The island remained ahead of us.
At least, I thought it did.
Every few seconds, the broken tower appeared between the clouds, dark and jagged against the stars.
Then it vanished.
The rest of the landmass followed the same pattern.
A cliff.
Trees.
Ruins.
Nothing.
Then there again.
Like the island couldn't decide whether it wanted to exist.
I stared through the front glass.
Liam did the same.
For a while, neither of us said anything.
Then he looked down at the controls.
His expression changed.
I noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"That's not reassuring."
"I said nothing."
"You looked worried."
"I always look worried when you're sitting next to me."
Fair.
He leaned closer to one of the gauges.
There were too many of them.
Mana levels.
Altitude.
Direction.
Something that probably measured wind.
Something else that I still suspected was decorative.
Liam tapped one of the crystal displays.
It changed.
He stared.
Then tapped it again.
"That's bad."
I sighed.
"How bad?"
"We're not close."
I looked through the glass again.
The ruined tower seemed almost large enough to make out individual gaps in its upper section.
"What do you mean, not close?"
"I mean not close."
"Very specific."
"I don't know how this measures distance."
Kai leaned forward from behind us.
"Then how do you know?"
"Because this number isn't getting smaller fast enough."
Kai stared at the display.
"What number?"
Liam pointed.
Kai squinted.
"Could be temperature."
Liam slowly looked at him.
"Go sit down."
"I'm helping."
"No, you're discovering new ways to make me regret agreeing to this."
"You didn't agree."
"I got kidnapped into being your pilot."
Theon laughed from farther back.
"You sat down voluntarily."
"Because none of you can fly."
"Neither can you," Aelira said.
Liam turned toward her.
"Do you want to land?"
"No."
"Then I'm the pilot."
That settled that.
I looked toward Arion.
He stood near one of the side windows, staring into the darkness.
"How far?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Aelira did.
"Far."
I looked at her.
"How far?"
She frowned.
"I don't know."
"Useful."
"I can feel it. I can't measure it."
Arion nodded.
"It's stronger than before."
"Stronger means closer?"
"I think."
Liam made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a prayer.
"So our navigation system is two people saying 'I think.'"
Kai leaned forward again.
"Three."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you don't know anything."
"Harsh."
"Accurate."
The aircraft dipped.
Only slightly.
Everyone noticed.
Liam froze.
I looked at him.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
The craft dipped again.
Theon's voice came from behind us.
"Liam."
"I said nothing."
Kai reached toward the console.
Liam slapped his hand away without looking.
"Touch anything and I throw you out."
"I wasn't touching."
"Your hand was over the controls."
"Observation."
"Observe from the back."
The aircraft suddenly climbed.
My stomach dropped.
The ceiling came closer than I liked.
Someone behind us shouted.
Liam grabbed both handles.
"That wasn't me."
"Definitely you," Varein said.
"No."
"You're the one flying."
"That's not how blame works."
"It is when you're flying."
Liam wrestled with the controls.
The nose lowered again.
Too much.
The ruined island disappeared beneath the bottom edge of the glass.
Clouds filled the view.
Then stars.
Then clouds.
Then stars again.
Seraphyne's voice came from somewhere behind me.
"I hate all of you."
I held onto the side of my seat.
"You're welcome."
"That wasn't gratitude."
"I know."
The aircraft finally leveled.
Silence.
Liam slowly let out a breath.
"There."
Kai clapped once.
"Excellent."
Liam turned his head.
"Do you want to die?"
"Not particularly."
"Then stop encouraging me."
I leaned toward the controls.
"What happened?"
Liam pointed toward one of the smaller levers.
"I think this controls vertical stabilization."
"You think?"
"I didn't know it existed ten minutes ago."
I looked at the lever.
It was almost completely down.
"Where was it before?"
He stared at it.
Then at me.
Neither of us said anything.
Kai leaned between the seats.
"So we accidentally turned off the thing that stops us from falling?"
Liam pushed him backward by the forehead.
"Go away."
Kai disappeared.
For about twelve seconds.
Then—
"Does anyone have food?"
Seraphyne groaned.
"You cannot be serious."
"We've been flying for a while."
"We left Astrea less than an hour ago."
"Exactly."
"That does not help your argument."
I turned toward him.
"You didn't bring anything?"
Kai stared at me.
"Why are you asking like that's my responsibility?"
Everyone looked at him.
His expression slowly became offended.
"No."
Theon folded his arms.
"You're always carrying food."
"That's stereotyping."
"Do you have food?"
Kai hesitated.
Then reached into his coat.
Seraphyne stared.
He pulled out a wrapped piece of bread.
Nobody spoke.
Kai looked around.
"What?"
Aelira pointed.
"Where did that come from?"
"The bakery."
"You didn't buy anything."
"I didn't say I bought it."
I frowned.
"Kai."
"They were giving samples."
"That is not a sample."
"It was a large sample."
Theon held out his hand.
Kai pulled the bread closer to his chest.
"No."
"You just said it was free."
"That doesn't make it yours."
"You weren't going to share?"
"I was considering it."
"Consider faster."
Arion laughed.
Eventually, Kai tore the bread into pieces.
The portions were pathetic.
Nobody complained.
Much.
I ended up with something barely larger than two fingers.
I ate it anyway.
The aircraft continued forward.
The island vanished again.
This time, it stayed gone for several minutes.
I watched the stars.
Astrea was still visible behind us if I turned far enough.
Not the city itself.
Not clearly.
But the golden light from the Celestial Crown remained on the horizon.
A distant glow.
Civilization.
The main routes were still nearby too.
Aircraft passed far to our left every few minutes.
Some followed controlled Mana Currents that curved between inhabited islands.
Small towns glowed beneath us.
Homes.
Ports.
Fields lit by mana lamps.
It was easy to forget how high we were while looking at places like that.
Then the aircraft rolled slightly.
Not enough to throw anyone.
Enough to make Liam swear.
He adjusted something.
The roll stopped.
"Learning," Kai said.
"Quiet."
"That was a compliment."
"I don't trust your compliments."
I looked at the controls.
Liam had changed over the last hour.
Not dramatically.
He was still tense.
Still checking gauges every few seconds.
But his movements weren't random anymore.
He knew which handle controlled direction now.
Which lever changed altitude.
Which crystal display showed engine output.
He still didn't know what several symbols meant.
Neither did I.
But at least the aircraft no longer felt like it was being piloted by accident.
Mostly.
"You're getting better," I said.
Liam glanced at me.
"Don't say that."
"Why?"
