Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women

The scent of damp earth lingered in the air as Jude and Lyara followed the messenger's fading presence into the night. The figure had left without another word, disappearing into the shadows as effortlessly as they had arrived. But the question they had posed remained, lingering like a whisper neither of them could ignore.

What will you do when the storm finally reaches you?

Jude clenched his jaw. He hated riddles, and he hated being left with more questions than answers.

Lyara, walking beside him, exhaled softly. "They hesitated."

Jude glanced at her. "You saw it too."

She nodded. "Which means we're not the only ones unsure of what comes next."

It was a small realization, but an important one. Whoever these people were, they weren't infallible. They weren't omniscient. They had doubts, just like everyone else. And that meant they could be outmaneuvered.

The city was quiet at this hour, the streets empty save for the occasional patrol. Jude's thoughts churned as they made their way back toward the council chamber. He didn't expect to find more answers there, but he needed to do something. Sitting still had never suited him.

When they entered, the hall was nearly deserted. Only Veylen remained, standing near the central table, poring over a map illuminated by candlelight. He didn't look up as they approached. "I assume you had another visitor."

Jude folded his arms. "You assume correctly."

Lyara placed her hands on the table. "They asked us a question."

That got Veylen's attention. His gaze lifted, sharp and assessing. "What question?"

Jude repeated it. Veylen's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes, something thoughtful.

"They're testing you," he murmured. "Trying to gauge your resolve."

Jude exhaled sharply. "They'll find we don't break easily."

Veylen's lips twitched, but it wasn't quite a smile. "Let's hope they believe that." He gestured to the map. "Because if what I've been hearing is true, we might not have much time to prove it."

Lyara leaned over the table, studying the markings. "What are we looking at?"

Veylen tapped a spot near the eastern border. "Scouts reported movement here. Unfamiliar forces. Small groups, but coordinated."

Jude frowned. "Mercenaries?"

"Possibly." Veylen's fingers drummed against the wood. "Or something worse."

The silence that followed was heavy. They had all fought in wars before. They knew what it meant when enemies began to gather at the edges of a kingdom.

Lyara straightened. "We need to move first."

Veylen nodded. "I can send a unit,"

"No." Jude's voice was firm. "We go ourselves."

Veylen raised an eyebrow. "You think that's wise?"

Jude met his gaze. "I think it's necessary."

Lyara didn't hesitate. "He's right. If this is connected to the messages, we need to see it firsthand."

Veylen considered them for a long moment, then sighed. "I should argue against this."

Jude smirked. "But you won't."

The older man huffed. "No. I won't."

They left before dawn, riding east under the cover of darkness. The road was quiet, the world still caught in the lingering grasp of night. Jude found himself listening to the rhythm of hooves against the dirt, the steady cadence grounding him.

Lyara rode beside him, her expression unreadable. He knew her well enough to recognize the way her mind worked, always calculating, always anticipating.

"You're thinking too much," he murmured.

She didn't look at him. "And you're not thinking enough."

He chuckled. "Fair."

They rode in silence after that, the cool wind carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. As dawn crept over the horizon, they reached the outskirts of the eastern border.

The landscape shifted here, rolling hills giving way to dense forests, the trees thick and ancient. The air felt different, charged with something unseen.

Jude dismounted first, scanning the area. "We should move on foot from here."

Lyara nodded, swinging off her horse with practiced ease. "Keep watch for anything unusual."

They moved carefully, weaving between the trees, their steps muffled by the soft forest floor. The deeper they went, the heavier the air felt. It wasn't just the silence, it was the feeling of being watched.

Jude's fingers hovered near his weapon. "Something's here."

Lyara's gaze flickered. "I know."

They moved forward, their senses sharp. Then, without warning, the forest shifted.

It was subtle at first, a flicker of movement in the corner of Jude's vision. Then a whisper of sound, almost too soft to hear.

Jude barely had time to react before shadows coalesced around them.

Figures emerged from the darkness, cloaked in deep blue and black. Their movements were precise, their presence deliberate. They weren't attacking.

They were waiting.

Lyara's grip tightened on her blade. "You followed us."

One of the figures stepped forward. "No." Their voice was calm. "You came to us."

Jude's jaw clenched. "You knew we would."

A small incline of the head. "Yes."

The other figures remained still, their faces obscured. There was something unsettling about their presence, not just the way they moved, but the way they felt.

Jude's patience was wearing thin. "Who are you?"

The lead figure regarded him for a long moment. Then, slowly, they reached up and pulled back their hood.

The face beneath was younger than Jude had expected. Sharp features, piercing silver eyes, hair dark as night. But it wasn't their appearance that struck him. It was the familiarity.

He knew this face.

Lyara stiffened beside him.

Jude's fingers curled into fists. "Impossible."

The figure's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "And yet, here I am."

Silence stretched.

Jude's mind raced. This person, this ghost, shouldn't be standing before him.

Because he had seen them die.

The memory was burned into his mind. A battlefield drenched in blood. A blade cutting through the air. The final breath of someone who had stood beside him, fought beside him.

Lyara's voice was steady, but there was a sharpness beneath it. "How?"

The figure's expression remained unreadable. "That is not the question you should be asking."

Jude's grip tightened. "Then what should we be asking?"

The figure stepped closer. "What will you do with the truth?"

Jude's heart pounded. The storm they had been warned about wasn't coming.

It was already here.