Roarrrr!!
The sound wasn't just a noise; it was a physical force that tore through the fabric of Tari's sleep. She bolted upright, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird desperate to escape a cage. Her eyes darted around the dim, cramped quarters of her hut, her vision still blurry from the heavy weights of exhaustion. The air in the room felt thick, tasting of old wood and the metallic stench of the jungle's humidity.
"What… what was that?"
She whispered, her voice a dry rasp.Then the roar came again. This time, it was louder, a guttural, earth-shaking vibration that made the ceramic mug on her bedside table rattle. "My God, it was a dream," she sighed, bringing her shaking hands to her face. She rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying to scrub away the terrifying images that still clung to her mind like cobwebs.
The dream had been a twisted, hyper-realistic version of their accident in the woods. In reality, the crash had been a blur of shattered glass and screaming metal. But in the dream, the shadows had teeth. She had seen Aisha's Pilgrim vultures, but they weren't just birds. They were mutated monstrosities the size of military helicopters. Their eyes weren't biological; they were glowing, crimson torches that cut through the dark. Their talons were serrated blades of obsidian that tore at the truck's steel frame as if it were nothing more than wet tissue paper. She could still see the vivid, agonizing image of their mother's face, her mouth open in a silent scream of terror, just before the truck tumbled into the ravine. In the dream, the vehicle didn't just crash—it erupted into a hungry, unnatural violet flame that consumed everything.
"Oh mother, I hope you're alright," Tari whispered into the empty room. "When are we going to see you again? How did we end up in this nightmare?"
She realized then that the roaring noise wasn't just a leftover fragment of her nightmare. It was coming from outside the Lunatics' Den. It was a raw, biological sound—the kind of sound a god would make if it were in pain. She wondered if the Lunatics were out there right now, locked in a life-or-death struggle with yet another island horror.Suddenly, the door to Tari's hut didn't just open; it was kicked off its latch. Mira walked in, framed by the grey, eerie light of the jungle morning. She looked different. The warmth Tari had seen before was gone, replaced by a cold, sharp edge.
"What are you still doing snoozing at this hour?"
Mira shouted, her voice echoing off the wooden walls. "C'mon, hurry up. You've got a big day ahead. Your training commences today, and the sun is already mocking your laziness."
"Say what?"
Tari asked, her brain still trying to process the concept of 'training' while she was still covered in the sweat of a night-terror.But Mira wasn't in the mood for conversation. She lunged forward, grabbing Tari's arm with a grip that felt like an industrial pliers made of cold iron. With a sudden, powerful jerk, she dragged Tari out of the bed. The sheer display of raw strength sent a shock through Tari's system, slapping her fully awake.
"Kenna's going to be absolutely livid if she realizes you're still horizontal while the rest of the camp is bleeding for this island,"
Mira said. She began dragging Tari toward the door, ignoring the girl's attempts to dig her heels into the dirt floor.
"Slow down, Mira! Seriously!"
Tari protested, stumbling over a discarded boot. "Where are we even going? I need to freshen up! I can't meet the commander smelling like a basement and looking like a wreck!"
Mira turned a deaf ear to the complaints. She continued to tug Tari along like a stubborn pack animal. Tari watched her friend's profile in the dim light. It was terrifying how Mira's demeanor could shift in a matter of milliseconds. One moment she was a sweet, supportive youth; the next, she was a menacing warrior with eyes that looked like they had seen the end of the world.
Roarrrr!!
The sound tore through the air again, closer this time.
"What was that sound, Mira?"
Tari asked, her voice trembling. "It sounds like a mountain is being tortured."
"Oh, that? That's just a Franken-Bull,"
Mira replied casually, her pace never slowing. "And by the sound of it, it's currently on gestation. It's a very loud process. Very messy."
Tari stopped dead in her tracks, forcing Mira to pause.
"A what? A Franken-Bull? Who names these things anyway? That sounds like a joke from a bad horror movie."