"You'll make something happen."
"That's not how—"
The cabin lights went out.
Everything became dark.
Silence.
Then the lights returned.
Liam slowly looked at me.
I closed my mouth.
Kai started laughing.
"Rain."
"I know."
"You cursed us."
"I know."
Liam stared at the console.
"Mana fluctuation."
"Serious?"
"No."
He paused.
"I think."
I leaned back.
"Of course."
He adjusted one of the crystals.
The engine hum steadied.
A few minutes later, the island appeared again.
Far ahead.
Smaller than I expected.
Or maybe distance was playing another trick.
Arion stepped toward the front.
"Left."
Liam turned slightly.
Aelira frowned.
"No. Right."
Liam stopped turning.
He looked at them.
"Which?"
"Left," Arion said.
"Right," Aelira said.
Liam closed his eyes.
I rubbed my forehead.
"Explain."
Arion pointed.
"I feel it that way."
Aelira pointed the opposite direction.
"I feel it there."
Kai leaned forward.
"Maybe there are two islands."
Nobody looked at him.
"Just suggesting."
Liam stared between Arion and Aelira.
"You both saw the same place."
"Yes."
"You both feel the same place."
"Yes."
"Then how are you pointing in opposite directions?"
Arion frowned.
"My left."
Aelira stared at him.
"That's my right."
Arion slowly looked down.
Then at Liam.
"Oh."
Liam's face went completely blank.
"We have the same left."
Arion pointed again.
"That way."
Aelira looked.
"Yes."
Liam stared forward for several seconds.
Then quietly changed direction.
I couldn't tell whether he was angry or spiritually exhausted.
Probably both.
Theon leaned closer to Arion.
"You almost sent us the wrong way."
"I corrected it."
"You corrected basic directions."
"Still corrected."
I laughed.
The flight continued.
An hour became two.
Maybe more.
Time was difficult to judge when the view barely changed.
Stars above.
Clouds below.
Islands passing occasionally.
The farther we traveled from Astrea, the fewer there were.
At first, small towns appeared every few minutes.
Then every fifteen.
Then half an hour passed without one.
The controlled Mana Currents disappeared next.
No more glowing aerial roads.
No cargo vessels.
No private aircraft.
No patrols.
Nothing.
Astrea's light behind us became weaker.
The Celestial Crown eventually vanished entirely.
I didn't notice the exact moment it disappeared.
That bothered me.
One second, there had still been something behind us.
Then there wasn't.
Only darkness.
The aircraft became our entire world.
Engine hum.
Dim cabin lights.
Ten people who had collectively decided this was a reasonable way to spend the night.
I looked toward the others.
Kazen had taken one of the seats near the window.
His head rested against the wall.
Eyes closed.
Probably asleep.
Varein was trying.
Every time the aircraft changed altitude, one eye opened.
Theon had somehow stretched across two seats.
Liraeth sat opposite him, looking increasingly annoyed that his boot kept moving into her space.
Arion and Aelira remained awake.
Neither looked tired.
That was probably worse.
Seraphyne sat behind me.
I could feel her staring.
I turned.
"What?"
"You caused the lights earlier."
"I did not."
"You said nothing would happen."
"I didn't say that."
"You were about to."
"Different."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're learning from Kai."
"That's insulting."
"Correct."
I turned forward again.
Behind me, I heard her laugh quietly.
Another half hour passed.
Then Kai stood.
Liam looked over.
"Sit."
"I need something."
"Sit."
"It's important."
"Unless the aircraft is on fire, sit."
Kai paused.
"Does this thing have a bathroom?"
Silence.
Liam stared at him.
I looked back.
Theon slowly opened one eye.
Seraphyne covered her face.
Kai spread his hands.
"What?"
Liam's voice became dangerously calm.
"Why would I know?"
"You're the pilot."
"I learned that title two hours ago."
"Still the pilot."
"That doesn't make me the architect."
Kai looked around the cabin.
"There has to be one."
"Find it quietly."
He did.
Not quietly.
He opened one compartment.
Storage.
Another.
More storage.
A third contained maintenance equipment.
Then he found a narrow door near the rear.
"See?"
Nobody cared.
Five minutes later—
The door rattled.
Then rattled again.
"Uh."
I looked back.
"Kai?"
Silence.
Then—
"The door's stuck."
Theon sat up.
Of course it was.
Kai pulled again.
Nothing.
"Someone open this."
Liraeth crossed her arms.
"No."
"What?"
"You got yourself in."
"That's not how doors work."
"Apparently it is."
Kai hit the door once.
"Rain."
I looked through the front glass.
"Hm?"
"Open the door."
"I'm navigating."
Liam looked at me.
"No, you're not."
I ignored him.
Kai hit the door again.
"You are sitting there."
"Exactly."
Seraphyne laughed so hard she had to look away.
Eventually, Kazen got up.
Mist slipped beneath the door.
Click.
It opened.
Kai stepped out.
His expression had changed.
He looked at Kazen.
"Thank you."
Kazen returned to his seat.
"You're welcome."
Kai looked at the rest of us.
"I'll remember this."
Theon lay back down.
"Please don't."
For a while, the mood remained light.
Then slowly—
It didn't.
There wasn't a moment when everyone stopped joking.
No sudden alarm.
No strange noise.
I simply realized I hadn't seen anything outside for a long time.
No islands.
No ships.
No lights.
Nothing.
I leaned closer to the glass.
Clouds still moved far below.
The stars remained bright.
But the sky between them felt empty.
Too empty.
I searched.
Nothing.
Varein opened his eyes.
He sat up.
"What?"
I looked toward him.
"Nothing."
He frowned.
"That's the problem."
I turned back toward the window.
He'd noticed it too.
No birds.
No sky beasts.
No distant aircraft.
Even during the long ascent aboard the Silver Leviathan, we'd occasionally seen something.
Movement.
Shapes between clouds.
Floating fragments of stone.
Here—
Nothing.
The engine hum seemed louder because of it.
Arion stood.
"The pull's stronger."
Aelira nodded.
"We're closer."
Liam looked toward them.
"How much closer?"
Neither answered.
He sighed.
"Of course."
The island appeared again.
Far ahead.
This time, it stayed visible for almost ten seconds.
Long enough for me to see the broken tower.
Long enough to see the dark line of cliffs.
Long enough to understand how much larger it was than I'd originally thought.
Then it vanished.
I kept staring at the empty space.
Something about the night had changed.
I couldn't explain what.
Maybe nothing had.
