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IF - Chapter 12
🕑 Added 2024-12-17 02:09:50 +0000 UTC------------------
The Dark Chaser had circled the island twice, slow and steady, its gentle engines becoming background noise at this point. Isla stood at the ship’s prow, hands gripping the cold, salt-stained metal rail as the misty horizon stretched in every direction.
The island emerged like a jagged scar on the endless sea, its sharp coastline a blend of volcanic black rock and smooth white-sand beaches that shimmered unnaturally under the pale, sourceless light.
Towering, crooked cliffs dominated the northern edge, streaked with glowing violet veins that pulsed faintly as if aware of their presence. Beyond them, craggy black mountains loomed like broken blades, their peaks shrouded in wisps of smoke that rose in steady, unnatural plumes.
The jungle that consumed most of the island was dense and twisted, with gnarled trees bent at unnatural angles and vines that coiled like nooses.
Flowers with iridescent petals pulsed in the shoreline of the ocean around the northeast, and Isla could hardly contain her excitement upon seeing the Immortal Fish—a.k.a. god fish, to her—swimming in large packs around the shallow coral reefs. The white sands rippled as if breathing, and Isla caught sight of a predatory flower bent into the water, as they slowly passed the area. Her breath caught when it snapped shut around one of the darting god fish.
So…something does feed on them. But what happens to the god fish… Should I call these plants God Killers? Interesting. This place has so many secrets.
The eastern side was far more unsettling, which said something when you had plants that ate immortal fish. The dense jungle gave way to a cracked stone plain that resembled a shattered mosaic, its fractured plates half-sunken into the earth.
Jagged pillars jutted upward, crooked and spiraling, some wrapped in vines that formed deliberate sigil-like patterns, pulsing with inner light. The weathered stone bore ancient carvings—winged figures, spirals, and shapes that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles. The wings instantly snatched her attention, drawing her gaze to her feet.
Am I reading too far into this? No reaction, huh, Other Me? Hmm.
Glyphs similar to those seen on the glowing veins of the cliffs adorned the stone, faint but unmistakable. The tide along this side moved differently than the rest, swirling in an endless, centerless whirlpool that moved with deliberate intent. It was a silent rhythm of motion, slow but impossible to ignore.
On their second loop around, the unease settled in deeper. The mist shifted in subtle ways along the mountains and jungle, light bending at impossible angles, and on the island’s southern shore, they saw the airplane—unchanged in any way.
Pristine. Intact. It rested on the sand as if it had been carefully placed there, no crash marks, no debris trail, just a hollow, waiting frame. The jagged jungle framed it from behind, the tide slowly creeping up the shore as if it, too, sought to claim it.
She wasn’t hungry during that time or felt like she needed to use the restroom but forced herself to do both anyway. Her eyes locked on the shoreline ahead, excitement building inside of her—the break in the rocky cliffs where the sea met sand immediately snatched her gaze.
Her heart didn’t race. It should have. She knew it should have. But the warm hum in her chest was still there, constant, like a steadying hand on her back. It wasn’t the engine’s vibration. It wasn’t nerves. It was something…else. Her.
She glanced down at the deck, at the faint, soft flickers of shadow beneath her boots. They swayed with the gentle tilt of the ship but moved just a little too slow, as if lagging behind her steps. Every now and then, when she lifted her foot to check again, a small circle of darkness hovered where her heel had been—just for a moment—then it faded.
Her fingers curled tighter around the rail as Hollow came above deck, pausing when she lowered her foot to the deck. Did he see that?
Isla’s eyes flicked to the side, scanning the deck’s reflection in the windows near the bridge. No one was watching her except for the man. He gave her an unreadable stare before smiling, holding up a beer.
“Care for a little brew, Cap?”
Isla sighed, hanging her head but feeling like they could use something to cool the nerves. She’d made sure to look at each of the other crew member’s feet on their circular journey—none of them had a shadow.
“No, but feel free to live it up.”
“Nice. I’m going to check that footage of that Great Old One again.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” she asked with a snicker. “Original.”
“Hey, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” he grumbled, managing to pop the lid and kicking it off the edge. “Think the Sea Gods will curse me for littering?”
Isla’s gaze lingered on her smiling reflection in the water, just long enough to feel something look back—a flicker of warmth against her cheek, like breath on skin.
You’re imagining it. Her pulse stayed calm. Too calm. Is She really that bad? I can’t bring myself to think she is… Wow. I am so compromised. Was I really the right woman for the job, Eve…or did you know about this with all those resources AEGIS gives you? I’ll have to beat the answer out of you when I get back.
