The sun finally began to peek through the clouds, casting a faint gray light over the sea. The storm, though not fully dissipated, had started to subside, leaving behind an uneasy sky. Ryuu, exhausted from his efforts, collapsed onto the ship's deck, his body trembling from tension and fatigue. The wind, which had overwhelmed him before, now seemed to calm as if it had heeded his call.
Kara and Talon approached him, their expressions a mix of relief and bewilderment. Talon, seeing Ryuu beginning to rise, extended a hand to help him up.
"That was… incredible. I don't know what just happened, but you managed to calm it," Talon said, observing Ryuu with a blend of respect and curiosity.
Ryuu simply nodded, unsure of how he had controlled something so chaotic. He knew the storm had been unnatural, but he couldn't grasp how it had grown so intense. Was it merely a natural phenomenon, or was something more at play? The lingering feeling that someone or something had manipulated the weather still haunted him.
Kara, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal, gazed at the horizon. Her eyes hardened as she spotted the island beginning to emerge from the waves. It was an impressive yet unsettling sight. The Eternal Island was unlike any other Ryuu had seen. Instead of soft, tranquil shores, the island rose with steep cliffs, and its land was shrouded in a thick mist emanating from its depths, as if the very air was steeped in ancient magic.
"There it is. The Eternal Island..." Kara said, her voice heavy with tension.
The ship drew closer to the shore, and soon the mist surrounding the island grew denser, engulfing the vessel. The air felt heavy, saturated with the scent of salt and something else Ryuu couldn't identify. The island's vegetation appeared wild and dense, with towering trees and leaves that shimmered with a silvery glow.
As they approached, the sailors began preparing the ship for disembarkation. The captain, his face still a mask of concentration, gave quick instructions on how to proceed.
"Once we're ashore, stick with the group. This island is unlike any other. The ruins where the tournament will take place lie at the heart of the island, and the path there isn't safe," the captain warned, his gaze stern as it fell on Ryuu and the others.
The ship finally reached the shore, and Ryuu, Kara, and Talon were the first to disembark, followed by the other competitors and some of the sailors. The island was a place of contrasts: breathtaking landscapes but with an ominous atmosphere, as if they had stepped into a place beyond time.
The group began moving toward the island's interior, passing through a dense forest where the shadows stretched long, and the trees seemed to whisper in the wind. The ground was covered in intertwined roots and moss, making every step more difficult than expected. Yet what unsettled Ryuu the most was the constant feeling of being watched. Something on the island seemed aware of their presence, and it made him increasingly uneasy.
Kara, walking ahead, suddenly stopped. Her eyes narrowed, and her hand moved to the hilt of her sword.
"Did you hear that?" she asked in a low voice.
Ryuu and Talon froze, scanning their surroundings. At first, everything seemed quiet—the sound of the wind rustling through the trees and the distant crash of waves. But then they heard it: a faint murmuring, like whispering voices floating through the air. It was as if the forest itself were alive, sharing secrets in a language they couldn't understand.
"We're not imagining this," Talon said, pulling an arrow from his quiver and readying it for any threat. His eyes darted around, searching for anything that might emerge from the shadows.
"Move cautiously," Kara ordered, her tone serious.
They continued with heightened vigilance, the whispers growing louder, closer. Then, the ground beneath their feet began to vibrate, and an invisible force pressed against them, as if the island were reacting to their presence. Ryuu felt the air grow denser, each breath requiring more effort.
Suddenly, the forest opened up into a vast clearing where the ruins of an ancient city stood before them. Broken columns and toppled statues, their stones covered in moss, were scattered throughout the area. But what caught Ryuu's attention most was the massive altar at the center of the clearing. It was made of black stone, inscribed with unknown symbols that glowed faintly with a bluish light.
"This is the place..." Kara murmured, her voice filled with a mix of awe and fear as she recognized the altar.
Ryuu approached it slowly, sensing a strange energy emanating from the stone. Something deep inside him, tied to his bond with the wind, told him this altar was connected to something much larger, something far beyond the tournament.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked in black, their cape trailing along the ground. Their face was concealed by a golden mask, and their presence was so commanding that the air around them seemed to freeze.
"Welcome to the Eternal Island," the figure said, their voice echoing as if carried by the wind itself.
The three competitors tensed immediately. Who was this man? What was really happening on this island?
The masked man's words reverberated in their minds like a warning: "The true tournament has yet to begin."