Maybe we'd just gone far enough that Astrea's light could no longer reach us.
I looked behind.
Darkness.
Ahead—
Darkness.
Below—
Clouds.
For the first time since leaving the capital, I realized something simple.
There was no one around us.
No Astrean patrol.
No merchant ship.
No settlement.
No Silver Leviathan.
No Instructor Aldred.
No Commander Rebecca.
Just Class 2-S.
Alone in the Sovereign Skies.
I rested one hand against the glass.
Cold.
"Anyone else notice something?" Theon asked.
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Kazen spoke from behind us.
"I haven't seen a single creature in over an hour."
The cabin became quiet.
Kai looked outside.
"So?"
Kazen's eyes remained on the darkness.
"So where did they go?"
No one had an answer.
The lost island appeared again.
Then disappeared.
And the aircraft carried us deeper into the empty sky.
The emptiness didn't change.
Another twenty minutes passed.
Then thirty.
I stopped keeping track after that.
Nothing appeared outside.
No islands.
No lights.
No distant vessels cutting across the stars.
Even the clouds beneath us had begun thinning, leaving enormous gaps where there was nothing but darkness below.
I found myself looking through those gaps more often than I should have.
Two hundred kilometers.
That was roughly how high Hyperanos floated above the surface.
I knew that.
I'd known it since Aldred first told us where we were going.
Knowing the number while standing inside a classroom was one thing.
Looking down and realizing there might be two hundred kilometers between me and the ground was another.
I stepped away from the window.
Some things didn't need to be thought about.
The aircraft tilted slightly.
Only slightly.
Liam corrected it before anyone complained.
That alone showed how much better he'd gotten.
Earlier, a tilt like that would've become a complete argument between him and the controls.
Now his hand moved almost automatically.
Small adjustment.
Level again.
He noticed me watching.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're judging."
"I'm impressed."
He frowned.
"That's worse."
"Why?"
"Because every time someone says I'm doing well, something happens."
I considered that.
Fair.
"You're doing terribly."
"Thank you."
Kai leaned forward.
"I think you're doing great."
Liam immediately looked at the controls.
Nothing happened.
He waited.
Still nothing.
Kai smiled.
"See?"
"Go away."
I turned toward Arion and Aelira.
They'd barely moved since the island last appeared.
Arion stood near the front.
Aelira sat behind him with her arms crossed.
Both were staring in roughly the same direction.
"Anything?"
Arion nodded.
"Closer."
"You've been saying that for two hours."
"Because we've been getting closer for two hours."
"How close?"
He looked at me.
I already knew.
"I don't know."
I sighed.
Aelira leaned forward.
"It feels different."
That got my attention.
"How?"
She frowned.
"Clearer."
"The vision?"
"The direction."
Arion nodded.
"Before, it felt like..."
He stopped.
Kai waited.
"Like?"
Arion waved one hand.
"Something."
"Excellent explanation."
"I'm trying."
"Try harder."
Theon kicked Kai's seat.
Arion ignored him.
"Before, I could tell where it was generally."
He pointed ahead.
"Now I can tell when we're slightly off."
Liam glanced toward him.
"How slightly?"
Arion looked toward the right side of the aircraft.
"You're off now."
Liam frowned.
"By how much?"
"A little."
"Define little."
Arion stared.
Liam stared back.
Aelira stood.
"Three degrees."
Everyone looked at her.
She blinked.
"What?"
Liam slowly adjusted the aircraft.
Three degrees.
Aelira watched the darkness.
"Stop."
He stopped.
She nodded.
"That's it."
Liam looked toward me.
I shrugged.
Neither of us understood it.
But for the first time all night, our supernatural navigation system had become strangely precise.
I wasn't sure that was an improvement.
"How did you know?" Seraphyne asked.
Aelira rubbed her arms.
"I just did."
"Can you feel the island?"
"No."
She hesitated.
"Maybe."
Kai leaned back.
"Very reassuring."
Aelira ignored him.
Arion moved closer to the glass.
"Down."
Liam stared at him.
"What?"
"Go down."
"Why?"
"The island."
"I thought it was ahead."
"It is."
Arion pointed lower.
"And down."
Liam looked toward Aelira.
She nodded.
"He's right."
Liam exhaled.
"Finally. Agreement."
He pulled one lever.
The aircraft began descending.
Slowly.
I watched the altitude display.
At least, I thought it was altitude.
We'd decided that approximately an hour ago.
The numbers decreased.
The cloud layer beneath us grew closer.
We descended toward it.
I looked at Arion.
"How far?"
"Keep going."
The clouds approached.
Still nothing.
"Arion."
"Keep going."
Liam frowned.
"We're going into the cloud."
"I know."
Visibility disappeared.
White swallowed the front glass.
The aircraft lights reflected against mist.
I couldn't see farther than a few feet.
Liam immediately reduced speed.
"This is a terrible idea."
Kai looked around.
"Which part?"
"Everything after leaving Astrea."
"That's broad."
"Intentionally."
The aircraft continued descending.
Mist streamed over the windows.
Water gathered along the glass.
Then Aelira spoke.
"Level."
Liam obeyed.
"Left."
He turned.
"More."
Another adjustment.
Arion stepped closer.
"Straight."
We flew blindly.
I rested my hand near my sword.
Not because I expected something to attack.
It simply felt better.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Thirty.
The cloud thinned.
Stars appeared ahead.
Then we emerged.
And the island was there.
Much closer.
I stood.
The broken tower rose from the darkness.
Ruins stretched around it.
Cliffs descended beneath the landmass.
For the first time, I could see mountains along one side.
Or what remained of them.
One had been split almost completely through the middle.
The island floated perhaps several kilometers ahead.
No.
Farther.
Distance was impossible up here.
But it was closer than before.
Far closer.
Everyone had moved toward the windows.
Even Kazen.
The island remained visible.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Twenty.
"Why isn't it disappearing?" Theon asked.
Nobody answered.
Then Arion inhaled sharply.
The island vanished.
Just like that.
Empty sky.
Kai stepped closer to the glass.
"I hate that."
"Finally something we agree on," Liam said.
He checked the controls.
"Direction?"
Arion pointed.
"Straight."
Aelira nodded.
"Straight."
We continued.
The island didn't reappear.
Not immediately.
But something had changed.
I could feel it.
A faint tingling ran along my fingers.
I looked down.
Nothing.
No White Thunder.
Not yet.
I closed my hand.
The sensation remained.
We were getting closer.
Whatever that meant.
Eventually, Liam discovered we'd been abusing the engines.