Her eyes drifted back to the narrow-eyed theoretical physicist. “Personally, I wouldn’t risk it,” she chuckled. “Oh, look. We’re at the plane again.”
A lump dropped down Hollow’s throat, fingers tightening against the bottle he held, and Isla almost thought she could feel the tremble pass through his frame—the barely restrained fear that wafted off his pores like an aroma.
“Yeah, yeah… Uh, that’s crazy how it just…landed in the ocean and floated ashore…totally whole. Yeah, what’s normal anyway…”
“We landing here, Captain?” Brigid’s voice came from the helm, breaking into her conversation with Hollow. She sounded more like herself again—bold, sarcastic, and masking the unease with humor. “You wanna make another lap, or are we actually going to see if this island has coconuts I can drink? You know, a coconut bikini from the Endless Sea sounds like it could make a nice profit!”
“It sure does. And if it does have some, I’m throwing one at you!” Isla shot back, her grip on the rail loosening. She let her shoulders relax, exhaling slowly. “Tell Kael to get the raft ready. I want to see what we’re dealing with.”
Brigid muttered something about “death by fruit” but turned and called for the men. Kael and Hollow were already moving to lower the portable boat from its rack near the stern. Hollow had more hesitation than normal, choosing to join Kael, his gaze flicking to Isla every now and then—just quick glances, but enough for her to notice.
She didn’t acknowledge it. Nothing. It’s normal. It’s fine. Her jaw tightened as she turned toward the inner cabin. Entering it, she went straight for the research lab, spotting James coming the opposite way, stoic and armed to the teeth.
“James,” she called, directing him to follow her. “We’ll need the fish tank on the raft.”
His eyes lifted, sharp, focused. No hesitation. “On it.” He shouldered his rifle and moved to the lab without question.
Good. I still need to get to know him, but at least I don’t have to explain everything to him. Hollow is a pretty paranoid guy, so it’s natural he would question leadership. The issue will be if he starts sowing seeds of doubt in the others. He doesn’t have the best reputation among everyone by Maeva’s comment earlier, though. Why…am I protecting Her?
The air felt tighter as she passed through the corridor, metal walls pressing in on her. She could feel Her, the presence around her, through her…inside her. My mind tells me I’m compromised and need to seek help…but I have no motivation for it. I feel like betraying Her is…like betraying myself. Damn.
The faint glow of the overhead lights flickered—just once—as she entered the lab from behind James, but it was enough to make her glance over her shoulder.
Nothing. She’s protecting me. No one. Just you. Just us.
The lab smelled of disinfectant and the faint, sharp tang of formaldehyde. Metal shelves lined the walls, each one filled with storage cases marked with numbers and hazard symbols. In the center of the room, mounted on a sturdy stand, sat the fish tank—unique reinforced glass, strong but lightweight metal frame, self-regulating filtration system. It was empty, the clear water inside rippling faintly with each shift of the ship.
Isla’s fingers brushed the glass as James got out some special harness to move it. Her eyes narrowed at the slight distortion, her reflection gazed back at her, eyes calm, expression steady. She leaned in a little closer, eyes narrowing. Her breath fogged the glass for a heartbeat—then her reflection smiled.
Not a grin. Not a smirk. Just the softest, most knowing tilt of the lips that said ‘I’m here for you.’ that set her heart at ease.
Her breath didn’t hitch. But her muscles did lock for a moment, fingers tensing against the tank. Maybe I should get to know you better… Know us better? This is uncharted territory. Maybe this is for the best after what we just saw. She pulled away, shaking her head. No, don’t think about it. Just get ready and do what you need to do.
She watched James use the strap to move it onto a cart and wheel it to the boat. Isla got a smile from Brigid as they all piled into the decent-sized boat, James tossing down bags of supplies and weapons for Hollow and Kael. Maeva stopped beside her, arms crossed, waiting for them to finish the preparations.
“I checked all the men,” she mumbled, eyeing James specifically. “Other than some…pleasant surprises, nothing out of the ordinary. It almost seems…too normal after what we just experienced.”
Brigid scooted closer, ears a tad red while following the medic’s gaze to their quite muscular security officer, her mind no doubt working on her own fanfiction. “For real, though. It’s almost been too quiet since then. I’m just…relieved and scared I’m not going to shore. Maybe…Kael could stay behind with me?”