Tari almost let out a nervous laugh, but it died in her throat when she saw Mira's face. Mira wasn't laughing. Her expression was a mask of grim stone.
"Merlin names them,"
Mira said, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. "And yes, Ember, a Franken-Bull. It's a minotaur-class monster that refuses to die. Think of them as sentient zombies made of muscle, horns, and ancient anger. The island didn't grow them in the dirt. Merlin engineered them in that hole he calls a laboratory. He stitched them together from the parts of things that should have stayed buried."
"What!"
Tari yelped, her eyes wide with a mix of horror and disbelief. "Merlin engineers monsters? What sort of sick, twisted Frankenstein stuff is he trying to pull? Are you sure he isn't some kind of diabolical villain? I knew there was something wrong with that man. He's sick."
The moment the words left Tari's mouth, the atmosphere changed. Mira came to an abrupt standstill, a sudden halt that seemed to vibrate through the very ground. Tari felt her marrow shake.
"Oh shit," Tari thought, a cold sweat breaking out on her neck. "I've tipped her off." She expected a sharp retort, but what she got was a sniper-rifle glare at point-blank range. Mira turned slowly, her eyes locking onto Tari's with a death-penance stare. It was a look that promised consequences. Tari gulped hard, the sound of her own heartbeat loud in her ears.
"Sorry,"
Tari admitted, her voice small. She felt incredibly uneasy under that heavy, silent gaze.
"You should learn to weave your words with a bit more wisdom, Ember.This tongue of yours is a liability. A warrior's mouth is for breathing and eating, nothing more"
Mira answered coldly. "This loose tongue of yours is not what a warrior is meant to have. In this camp, words can get you killed faster than a blade."
"Mira, I said I'm sorry… I didn't mean to—"
"Call me Wisp, Ember,"
Mira interrupted, her voice sounding colder than a winter grave. "From this moment forward, you will address me as Wisp, nothing more, I'm not your playmate. You shall bear the name Ember. And no more silly jokes, no more sarcasm , I won't tolerate your silly attitudes either. That is an absolute order."
Tari felt a wave of confusion and fear. She wondered what her exact offense had been. Was it the comment about the Franken-Bull? Or was she being punished for insulting Merlin? She wanted to ask, but the look on Mira's face told her that any more questions would result in something far worse than a lecture.
"Kenna has placed me as the scout in charge of your training,"
Mira continued, her tone clinical and detached. "Do not for one second think I'm going to go easy on you because we've shared a few meals and jokes. I am not your friend . Treat me as your Instructor. Your training starts this very instant, and these are the rules: As a rookie, you do not talk when I am talking. You will always reply with 'Yes, sir.' You will speak only when you are explicitly permitted to do so. Understood?"
Tari opened her mouth to argue, but the icy aura radiating from Mira stopped her.
"Go to the bathing pits," Mira commanded, pointing toward a steaming, rocky area of the camp. "You have exactly five minutes to round off your hygiene. Scrub the weakness of yourself and report back to the main square. If even one single second passes from the timeframe I have given you, you will taste brimstone. I am going to drill the warrior into you, or I will break you trying. Playtime is over. Now off you go. Move!"
Mira turned and stormed off, her silhouette disappearing into the morning mist. Tari stood there for a second, paralyzed. She could practically feel the ice growing in her lungs and heart as she replayed Mira's words.
"I knew she was some sort of she-demon in human clothing," Tari muttered to herself, though she didn't dare say it loud. "Why the sudden seriousness? And who follows rules like those in a place like this?"
Despite her inner protest, Tari didn't hesitate. She ran toward the pits. She would have loved to stop and watch the area where the Franken-Bull was supposedly giving birth—the idea of a minotaur calf was both terrifying and fascinating—but she knew Mira meant every word.
"Wait," Tari thought as she scrambled toward the water. "Why would it give birth if it's a bull? Bulls are male." She shook her head. Logic was a luxury she couldn't afford right now.Five minutes later, Tari stood in the center of the camp, gasping for breath.