He didn't phrase it that way.
"I think we've been using too much output."
Kai looked toward him.
"We?"
Liam slowly turned.
"Would you like me to land somewhere and let you walk?"
Kai looked outside.
There was nowhere to land.
"Continue."
Liam pointed toward a set of gauges.
"These have been running high."
I leaned closer.
"How high?"
"I don't know."
"Naturally."
"But this one changed when I lowered speed earlier."
He reduced one of the controls.
The engine hum softened.
A second gauge dropped.
Liam nodded to himself.
"Yeah."
"What?"
"We've been running the engines harder than necessary."
Theon sat forward.
"Are they damaged?"
"I don't think so."
"Think?"
Liam looked back.
"Would everyone stop reacting to that word?"
"No," Seraphyne said.
"Why?"
"Because you're flying."
"Unfortunately."
He adjusted several controls.
The aircraft slowed.
A lot.
Kai immediately noticed.
"We stopped."
"We're still moving."
"It doesn't feel like it."
"We were going too fast."
"We're chasing an island that disappears."
"Exactly. It isn't going anywhere."
Arion looked toward him.
"Probably."
Liam closed his eyes.
"Thank you, Arion."
"You're welcome."
"That wasn't gratitude."
I smiled.
The engines settled into a quieter rhythm.
Then quieter still.
Eventually, the aircraft barely seemed to be doing anything.
We drifted.
For the first time since leaving Astrea, the constant vibration beneath my feet almost disappeared.
Silence filled the cabin.
Not the silence outside.
A different kind.
Comfortable.
For a little while.
Liam leaned back.
His hands left the controls.
I immediately looked at him.
"What?"
"You're not holding them."
"Stabilization is on."
"You're sure?"
"No."
My hand went toward the controls.
He laughed.
"I'm sure."
I stared at him.
"That wasn't funny."
"It was to me."
I leaned back.
The others began moving around again.
Hours inside the aircraft had turned the cabin into something resembling a terrible temporary home.
Weapon belts had been loosened.
Coats were scattered across seats.
Someone had left Kai's bread wrapping on the floor.
Probably Kai.
Theon was asleep again.
I didn't understand how.
Varein had taken his boots off.
That seemed dangerous.
Liraeth was checking her shield.
Kazen sat quietly near the rear.
Arion and Aelira finally looked less like human compasses and more like people.
I stood.
My legs had started going numb.
The side window gave me a better view.
Clouds stretched beneath us.
Not the scattered clouds from earlier.
An enormous white ocean.
Moonlight covered their surface.
The world below didn't exist from here.
Only cloud.
Stars stretched above.
For a moment, the upper sky didn't feel dangerous.
Just endless.
Beautiful, even.
I understood why people had built a civilization here.
Then I remembered the Ancient Ruler we'd encountered during the ascent.
Maybe not completely.
"Move."
I looked over.
Seraphyne stood beside me.
"There's another window."
"I like this one."
"You weren't using it five seconds ago."
"I am now."
She stared.
I moved slightly.
She stepped beside me.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
The aircraft drifted.
The cloud ocean moved beneath us.
"You know this was your decision."
There it was.
I looked at her.
"Everyone agreed."
"You said yes."
"You've been waiting hours to say that."
"Yes."
At least she admitted it.
"I almost said no."
"But you didn't."
"Arion and Aelira were being called by an island that doesn't exist."
"Exactly."
I frowned.
"You're supposed to be arguing against me."
"I'm not."
"Then what are you doing?"
"Making sure you know it's your fault."
I stared at her.
She smiled.
Seraphyne had become increasingly dangerous since discovering that she could annoy me without consequences.
I blamed the others.
Especially Chapter—
No.
I stopped that thought before it went somewhere strange.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"You made a face."
"I didn't."
"You did."
I looked back through the window.
Seraphyne leaned slightly closer.
"If we get arrested when we return, I'm blaming you."
"If we get arrested, I'll blame Kai."
From the other side of the cabin—
"I heard that."
"Good."
Kai sat up.
"Why me?"
"General principle."
"That's discrimination."
Theon opened one eye.
"No, it's experience."
Kai looked betrayed.
I laughed.
Seraphyne did too.
For a little while, things felt normal.
Then Varein put his boots back on.
I noticed because he did it quickly.
He stood.
Walked toward the front.
Opened one of the small ventilation panels.
Held his hand near it.
His expression changed.
"What?"
He didn't answer.
I moved closer.
"Varein."
"The wind."
"What about it?"
He looked outside.
"It's weak."
Liam frowned.
"We slowed down."
"Not that."
Varein raised his hand.
A faint trace of Wind Aura curled around his fingers.
He held it near the vent.
Then frowned deeper.
"There should be more movement out there."
"Why?"
"We're in open sky."
He looked toward me.
"There's always wind."
I thought back to the Silver Leviathan.
The constant pressure outside.
The currents.
The storms.
Even around Astrea, air moved endlessly between islands.
Here—
Almost nothing.
Kazen stood.
Mist formed around one of his hands.
Normally, his Aura drifted.
Curled.
Spread.
This time it remained unnaturally close to his skin.
He moved his hand.
The Mist followed sluggishly.
"Mine too."
The cabin grew quieter.
"What does that mean?" Theon asked.
Kazen shook his head.
"No idea."
Arion's gaze shifted forward.
"The pull's stronger."
Aelira rubbed her arms.
I noticed.
"Cold?"
She nodded.
Seraphyne frowned.
"It's not cold."
"I know."
Aelira looked toward the darkness.
"I am."
The comfortable silence disappeared.
Liam returned both hands to the controls.
"All right."
The engines increased.
We accelerated.
The aircraft remained stable.
For now.
The island appeared again.
Closer.
Much closer.
This time, we could see individual structures.
Broken walls.
Towers.
Trees.
An enormous section of ruins stretched across the island's near side.
Then—
Gone.
I stared.
White Thunder sparked between my fingers.
One thin line.
Then another.
Seraphyne noticed.
"Rain."
"I know."
The lightning disappeared.
I flexed my hand.
The tingling remained.
I didn't like how familiar this was becoming.
The Mana Current.
The dragon.
The Sky Gate.
Astrea.
Now the island.
Something in Hyperanos kept reaching into my Core and shaking White Thunder awake.
I had no idea why.
"Direction?" Liam asked.
Aelira pointed.
"Down."
Arion nodded.
"And slightly right."
Liam adjusted.
No argument this time.
We descended.
The aircraft's lights flickered.
Once.
Liam looked up.
