Chương 18: Bloody Eye

WITHIN the forest, an eerie silence blanketed the area, chilling the newly formed group to their cores. Felis led the way, with Usain beside him, both navigating the dense woods. The others clustered in the middle, while Rowan and Kay took the rear, keeping watch.

Ash moved forward cautiously, each breath filled with fear and tension mounting with every step. They were walking through the biblical valley of the shadow of death, driven by a necessity to survive. Though the wind was still, the forest's unnatural cold made their breath visible in the dim light of the lanterns.

"Yo ho," Rowan's voice pierced the silence, causing everyone to jump. Unfazed, the one eyed man continued, "Yo ho, yo ho ho, through the storms of ElderTide," his familiar pirate tune easing the tension in the air.

"Shouldn't we be quiet?" the woman among them asked nervously.

"Quiet or not, young lady, danger will find us," Felis replied calmly. "Let him sing and enjoy the music. It might as well be your last," he added, his tone carrying a somber tone.

Before long, Ash joined the song, hoping to shake off the trepidation that made each step feel like a ton. Glit soon followed, and before they knew it, everyone was singing loudly as they marched through the woods.

However, no matter how uplifting music could be, a single display of horror was enough to shatter their confidence. A chilling shriek tore through the darkness, and a seven-foot-tall blur crashed into the middle of the group.

Ash couldn't quite grasp its appearance, but one thing was certain: the monster didn't run from the woods; it erupted from their midst. It lunged at Azim, decapitating him before anyone could react.

Screams filled the air, everyone shouting in terror except for Felis and Rowan, who remained composed and barked orders. "Stay together, form a group!" Felis commanded. But their directives couldn't shield them from the grotesque horror of Azim's severed head.

Usain fell to his knees in horror, life seemed to have sapped out of him as his eyes glued to the decapitated head of his son, he couldn't utter any sound, at the moment he was lost. Felis glanced around and discovered he couldn't even sort out what was going on. His abilities were not working right, it was as if it was being forcefully dampened.

The teary-eyed woman screamed again and ran away from the group yelling and screaming, before anyone could stop her the little girl followed too. "Sia!" Glit called the little girl's name and sprinted forward to catch her.

"Glit," Ash screamed as he threw himself forward but he was dragged back by the muscular arms of Rowan, he glanced up at him and the latter just shook his head.

Felis glanced at Rowan and nodded, who returned the nod as Felis dashed towards Glit and the others, screaming their names.

Rowan drew two daggers from their sheaths, his stance vigilant. "Everyone, fall to the center!" he commanded. "Usain! Get it together! Your son would want you to live, so help me out here!" he shouted.

Usain looked up, his face etched with anguish. "He's dead!" he cried, breaking his silence.

"Well, whatever killed him is still here, and we need to take it down! You're the only one with the know..." Rowan's voice was cut off by the thunderous roar of multiple sounds of pods bursting.

A black gas began to ooze around them, spreading slowly and leaving the tree barks visibly rotting in its wake. "Usain!" Rowan yelled, stepping back with the kids following suit.

Usain glanced at him, his eyes widening with recognition. "The gas… It's one of the poisons that the Óró can manifest. I don't know how to stop it, but I know it's highly flammable," he said, getting to his feet, his will to survive reigniting his senses.

Rowan didn't need to hear more. He surged forward, hurling the glass lantern at the encroaching smoke. A wave of fire erupted, surrounding them, and the gas burned out in a dazzling display of sparks.

Ash heaved a sigh of relief, clutching his chest to steady his racing heart. However, his relief was short-lived. He screamed in horror as a tree vine seized Usain by the feet, another snapping around his neck. The sound of bones breaking and Usain's agonizing shrieks filled the air as he was dragged into the night.

Usain's screams for help echoed, followed by the grotesque noise of bones snapping and flesh tearing. Then, there was silence.

Rowan glanced at the three kids left with him. Ash, Kay, and Mute clung to each other tightly. For the first time, the One-Eyed Pirate removed his eye patch. Instead of the empty socket or milky eye everyone expected, there was an eye marked with a strange symbol. As it was revealed, the eye began to bleed, tears of blood streaming down his face.

A vine lashed out, and Ash felt its imminent strike. In that split second, Rowan spun through the air, his blades glowing as he slashed the vine mere inches from Ash.

Rowan shed his leather cloak, revealing a black sleeveless shirt that displayed his bandaged arms. His daggers ignited, glowing gold, and Ash found himself unsure of whom to fear more—Rowan or the Óró.

Suddenly, multiple vines shot from the surrounding trees, aiming for all of them at once. A wicked screech echoed as the vines thrust forward at blinding speed, but a golden streak cut through the air. The green tendrils were halted, shredded by Rowan's glowing daggers. He stood before them, both eyes now bleeding, appearing more like a demon than a man..

He turned to face the forest. "Come!" His voice was thick and ethereal, carrying a commanding aura that seemed to compel people to obey them

But the death island was unforgiving. The ground trembled beneath them, and before anyone could react, roots erupted from the earth. In a flash, Rowan dashed forward, shoving the others aside as a massive root tore through his chest, impaling him.

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