🗡️Chapter 06🗡️

Zelda's POV

I shoved the rented boat off the shore, the wood scraping against the grit until it finally caught the water.

The bag hanging off my shoulder felt like a lead weight, tugging at me as I climbed in. I dusted the sand off my palms, sat on the narrow bench, and grabbed the oars. With every pull, the boat drifted further into the open water, the afternoon sun beating down on me as I rowed.

Once the shore was nothing but a blurry line, I slumped forward. I gripped the strap of my bag and yanked it off, dumping the contents right onto the floor of the boat.

The metal clattered against the wood, a messy pile of kitchen knives, hunting blades, and serrated edges I’d cleared out of a supermarket near the hotel.

The cashier’s face flashed in my mind. She’d looked at me like I was a psycho, her eyes darting between my bloodshot eyes and the pile of steel on the conveyor belt. I’d just muttered some bullshit about a camping trip and a big family BBQ, throwing my card at her before she could ask another question.

I reached down and picked one up, the bright daylight catching the edge of the blade. It was heavy, a thick butcher’s knife with a handle that fit perfectly in my grip. I turned it over, inspecting the point. I wondered if this was the one. Would this be enough to carve the heart out of a monster?

I stared at it for a second, my reflection ghosting in the steel, then hissed and tossed it back into the pile. Not that one. Not yet. I reached for a smaller, sharper blade with a jagged edge. My breath hitched in my throat as the heat of the day pressed against my skin.

"One for my mother," I whispered, my fingers brushing over a silver blade. "One for my father."

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I kept checking my watch every few minutes, the numbers blurring under the harsh sun. It was taking hours, way longer than the map had promised. My arms were screaming, the muscles in my shoulders knotting up with every stroke, but I didn't stop.

I rowed harder, the salt spray stinging the cuts on my hands. I had it all mapped out in my head. Find the so-called Alpha, carve his heart out, and leave his body for the birds. Then I’d go back to the UK, bury the memory of this place, and actually live. I’d get married, have kids, and find a way to live happily ever after.

I just had to finish this first.

I let out a ragged sigh of relief when I finally saw a strip of dry land cutting through the blue. It wasn't exactly a paradise, just hard white sand and clusters of stunted, spindly trees scattered across the shore. It looked lonely. It looked like a graveyard.

I gritted my teeth and pulled the oars with everything I had left. I sailed faster, the boat cutting a sharp line through the water as the island loomed closer.

I reached down and gripped the handle of the sharpest knife in the pile, I was almost there. One way or another, this was ending today.

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I stepped off the boat, the white sand crunching under my boots. I scanned the shoreline, my heart hammering against my ribs. I was shaking, and honestly, I was terrified. There wasn't a single soul in sight. no monsters, nothing but the sound of the wind.

The sand was so white and perfect it almost looked fake. For a second, I felt tempted to reach down and touch it, my fingers brushing against the cool, fine grains as I bent over. It was beautiful, which felt like a lie considering why I was here.

I straightened up and started walking, heading deeper into the clusters of thin, scattered trees. The deeper I went, the quieter it got. My eyes darted around, looking for any sign of a house or a camp, but the island felt empty.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe the coordinates were a fluke. The thought hit me like a physical blow, and I felt my chest tighten. I broke down right there, the tears blurring my vision. Was this it? Was I just going to wander a desert island while my parents' killer walked free? Were they really just going to die for nothing?

I slumped down against a jagged rock, pulling my knees up to my face and sobbing into my jeans. Everything felt hopeless.

I don't know how long I sat there, My legs had gone numb, and the back of my throat burned from the salt and the crying. I shifted, trying to get some feeling back into my butt, and reached for my phone in my back pocket.

The screen was smudged with sand and sweat. 4:08 PM.

The numbers felt like a mockery. Time was moving, but I was just stuck here in the middle of nowhere. I let out a long, ragged sigh, wiped my face with the back of my hand, and forced myself to stand up. My knees popped, and for a second, I felt dizzy, like the island was tilting under my boots. I started to turn away, ready to just wander blindly until I found something or collapsed.

Then, I heard it.

It was a sharp, distinct snap...the sound of a dry branch breaking under something heavy.

I froze, my eyes darting around.

It’s just the wind, I told myself, my heart starting to thud against my ribs. It has to be. There’s literally no one here.

Then I heard it again, a different sound this time, It wasn't the wind, and it wasn't the waves.

It was a growl. Deep, vibrating, and close.

My heart didn't just skip a beat; it felt like it stopped entirely. Slowly, my neck feeling like it was made of rusted iron, I forced myself to turn around.

Nobody..nothing, could have prepared me for what was standing there.

A grey wolf. But it wasn't just a wolf; it was massive, a hulking shadow of fur and muscle that looked like it had been ripped straight out of a nightmare. Its eyes were locked on mine.

In that exact moment, my soul didn't just tremble, it packed its bags and left.

Slowly, I took a step back, my fingers trembling as I slid my phone into my back pocket. I didn't take my eyes off the beast for even a second. With my other hand, I reached into my side pocket, my palm sweating as it brushed against the cold, serrated grip of the small hunting knife I’d tucked away earlier. It felt pathetic and small against something that looked like it could swallow me whole. anyway, here goes nothing.