"There you are.Four minutes and fifty seconds,"
Mira muttered, sounding almost disappointed as she looked at a stopwatch she produced from her vest . She hissed as she didn't get to punish her.
Her face was unreadable. Tari frowned, her hair still damp and tangled; she hadn't had nearly enough time to actually clean herself properly.Mira gestured for Tari to follow her to a long wooden shelf near the barracks.
"Change of clothes,"
Mira said curtly. She pointed to a set of combat gear hanging on the shelves. Unlike the rags Tari had been wearing, these were high-grade tactical suits. They didn't smell of grime or the stagnant rot of the jungle; they were clean, made of a strange, flexible material, and fitted with various gadgets and holstered pouches.
"Take whichever one fits you best," Mira instructed. "When you're finished, head straight to Merlin's lab. The old man wants to see you for some reason. And listen carefully: do not smell of mud, sweat, or sulfur. Merlin does not tolerate contaminants in his workspace. He's particular about his environment. Apply some oil perfume before leaving"
Tari bit her lip. "Who is she calling a contaminant" she thought bitterly. Besides, she had seen Merlin's lab—it was a chaotic mess of bubbling beakers and rusted metal. She doubted a few microbes would even be noticed in that disaster zone.
"Report back to me the very instant you are done with the old man,"
Mira concluded, her eyes narrowing. "We leave for Gorgon's Cove before the sun hits its peak at noon. I don't want to see a single second of slack in your training. Now off you go. I'll be waiting here."
Mira turned her back and walked away without another word. Tari hissed silently through her teeth, her frustration boiling just beneath the surface. This cold attitude was getting worse by the hour. Was Mira just waiting for the right moment to show this side of herself? And she hadn't even bothered to ask if Tari had eaten breakfast.
Tari quickly changed into the combat suit. It was surprisingly comfortable, hugging her body in a way that felt like armor rather than clothing. "The tailors of these parts are better than Silas's" she thought silently. Feeling a bit more confident, she headed toward the large, stone structure of Merlin's sanctuary.She arrived at the lab ten minutes later. Along the way, she had managed to snag two boiled ostrich eggs from the communal canteen, swallowing them down in a few hungry bites. It wasn't a feast, but it stopped the shaking in her hands.The chimney of the lab was belching out thick, white smoke today. From inside, Tari could hear rhythmic, metallic thumping and the roar of what sounded like a dozen steam engines.
"Come on in, the door's already open!"
Merlin's voice boomed from inside before Tari could even raise her hand to knock.She took a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm her nerves. She prepared herself for the grumpy, eccentric old man she remembered from the day before. She pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped inside.The lab was filled with a thick, herbal-scented steam. It was nearly arranged . Merlin was sitting at a workbench, but he wasn't alone. Standing near him was a massive man—a huge fellow with scarred skin and shoulders so broad they seemed to block out the light. He looked like a retired heavyweight wrestler, one of Merlin's Lunatics and top heavy hitter. The man glanced at Tari, gave her a slow, knowing wink, and then lumbered out of the room, closing the door behind him with a heavy thud.Tari turned her attention back to Merlin.
Now that the smoke was clearing and she was standing closer, she realized her initial impression had been wrong. Merlin wasn't old. He looked to be in his early forties, with a strong, athletic build. His black hair, streaked with deliberate patches of gray, looked more like a fashion choice than a sign of aging.
"How are you doing today, Tari?"
Merlin asked, his voice surprisingly warm. He was pouring a golden liquid from a polished brass kettle.
"Did you sleep well? Or did the jungle's lullaby keep you awake?"
Tari opened her mouth to speak, but Merlin didn't wait for an answer.
"You look much finer this morning," he said, moving with a grace that surprised her. "I always knew a solid eight hours of sleep would transform your persona. Here, take this." He handed her a delicate ceramic cup. Tari hesitated, remembering Mira's warning about his lab.
"Don't worry,"
Merlin chuckled, a sarcastic but friendly glint in his eye. "It's a blend of Moringa and wild honey, with just a pinch of cinnamon. I promise it isn't poisoned. It won't digest your internal organs or turn you into a mutant. Not today, at least."