Kai immediately raised both hands.
"I didn't touch anything."
Nobody had accused him.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"We aren't," Theon said.
"You were going to."
I almost smiled.
Then the navigation display changed.
The map vanished.
Symbols replaced it.
Liam frowned.
"What?"
He touched the display.
Nothing.
Touched another control.
The map returned.
Then disappeared again.
"That's new."
I leaned closer.
"What is it?"
"No idea."
One gauge spun.
Not moved.
Spun.
All the way around.
Then backward.
Liam stared.
"That definitely isn't supposed to happen."
"Could be temperature," Kai said.
Liam didn't even look at him.
Another display flickered.
Altitude jumped.
For half a second, according to the aircraft, we'd apparently dropped several kilometers.
Then returned to normal.
My stomach hadn't moved.
"Instrument failure?" I asked.
"Maybe."
Liam tapped the display.
It stabilized.
Then the directional marker began rotating.
Slowly.
One full circle.
Then another.
"We're not turning," I said.
"I know."
The marker continued spinning.
Aelira stood behind us.
"The island is ahead."
Liam looked toward her.
"My instruments disagree."
"They're wrong."
"That's concerning."
Arion stepped beside her.
"She's right."
The aircraft continued forward.
More instruments failed.
Not completely.
One at a time.
Numbers changing.
Directions shifting.
Mana readings rising and falling without reason.
The engines themselves remained normal.
That was the only comforting part.
Then a low vibration passed through the aircraft.
I felt it through the floor.
Everyone did.
Theon stood.
"What was that?"
Liam checked the controls.
"Not us."
Another pulse.
Deeper.
The cabin lights dimmed.
White Thunder flashed across my wrist.
Aelira grabbed the side of a seat.
Arion's Flowers Aura flickered around his boots.
Kazen's Mist disappeared.
Varein looked toward the ventilation panel.
"The wind stopped."
Completely.
I looked through the glass.
The clouds below weren't moving.
I frowned.
No.
They were.
Just barely.
Everything felt suspended.
The island appeared.
Closer than ever.
The cliffs now filled a significant portion of the horizon.
The broken tower rose above dark forests and ruins.
Then the aircraft shook.
Liam tightened his grip.
"That wasn't me."
A warning symbol appeared.
At least, I assumed it was a warning.
Red usually wasn't encouraging.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"I don't know."
Kai leaned forward.
"Red usually means something important."
I looked at him.
"Don't."
"What?"
"That's what I said."
"And you were right."
The symbol multiplied.
Three red markings.
Then five.
Liam began adjusting controls.
The engine hum changed.
"Mana intake is unstable."
"You know that one?"
"I figured it out."
"Good."
"No, Rain."
He pointed toward a gauge.
The crystal inside it was pulsing irregularly.
"Not good."
The aircraft jerked.
Aelira caught herself.
Liraeth grabbed the wall.
The engine sound dipped.
Then recovered.
Liam increased something.
The hum stabilized.
I watched him.
"Can we turn around?"
His hands paused.
Arion immediately spoke.
"No."
I looked back.
He had one hand pressed against his chest.
Aelira stood beside him.
Both looked toward the island.
"The pull?" I asked.
"Strong."
Aelira's face had gone pale.
"Really strong."
I looked toward Liam.
"Turn us slightly."
"Which way?"
"Back toward Astrea."
He hesitated.
Then moved the controls.
The aircraft turned.
Slowly.
The island shifted toward the side of the window.
Immediately—
The engine coughed.
Once.
Then again.
The cabin lights dimmed.
Liam stopped turning.
The engine recovered.
Nobody spoke.
I stared at the controls.
"Again."
Liam looked at me.
"Rain—"
"Small turn."
He did.
The nose shifted away from the island.
The engine weakened.
The lights dimmed.
A warning tone sounded.
Liam immediately turned back.
Everything stabilized.
My stomach sank.
Kai had stopped joking.
"That's..."
"Bad," Liam finished.
I looked toward the island.
It disappeared again.
But now I knew exactly where it was.
Not because I could feel whatever Arion and Aelira felt.
Because White Thunder was crawling beneath my skin.
Waiting.
"Try sideways," I said.
Liam adjusted our course.
The engine remained mostly stable.
"Back?"
Another tiny turn.
The hum dropped.
He corrected.
Recovered.
Theon moved closer.
"So we can go toward it."
"Or around it," Liam said.
"But not away."
"Looks like it."
I remembered my promise.
One look.
Confirm whether the island existed.
Turn around if anything was dangerous.
We had confirmed it.
Everything about this was dangerous.
And now we couldn't turn around.
Wonderful.
"How long can we keep flying?" Seraphyne asked.
Liam checked the mana gauge.
"Plenty of power."
"That's good."
"Power isn't the problem."
Of course it wasn't.
The aircraft shuddered again.
Stronger.
One of the lights went out.
Then returned.
Arion pointed.
"Down."
Liam descended.
The island appeared again.
The broken tower looked larger.
Aelira whispered something.
I couldn't hear.
"What?"
She shook her head.
"Nothing."
I didn't believe her.
Before I could ask again—
The engines stopped.
Not weakened.
Stopped.
The hum vanished.
Every light in the cabin died.
The aircraft dropped.
My stomach slammed upward.
Someone shouted.
Liam grabbed the controls.
Nothing responded.
Darkness surrounded us.
For one horrible second, the only sound was air screaming around the hull.
Then—
Everything returned.
Engines roared.
Lights flashed on.
The aircraft caught itself.
Liam pulled up.
We leveled.
My heart hammered.
Kai's hands were gripping his seat.
Theon looked toward Liam.
Nobody joked.
I swallowed.
"How bad?"
Liam stared at the controls.
His face had gone pale.
For several seconds, he didn't answer.
Then—
"Ask me again if it happens twice."
A warning tone sounded.
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The engine coughed.
Liam's eyes widened.
"No.."
The hum vanished.
Darkness swallowed the cabin.
And for the second time—
we began to fall.
We dropped.
There wasn't enough time to scream before my body lifted against the restraint.
The aircraft tilted forward.
Everything loose inside the cabin went with it.
A coat flew past my head.
Something metal struck the wall behind me.
Kai shouted.
Liam swore.
The darkness made it worse.
There was no horizon.
No island.
No clouds.
Nothing to tell me which direction we were falling except the pressure trying to tear my stomach upward.
"Liam!"
"I KNOW!"
His hands moved desperately across controls I couldn't see.
Nothing responded.
The aircraft rolled.
