Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women

"I saw people. Shadows of the past. Maybe the future too. It felt like they were watching me, waiting to see what I would do."

Lyara frowned. "Did they say anything?"

Jude hesitated. "One of them did. He looked like me. Or maybe he was me. He asked me why I was afraid."

Lyara's expression darkened slightly, but she didn't speak.

Jude continued. "And then he asked what I saw. I told him about the shadows, and he said they were the past and the future, that they were part of the cycle."

She exhaled. "And the cycle… that's what you have to break?"

"That's what they keep saying." Jude ran a hand through his hair, his mind replaying the golden figure's words. "But I don't know what it means. How do you break something that's been repeating forever?"

Lyara's gaze flickered with thought. "Maybe the answer isn't about destroying it. Maybe it's about changing it."

Jude considered her words. "Changing the cycle…"

A sudden noise cut through the air, a deep, grinding sound like stone shifting against stone. Both of them froze, hands instinctively going to their weapons. The corridor ahead of them trembled slightly, dust falling from the ceiling as something moved beyond their sight.

Lyara tensed. "We're not alone."

Jude nodded, his body already preparing for whatever was coming. The flame inside him pulsed, as if responding to the unseen presence ahead. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he had a feeling he was about to find out.

The corridor widened into a vast chamber, the walls lined with massive statues that loomed over them like silent guardians. At the far end, a figure stood waiting. It was cloaked in deep black, its face hidden beneath a hood. Despite its stillness, there was an undeniable presence radiating from it, a weight in the air that made Jude's skin prickle.

The figure raised a hand, and the torches along the walls flared brighter, casting the room in a golden glow.

"You have stepped beyond the threshold," the figure said, its voice smooth but carrying an edge of something unreadable. "The flame has chosen you."

Jude straightened, keeping his stance firm. "And who are you?"

The figure did not answer immediately. Instead, it took a slow step forward, its movement controlled, deliberate. "A watcher. A keeper of the cycle."

Lyara's grip tightened on her weapon. "So you're here to stop us?"

The figure chuckled softly. "Stop you? No. I am here to see if you are worthy."

Jude's eyes narrowed. "And if I'm not?"

The figure did not move. "Then the cycle continues."

A sharp tension filled the chamber. Jude exchanged a glance with Lyara, a silent understanding passing between them. They had come too far to turn back now.

Jude stepped forward. "What do you want from me?"

The figure tilted its head slightly. "Not from you. From the flame."

Before Jude could react, the figure moved. A flash of darkness, impossibly fast. Jude barely had time to brace himself before a force struck him square in the chest. It wasn't physical, but it sent a jolt through him, like something was trying to pull the flame away from him.

He staggered, but the warmth inside him burned brighter, resisting the force. He gritted his teeth, planting his feet firmly. "You're not taking it."

The figure's hooded face remained unreadable. "Good."

Another wave of energy surged forward, but this time, Jude didn't resist. Instead, he reached inside himself, drawing on the flame. The warmth expanded, pushing back against the force. The chamber trembled slightly, the statues lining the walls seeming to shift ever so slightly.

The figure finally stopped. "You hold it well. But do you understand its weight?"

Jude's breath was heavy, but his voice was steady. "I'm learning."

The figure regarded him for a long moment before speaking again. "Then let this be your first lesson."

The chamber shifted. The statues around them began to move, their stone limbs groaning as they came to life. Lyara cursed under her breath, drawing her weapon.

Jude's heart pounded, but he felt the flame within him, steady and strong. He wasn't sure what the next test would be, but he was ready.

Jude barely had time to process what was happening before the statues lunged. Their massive stone limbs moved with an unnatural fluidity, their hollow eyes glowing faintly as they descended upon him and Lyara. The air thrummed with energy, and Jude could feel the presence of the flame inside him, responding to the imminent danger. His instincts took over, and he rolled to the side just as a stone fist crashed down where he had been standing. The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber, cracks splintering across the ancient floor.

Lyara was already moving, her blades flashing as she weaved between the towering figures. She struck one of them across the arm, and though her blade left a mark, the wound was shallow. "Jude, these things are tougher than they look!" she called out, dodging another heavy swing.

Jude didn't need her to tell him that. He could feel it, these statues weren't just carved stone; they were infused with something deeper, something ancient. He had to use more than just brute force. He could feel the flame within him reacting, as if waiting for him to channel it.

Trusting his instincts, he focused inward, reaching for that heat, that energy. It responded immediately, a surge of warmth spreading through his limbs. As another statue swung at him, he didn't dodge this time. Instead, he met it head-on. His palm ignited with golden fire as he caught the incoming fist, and the moment his hand touched the stone, cracks spread from the point of contact, golden light seeping into the statue's arm.

The creature recoiled, its arm crumbling away into dust.

Lyara saw what happened and didn't hesitate. "Whatever you just did, do it again!"

Jude turned to another advancing statue, focusing the flame once more. This time, he didn't wait for it to attack, he charged forward, his hands glowing as he pressed them against its torso. The heat surged outward, and in a matter of seconds, the stone form cracked apart, crumbling to the floor in a heap of glowing embers.