and said nothing more.
A little later, they reached a large hall built next to the village's wooden wall. The captain and the others wore long cloaks and hid their faces with hoods.
They were not the only ones who came to the pirate island. Many people had secret dealings with this group. However, to prevent spies and informants from discovering their identities, they took all precautions. Nevertheless, the number of affiliated spies on the island was very few. Because with a little money, one could obtain a lot of information. Many pirates sold information; although they rarely sold vital information to anyone, other individuals had placed a few spies there just in case. Even though they worked for the pirates, they had no restrictions on selling information.
They stood in front of the building. A lot of noise was coming from inside. The building had three floors, an open courtyard, and several tables and chairs.
The captain took a deep breath and took a step forward. Suddenly, a table and chairs were thrown from the second floor. The captain dodged, raising a lot of dust; his assistant reacted quickly. He wanted to draw his sword but regretted it under the pressure of the staring eyes. After a few moments, the dust from the fallen table and chairs settled, but the rough atmosphere of the tavern did not calm down a bit. They muttered under their breath and entered the tavern.
The captain's assistant, with clenched fists, felt the heavy gaze of others from the moment he entered the tavern. A row of empty cups was lined up in front of him; and a candle that was melting continuously gave him a sense of insecurity. However, it seemed the captain was not worried.
Theodore, the third member of the group, was an experienced sailor who had brought them to the island as a liaison. He was a tall man with a deep scar on his cheek. He usually spoke little and was clearly not very trustworthy, but in this particular case, he was the only one who knew about the island.
The captain had a galleon. The galleon had two main masts and three decks, equipped with thirty-two cannons and seventy crew members. This ship had embarked on a dangerous journey to reach the lost land.
The captain's assistant, Julian, was a young knight who would do anything for honor. Needless to say, he could not get along with pirates under any circumstances, and for this reason, he constantly suppressed his anger.
"Theodore… I don't trust him," Julian said, picking up another cup.
"I never saw Theodore as a trustworthy person; he was just a guide and nothing more," the captain replied.
"So you expected this?" Julian hesitated, asking with doubt.
"That he would betray us? Of course… but it was worth the risk… even though he probably sold us out," the captain replied.
Julian muttered a curse under his breath.
He gently touched the hilt of his sword. They were not in a good situation. After Theodore left them, he immediately sold their information. Currently, they were prey for the pirates. All eyes were fixed on them. On the surface, everything seemed normal, but a small spark was enough to ignite the powder keg.
The captain did not show it, but he did not have the upper hand in this game. He had only counted on the value of the ship. Before boarding the boat, he secretly ordered the galleon to be taken to another shore, and if the captain did not return to the deck within two days, they should immediately leave the island.
This meant the captain had bought himself a bargaining chip.
Of course, if the pirates spread out along the entire shore, they could probably find the ship, but this would take a lot of time, and since the island was not that small and flat, it did not seem like a reasonable option.
So he thought this move would improve his situation a bit.
And while he was waiting for the pirates' first move, something unexpected happened.
With a loud noise, the door swung open.
Seeing the man who entered the tavern, Julian turned red with anger. He tried, but his pride did not allow him to make a wise decision.
"You… how dare you…!!!"
Theodore entered the tavern with a bloody cloak; Julian sprang up like a spring and held his sword to his throat. The long hood and the dim light of the tavern cast Theodore's face into darkness. However, Theodore said nothing, and while the entire tavern was silent, he smirked at Julian.
After guiding Julian and the captain to the tavern, he had separated from them under a pretext that even he found ridiculous. Before setting foot on the island, just when the sun had separated from the sky's roof and shadows climbed the village walls, and the fire pits came to life, he had arranged everything.
As soon as he found an opportunity, he separated from them and took another path.
In the dark and damp alleys, where the fire pits' reach did not extend, a gray shadow moved. Sometimes he would stop and look around, and when he was sure no one was following him, he continued on his way.
He passed through several alleys in this manner.
On the way, a voice from the depths of darkness called out to him.
"Why did you want to see me?"