Seraphyne slammed against the side of her seat.
Theon caught a loose weapon before it struck Aelira.
Kazen's Mist erupted instinctively, only to collapse around him almost immediately.
"Power!" Liam shouted.
"What?"
"I NEED POWER!"
"HOW?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
That was not useful.
A faint spark jumped from my fingers.
White Thunder.
For one stupid second, I considered touching the controls.
Then remembered that sending lightning into an aircraft we barely understood while falling through the sky was probably one of the few ways to make this worse.
Probably.
"Liam!"
"I'm trying!"
The aircraft rolled again.
Then—
The engines coughed.
Once.
A weak hum returned beneath my feet.
Several lights flickered on.
Red.
Most of them were red.
That seemed excessive.
Liam grabbed both handles.
"Come on."
The engines coughed again.
The nose lifted slightly.
Not enough.
Clouds suddenly appeared through the front glass.
Close.
Too close.
"Liam."
"I see them!"
We plunged into white.
The aircraft shook violently.
Water streaked across the windows.
Visibility disappeared.
The engines whined.
Then strengthened.
For half a second, I thought we'd recovered.
Then Liam pulled one control.
The aircraft turned.
Away.
I knew it was away because Arion screamed.
"NO!"
The engines immediately died again.
Everything went dark.
We dropped harder.
Liam shoved the control back.
The nose swung around.
The island's direction.
Power returned.
Not all of it.
Enough.
The engines roared weakly.
Liam pulled up.
My body slammed into the seat.
The aircraft fought against the fall.
Slowly—
painfully—
the pressure eased.
We were still descending.
But we weren't dropping.
Not anymore.
Nobody spoke.
Liam's breathing filled the cabin.
He stared at the controls.
Then at the darkness ahead.
Then back at the controls.
I already knew.
"So it's real."
His jaw tightened.
"Yeah."
Theon leaned forward.
"What?"
Liam pointed behind us.
"When I turned away, everything died."
"We knew that."
"No."
He shook his head.
"Before, the engines weakened."
His eyes remained on the mana gauge.
"That time they completely shut off."
I looked ahead.
The island wasn't visible.
It didn't need to be.
Arion and Aelira both faced the same direction.
My White Thunder did too, in its own way.
A faint current crawled beneath my skin.
Not painful.
Not yet.
"Can we go around?" Varein asked.
"Maybe."
"Back?"
Liam shook his head.
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
Seraphyne frowned.
"You don't even want to try?"
"I just did."
Liam pointed toward the windows.
"We almost fell out of the sky."
Nobody argued with that.
Kai tightened his restraint.
"So."
He looked around.
"We're being kidnapped by an island."
Silence.
Then Theon nodded.
"Basically."
Kai stared ahead.
"I preferred when Liam was the problem."
"Thank you," Liam said.
"You're welcome."
"That wasn't gratitude."
The aircraft shuddered.
Everyone went quiet again.
A warning tone sounded.
Liam adjusted the controls.
It stopped.
Then another started.
Different pitch.
He stared at the panel.
"What now?"
"I don't know."
"Can you stop saying that?"
"No."
Fair.
I looked toward Arion.
"How close?"
His eyes were fixed forward.
"Close."
"Actually close?"
"Yes."
Aelira nodded.
"Very."
The aircraft shook again.
Liam's hands tightened.
"We need somewhere to land."
Kai looked out the window.
"On what?"
Nobody answered.
That was the problem.
The island existed.
We'd seen it.
But currently there was nothing ahead except darkness.
"Arion."
"I know."
"Can you make it appear?"
He looked at me like I'd asked him to move the island himself.
"No."
"Aelira?"
"No."
"Great."
Liam glanced over.
"I can't land on something I can't see."
"I know."
"Just making sure."
I looked ahead.
The tingling in my hand strengthened.
White Thunder flashed.
Once.
Then disappeared.
The aircraft drifted slightly right.
The sensation weakened.
"Left."
Liam looked at me.
"What?"
"Left."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
He adjusted.
The aircraft turned.
The tingling strengthened.
A thin strand of White Thunder crawled over my knuckles.
Liam saw it.
"You're navigating now?"
"I don't know."
"Of course."
"Left again."
He turned.
More lightning.
Not enough to hurt.
Enough to confirm it.
"Straight."
Liam leveled.
Arion looked at me.
"That's right."
Aelira nodded.
"Exactly right."
I stared at my hand.
Wonderful.
Apparently I had joined the supernatural navigation system.
Kai leaned between the seats.
"Can I navigate too?"
"No."
"How do you know?"
"Because I said so."
"Unfair."
Theon grabbed the back of his coat and pulled him away.
"Sit."
The aircraft continued forward.
The engines remained weak but stable.
Every few seconds, the mana gauge jumped.
Liam had stopped trusting most of the instruments.
He flew almost entirely using the controls he'd learned during the journey and whatever directions the three of us gave him.
Three.
I didn't like that.
I especially didn't like how naturally White Thunder reacted.
The first time had been aboard the Silver Leviathan.
The Mana Currents.
Then the Ancient Ruler.
Then the Sky Gate.
Then Astrea.
Now this island.
There was a pattern.
I just couldn't see it.
A low pulse passed through the aircraft.
White Thunder erupted over my hand.
Arion grabbed his chest.
Aelira inhaled sharply.
The island appeared.
Everyone went silent.
It wasn't distant anymore.
It filled the horizon.
For the first time, there was no mistaking its size.
The island was enormous.
Not Astrea.
Nothing we'd seen came close to Astrea.
But calling this place an island still felt inadequate.
Cliffs stretched for kilometers across its edge, dropping into open sky beneath.
Dark forests covered huge sections of the land.
Mountains rose farther inland.
One had split nearly down the middle, leaving two enormous stone faces separated by a black fracture.
And between the forests—
Ruins.
So many ruins.
I leaned closer to the glass.
What I'd mistaken from a distance for scattered structures wasn't scattered at all.
It was a city.
An entire city.
Dead.
Roads stretched from the cliffs toward the interior.
Buildings crowded both sides.
Some had collapsed into piles of stone.
Others remained standing beneath centuries of vegetation.
Trees grew through rooftops.
Vines covered walls.
Ancient bridges crossed ravines.
I saw plazas.
Courtyards.
Long structures that might once have been markets or halls.
And towers.
Dozens.
Some broken.
Some leaning.
Some swallowed almost completely by the forest.
None had lights.
That struck me immediately.
Astrea at night had looked like a piece of the heavens brought down onto an island.
