Chapter 16 - The Strange Old Man

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• Stranded in Thoughts   Epilogue

  Sunlight filtered through the holes in the window blinds, casting pale golden streaks across the room. The translucent curtains fluttered in the artificial breeze from the air conditioning, diffusing the light into a muted glow. Even that gentle illumination felt overwhelming.I couldn’t lift my head to see beyond the glass; I could only imagine how picturesque it might be—the garden outside with its roses, the trees beginning swaying, and the world moving on without me while I remained frozen in this sterile cocoon.I couldn’t move, not even twitch my fingers. My body felt like it belonged to someone else; it was a distant vessel that refused to respond to my desperate commands.The steady hum of the air conditioner created a monotonous backdrop, punctuated by the faint rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. The scent of sterile hospital sheets mingled with the mustiness of stale air, creating that uniquely medical atmosphere.Footsteps echoed outside the room, their rhythm familiar a

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 21 - The Beasts of the Realm

  I opened my eyes to the view I had once seen. Every detail of the island had never been clearer than before, and I could make out the beach where we got stranded and also the far end of the island we hadn’t yet explored. I frantically searched our surroundings and saw Rico by my side. The pistol was in his hand, and he was more alert than anyone could be. I couldn’t help but smile.Priscilla was shackled beside him, and Dr. Shawn lay next to her; his shoulder was bleeding rather seriously. What should I do? From what I understood, I could create anything in this realm, so that might mean I could also create a doctor to help him or something. I imagined the image of one appearing beside Dr. Shawn, but nothing happened.How the heck was I supposed to create, anyhow?At the far north of the island, I noticed Josh and Rex on the ground. They were both wincing and crying in pain.How could I help Josh? Please, someone or anything on this island, help Josh!Understood.I opened my eyes an

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 20 - The Battle at the Silent Falls

  My head throbbed.Everything around me blurred. There was a ringing in my ears so loud it drowned out the world. My body felt heavy, the ground unsteady. A warm trickle ran down my face. Blood?I shifted, trying to prop myself up on my right arm, but the surface beneath me wasn’t solid.Water.Panicked, I touched my head, wincing as pain flared. I twisted at the waist and noticed something—or someone—floating beside me.Jelly.She looked so still—too still.Blinking hard, I forced my head to clear. The darkness around me was thick, tinted murky blue. And it hit me.I couldn’t breathe.My lungs burned, panic seizing me as I flung my hands wildly through the water. My body twisted in a frantic surge, my arms reaching for Jelly. Her limp form drifted beside me. Her hair swirled in slow currents.No—she wasn’t moving.I grabbed her waist, my heart pounding as I kicked upward, pushing through drifting debris. The ache in my chest deepened, but I forced my legs to keep kicking.I kept thinki

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 19 - The Young Bloods

  My mother was teacher Mary.That was why I often dreamed about someone I couldn’t quite remember but still felt close to my heart.It had been her all along.Fuzzy memories surged back: the faint “I love you” whispered by someone whose face was blurred; the tender, long arms holding me close; the curly hair swaying gently in the wind; and the sweet, encouraging “I love you” that soothed me just before sleep. The images remained blurry, but now I understood why those fragments had haunted me for so long.Mom143. That was why.Rico’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Hey, your friend’s about to say something important.”“Everyone, I need you to listen carefully,” Chevonne said, her voice steady but intense. “I managed to speak with my father—through thought. He told me everything about what’s happening here. Yes, it’s shocking, but I had to keep my composure because there was a member of the Young Bloods in our group.”She glanced at Josh.“I didn’t want him to know I’d figured it ou

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 18 - The Artifact

  “Chevonne! Look at this!”How could I not?The landscape glowed beneath the moonlight. It was so breathtaking it seemed to drain every worry and fear the island had planted in me. I’d never seen a night so bright. Lavender light bathed everything, revealing the landscape in full detail as if darkness held no power here.I squinted, realizing the soft glow came from the cocohair trees. They shimmered like the candescent Christmas trees I used to see in P-Mall during those early September displays.The silent waterfalls didn’t unsettle me anymore—not after everything Chevonne had told me about strange powers and whatnot. The abnormal was starting to feel normal. I refused to keep acting surprised every time reality broke its own rules.Because I wasn’t normal either. I had a power. I was a thinker. And honestly? I was proud of it.If I could, I’d show off my ability—flaunt it in front of my friends, brag as much as I wanted. I wasn’t some superhero hiding their gift from the world. If th

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 17 - The Burster and Them

  We returned to the meeting place where Sir once commanded his conjurer friend to construct a building long ago. It was supposed to be our fallback point where we would lure everyone after the beach incident. But with how things unfolded, we hadn’t been able to execute the plan perfectly. Still, we managed to draw a few people inland.What greeted us was nothing but ruins.The entire building had been reduced to dust and rubble.“Hey, what happened here?” the weak-ass slasher asked, his hands resting behind his head as if he didn’t have a care in the world.Our controller turned, her smile tight, masked menace behind it. “A lot of things, I’d imagine. Right, Momo? Mimi?”The twins exchanged glances.They were nearly identical—squinting eyes, small noses, and pale, thin lips. Even their height and build were the same. They were barely the size of elementary students yet far more dangerous than they looked. If you didn’t know what they could do, you’d never suspect how lethal they were.I

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 15 - The Thinkers

  “Lucky Kid, do it now!”The experience was like a wild rodeo.I clung to the horn of a massive, rhino-like beast while it thrashed beneath me. Its powerful body twisted and bucked, jerking side to side, then rearing and slamming down so violently I nearly lost my grip more than once.For five chaoti

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 11 - The Monster

  “That’s a lot, Lucky Kid. Now, how do we start a fire again?”The cold gnawed at my fingers as I crouched low, gripping two dry branches. Their rough bark scraped my palms as I pressed them together, trying to spark a flame by rubbing them back and forth.It felt clumsy, desperate even. The truth? I

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 10 - The Decision

  The body was removed from the cabin already. The crew found an open area near the shore where they buried the corpse along with its head. Other passengers were still crying in their makeshift tents. Our hope of leaving the island felt more distant than ever.I peeked outside my tent and spotted teac

• Stranded in Thoughts   Chapter 9 - The Edifice

  This might be some kind of mistake. Or a dream.The behemoth just five meters ahead of us—the one we found unrealistic—was a dilapidated edifice stretching from one side of the woods to the other. We couldn’t see the far end as it was heavily enshrouded by coconut-looking trees, which we all agreed