Each step on the bridge would have caused a heart attack for most. It was narrow, well-kept but without any railings, just a narrow stretch suspended over a drop that seemed deeper than it should have been.

Below, the expected lower island seemed to have disappeared. There was nothing but darkness.

The wind also didn’t howl on the bridge.

Halfway across, Atheline slowed out of instinct.

"Do you feel that?" He asked quietly.

She was already looking ahead.

"Yes."

It felt as though they had crossed some sort of invisible line the moment they stepped on the halfway line on the bridge.

The surroundings just felt still, the kind of stillness that isn’t natural.

On the other side, it felt as though something was observing them.

Behind them, the corrupt observed them at the edge of the boundary.

"This place keeps getting weirder and weirder," he said.

A faint smile touched her lips.

"Which makes this place more interesting." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

They continued forward, step by step until the bridge ended almost abruptly.

The change was immediate, jarring even. While the first island had been jagged, uneven, and full of hostility from the start, this place was perfectly calm.

The ground leveled out into smooth stones, white and unbroken, stretching gently upwards in soft slopes.

Patches of low silver grass grew beneath the cracks that swayed even though there was no wind.

Surprisingly, there were trees. Tall, elegant, white trunks and luminous leaves that cast a faint glow replacing the need for sunlight on the island.

The air was warm, just comfortable, the kind that makes you want to sit down and rest.

"This is worse," he said under his breath.

She stepped off the bridge first. Her foot touched the ground, and nothing happened.

Just silence.

Her unimpressed gaze swept across the landscape slowly. Taking everything in.

"It’s pretending " she said," badly. "

’Guess this one got solved easily’

He joined her, his posture more guarded now than it had been at the other islands.

Atheline had personal experience with illusions and he wasn’t about to go through that again. It makes one do a lot of stupid things.

"There is no presence, " he noted, " no movement. No sound. No insects. "

Everything still felt wrong at the back of his mind.

The silence on the island seemed to have been curated, as though something had removed it entirely.

"This seems to be a preserved space," he added.

"Or a controlled one," she replied," never take anything inside a ruin at face value."

They moved forward.

Walking was now easy with no sign of danger. Just a gentle path leading inward, as if inviting them deeper.

They reached the centre faster than expected and what they got was a small blip on the perfection.

At the centre of it stood an old ruin that had managed to survive the passing of time.

A circular structure made of the same pale stone with its pillars still standing stood. The symbols carved along their surface had faded but not entirely erased.

Atheline stepped closer to one, brushing his fingers lightly across the engraving.

"This isn’t decorative, " he said. He could feel their power the moment he touched them.

"No," she agreed.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied them.

"They’re suppressive."

That made him pause.

"Suppressing what?"

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked outwards, past the ruin, the slops towards the edge of the island.

"Everything. "

Silence fell upon them each falling into their thoughts. Atheline looked around then turned to her.

"You mean, this place was built to contain something?" He said slowly.

"Yes."

Her gaze lowered slightly. The silver grass shifted slightly as if something had just passed underneath them.

Atheline noticed it too. His stance tightened slightly.

"There it is," he murmured.

She smiled as though satisfied with its emergence.

"I was wondering how long it would take."

The ground stilled again. Whatever had moved didn’t emerge again as expected.

He exhaled softly stepping back from the pillar.

"How are we supposed to get out of here," he said while looking around.

The other islands had significant clues but this time they were going up, so there was only one thing they were supposed to be looking for.

"Is there any teleportation circle?" He asked.

Lilith’s eyes shifted towards the centre of the ruin. He followed her gaze.

At first, it looked like nothing more than a raised platform, circular smooth, surrounded by standing pillars but then the lines shimmered slightly.

"There," she said.

They approached slowly this time, because the environment around the portal seemed more normal.

Unlike the unnatural comfort they got from the island, the area around the portal had a cool breeze but a faint familiar smell still hung within.

Rot.

The platform was intact.

Symbols etched onto its surface formed a pattern clearer than the ones on the pillar.

Her fingers hovered just above the surface.

"This should lead us up," she said.

At those words, there was a subtle shift underneath the grass.

They both noticed.

"It’s circling," he said.

She nodded in response but her gaze didn’t leave the platform.

"It doesn’t want to interrupt. "

That made him feel slightly.

"Why?"

A small smile returned to her lips.

"Because it knows we’re leaving."

Atheline stared at her for a moment, confusion on his face.

"Lily.. uh how do you know that?" He asked quietly.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I don’t know, " she said," I can just understand. It wants quiet that’s all."

At that moment, there was a ripple on the grass large enough for them to fully see the movement underneath.

Lilith finally lowered her hand, resting it lightly on the surface of the circle.

Pale and almost colorless light spread outwards from her touch, the symbols along the platform igniting one by one.

Behind them, the ripple in the grass stopped as though reconsidering.

He stepped closer to her side.

"Once we activate it," he said," we won’t have time to explore. "

"There is nothing to explore, " she replied.

Her gaze lifted slightly.

"Only something to confirm. "

The lights grew brighter,as all the lights started to merge.

"Then let’s not linger," he said.

She smiled and this time, there was something darker in it.

"Agreed. "

Behind them, the grass parted as whatever was inside revealed itself but was still invisible watching them.

The teleportation circle was fully activated and they stepped forward, towards the topmost island.

Towards whatever had been the reason to seal the island in the first place.