Gold.
Blue.
White.
Mana Currents.
Aircraft.
Homes.
Streets.
Millions of tiny signs that people lived there.
This place had nothing.
No mana lamps.
No windows glowing in the dark.
No vessels moving above it.
No controlled Currents.
No roads lit beneath the trees.
Just moonlight.
Ruins.
And the broken tower.
It rose near the center of the city.
Far taller than anything around it.
Half its upper section had been torn away.
Not collapsed.
Torn.
One side ended in a jagged diagonal, leaving the inside of several floors exposed to the night.
Arion stepped toward the glass.
"That's it."
His voice had changed.
Quiet.
Aelira moved beside him.
"I know."
"You saw that?"
She nodded.
"So did you."
Neither looked away.
I watched them.
The pull had brought us here.
Whatever had given them those visions had wanted this.
That thought settled badly.
"Liam."
"I know."
He was searching the terrain.
"We need somewhere flat."
The aircraft descended.
The island vanished.
Everyone froze.
"Keep going," Arion said immediately.
Liam didn't hesitate anymore.
He maintained course.
Five seconds.
Ten.
The island returned.
Closer.
"That's horrible," Kai muttered.
Nobody disagreed.
Liam leaned toward the glass.
"Road."
I saw it.
An enormous stone roadway ran along the outer edge of the ruined city.
Most of it had been swallowed by grass, but sections remained clear.
Too narrow.
"Not enough room."
"Plaza," Liraeth said.
She pointed.
Farther ahead, several buildings surrounded a broad open area.
Trees had grown along the edges, but the center looked mostly clear.
Liam studied it.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?" Seraphyne repeated.
"Would you prefer no?"
"No."
"Then maybe."
The aircraft descended.
I looked at the plaza.
Still too small.
Or maybe we were larger than I thought.
It was difficult to judge from the air.
"Can you land this?" I asked.
Liam didn't answer.
"Liam."
"I'm thinking."
"Have you ever landed anything?"
"No."
Kai leaned forward.
"Have you watched someone land?"
Liam's expression changed.
"Once."
Silence.
I nodded.
"Good enough."
Liam turned toward me.
"STOP SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT."
Kai laughed.
Even Seraphyne smiled.
I couldn't help it.
The situation was so completely ridiculous that there wasn't anything else to do.
We had stolen an aircraft.
Flown for hours into unmapped sky.
Found an island that didn't officially exist.
Discovered that the island wouldn't let us leave.
And now our pilot's entire landing experience consisted of having watched someone else do it once.
Aldred would kill us.
If Commander Rebecca didn't do it first.
Assuming we ever got back.
I stopped smiling.
One problem at a time.
"Everyone sit."
Liam's voice had changed.
No irritation.
No arguing.
Everyone listened.
Weapons were secured.
Theon tightened the strap holding his greatsword.
Varein did the same with his spear.
Kazen secured his bow.
Arion sat beside Aelira.
Liraeth locked her shield against her side.
Seraphyne dropped into the seat behind me.
Kai pulled his restraint across his chest.
Then pulled it again.
Then once more.
Theon noticed.
"Nervous?"
"No."
"You checked that three times."
"Preparation."
"Tactical preparation?"
"Exactly."
I tightened mine.
Four times.
Kai noticed.
I ignored him.
Liam reduced engine output.
The aircraft descended toward the city.
The cliffs rose around us.
We crossed the island's edge.
The instant we did—
everything changed.
The engines screamed.
Not weakened.
Screamed.
Every crystal display flashed.
Symbols covered the controls.
The aircraft jerked sideways.
Liam fought it.
"What happened?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Of course.
The nose dropped.
Buildings rushed closer.
"Liam!"
"I'm trying!"
He pulled back.
The aircraft resisted.
Then suddenly obeyed.
Too much.
We climbed.
The left wing tilted.
A ruined tower passed close enough that I could see individual stones in its walls.
"RIGHT!"
"I SEE IT!"
Liam turned.
The wing missed.
Barely.
Kai stared through the window.
"That was close."
"Helpful!"
The plaza appeared ahead.
Liam lined us up.
For approximately two seconds.
Then the directional controls stopped responding.
The aircraft drifted left.
Toward buildings.
"Why are we turning?"
"We aren't!"
"We're definitely turning!"
"I'M NOT DOING IT!"
Varein unfastened one hand.
Wind Aura appeared around his fingers.
"Can I—"
"No!" Liam shouted.
Varein stopped.
"Fair."
The engines coughed.
The aircraft dropped.
The plaza rushed toward us.
"Everyone hold on!"
We already were.
The aircraft descended too fast.
Way too fast.
Liam increased power.
Nothing.
Again.
The engines roared.
The nose lifted.
The ground kept coming.
I could see individual cracks in the ancient stone now.
Grass growing between them.
A fallen statue.
Trees.
Too many trees.
"Liam."
"I KNOW!"
We crossed the first edge of the plaza.
Too high.
Then suddenly too low.
The bottom of the aircraft struck something.
BOOM.
My teeth slammed together.
The entire cabin jumped.
Someone shouted.
We bounced.
Actually bounced.
The aircraft returned to the air for one horrible second.
Then came down again.
Harder.
Metal screamed against stone.
The restraints cut into my chest.
The aircraft skidded.
A tree appeared directly ahead.
"Liam!"
He turned.
Too late.
The right wing struck it.
Wood exploded.
The aircraft spun.
Everything became sideways.
The ruins rotated through the glass.
Stone.
Trees.
Stars.
Stone again.
Seraphyne shouted behind me.
Theon slammed against his restraint.
Kai's tactical communication became extremely tactical.
Then the left side struck the ground.
The aircraft lurched.
A ruined wall appeared ahead.
We hit it.
Stone exploded over the front glass.
I raised one arm instinctively.
The aircraft tore through.
Something beneath us broke.
The cabin filled with the sound of grinding metal.
Then—
we stopped.
No one moved.
Dust drifted past the windows.
Something small fell from the ceiling.
Hit Kai on the head.
He didn't react.
My hands were locked around the sides of my seat.
I slowly released them.
One finger at a time.
My ears rang.
The cabin lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
One remained on.
I looked toward Liam.
He was still gripping the controls.
His eyes were wide.
"Liam."
Nothing.
"Liam."
He blinked.
"We landed."
I looked through the cracked front glass.
Half the plaza had become a trail of broken stone and torn vegetation behind us.
One tree was missing.
Part of a wall was now inside another wall.
Our right wing looked wrong.
Very wrong.
