The sun rose over the horizon.
The doctor opened his eyes, and the very first place he went was to Rose's side. She was awake inside the tent, her face filled with fear.
The doctor, wondering if something had happened, examined her body. But disappointment spread across his face. Fresh red marks had appeared on her face and limbs.
The moment Rose saw him, her lips trembled with fear.
"I saw that dream again…" she whispered.
Hearing this, the doctor turned and walked toward Peter's tent to call for him.
Peter was standing outside the tent. The moment he saw the doctor's face, he instantly understood what had happened.
"The spirit realm has struck her again,"
the doctor murmured as he stepped closer to him.
Peter was sipping the strong black tea Robert had brewed. At those words, he lowered the cup and fixed his gaze on the rolling waves. Somehow, watching the endless tide was the only thing that ever gave him a sense of calm.
"There is no other path left to us. The only choice we have… is to lead her into the Dreamworld,"
Peter said, his eyes never leaving the sea.
"Go back to her, Doctor. I'll join you shortly."
Francis was late to wake from his sleep. After he got up, he lit a cigarette and went outside. The pain in his right hand was slowly fading, yet he still had not removed the cloth wrapped around it.
The morning dew that had fallen shimmered outside the tent. Francis walked toward Juliet's tent.
Juliet was sitting inside, reading a book. In one hand she held a cup of strong black tea prepared by Robert.
As soon as Francis reached her side, she closed the book she had been reading the moment she saw him.
"Good morning, Juliet. Even today, the sun has defeated me. Every single day, I try to overcome it… but I never succeed."
Hearing Francis speak, a deep emotion stirred across Juliet's face.
"Francis, are you really smoking a cigarette so early in the morning ., Is it the kick from that which makes you talk such nonsense?"
Yet, there was no harshness on Juliet's face.
"Come inside, Francis… but first, throw away the cigarette in your hand."
Hearing her words, Francis took one last drag from the cigarette he was smoking, then dropped it to the ground.
After that, Francis came and sat beside Juliet. From his pocket, he took out a coin and began to play with it between his fingers.
"Is the pain in your hand any less now?" Juliet asked him.
He nodded his head slightly in response.
"What kind of coin is that?" Juliet asked curiously, watching the coin he was playing with in his hand.
"Oh, you mean this coin? To everyone else, it's just an ordinary piece of money. But to me, it's a reminder luck never comes for free; it always demands a price.
This coin is how I test my luck. Whenever I have to make a difficult decision, I flip it. And when I need to keep my focus sharp, I play with it like this, rolling it between my fingers.
Just like cigarettes… this coin has become my addiction."
Hearing this, Juliet gazed at Francis for a while. There was a smile on his face, yet in his eyes she felt there was a heavy secret hidden within.
"Many times, everyone here says that this island is testing us. Do you believe that?" Juliet asked, taking a sip of her strong black tea.
Hearing the question, Francis flipped the coin once more, then caught it and held it firmly in his hand.
"It is not belief that matters here, Juliet… it is experience. It is because of what they have experienced that everyone says so. This wind, these trees, this silence… all of it is watching us, listening to us. We only have to wait and see what trial comes to us next."
After saying this, Francis once again began to play with the coin in his hand.
Wondering what the next trial might be, Juliet looked out of the tent in fear. Her mind melted into the sound of the waves.
After a moment of silence, she spoke to Francis.
"Ordinary girls are supposed to fear the night, aren't they? But here, both night and day feel the same to me. Both only bring darkness into my heart."
"Do not be afraid, Juliet. I like problems… and if they come, they will knock on my door first, not yours," Francis said in a reassuring tone.
"Francis, I often wonder about you. Are you a problem… or a protection?"
"What if I am both".. Francis replied with a smile, looking into her face.
She drank the last drop of tea from her cup, then set it down on the ground. Taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled.
After a brief moment, Francis stood up to leave.
"I don't think you're a bad man, Francis. And you're not just a side character here either. Perhaps… you are our true savior."
Francis gave no reply. He silently walked out.
Once outside, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He took a drag and exhaled, then turned to look at Juliet.
"No one can truly be anyone else's savior, Juliet. Every act I've ever done… I did it for myself. Keep that in mind."
Saying this, Francis continued smoking as he walked toward his own tent.
...
The morning fog had yet to lift. Robert poured the strong black tea from the steel pot into two glasses. Then, carefully holding the two glasses, he walked toward Martha's tent.
Even as Robert approached the tent, there was no sound coming from inside. Only a silence blended with the fog. Robert called softly,
"Martha, I've brought tea. Can you come out"
It was a little past eight in the morning. Hearing Robert's voice, Martha drew back the tent flap and stepped outside.
Martha took the tea from Robert. After carrying one cup inside, she immediately came back out. Though exhaustion was evident on her face, her eyes shone with gratitude.
"Robert, you get up early every day to work for everyone else. You should rest a little too."
Hearing this, Robert smiled faintly. As he took a sip of tea, he noticed Martha's left hand trembling.
"What's wrong with your hand? Why is it shaking like that?"Robert asked her cautiously,
"Don't make it a big deal. It's just the cold."
She replied,
"There's nothing wrong with your grandmother, right., We don't see her outside much these days. That's why I asked."
Martha's eyes wandered inside. Both of them could hear the sound of her grandmother's labored breathing.
"She only comes outside now to eat. The rest of the time, she stays in the tent. Every day, it feels like she drifts a little farther away from me," Martha said, her voice filled with helplessness.
"I know how to handle the knives, but I don't know how to stop time. Let them live the time they've been given as happily as possible." He paused for a moment, then continued.
"After you finish the tea, you can bring the glass back. I have other work to do." Saying this, Robert returned.
By nine o'clock, they had finished their morning meal together. With the meat gone, a few of them walked into the forest to hunt a new animal. The wind blew gently across the island.
To be continued....