Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women

The flame in his hand flared suddenly, sending out a wave of warmth that spread through his body. He gasped as memories, some his own, some unfamiliar, flooded his mind. He saw glimpses of the past, moments of great victories and terrible losses, cycles of light and darkness that had played out over countless generations. He saw people who had carried this same flame before him, some who had wielded it as a beacon, others who had let it consume them.

The realization struck him with a force that nearly brought him to his knees. This was not just a trial. This was a burden, one that had existed long before him and would continue long after. He was simply the next to carry it.

The void trembled. The shadows in the distance grew clearer, taking shape. They were figures, some tall and imposing, others hunched and twisted. They surrounded him, their faces obscured, their presence heavy. Jude held the flame closer to his chest, instinctively knowing that it was the only thing keeping them at bay.

One of the figures stepped forward. Unlike the others, it was not shrouded in darkness. It was draped in golden light, its form shifting between solid and ethereal. When it spoke, its voice was familiar.

"Why do you fear?"

Jude's breath hitched. The voice, it sounded like his own.

"I…" He struggled to form words. "I don't know what's happening."

The figure tilted its head. "You do. You have always known."

Jude's fingers twitched around the flame. The shifting figures around him remained silent, watching. Waiting.

The golden figure took another step forward. "What do you see?"

Jude hesitated, then looked around. "Shadows. People. I don't know who they are."

The figure gestured to them. "They are the past. They are the future. They are what was and what could be."

Jude felt a chill despite the warmth of the flame. "What do they want?"

The golden figure regarded him for a long moment before answering. "They want to know if you will break the cycle or continue it."

The words sent a shudder through him. Break the cycle. The same phrase the woman in the chamber had spoken. The same message he had glimpsed in the battlefield illusion.

Jude took a slow breath. "How do I break it?"

The golden figure reached toward him. For a brief moment, Jude thought it was going to take the flame from him, but instead, it rested a hand over his. "You already have the answer."

The moment their hands touched, the void collapsed.

Jude fell forward, gasping as his body slammed into solid ground. The sensation of weightlessness disappeared, replaced by sharp reality. He could feel the rough texture of stone beneath his palms, the steady rhythm of his heart pounding in his ears. He was back.

A voice called his name.

He turned sharply to see Lyara kneeling beside him, concern etched across her face. "Jude! Are you," She hesitated. "You're glowing."

Jude blinked, then looked down at himself. The flame he had held was now within him. It pulsed faintly beneath his skin, no longer an external object but a part of him.

The woman from before stood at the edge of the chamber, her expression unreadable. "You have taken the first step."

Jude pushed himself upright, still unsteady. "What just happened?"

The woman inclined her head. "You touched the essence of the cycle. You saw its weight."

Jude let out a shaky breath. "And?"

She studied him for a moment before speaking. "And now, you must decide what to do with it."

Lyara crossed her arms. "That's vague."

The woman smiled slightly. "As all true choices are."

Jude exhaled slowly. He felt different, lighter, but also more aware. The burden of what he had seen lingered, but there was something else, too. A clarity he hadn't had before.

He looked at Lyara, then back at the woman. "What happens now?"

The woman gestured toward the exit. "Now, you walk forward."

Jude met her gaze, searching for some deeper meaning in her words, but there was none. Just the simple truth.

With a final glance at the now-empty pedestal, he stepped forward. The flame within him pulsed once, steady and strong.

Jude felt the pulse of warmth inside him, steady like a second heartbeat. The chamber behind him faded into darkness as he and Lyara stepped forward, their footsteps echoing through the long corridor. The silence between them was heavy, not from discomfort, but from unspoken thoughts lingering in the air. Jude knew Lyara wanted to ask about what had happened inside the void, about the flame that now lived within him, but she held back. Maybe she was waiting for him to speak first, or maybe she was still processing everything in her own way.

The corridor stretched on, the flickering light from the torches casting long shadows against the stone walls. The deeper they went, the cooler the air became, carrying a faint, metallic scent. Jude felt the weight of his own thoughts pressing down on him, the memories of the visions he had seen still vivid in his mind. The cycle. The past. The future. He had been told he already had the answer, but he wasn't sure if he truly understood what that meant.

Lyara finally broke the silence. "Are you alright?"

Jude exhaled, nodding. "Yeah. Just… thinking."

She glanced at him, her sharp eyes searching for something beyond his simple response. "It's different now, isn't it?"

He hesitated before answering. "I think so." He pressed a hand against his chest, feeling the faint warmth beneath his skin. "It doesn't feel like something I'm carrying. It feels like… it's part of me now."

Lyara studied him for a moment before nodding. "That could be good. Or dangerous."

Jude let out a dry chuckle. "That seems to be the pattern, doesn't it?"

She didn't laugh. "You saw something, didn't you? Before you came back."

He knew she would ask eventually, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to put it into words. But Lyara had been with him through everything. If anyone deserved to know, it was her.