Tari took the cup. The aroma was incredible—sweet, earthy, and soothing. She took a small sip and felt the warmth spread through her chest."Have a seat,"
Merlin said, pulling a chair out for her. "Make yourself comfortable. You're my guest of honor, after all. And I want to apologize for yesterday, Tari. I'm afraid I drank from the wrong bottle of rum. I accidentally ingested half a bottle of distilled wasp venom instead of my usual Troll-spit whiskey. I've been working so hard I couldn't distinguish between a vintage wine and a lethal toxin container. It's lucky I've developed an immunity to most of the poisons on this island, or I'd be nothing more than manure in a compost field by now."
Merlin laughed, a hearty, genuine sound. Tari couldn't believe this was the same man she had met before. He seemed so easygoing, offering her a warm welcome and a cup of tea In the middle of a literal hellscape.
"Kenna was here this morning before you arrived," Merlin continued, his expression softening slightly.
"She gave me quite an earful. I know things have been incredibly hard for you since you got here. I'm sorry about all that's happened. It isn't a life I'd wish on anyone."
Tari nodded slowly, feeling a lump in her throat."Before we get down to business," Merlin began, his sarcastic wit returning, "I'm Merlin. I'm the Loser-in-Chief who runs this absolute mess of a laboratory. Most of the stuffs are still working,but I'll manage. The Lunatics call me Boss, but honestly, that's so boring. You can call me Merlin, or whatever else you like. I'm a free spirit, and I hate entitlements. Sometimes I wish I could just run away and live in a hut on the beach, if not for the Hounds. Hehe."
He poured a bit of rum into a glass tumbler and took a sip, his breathing finally evening out.
"Anyway, I know you have questions," Merlin said, leaning forward. "You want to know about the mysteries and the weird science behind this nightmare world you've stumbled into. I'll be glad to answer them, Tari. But you have to understand one thing: knowing the 'why' doesn't change the 'what.' It's still the same dangerous shit it has always been since the beginning."
Tari took a long sip of her tea, her mind racing.
"What are electrc-wasps, Sir Merlin? You mentioned them yesterday, and I can't stop thinking about them. They don't seem like something nature would just… make." Tari asked curiously. She had a mountain of questions to ask, but the Electric Hornets piqued her attention.
"Oh, that!"
Merlin dropped his tumbler onto the table with a loud clack. "Electric-Hornets, not wasps, Tari.
They are mutant beasts created from the island's unique biology. Imagine big, annoying bugs the size of golden eagles. They have the biological potential to discharge hundreds of thousands of volts of pure electricity. I've been trying to harness that power to replace the dying energy of the island's vines, but their energy… it doesn't behave like a regular charge."
"How so?"
Tari asked, leaning in.
"You know about AC and DC current, right?" Merlin asked. Tari gave him a blank look.
"Right. No science nerds in the room. Well, these hornets don't apply to those rules. Their current doesn't just flow; it scatters into many phases, then collects as a single, unified charge. It's almost like the electricity itself is alive. It has a will."
Tari felt lost. Merlin was speaking a language she didn't understand. She wished Aisha were here; she would have loved this technical jargon.
"I know I'm losing you, Tari,"
Merlin said with a sympathetic smile. "It's alright. Like I said, the charge they produce acts like a living organism. It's intelligent. This is hard to explain in words. Come with me."
Merlin stood up, throwing his heavy jacket over his shoulders. Tari could see his hulky build; he clearly didn't just spend all his time with beakers. He was a warrior in his own right.She followed him as he walked to the back of the lab and opened a heavy iron latch leading to an underground basement. The air that wafted up from the hole was freezing, smelling of ozone and ancient stone.
"Time to see the real work,"
Merlin whispered." The belly of the beast," Merlin said, beckoning her into the underground basement."
And try not to touch anything. Unless you want to find out what it feels like to be a human lightbulb."