The sun hadn't even fully risen when Matt woke on the hard wooden floor of the fisherman's hut. His muscles ached, and his mind felt heavier than the waves crashing outside. Every time he closed his eyes, the fire, the screams, the red stain on Gabriel's shirt… it all came rushing back.
He pressed his palms to his face, and for the first time since yesterday, the tears came freely.
"They're gone… all of them," he whispered, voice breaking. The words were swallowed by the wind.
A shadow fell across the doorway. Matt flinched.
"Matt…" a familiar voice said softly.
He looked up. Ferus. His old friend from the village, the one who had been sneaking him food when the island's eyes weren't watching, the one who had always been there in small, quiet ways. Ferus' face was pale, eyes glossy.
Matt couldn't hold it back. He sank to the floor, shivering, sobbing. Ferus crouched beside him, silent at first, letting the boy grieve. Then, almost as if the tears weren't allowed to stay, Ferus wiped his own cheeks and forced a steadying breath.
"Shhh… it's okay. I'm here," Ferus whispered, finally putting a hand on Matt's shoulder. "You're not alone."
Matt hiccuped between sobs. "Yesterday… they… they took everyone. Mom… Dad… Gabriel… gone. I saw them die, Ferus. I—I…"
Ferus tightened his grip. "I know, Matt. I know…" His voice cracked, but he swallowed the rest. "We'll get through this. Somehow."
Matt wiped his eyes roughly and met Ferus' gaze, a burning fire in his own. "And because of what's happened… I have to find whoever did this. Even if it means killing every living being who had a hand in it."
Ferus' eyes widened, and he muttered sharply, almost joking, "Including me?"
Matt blinked, then shook his head with a small laugh through his tears. "No, dummy… you're part of my family somehow. You've got to stay alive."
The room fell silent, save for the sound of waves against the reef. Matt drew a deep breath, fighting the shaking of his hands. "Ferus… tell me about the island. My grandfather… how did he get it? Why do people want it so badly? What's so special about this place?"
Ferus hesitated, then leaned back, eyes distant. "It's… a long story. But you need to know. Your grandfather—he saved lives nobody remembers. Fishermen trapped at sea, pirates attacking, storms nobody survived… he risked everything. The king at the time gave him the reef, that patch of land, as a reward. But it's more than land… it's power. Secrets buried in the soil. People will kill for it. That's why they came for your family."
Matt's fists clenched. "So that's why… that's why they slaughtered us. For greed. For power."
Ferus nodded, expression grim. "Yes… and they won't stop, Matt. They'll come back."
Matt felt the walls of the hut close in, the air thick with tension. "Then we'll be ready."
Two days later, Ferus and Matt crouched low behind the dunes, watching the horizon. Shadows moved again. Engines roared. The same men in black—precise, deadly—came toward the village.
Matt's heart leapt. "They're here."
Ferus' hand shot out, grabbing Matt. "Run!"
They bolted across the sand. Ferus took the brunt of the first chase, giving Matt a head start. Matt's lungs burned as he reached the edge of the reef, turning back just in time to see Ferus caught by a net of hands and guns.
"Ferus!" Matt shouted.
But Ferus disappeared into the chaos, and Matt vanished into the mangroves. His heart pounded in terror and rage. He didn't know if his friend would live or die.
And that's where the shadows left them—for now.
To be continued…