After three days had passed, Basil, Hamza, and Travis prepared to cross the path to the other tribe.
They sat with the tribe leader, Kyle, to hear more about the history of the island and its secrets.
Kyle began to speak, his voice carrying a mysterious tone:
"There is a mysterious woman who dwells in the forest surrounding the river that separates the two tribes. She is known as 'Serena.' She is not human, and not a ghost… but something in between. It is said that she has a terrifying appearance and an enchanting voice. If you hear her singing, you will find yourself sinking into a dream you cannot escape. You will stand frozen in place, a prisoner of illusion, while she slowly approaches you… until she takes your life."
Hamza, Basil, and Travis looked at one another in astonishment, while Travis asked anxiously, "Is there any way to avoid her influence?"
Kyle replied, taking out a small white piece and holding it between his fingers:
"The only one who survived her was a hunter who sealed his ears with wax before he sensed her presence. This creature uses the beauty of her voice to lure her prey, and when you fall into the grip of the dream… there is no escape."
Then he looked toward one of the warriors standing at the entrance of the hut; a strong-built young man, with sharp brown eyes, and an old scar stretching from his eyebrow to his left cheek. Then he said, "Joran, you will go with them."
Kyle stepped forward and took a small pouch containing pieces of special wax, and handed it to them with a warning:
"Make sure to place it tightly in your ears. If you lose it, you will not be able to resist her influence."
Before they set out on their journey, they exchanged silent glances carrying a mix of caution and resolve, aware that what awaited them on the paths ahead would not be easy.
They moved forward with cautious steps toward the edge of the forest, led by Joran, while the dense trees formed a narrow passage woven with tangled shadows, like an entrance to a strange and unknown world.
When they entered the forest, the humidity increased, and the light barely filtered through the thick canopy. Strange sounds began to pierce the silence: faint whispers, and eerie rustling among the leaves.
A feeling crept over them that hidden eyes were watching, and that the voices of unknown creatures echoed in the distance, increasing their anxiety and making their steps more cautious.
As they walked, they saw huge spiders hanging from the branches, staring at them with gleaming eyes and eerie silence, and hybrid creatures appeared with rooster heads and ostrich bodies, making ominous sounds that warned of imminent danger.
When they drew near the river, a soft singing voice began to slip into their ears; it was a gentle sound, carrying something that numbed the mind and tempted it to surrender.
Then they realized they had entered the range of Serena's influence. They hurried to look for the wax to plug their ears… but they discovered it had disappeared.
They looked at one another in shock. How had it vanished?! Had it fallen without them noticing?
At that moment, they felt their bodies grow heavy, their heads spin, and their eyes dim.
They froze in their places, unable to move, as if a hidden force had stripped their bodies of control. Their minds were aware of what was happening, but their bodies did not respond, until their eyes slowly slipped into darkness.
Each one of them found himself in a different world…
Hamza found himself standing on the deck of a small boat rocking over a raging sea; the waters crashed violently around him, and the winds howled from every direction, making the situation even more chaotic.
The boat began to tilt little by little until it overturned, and Hamza fell into the water and lost his balance.
He tried to swim, struggling against the power of the current, but the waves pushed him away from anything he could cling to. He kept fighting in the depths of the sea, the darkness around him growing denser, while the furious waves gradually swallowed him.
As for Travis, he found himself lying on the ground in a battlefield, his body weighed down by wounds and injuries. The sounds of swords and gunfire echoed in his ears from a distant reverberation. He tried to move his hand, but he was unable to rise, and a sharp, deep pain surged through him, intensifying his feeling of helplessness.
Around him, a group of men were fighting something mysterious that had overshadowed the place—an enemy that could not be seen by the eye—and suddenly it began to bring down the warriors one by one.
Then, when all had fallen, silence settled over the field, and nothing remained but his broken breaths and the echo of pain running through his exhausted body. He wanted to scream, to cry for help, but his voice failed him, and he remained there, a prisoner between helplessness and heavy silence.
In another place, Basil found himself slowly climbing to the top of a green hill, surrounded gently by the cool breeze. When he reached the summit, his eyes fell upon a mysterious woman standing beside a beautiful white horse. She had turned her back to him, gazing into the distant horizon in silence.
He stood there for a moment, watching her quietly and contemplating the scene. When he approached her with calm steps, she gently turned toward him; her face was covered by a dark veil that hid her features, while her sparkling eyes remained visible.
She said in a gentle voice, "Welcome, I am happy to see you!"
Basil replied, "Me too… I missed you."
The woman remained standing, her back curved toward him and her face turned slightly toward him, then she said softly, "How was your journey?"
Basil replied, "It was a journey full of dangers… I was always thinking of you."
She turned her head toward the horizon once more and said,
"Your journey is not over yet. Your friends need you."
Basil felt sadness and said,
"I don't want to leave you; your presence here makes me feel happy."
She answered gently, without turning to him this time,
"I understand… but the time of our meeting has not yet come."
Basil said with deeper sorrow,
"How can I leave you after all this longing?"
She replied in a calm voice, filled with reassurance,
"You will always be in my heart. Use your mark to return."
Basil stood in his place, watching her in silence, as the mark on his hand began to glow. He knew he had to return to face his destiny, carrying in his heart a promise that this meeting would not be the last.
In the heart of the forest drowned in silence, Serena moved among the ones trapped in dreams. Her glowing eyes watched the prey with deadly patience, searching for the perfect victim.
Joran's body was unable to move, trying to resist, his breathing erratic and his muscles tense, his feet fixed to the ground, unmoving.
While Joran's body was still, Serena approached him slowly, stood behind him, and gently ran her pale fingers over his shoulders, soothing him for a moment.
Then suddenly, she lunged at him!
Her jaws opened at a horrifying angle, and she sank her sharp fangs into his neck, piercing the flesh slowly until she reached his throat.
Joran choked, his mouth opening without making a sound. He tried to scream, but the air found no way out, as she was tearing at his throat with her teeth, driving them in deeper… then she tore out his larynx completely!
Blood gushed out in abundance, and his body shuddered and convulsed for a few moments, then his hands trembled violently in a desperate attempt to cling to life, before he finally collapsed to the ground, silent and motionless, his breath gone forever.
As for Serena, she stood in terrifying calm, chewing what she had torn out slowly, savoring the taste of warm blood, then she lifted her head slightly and swallowed what remained in one gulp.
She turned her glowing eyes toward Basil, who was still submerged in the dream.