Isla’s half-smirk tilted toward the redhead, Maeva giving her the same look that turned their technician’s face the same color as her hair. “Mhm.”
“No, don’t paint me with that brush,” the woman softly groaned, nervous eyes darting toward the buzz-cut man, laughing at Hollow’s dry jokes. “I mean, doesn’t it make sense? I need our field engineer to help me with the ship, there’s the whole buddy system…a woman on her lonesome in a creepy sea with monsters… I’m terrified, okay?”
“I’m sure you’re feeling something,” Maeva snickered, bumping hips with her and making the redhead shrink a little, hiding her face from the men below. “I’d stay, but the field medic kind of needs to stay with the explore group.”
“No, I get—”
“Sure.” Both women gave her a lifted eyebrow as Isla nudged Brigid’s side with a wink and a smile that made the redhead’s downcast expression glow. “You’re not wrong that it would be bad to leave you alone after everything we saw.”
“Thanks, Isla—I mean, Captain,” she chimed, throwing her arms around her in a hug that instantly drew the men’s gaze. “I managed to find a frequency for the radios to work, as well. We’ll, eh, see how long that lasts, though.”
Unaware that she’d even been working on that project, Isla grinned. “I was wondering why we weren’t using them, but I had so much else on my mind lately. Nice going, girl.” Leaning in closer while staring down at the engineer, she whispered, “Just make sure you actually do some work while we’re gone.”
“W-What do you think we’ll be doing?!” the redhead choked.
Maeva snorted, leaning in to whisper into her other ear. “What men and women do after almost dying. Release stress. I’ve already had my fun,” she said almost so softly that Isla didn’t hear it, making the technician’s whole body experience a quiver.
“Wait, really—who?”
Isla was slightly interested in that answer as well, but Maeva wasn’t going to make it that easily. The medic showed a secretive smile while saying, “No need to worry about the cake you’ve got your eye on, girly. Go get ‘em!” she mused, smacking the redhead on the butt and making her give a light yelp.
“What’s up?” Kael called up. “Something going on?”
Leaning over the edge, Isla jabbed a thumb at their cooked technician. “Change of plans, Kael. You’re staying to protect our precious princess. If something happens to her, we’re kind of stuck in the water. So make sure you treat her well.”
Kael’s teeth flashed as he rubbed his head. “Sure thing, Cap! We can’t have anything happening to our fiery girl. We gotta check every deck to see if there’s any damage. Don’t want there to be a leak, or we could have some problems, but I can tighten her up.”
“L-Leak… T-Tighten her up?” Bridget repeated, eyes practically spinning and ears coming out of her ears.
Isla felt a stitch break into her side, frame shaking as Brigid looked like she’d faint on the spot. The best part was that she wasn’t sure if Kael was talking about tightening up the ship or technician.
“I’ll leave her in your care then,” she chucked, spotting a mix of reactions from the others as James offered Maeva and her a helping hand to get down. “Try not to break her.”
Kael gave her a loose salute as she hopped onto the smaller boat, showing a rosy smile. “If I do, I know just how to fix ’er!”
All of them could hear the redhead practically choking on her lungs above, and Isla couldn’t help but feel her heart lighten as Maeva took her time descending to give Brigid time to collect herself. It took her back to some of the details she’d come to learn about their technician, though.
I guess spending the last three years researching some jungle-ruin technology leaves you down bad. Add some horror shit to the mix, and she’s itching for release. Can’t blame her.
Once James had made it on and Kael joined the technician, they set off. One face seemed almost devoid of emotion throughout the exchange, though—Hollow. The theoretical physicist’s gaze had been centered on her the entire time.
Yeah, Isla thought, taking her spot at the front, legs bent, and studying at the shoreline. Out of everyone, Hollow is going to be the real problem. Unless…maybe something infected him…
The air smelled different near the island. Clean. Sharp. Almost…too clean. Hollow and James rowed in sync. The waves lapped at the sides, crystal clear water letting them see straight to the sea floor. White sand glittered below them, soft coral clusters nestled in small outcroppings of rock. Immortal Fish darted between them, showing off their silvery-blue, translucent, opal-like shimmer with prismatic glow trails.
“We aren’t planning on cooking any of these, right?” Hollow mumbled, leaning over the side of the boat, paddle in one hand, eyes locked on the fish. “Look at ‘em. I bet they’ll transform into giant fish people and suck out our brains.”
