The young girl stepped lightly among the trees, as if she were part of the forest itself. Her movements were almost silent, as swift as a shadow dancing beneath the sunlight. With one hand covering her mouth, she held her breath, while her sapphire-yellow eyes scanned the surrounding area, alert to any sound or shadow that might betray her presence.
After making sure no one was around, the girl slipped behind a thicket of thorny bushes growing densely under a large tree. The tree trunk towered majestically, forming a natural wall that protected her petite body from outside view. From between the leaves, Kaiá peered cautiously. She sharpened her hearing, trying to catch the faint conversation coming from the opposite direction.
Across the forest road, a group of women were gathered in a secret ceremony—Hàzasit, the annual ritual of the Mhthyr Tribe. Among them stood Elder Rosaliè, accompanied by two young women who were participating in the afternoon procession. Surrounded by young princesses, Elder Rosaliè did not appear frail; rather, her charisma and calmness drew all eyes to her. Although she was approaching half a century of age, her aura of authority still radiated strongly, combining elegance and wisdom that commanded everyone's respect. Kaiá smiled slightly without realising it, feeling admiration for the figure she respected so much.
However, she did not come there to admire the elder, let alone witness the Hàzasit procession. There was another reason that brought her to sneak this far into the forest. It was just that this afternoon—whether by fate or coincidence—her eyes caught sight of a figure who was different from the others.
Someone who shouldn't have been there. Someone who sparked curiosity and admiration in her heart.
Someone who was different from us ….
Kaiá's eyes sparkled with curiosity. There was something in his gaze, a mixture of admiration and thirst for knowledge, that made it difficult for him to look away from the figure in the middle of the gathering. His heart was beating fast, as if his body itself refused to remain hidden. She felt like jumping out of her hiding place, just to get a closer look at the individual's face. Although this was not the first time she had seen a moj brat in the Mhthyr Tribe, her curiosity never completely disappeared. Every time she saw a man, something stirred within her, a desire that was difficult to explain, like a magnet pulling her closer.
The Mhthyr tribe is a tribe whose entire population consists of women. From infancy to old age, no men are part of their community. In fact, if a baby boy is born to a Mhthyr woman, he will immediately be sent away from the tribe, as per a message passed down from generation to generation. They live entirely under the auspices of ancient traditions, honouring the Goddess of Fertility, Mhyér—a protector believed to have blessed their land and lives for centuries. From their ancestors, there remains a sacred message that is guarded as if it were their own lives, that no man may settle within the tribe, so that the purity of the goddess's legacy is preserved.
However, in order to preserve the tribe and maintain their bloodline, the women of the Mhthyr Tribe could not completely reject the presence of men. They still needed them for life to continue. Therefore, the Goddess Mhyér gave a prophecy to one of her daughters, Mìonna. In the revelation, the goddess commanded the Mhthyr tribe to establish a sacred tradition called hàzasit—a sacred ceremony that allowed the daughters of Mhyér to bear children from moj brat, a man chosen from a foreign land.
Since then, Hàzasìt has become a secret ceremony held once a year. Where men from foreign lands come to become the marriage partners of the women of the Mhthyr tribe.
The door to the Mhthyr tribe is only open once a year. That is when men from foreign lands come, hoping to get the opportunity to participate in the marriage year with the chosen women of the tribe. However, not everyone can enter. Only those who have received the grace of the Goddess are entitled to participate in this ritual, as are the chosen women. Before being united, the couple undergoes a sacred ceremony led by one of the tribe elders. After that, they are secluded in a marriage cave for a full month. The cave remains closed until the woman becomes pregnant and, at the same time, a sacred seed-shaped mark appears on her right hand—a symbol that new life has grown in her womb.
Once the ceremony is over, the two are no longer allowed to meet. Their relationship is considered over. The woman will be cared for by the tribal elders until she gives birth, while the man must leave the Mhthyr territory. If he violates this command, the wrath of the Goddess will descend without mercy.
However, this tradition had one flaw. If the child born was a boy, he had to be returned to the Hàzasit couple. The mother was not allowed to care for or even consider the boy as her own child. Conversely, if the child born was a girl, she would be accepted as part of the tribe and the mother would be allowed to raise her.
However, not all women of the Mhthyr tribe follow the Hàzasit ritual. Some of them have different destinies, such as Kaiá, who must maintain her purity to become Mìonna, the chosen daughter of the Mhyér.
"There you are!"
DEG!