Theodore was startled but did not show it. After a brief pause, he said, "This humble one has prepared a small gift for the king…"
"So the king needs the offerings of dirty rats too?"
"No, but this dirty rat needs the king's favor."
The voice fell silent. Suddenly, a person emerged from the darkness of the night. He had a terrifying smile, and the whiteness of his teeth was clearly visible in the dark.
"So the king's previous gift has brought you to your senses."
Unconsciously, he touched his face and felt the scar on his cheek. The fire of anger flared in his heart. However, contrary to his true feelings, he smiled.
A hand rested on Theodore's shoulder, and a voice whispered in his ear, "The king takes care of his friends… don't forget that."
Upon hearing this sentence, he clenched his fist. It was clear he had been threatened with his family, but he had no family. He had lost them years ago, and what he called family was nothing but ruins. Still, he didn't know if it was for the sake of his conscience or another reason; but he would do anything to preserve those ruins, and this time, it was time for betrayal.
"The only salvation for the weak is death…" he muttered.
But he didn't have the strength to die. He was the whisper of fear. Theodore feared repeating the past. If he didn't want to be crushed, he had to embrace the foot that could destroy him.
But how long would this embrace guarantee his life?
Lost in these thoughts, he watched the stars with regret.
Only the darkness of the night understood him.
Theodore scanned the sky. As he followed a line of stars, he reached the roof of one of the houses, where two blue eyes were watching him. Before he could say anything, those blue eyes rushed towards him, slashing the shadow beside him and piercing his chest.
Theodore was panting, staring at the attacker in fear. His hair was as white as jasmine petals. He couldn't scream; he had no strength left. He cried, and as he slowly turned into a blue stream, he lost his consciousness.
Theodore fell into the depths of nothingness; as he recalled his memories, the boundaries of the void expanded before him. The world was dark, with nothing but blackness in sight. He felt like a speck of dust dancing to the tune of creation.
"I… no, there's no such thing as 'I'… now everything is over… nothing matters… mother… father… those I loved… those who loved me… oh… I feel like everything is meaningless…"
He continued to fall.
An endless darkness appeared before him.
"Who are you…?"
Theodore asked this of the surrounding darkness.
"I am death…" a deep voice from the darkness replied.
Theodore was afraid. The darkness twisted and turned into a vortex that swallowed everything.
Theodore continued to fall.
"I… I still have unfinished business… I have people to take care of…"
"You don't belong to the world of the living… from now on, you are utterly alone… Theodore… tell me, my son, did you have a happy life?" Death responded.
Theodore did not answer. He remembered moments when he stood beside his father, watching the snow melt. When everything was more beautiful.
"Did you make anyone happy?"
Theodore looked back at his past. Vague memories of his childhood came to mind. He smiled. Now, death no longer held that initial terror. The darkness embraced him, wrapping around him like ivy and engulfing him.
Theodore passed through the gate of the world and entered a new realm.
A large tree appeared before him, with thousands of souls being led from its branches to the halls of judgment in orderly rows. A golden stream flowed from the tree's branches, forming a great river that entered magnificent palaces in the tree's shadow.
"I have fulfilled my duty… now join your true soul, you spirit trapped in memories…" Death said.
Then it disappeared, leaving Theodore in the world of meaning.
The human soul wasn't complete after death. When one's eyes closed and ears no longer heard, a part of their being sealed within memories went to the realm of memories and lived there. The main soul waited in limbo for the second death, and after the spirit trapped in memories joined the main soul, it went to the halls of judgment.
Theodore left his life behind. Death was a wall between him and what he had known so far. As an unfamiliar world lay before him, he stepped towards an uncertain future. Just when he felt everything was over, the boundaries of the world shattered, and the river of time overflowed. The golden walls of those great palaces collapsed and were submerged in the golden flood of time. Hideous creatures, with appearances as if they had emerged from the depths of forgotten history, came into existence.
Theodore felt fear once again.
This time, there was no sign of death. Something beyond death threatened him. He was face to face with "nothingness"…