Julian and the captain moved from one corridor to another. As the lantern's light dimmed and the air grew more stagnant, they gradually lost hope. The captain looked at the path ahead; the walls no longer had their former elegance, and occasionally, tree roots could be seen within the cave walls.
"The stagnant air and winding path are confusing us, but I'm sure we'll be out soon." He turned to Julian and said.
Julian said nothing. In those situations, he could do nothing but continue. He didn't accept defeat, just as he rejected death. Even if faced with an inevitable end, he wouldn't stop struggling; for him, losing was the same as dying, but in a different way.
A few minutes later, the path took on new life. The corridor became narrower, and the air fresher. Smiles returned to their faces, and they continued towards the end of the corridor with renewed speed.
The sound of a bird's wings flapping echoed, and a white light shone from the end of the corridor. Above the exit, a large tree had grown, its branches swallowing the exit. Like thousands of intertwined snakes, they twisted and disappeared among each other. Green tendrils hung from the tree; it was very tall and stood atop a hill overlooking the rocky shore.
The captain looked at a small beach to his left.
"The ship is set to leave the island in two hours; we need to get to the northern shore quickly…"
Julian didn't ask about Cyrus. On this journey, he learned to attribute injustice to fate. If he died, it was his fate, and if he survived, it was his luck.
They passed through a narrow path beside the roots, a narrow path along a steep ravine. Below them, the blue sea split the blue rocks, and the fleeing waves broke foamy at their base.
The path grew narrower and narrower. The wind picked up, and the salty sea air filled their minds. After some time traversing the uneven and dangerous parts, the crow's nest at the top of the galleon's main mast appeared.
Julian smiled upon seeing the ship and said, "Even though we didn't achieve much, it's good to get out of this hell!!"
The captain smirked and said, "What do you mean??! We got the power we were looking for…"
Julian didn't understand the captain's meaning, and as he descended the slope, he looked at a small boat coming towards them from the ship. Julian stepped onto the deck, unbuckling his sword, and noticed unfamiliar faces. He didn't let go of his sword until he received the captain's confirmation, reluctantly handing it to one of the crew.
The captain stepped forward and stood behind the helm. All the crew gathered on the deck to hear the captain's words before setting sail. Julian had a small knife hidden in his boot and watched the crew's movements with keen eyes.
The captain noticed Julian's actions but ignored them.
He cleared his throat and said, "Dear friends, thank you for accepting my invitation; before anything else, one must be willing to let go. Those who lack the strength to let go are doomed to destruction."
Julian examined the new crew members and thought to himself:
"They're not sailors; they look more like boatmen and housewives… So these are the people he meant when he said those willing to go to the ends of the world?"
Then he looked at the cliff they had descended from: "He hasn't come yet; I guess we'll have to continue without him…"
Meanwhile, the captain continued his speech and assigned tasks. The women worked on the lower deck while the men took charge of the upper deck. They had brought their food rations overnight, but the captain knew they would have to stop at a port to replenish the food stores.
The morning wind created higher waves, and the ship rocked more than usual. It rode the crest of the waves and landed with a loud crash.
The captain looked at the tall cliffs beside the shore, pointing skyward like spears. Very tall and thick, even vegetation could be seen at the tops of some of them. The ship passed through a high arch covered in moss on its two pillars.
The sails stood like an impenetrable barrier against the wind.
Suddenly, a voice rose from the island.
"Full speed ahead…!!!"
Cyrus stood on the edge of a cliff, observing the pirates' sloops and alerting the captain with a cannon shot.
The captain gritted his teeth and said, "Julian!!! Arm the cannons…"
Then he looked at the tall cliff, but Cyrus had already left.
Cyrus knew from the beginning that such a map didn't exist. A pirate, no matter how famous, couldn't have such a legendary map. However, he pretended to be ignorant. Even though he knew the captain was lying, he still infiltrated the heart of the village.
But this infiltration wasn't fruitless. He managed to obtain another map and found an old journal, but the most important result was discovering an ancient magic: the Magic of Creation.
The Magic of Creation allowed its user to create desired objects from nothingness. This magic was a divine gift that seemed more like a fantasy.
Creation used the individual's soul to create objects. Even if someone mastered it, each use would cost them their lifespan. Although they would become invincible, they wouldn't have a life left to enjoy it.
However, the masters of magic created another powerful magic that worked with the person's thoughts instead of their soul. It had the same application but was much weaker and more limited than true Creation magic.
Cyrus was the God of Memories. He could collect memories and use them to his advantage. In fact, the Magic of Creation was his secret weapon. Whether when he sat on his throne or now as he planned to leave the island by ship, he had found the Magic of Creation.
Cyrus was the only one who could create something. This made him very frightening. He could use the soul hidden in memories to perform this magic.
But he no longer had his former power and had become a Whisperer. Therefore, he had limited access to the Magic of Creation.
Cyrus was astonished when he saw this in the treasury.
He derived his power from the memories he obtained.
Therefore, the Magic of Creation was an unparalleled weapon.
When he finished in the treasury, he set it on fire and headed to the dock. Gradually, the sunlight appeared, but Cyrus had to slow them down. He set part of the dock on fire and immediately fled.
Therefore, the pirates had to use sloops to chase them.
Cyrus didn't want to use his power against the captain and his crew. Therefore, he only relied on fire magic, burning tree trunks and throwing them at the sloops.
The ships were near the shore.
Cyrus glanced at the tall cliffs ahead.
Then he calculated the ship's path and came to only one conclusion. He had to jump onto the ship from one of the cliffs.