“I don’t know,” Maeva hummed, keeping a bit of distance from the back while examining the hundreds that zipped through the clear waters. “I kind of think they look like angels. Look at their tails! See that? All split like ribbons, and those faint rays. What do you think, Captain?”
Isla tilted forward, gaze following her pointing finger. Her breath left her slowly. “God fish, at least that’s what I’m calling them,” she whispered. “Doctor Evelyn showed me one. They can survive just about anything we know of.”
“Except for the plants on the north side,” Hollow grunted. “I have this voice in my head telling me I’m not going to make it back from this one…”
All of them gave the physicist a cautious stare, Isla voicing the obvious.
“Like, an actual voice? What’s it telling you?”
“Pfft. Don’t take it so literally, Cap,” Hollow returned with a tight smile that only heightened the tension. “If anyone would be hearing voices, wouldn’t it be you? I saw that video where you were stumbling around during The Fog thing.”
“Yeah?” Isla’s voice came out calm, easy, like she was commenting on the weather. She tilted her head, her gaze unwavering as if she were the one pulling on the line. “What else did you see, Hollow?”
Silence. The faint clinking of water lapping against the hull filled the pause, broken only by the gentle squeak of Maeva adjusting her position. James glanced toward them, subtle, like a man checking a door he knew was already locked. Even Maeva shifted her eyes to Hollow, her lips pressed in a line.
“Enough,” Hollow said eventually, gaze drifting to the fish darting beneath them. His paddle dipped into the water, slow, unhurried strokes, eyes tracking the glow of the god fish below.
“Saw you lookin’ at something. Never seen someone look so spooked before, Cap—even when that Eldritch thing in the sky showed up. You looked…rattled. Like you saw a ghost.” He took another pull on the oar, his eyes still on the water but his voice carrying the weight of a loaded question. “You ever tell anyone about it?”
Isla leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, fingers laced loosely together. She exhaled slowly through her nose, eyes narrowing at the oncoming island. “There’s a lot of things we’ve all seen since The Fog,” she muttered, gaze distant. Her eyes flicked briefly to Hollow, hard and cutting like the edge of a scalpel. “Not everything needs a name to leave an impact.”
Maeva’s eyes narrowed, shifting between the two. Her fingers tapped a slow rhythm on the side of the boat, her lips twisting into something caught between a frown and a smile. “You didn’t tell me, Captain?” Maeva asked, slower this time, her voice like honey dripping from a knife. Not suspicious, but not unconcerned either. She shifted her weight, her gaze locked on her. “Not even Brigid? No, she’d be freaking out and telling me.”
A low laugh left Isla, dry and short. She rubbed her hands together, feeling the rough warmth of her palms, grounding herself in the moment. Her smile returned—not wide, not forced—just present and patient.
“Of course I didn’t tell Brigid,” Isla chuckled, shaking her head, gaze on the craggy cliffs rising before them. “Nah. Everyone has seen enough horrors. If I did, she’d push to return to base, but there’s a reason we take the pills to sleep during The Fog. So long as we follow protocol, everything should be fine. I was just a little late taking mine.” She glanced back at Maeva, lifting one brow in challenge. “You want to talk about what you saw in your dreams before that plane woke us up?”
Maeva’s lips pressed flat. She looked at her hands, flexing them slowly, fingers tight, then loose—she had seen something, which meant everyone else must have. For a moment, her eyes flickered to James, to Hollow, and back to her. She scratched the back of her neck, her gaze hooded, thoughtful.
“Not, really,” she admitted, voice barely above the ripple of the water. Her eyes stayed on Isla, quiet but firm. “It’s kind of…personal. It felt nice, though.”
“Smart,” Isla replied softly, leaning back to rest against the edge of the boat. The breeze tugged at her hair, salty and cold. “Sometimes, talking about it makes it more real. Wouldn’t you agree, Hollow?”
She kept a close eye on the physicist, yet, he didn’t bring up the damning piece of evidence nor look as freaked out as she knew he would be if he’d seen what she had. He simply shrugged and mumbled, “Talkin’ about stuff like this—it makes it more real—it knows you’re thinkin’ about it… I think you shouldn’t feed it, Cap. Just sayin’.”
No, Isla thought, catching him closer. He knows about Her…but he’s staying silent about it. Does he know something? His field of research is in the weird physics shit, so…maybe.
James glanced at him sharply. Hollow didn’t notice—or maybe he did and just didn’t care. He swirled the oar slowly, watching the water spiral around it in lazy circles.