Kaiá suddenly tensed up. She quickly turned around and found herself staring into the sharp gaze of Ròxy, her sister from the same tribe, who had managed to find her hiding place.
"Sìur …." She grimaced in embarrassment, caught red-handed after playing cat and mouse for so long.
Ròxy gave her no chance to defend herself. She immediately grabbed Kaiá by the ear and dragged her out from behind the bushes, causing a small commotion in the silence of the forest. The sound of their hurried footsteps made several heads turn, and it didn't take long for Elder Rosaliè to stop talking. Her gaze, which had been calm, now turned to surprise, then anger.
"What are you two doing over there!?"
Rosaliè was furious because the two young women had disrupted the Hàzasit meeting, which was supposed to be sacred and closed. During the process, no women from the tribe were allowed to be seen by the men.
One of the weaknesses of men is that they are easily tempted by beauty.
And what man would not be stunned by the beauty of the Mhthyr tribe women—a beauty rarely seen by the outside world? Although the moj brat tried to maintain their composure, Rosaliè's sharp glances were enough to prove that they had already been captivated by the appearance of the two young girls.
Ròxy panicked, and Kaiâ panicked even more when he saw Elder Rosaliè's peaceful face turn bright red. Kaiâ glanced at Ròxy, demanding accountability because if it weren't for her, they wouldn't have been discovered, let alone disturbed the Hàzasit meeting, which was supposed to be sacred.
"Elder, we just happened to be here," she glanced at Roxy, who was pale, afraid that Elder Rosaliè would hit her with her cane, "then ... then we accidentally—"
"Enough, Kaià! Instead of prolonging the situation, return to the village immediately. And ...!" Rosaliè's blue eyes pierced directly into the eyes of the two young women, who spontaneously shuddered in horror and their courage suddenly shrank like a flying fly. "Tell Serèia to punish you both. I will see you after this. Now, go!"
"O-okay, Elder!" they replied almost simultaneously, stammering and full of fear. Without waiting for further instructions, the two immediately rushed away, bowing their heads and holding their breath so as not to make the situation worse.
The two strangers who were present at the Hàzasit turned their heads, watching them leave with disappointed looks. What a pity—they would no longer be able to see the two young figures who had stolen the spotlight in the middle of this sacred ritual.
Elder Rosaliè stared at the two of them sharply. "Watch your eyes," she said coldly, her voice like a whip breaking the silence. "The Goddess does not like deceitful men."
The two women who were participating in the Hàzasit smiled amusedly, considering the disappointment of these two men as mere entertainment rather than feeling jealous that their spouses were attracted to their sisters. There was no jealousy because, basically, the women of the Mhthyr tribe were never taught to fall in love with men.
Attraction to the opposite sex certainly existed, but love was a foreign concept to them. For the women of the Mhthyr tribe, men were simply part of the destiny written by the Goddess—not someone to be loved.
●◉◎◈◎◉●
After hearing about the problem involving these two young women, Serèia could only sigh deeply. To outsiders, this problem might seem trivial, as it was merely a case of them being caught peeping at a Hàzasit meeting. They did not do anything particularly disruptive, but for the Mthyr tribe, their mere presence was enough to taint the sanctity of the rituals that had been passed down from generation to generation.
This tradition had existed for hundreds of years. It was a tradition that forbade women of the tribe who were not involved in Hàzasit from seeing or attending the meeting. Whether intentionally or unintentionally. They were forbidden from showing themselves in front of men so as not to incite the narrow-minded thoughts of their sister's husband.
"Mitèra, we really didn't mean to be there," Kaiá said softly, her voice trembling with regret and fear.
However, Serèia did not show the slightest bit of mercy. Her face remained calm, but cold. She stared at her daughter expressionlessly, then picked up the punishment stick. Even though Kaiá was her daughter, Serèia could not ignore tradition. For an elder, sacred tradition was higher than a mother's love.
Without saying much, she handed down the punishment. Three lashes landed on Kaiá's palms, making the girl wince in pain. Ouch ... it hurts! She bit her lip, trying not to cry out. She knew that no matter how much it hurt, she deserved it. And amid the pain, Kaiá felt sorry for Ròxy, who had been dragged into her problems.
"Ròxy."
The call was flat but firm. Without resistance, Ròxy immediately turned around. She already knew what was going to happen. Her bare back was exposed, her hands clenched tightly, her lower lip bitten hard. Serèia raised her cane and the sound of the blows echoed in the air.
One ... two ... three ... up to twenty times.
