What was happening wasn't normal… not even for a world familiar with wars and legends.
Ryan stood on the shore, the sword at his side bathed in that strange blue light, while the sea before him began to transform into something alive… something raging.
The waves were no longer just water.
They rose and fell erratically, like the chest of a giant creature breathing slowly… but nearing a burst.
Salim, with his translucent presence, watched silently, his eyes filled with something akin to worry… or perhaps regret.
"It has begun…" he said in a low voice.
Ryan turned to him quickly:
"What has begun?! What's happening?!"
But Salim didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he gazed at the sea, as if seeing what Ryan couldn't yet see.
"The island…" he said finally,
"never disappeared. It shattered… and spread."
"Spread?!"
"Yes… everywhere. In the sea… on land… and even inside people."
Before Ryan could process those words—the water erupted.
Not like a wave…
But as if something had pushed it from within.
A column of water rose upward, then suddenly split open, revealing a dark shape moving within it.
Something… was emerging.
Ryan took a step back, his hand trembling involuntarily.
"What is this…?"
The shape began to take shape.
It wasn't a complete creature…
It was a hybrid.
A human body… but deformed, with limbs longer than normal, skin as dark as if shrouded in shadow, and eyes… empty.
But what terrified Ryan most—
It wore ancient armor… from the Sea Kingdom.
"One of the survivors…" Salim whispered.
The creature opened its mouth… but the voice that came out wasn't human. It was a mixture of screams and whispers, as if several voices were speaking at once:
"The light… is back…"
Ryan's whole body trembled.
"It's talking!"
Salim said seriously,
"No… that's not it… this island is speaking through it."
The creature moved suddenly.
With unnatural speed, it leaped toward the shore, slamming its foot into the ground with such force that the sand scattered in every direction.
It stood on its feet… then slowly raised its head toward Ryan.
"You… are holding it…"
Ryan felt his body freeze.
"Me…?"
"The light… must return…"
Then it charged toward him.
But this time—
Ryan didn't freeze.
Instinctively, he grabbed the sword.
Suddenly, a blue light burst from the blade, enveloping his entire body like a shield of living energy.
The creature charged… and Ryan moved.
Without training… without thinking…
But his body knew what it was doing.
He dodged the first blow, then reacted swiftly, striking the creature with his sword.
When the blade touched its flesh—
It screamed.
A scream filled with pain… but it wasn't just his.
There were many screams… as if trapped souls were burning at once.
The creature backed away, part of its body beginning to disintegrate like smoke.
Salim shouted,
"Keep going! The light is the only thing that hurts it!"
Ryan didn't stop.
A blow… then another…
Each time, the light grew stronger, and the creature weakened.
But suddenly—
It stopped.
The creature no longer attacked.
Instead, it stood looking at him… with an eerie calm.
Then it said,
"You… are not like it…"
Ryan froze.
"What?"
"It… destroyed us…"
"But you… will complete us."
And before he could reply—the creature's body exploded.
Not like death…
It transformed into black smoke, rising into the air… then vanished toward the sea.
Silence returned.
But it wasn't comforting.
Ryan fell to his knees, panting heavily.
"What… was that?!"
Salim approached… and looked toward the horizon.
"This… is just the beginning."
Ryan slowly raised his head:
"The beginning of what?"
Salim didn't look at him.
Instead, he said:
"The shadow is no longer confined to the island…"
"The whole world has become… an island."
And at that moment—the same light appeared on the horizon again.
But this time…
it wasn't far away.