{ Mia }
The fire crackled softly, its glow casting long, flickering shadows across the sand. It wasn't enough. Not to keep us warm. Not to be seen from a distance.
I gripped the axe tighter. "Bigger fire, bigger chances," I muttered to myself.
Ace and Cole were stable for now. But I couldn't just sit and wait. If help didn't come, we'd have to survive on our own. And for that, we needed more than just scraps of wood and coconut shells.
I stepped past the tree line, where the jungle swallowed the last light of the sun. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and salt, and every rustling leaf made my pulse quicken.
Just get the wood and get back.
I moved quickly, scanning the ground for dry branches. Most were damp, useless. I needed something solid, something that would burn long enough to be noticed.
As I searched, the ground beneath me shifted.
I stumbled, catching myself against the rough bark of a tree. My foot had hit something something hard. I glanced down, expecting another root, but instead, I saw a pile of rocks, unnaturally smooth, stacked in a way that didn't seem… natural.
I frowned. This wasn't just a random collection of stones. It looked like a marker.
And then I saw it.
A dark opening, half-hidden beneath tangled vines and thick undergrowth. A cave.
My breath hitched. It was wide enough for a person to walk through, but deep too deep to see the end. A cool draft whispered from within, sending a chill down my spine.
I hesitated. Every part of me screamed to turn back. Caves meant danger traps, unstable ground, or worse… something already living inside.
But what if there was something useful?
Shelter. Food. Supplies. Maybe even a clue about this island.
I swallowed hard, my grip tightening around the axe.
I took a step forward.
Then another.
The darkness swallowed me whole.
I stumbled inside. " Ugh! I can't see a thing!!"
I glided my hands on the walls of the cave in an attempt to find my way back.
Then, a whisper rang through the cave. " ~ Turn on the lights~ "
A shiver crawled up my spine. Then, the voice hissed again in my ear . " ~ Turn on the lightss ~ "
I gritted my teeth. "I can't!" I shouted, my voice ricocheting off the stone walls.
The cave vibrated harder. Dust rained from above. My breath hitched.
"~Turn on the lights, Mia~ "
I pressed my hands to my ears. "Shut up! Shut up!"
The air grew thick, pressing down on me like a weight. My pulse pounded in my skull. Something was wrong. This wasn't just my imagination.
The voice wasn't coming from a person. It wasn't even coming from one place.
It was inside me.
I clenched my fists, frustration boiling over. My fingers tingled, a strange warmth spreading through them. The cave pulsed again, as if it was waiting for something.
I looked down at my hands, my chest rising and falling in short, panicked breaths. The warmth grew hotter, moving up my arms.
Then—
A flicker.
A tiny, golden spark danced across my palm.
I gasped. The moment I noticed it, the spark vanished.
No.
No, no, no, this wasn't possible.
But the voice only laughed, a soft, knowing chuckle.
"~Again~."
I swallowed hard. My heart hammered against my ribs.
I closed my eyes and focused on the warmth still lingering under my skin. The cave, the whisper, the fear I pushed it all aside.
I reached for the spark.
And this time, it answered.
A soft glow erupted from my palms, casting golden light across the cave walls. The shadows recoiled. Symbols carved into the stone flickered to life.
The whisper was gone.
But now, I could see.
And what I saw stole the breath from my lungs.
" Hello sweetheart... I told you we'd meet again!" A cold voice roared through the cave.
" You—"
" What ?" He said pouting his lips. " Didn't expect to see me ?"
I slowly raised my fists ready to attack when suddenly, he snapped his fingers and a dark swirl of energy wrapped itself around my wrists stopping me from moving .
I struggled against the swirling darkness pinning my wrists, my breath coming fast and sharp.
"You," I spat, my voice a mix of rage and panic. "How the hell are you here?"
The man stepped closer, his smirk widening in the golden light from my hands. "Did you really think you could escape me forever, sweetheart?" His voice was smooth, almost amused, but there was something sharp beneath it.
I gritted my teeth, twisting my wrists against the invisible force, but it held firm.
"Let me go," I growled.
He tilted his head, mockingly thoughtful. "Hmm... no, I don't think I will."
The cave walls seemed to pulse with energy, the symbols glowing brighter. The air around us crackled, charged with something ancient and electric. I didn't know what this place was, but he did.
'Why are you here?' I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. "What do you want?"
His smirk deepened. "Oh, Mia, you already know the answer to that."
My pulse pounded in my ears. No. I didn't know. I didn't want to know.
But before I could speak, the symbols flared blindingly bright. The cave trembled. The darkness around my wrists loosened, just slightly.
This was my chance.
I gritted my teeth, summoning the light in my palms once more. If this cave responded to me, maybe just maybe I could use it against him.