I turned toward him.
"Technically."
Kai's voice came weakly from behind us.
"That counts."
Liam slowly turned.
"What?"
Kai lifted one hand.
"Landing."
Liam stared at him.
Then pointed toward the rear hatch.
"Get out."
Kai nodded.
"Fair."
The others began moving.
Theon released his restraint.
"Everyone good?"
"Yeah."
"Fine."
"I'm good."
Answers came one after another.
I checked anyway.
Seraphyne had a red mark along one side of her forehead.
Nothing serious.
Varein's shoulder looked sore.
Kazen was already inspecting his bow.
Liraeth appeared completely unharmed.
Her shield had somehow suffered more than she had.
Arion and Aelira were both staring outside.
I followed their gaze.
The ruins waited.
Up close, they felt different.
Larger.
Older.
The buildings surrounding the plaza weren't simple piles of ancient stone.
Some were four or five floors tall.
Arched openings lined their fronts.
Roots ran through windows.
Vines covered entire walls.
A statue stood near the far end of the plaza.
Or part of one.
Only the lower half remained.
Whatever it had once depicted was gone above the waist.
Beyond it, an avenue disappeared into darkness.
Trees grew between the buildings.
No lights.
No movement.
I released my restraint.
"Nobody gets out yet."
Kai had already reached the hatch.
He stopped.
"I was told to."
"By Liam."
"He's the pilot."
"Not anymore."
Liam looked at me.
"Gladly."
I stood.
My legs complained immediately.
Hours sitting inside the aircraft followed by falling out of the sky apparently wasn't good for them.
I moved toward the controls.
Most displays had died.
One crystal still pulsed weakly.
Another had cracked.
"Can it fly?"
Liam looked at me.
"Right now?"
"Eventually."
He stared through the side window at the damaged wing.
Then at the controls.
"Ask me when I know what half of this does."
I sighed.
"So no."
"I didn't say no."
"That's what that meant."
"Probably."
I looked toward the others.
"We stay together."
Kai leaned against the hatch.
"Obviously."
"No."
I pointed at him.
"Actually listen."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"Nobody wanders."
I looked toward Arion.
"Nobody touches anything."
Then Aelira.
"Anything."
She crossed her arms.
"I touched one arch."
"And now we're here."
"Arion touched something first."
Arion looked offended.
"Why am I involved?"
"Because you touched the pillar."
"Oh."
I continued.
"We look around the immediate area. Figure out what happened to the aircraft. Then decide what we're doing."
Seraphyne raised an eyebrow.
"What happened to 'one look and leave'?"
I stared at her.
She smiled faintly.
"Just checking."
I turned toward the hatch.
"Open it."
Kai did.
The seal released.
The door moved.
Cold air entered.
Not freezing.
Just colder than Astrea.
It carried the smell of wet stone.
Earth.
Leaves.
Old wood.
I waited.
Nothing happened.
No pulse.
No White Thunder.
No ancient monster appeared to eat Kai.
Good start.
I stepped outside.
My boots touched stone.
For a moment, I simply stood there.
After hours inside the aircraft, solid ground felt strange.
Especially when the ground was floating two hundred kilometers above actual ground.
I decided not to think about that again.
The others emerged behind me.
Nobody spoke loudly.
The city seemed to discourage it.
Moonlight covered the plaza.
Grass had broken through thousands of cracks in the stone.
Small trees grew along the edges.
Roots had lifted entire sections of roadway.
The crashed aircraft looked even worse from outside.
The right wing had bent upward.
A long scrape ran across the underside.
Part of the outer plating had torn away.
Liam stared at it.
Kai walked beside him.
"Can you fix that?"
Liam slowly looked at him.
"Do I look like Raymond?"
"No."
"Then why are you asking me?"
"You flew it."
"I barely did that."
Kai nodded.
"Fair."
I stepped farther into the plaza.
Something felt wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not immediately.
Just—
wrong.
I looked toward the buildings.
Dark windows stared back.
The city stretched far beyond what I could see.
Roads disappeared between ancient structures.
Trees rose from courtyards.
The broken tower stood in the distance.
Now that we were on the island, it seemed even larger.
A section of its upper half was simply missing.
I could see stars through the wound.
Aelira stepped beside me.
"We're here."
I looked at her.
Her eyes remained on the tower.
"The pull?"
She hesitated.
"Still there."
Arion joined us.
"Stronger."
Wonderful.
"From the tower?"
Aelira frowned.
"No."
That surprised me.
"Where?"
She slowly looked downward.
At the stone beneath our feet.
Arion did the same.
"Below us."
Nobody said anything.
I stared at the ground.
Then decided I didn't want to know yet.
A breeze moved through the plaza.
Leaves rustled.
Grass bent.
I listened.
Something was missing.
I couldn't place it.
Theon walked several steps away.
Stopped.
His head tilted.
"Rain."
I looked toward him.
"What?"
"Listen."
I did.
Wind.
Leaves.
A faint creak from the damaged aircraft behind us.
Nothing else.
I waited.
Still nothing.
Then I understood.
No insects.
No birds.
No distant animal calls.
Nothing moving through the forest.
Nothing crawling through the grass.
No wings above the ruins.
No life.
Kazen slowly turned toward the trees.
"We noticed it during the flight."
Varein nodded.
"And it's worse here."
Kai looked around.
"There are plants."
"That's not what he means," Seraphyne said.
I walked toward the edge of the plaza.
Grass reached almost to my knees in places.
Flowers grew near a collapsed wall.
Vines covered stone.
There should have been insects everywhere.
I crouched.
Moved some grass aside.
Nothing.
No beetles.
No ants.
No movement in the soil.
I stood.
The island wasn't dead.
Plants were alive.
But somehow—
nothing else was.
Aelira stared into the ruined avenue.
"This is exactly how it was."
I looked toward her.
"In the vision?"
She nodded.
"No sound."
Arion's expression tightened.
"Mine too."
Wind passed through the city again.
The ruined buildings whispered around us.
I looked toward the broken tower.
Then toward the dark streets stretching between us and it.
We had spent hours trying to reach this place.
We had nearly fallen out of the sky twice.
Our aircraft was damaged.
Something beneath the island was pulling at Arion and Aelira.
And according to every map in Astrea—
none of this existed.
Behind me, the aircraft's remaining mana light flickered.
Once.
Then died.
Darkness settled completely over the plaza.
No one spoke.
The broken tower waited beyond the ruins.
And for the first time since leaving Astrea, I found myself wishing we'd never found the island at all.