Green Ember Series Novels & Stories

I was no longer recognizable, yet I still managed a faint smile at the camera. “Today,” I said, “I buried eighteen skeletons. Exile Island was never some romantic place. It’s a graveyard for boys.” Then, the scene shifted to me sitting beside piles of stark white bones. I wasn’t the only one brought here. There were far too many. At that point, I paused, then raised my hand and waved at the camera. “Hi, Agnes. Long time no see. I wonder, by the time you see this video, will I already be dead? But even if I am, my body will stay here, just like these bones. So, Agnes, don’t forget to come and collect my corpse.”

Not danger. Disruption. I set the basket down and turned slightly, eyes scanning the tree line. Nothing moved. Birds still sang, though their calls felt tighter, quicker. I didn’t step closer. Instead, I waited. The feeling passed after several minutes, leaving behind a faint tension in my chest. That night, Ember came to me, her expression serious. “There’s movement near the outer boundary,” she said quietly. “Not crossing. Just… testing.” My pulse quickened. “Rogues?”