“Sayin’ it out loud gives it a shape,” Hollow continued, voice distant, eyes half-lidded. “Gives it a face. I’d rather not know its face. I don’t think we’re meant to meet them, I guess, is what I’m trying to say.”
Maeva tilted her head, frowning deeper. “That superstition or experience talking, Hollow? You’re dancing around the topic.”
Isla didn’t know if she should feel threatened or confused. He’s really not. I think Hollow knows more about Her than he’s letting on. So, you don’t want me to trust her…but you’re not going to out Her. Probably the smart move, in the end.
“Have to…and both,” he muttered, shifting his weight. His eyes darted to Isla, watching her the way a man watches a candle flicker in an empty room—like he was wondering if it’d burn too fast or not at all. “You got your own theories, Cap. I’m sure. Seen it on your face a few times. You’re just better at hiding it than most of us. I’m pretty sure all of us are experiencin’ somethin’ from The Fog. Yours is just…more.”
He said it so casually, so lazily, but Isla knew a scalpel when she saw one—subtle, sharp, and designed to cut in ways you didn’t notice until it was too late. She watched him for a moment longer, her face impassive, then tilted her head back, looking at the cloudless sky.
“Don’t waste too much time looking for shadows, Hollow,” she advised, keeping her voice light but sharp enough to draw blood. Her eyes slid over to him, holding his gaze for a beat longer than she should have. “I’m sure we’ve all seen enough at this point. We just need to take a few samples and run back to X0 to report in. We’re this close to finishing.”
His grin faltered, just for a second, before snapping back into place. It didn’t reach his eyes this time. “Fair enough, Cap,” he murmured, turning his gaze back to the water. “Fair enough.”
James hadn’t said a word during the whole exchange, but his eyes hadn’t stopped moving—flicking between them like a metronome. He took it all in, like he was calculating odds and making bets. Smart guy. Silent. But smart. He’s calculating the odds of the whole group, and they’d sooner follow me than Hollow.
The water lapped against the hull, soft and steady. The island grew larger, more defined, the cliffs’ glowing veins flickering in faint pulses that had no rhythm. The jungle’s canopy churned in slow, deliberate shifts, like something large was moving just beneath it.
Maeva’s eyes darted to the trees, her fingers brushing against the knife strapped to her leg—the one James had given her. “Cap,” she said slowly, voice tight. “What’s the play if we do see something…familiar?”
“Define familiar,” Isla replied, tone flat, eyes on the cliffs.
“Like…a dead loved one?” Maeva muttered, glancing at her. Her gaze lingered on the cliffs too long, her lips pressed thin. “That kind of familiar.”
“Don’t look at it too long,” Isla replied without hesitation—the answer came naturally, instinctively, as if not her own—her eyes steady on her reflection. She gave her a more serious stare, the words falling from her lips. “Don’t name it. Don’t let it see you. If it talks, you don’t talk back. There are things here that can take you into realms…far more frightening than the one we saw in the sky.”
“Interesting. You sound like you’ve been here before—lived here before,” Hollow quipped, his grin razor-thin, his paddle slicing the water with a smooth, practiced motion. “Nonetheless, solid advice. Maybe Director Evelyn did know what she was doing when making you the captain.”
That earned him a glance from Maeva, sharp as glass. James’s lips pulled into a slow, humorless smile, barely there but still visible. Hollow raised both hands in mock surrender, rocking the boat a little.
“Too soon?” he asked, grin lopsided. “Too much?”
Maeva’s eyes didn’t leave him. “Captain,” she muttered, still watching the man. “Permission to toss him overboard?”
“Permission granted,” Isla muttered, folding her arms and settling in for the ride. “But make it look like an accident.”
“I can do that,” Maeva replied, cracking her knuckles with slow, deliberate ease.
Hollow just laughed, but it was quieter this time. “You really are a survivalist, Cap. I’m jealous. It’s almost like you have this…supernatural aura.”
Isla flashed her teeth. “That’s just my charm!”
“I’m sure it is—hey! She’s joking, Maeva. Geez…”
The field medic showed a wicked grin that didn’t suit her. “Am I, though? Best watch yourself, Hollow. You’re sounding awfully suspicious.”
Is he, though? Isla’s more rational side questioned, watching her semi-tease the skinny man. No, I think he’s being perfectly reasonable… If I saw what I did on that tablet, but it was Hollow instead of me… Yeah, how would I react? I suppose he might have been on expeditions like this before with that kind of response. Interesting…
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