Everything was weird that he had been going through, but this island stood somewhat different from them all. Huge stone statues stood guarding every inch of coastline. They differed: some showing human forms, some animals, and others totally unimaginable-they stood rigid into the battle positions, and some in middensequent movements, as if in a moment they were transformed to stone.
Coming ashore, there was a dead silence, eerily so. No birds sang, no leaves rustled-just waves lapping on rocks. He walked around the first few statues, gazing into their faces; they were just a bit too life-like, having expressions of fear, anger, or despair frozen upon them.
Then he saw something even more unreal: an interiorly hidden, partially covered by overspread vines and moss-ruined temple; its front of immense stone doors stood slightly ajar almost as if in invitation.
The sight took Max aback; his instincts, it seemed to say, hinted that something wasn't right, but his interest was stronger yet.
The Cursed Island
Inside, the air within the temple was thick with dust; strange carvings lined the walls, telling a story of people and creatures standing proudly, only to be struck by beams of light from the sky, turning them into statues. At the center of the chamber was a stone giant figure-an ancient king in a broken crown.
Suddenly, the earth shook. A low grating noise boomed through the temple. Max turned sharply, his heart pounding. The statues outside… were they moving?
A grating noise, like stone on stone, filled the air. He rushed out just in time to see it-the statues were shifting. Some turned their heads, others flexed their fingers. Then one of them, a warrior with deep cracks along his body, stepped forward.
"You should not have come here, traveler," the warrior said, his voice like rolling thunder.
Max stood frozen. "Who… who are you?"
The eyes of the warrior again met his, aglow with an inner fire. "Once, I was a man. A protector of my people. Now, I am stone. We all are."
Max's mind was racing. "What happened to you?
The warrior nodded toward the temple. "A curse. Centuries ago, our king challenged the gods. He wanted to be immortal, to rule forever. But the gods replied with anger. They put him into stone, with all who followed him. This island became our prison."
Max swallowed hard. "Is there… a way to break the curse?"
The warrior's face clouded. "Perhaps. But it is not without risk. The curse is tied to the king. Only he can break it—but he has long since been lost to madness. He will not give up his power easily."
A Perilous Decision
Max knew he had a choice to make: flee the island and never return … or venture deeper into the temple to meet the accursed king.
He chose the latter.
Venturing back into the temple, he made his way to the king's chamber. The giant statue of the king stood in the center, but as Max approached, the air grew thick, as if the very island was holding its breath.
Then, cracks spread across the stone. The statue moved.
"You dare stand before me?" the voice of the king boomed, cold and ancient. His stone eyes blazed bright with golden light. "I have ruled this land for centuries. No mortal shall undo my reign!"
Max dodged as the king raised a stone hand, sending a shockwave through the temple. The walls shook. Outside, the statues groaned in pain, as if they were feeling the king's wrath.
Thinking fast, Max remembered the carvings on the walls-the story of how the king was cursed. The gods' punishment had come from the sky. If he could just recreate that…
He looked up. A great opening in the temple's ceiling allowed beams of moonlight to stream in. If he could reflect the light onto the king…
Picking up a shard of broken, polished stone from the floor, he angled it toward the king's body. The instant light hit him, the king screamed in pain. Cracks ran faster now. Stone fragments started falling off, revealing a desiccated, ancient figure underneath.
"No!" the king bellowed. "I will not—"
The final crack dislodged his body in two. With a resounding noise, the stone exploded.
Outside, the statues that had once been frozen let out gasps of air as flesh and fur replaced stone. The warrior who had warned Max was among them, now a living being once more.
"You have freed us," he said to Max, his eyes shining with gratitude. "The curse is broken."
Max took a deep breath as the once-lifeless island filled with movement and sound. He had done what no one else could.
As he boarded his ship to sail once more, he looked back to the island, fully aware that its people were finally free. But he also knew that his journey was far from over.
Many islands still waited for him. Each held its secrets.