The dawn broke slow and silver over the island, casting long shadows across the sand where the Weavers had gathered. Felix stood at the water's edge, the tapestry rolled beside him, the threads in his hand still faintly aglow from the night before. The cosmic wheel in the sky had faded with the stars, but its presence lingered—a silent promise, or perhaps a warning, woven into the morning air.
Behind him, Linh stretched and yawned, her curls wild from sleep. Kiran was already poking at the embers of their campfire, muttering about the stubbornness of driftwood. Anaya hummed softly as she braided a strand of grass, her song blending with the hush of the waves.
Felix glanced at his friends, a smile tugging at his lips. "You know, if we survive this, I'm never eating seaweed stew again."
Kiran grinned, tossing a pebble into the surf. "If we survive this, I'll open a bakery. No seaweed, I promise. Only bread and stories."
Linh raised an eyebrow. "And who will do the baking? Last time you tried, we nearly lost a tooth."
Anaya laughed, her voice bright in the morning air. "I'll bake. Kiran can tell the stories. Felix can… supervise."
Felix feigned offense. "I'll have you know, I'm an excellent supervisor. Especially when it comes to taste-testing."
Their laughter drifted over the waves, light and easy—a thread of hope woven through the uncertainty of the day.
But as the sun climbed higher, the island's mysteries called them back to purpose. The ruins beyond the dunes waited, ancient and silent, their secrets hidden beneath layers of time and shadow.
Felix gathered the tapestry, feeling the weight of the blackened thread, the memory of the first unraveling. He looked at his friends—his family, in all but name—and felt the strength of the bonds they had forged.
"Ready?" he asked, his voice steady.
Linh nodded, determination shining in her eyes. "Let's see what the tides have kept hidden."
Kiran dusted off his hands. "After this, I'm holding you all to that bakery promise."
Anaya smiled, slipping her arm through Linh's. "Lead the way, Felix. The wheel is waiting."
Together, they set off toward the ruins, the cosmic wheel turning high above, the threads in their hands shimmering with possibility. The sea whispered at their backs, and the tides remembered every secret, every hope, every hour yet to be unraveled.
And as they walked, their laughter lingered—a promise that whatever darkness waited in the heart of the island, they would face it together.