Chapter 262 Landing on the Island

Chapter 262 Landing on the Island

Hearing this, Cecilia glanced down and saw a dark reef emerging beneath the water, its edges looking dangerously sharp. Up ahead, the mist parted slightly, revealing a decayed wooden dock. The planks, blackened by the sea, were eroded and broken in places, as if they could collapse at any moment.

She frowned but heard Christopher command, "Get off the boat."

As soon as he spoke, he stepped onto the dock first. The wood creaked under his weight, sending shivers down Cecilia's spine.

"What are you waiting for?" Ten Eyes urged from behind her.

Ignoring him, Cecilia followed, stepping onto the dock. A bone-chilling cold shot up from her feet. She instinctively looked around; the mist swirled around her like a living entity. In the distance, the shadowy outlines of twisted trees loomed, resembling monstrous claws, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

"Stop gawking," Ten Eyes warned coldly. "There's no turning back now."

Cecilia found it amusing and glanced at him with a hint of mockery in her voice, "This island is so dangerous. If we don't pay attention, we might end up as fertilizer."

"You..."

"Enough," Christopher, who was leading, suddenly stopped and shot them a cold look.

Ten Eyes had to lower his head in apology. As he looked up, he saw Cecilia making a taunting face at him.

His forehead veins bulged in anger, but he dared not speak.

Cecilia felt slightly better. She just hoped they could leave the island soon and find a way to contact Alaric and the others.

The island was eerily quiet without their conversation. No birds, no insects, just the rustling of leaves in the wind.

They followed a narrow path deeper into the island. The ground was wet and sticky, each step feeling like walking on decayed flesh.

The mist thickened, making it almost impossible to see, despite it being early morning.

Ten Eyes frowned and, without waiting for Christopher's order, turned on a powerful flashlight. The beam cut through the fog but couldn't penetrate the endless darkness ahead.

Suddenly, a low wail echoed from afar, like a beast's howl or a person's cry, drifting in the mist, directionless.

Cecilia stopped abruptly. "Did you hear that?"

Christopher didn't turn back. "Ignore it."

But the sound came again, closer this time, as if right behind them. Cecilia felt a chill down her spine and instinctively turned around, seeing only swirling mist and Ten Eyes' blurred figure.

"This island is strange," she said, her temples throbbing, lowering her voice.

Besides their footsteps and the eerie howls, Cecilia faintly heard a strange buzzing, like an ancient chant being whispered.

"Isn't that obvious?" Ten Eyes, already annoyed with her, snapped.

Cecilia tuned him out, shaking her head to stay alert, but the sound grew clearer.

"Cecilia, my Cecilia."

A gentle female voice suddenly called from the mist.

Cecilia froze. She knew this voice well—it was her mother's!

"Snap out of it!" Ten Eyes, seemingly oblivious to the voice, continued forward and bumped into Cecilia, roughly pulling her. "You wanna die here?"

But the next moment, Ten Eyes stumbled as if something had hit his side hard.

He grunted, dropping his flashlight, the beam drawing a chaotic arc in the mist.

"What the hell?" Ten Eyes' tone was annoyed, his long hair coming loose.

He quickly drew a knife, scanning the surroundings warily.

Christopher finally stopped, his eyes under the mask showing a rare seriousness. He raised a hand, signaling for silence, but all they heard were their own rapid breaths and the eerie, ground-seeping buzz.

Then, Victor's steady voice sounded in Cecilia's ear, "Cecilia, go left. Don't look back."

She instinctively turned left but was grabbed by Christopher, his voice icy, "Where are you going?"

"Go left. Don't look back," Cecilia repeated Victor's words. "Trust me, follow me."

Christopher's dark red eyes glinted in the darkness. After a moment, he nodded, "Alright, I trust you."

Just then, Ten Eyes cried out in pain. Three bloody scratches appeared on his arm, as if clawed by something, though nothing was there!

"Damn it!" Ten Eyes clutched his wound, his face pale. "This place..."

Before he could finish, the mist ahead on the left churned violently, revealing a narrow path.

Christopher made a quick decision, "Go."

The three of them nodded and stumbled forward.

Cecilia's parents' voices echoed in her ears, sometimes gentle, sometimes shrill. She bit her lip hard, trying not to let her emotions overwhelm her.

The path grew steeper, with rotting leaves occasionally glowing eerily, like some fungi or animal eyes. Ten Eyes ran beside Cecilia, suddenly slipping and sliding down.

"What the hell is going on!"

"Watch out!" Cecilia reacted quickly, reaching out but only grabbing a piece of his clothing.

In a split second, Christopher threw a rope, expertly wrapping it around Ten Eyes' waist. In the dim glow, Cecilia saw Ten Eyes had nearly fallen into a hidden pit filled with sharp bones!

"What is this place!" Ten Eyes cursed, his face pale, contrasting with his handsome features.

Christopher didn't answer, just looked ahead where the mist was thinning, "We're almost there."

Sure enough, after about ten more minutes of difficult progress, the mist began to clear. The eerie howls faded, as if everything before had been an illusion.

As the last of the mist dissipated, they finally saw what lay ahead.

An ancient stone altar stood in the clearing, covered in runes similar to the Webb family’s secret language. Scattered around were rusted instruments, looking like decades-old scientific equipment. In the center of the altar lay a gem glowing with a ghostly blue light.

"Isis's Tear," Christopher's red eyes under the mask brightened, his voice showing rare emotion.

Cecilia pressed her lips together, noticing the fresh bloodstains on the ground around the altar.