Kaiá closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't bear to watch, but every crack of the whip felt like it was landing on her own body.
"It's better than Rosaliè punishing you," Serèia muttered when she was done.
Ròxy nodded slowly, holding her breath. She knew it was true. Elder Rosaliè's punishment was much harsher and more painful than Serèia's. Even though her body ached, Ròxy was still grateful in her heart for being shown mercy by a gentler elder.
Serèia glanced at Kaiá, who was standing beside her with a worried and guilty look on her face. She took a deep breath before finally saying softly but firmly, "Go see Grèta. She will treat you."
Ròxy tried to get up with the last of her strength. Her body swayed, but Kaiá quickly held her shoulder to prevent her from falling.
"Thank you, Elder," said Ròxy, bowing respectfully. She glanced at Kaiá, who was still reluctant to look back at her. The girl sighed softly, her eyes trembling with guilt. But Ròxy just smiled slightly. Without a word, she raised her hand and gently stroked Kaiá's head—a simple gesture that she had forgiven everything.
Kaiá looked up. The tears she had been holding back now spilled out. In a soft voice, almost a whisper, she said, "Forgive me, Sìur."
"A Mìonna must be strong. Understand?" The reason Kaià did not receive the lashes on her back was not because she was the daughter of the Serèia Elder, but because of her position as the future Mìonna, daughter of the Goddess Mhyèr. "But next time, don't run out of the village to spy on Hàzasìt."
Kaià was stunned. Without realising it, she quickly turned to her mother, who seemed ready to punish her again upon hearing Ròxy's confession. "No, Mother! I wasn't spying on Hàzasìt! I was waiting for Astrid to come home!"
"I know." Roxy chuckled softly, delighted to tease him. "SHe was waiting for Astrid to return, Elder. You don't need to worry about her."
Even though Roxy said so, Kaià wasn't sure her mother believed her. Because after she left, Serèia immediately told Kaià to go inside and started lecturing her with lots of advice about this and that. Kaià's ears felt hot. Even though she had often been lectured by her mother, she still wasn't used to hearing it. And the lecture only stopped after an hour had passed, after Kaià complained of pain.
"You just graduated from your training period. Instead of staying at home, you ran away and disturbed Hàzasit." Serèia scolded while treating her wounds. "My daughter, you must take care of yourself until the night of the blessing arrives. As the daughter of Mhyér, you must remain pure and not be petty."
Kaiá nodded in understanding. As one of the Mìonna candidates, she understood very well the boundaries and rules that must be upheld. The Goddess Mhyér loved her children with purity and sincerity, not with dirty thoughts and ambitions that tainted the heart. Therefore, a Mìonna must remain pure, both in body and mind.
"Get ready. Tomorrow night is your night of blessing."
Kaiá bowed respectfully. "Yes, Mitèra."
There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Since childhood, she had been waiting for this moment—the night when the Goddess would bestow her blessing and mark her as one of the Mìonna of the Mhthyr Tribe. Her heart fluttered softly as she imagined the holy light that would descend upon her. She couldn't even close her eyes that night because she was too excited.
Unfortunately, Kaià did not know that the night she was looking forward to was not a night of blessings, but a night of slaughter for the Mhthyr Tribe.
Meanwhile, far to the north of the island, the shadow of death was approaching. A group of people in full battle gear disembarked from the ship one by one. The torches in their hands created reflections on the surface of the sea, like tongues of fire ready to devour everything. Among the ranks, a woman stood tall, a sly smile on her lips. She looked at the male soldiers who were ready with sharp weapons and faces full of determination. At her side, a man dressed in luxurious foreign noble robes stared at the island with hazel eyes burning with greed.
"This island will soon be mine," he said in a haughty voice.
The woman beside him turned her head and smiled faintly. "They will be yours, Luke, after you take them from the hands of those women."
Luke grinned smugly. He had tried to take over this island several times, but always ended in failure. His group always failed to find and were blinded by the hidden existence of M Island, as if there was a magical force preventing them from finding it. But thanks to this woman's help, his plan to obtain Mthyr Island would soon be realised.
To enter the island, they had to get direct help from the indigenous Mthyr tribe. And luckily, over the past two years, he had become acquainted with this beautiful woman. She was the key to entering M Island. Someone who was willing to betray the Mhthyr tribe in order to get a little help finding her son, who had been abandoned by the Mhthyr elders.
Astrìd Mhthyr is a traitor to the Mhthyr tribe. And tonight marks the beginning of the end.