𝕊𝕒𝕕𝕖 [𝕆𝕋𝟟 𝔹𝕋𝕊]

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ Ｔｗｏ

It was funny.

Even though it's been a week since I've left the confines of my island, I still can't seem to get tired of the clear blue endless sky. The vastness of it, unbroken by the familiar storm clouds, filled me with a sense of freedom I had never known. Each morning, I found myself staring up, marvelling at the openness, a stark contrast to the oppressive, rain-soaked canopy of my homeland.

Back home, everything always seemed stuffy. Everywhere you turned, you were greeted with damp, rainy trees, their trunks cloaked in moss and thick vines hanging down like curtains, blocking out the sun. It was a green labyrinth, beautiful in its own right and sometimes cozy when you sought solitude. But having seen the same verdant prison for over twenty years, the charm had worn thin.

I can never understand how everyone seemed so content. To me, the island was a cage, its routine a slow death. I can't imagine spending my entire life with the same old mundane routine. Maybe it's enough for others, but certainly not for me. While I understand why many don't leave due to their fear of what happened to our ancestors—those tales of brave souls lost to the storm—I'm willing to take that chance, even if it means death.

To me, living on that island is the same as being dead.

Shaking my head to dispel the dark thoughts, I slapped my cheeks gently, grounding myself in the present. There's no point dwelling on what-ifs and what could have been. Instead, I needed to focus on the here and now. It's time to gather wood and leaves for the night.

To be honest, I'm surprised I managed to find land so quickly. I guess I always expected the world to be so large that everything would be far apart. I have so much to learn, and I can't wait to dive into it all.

Smiling to myself like a madwoman, I continued gathering leaves for bedding and wood for a fire. I was fortunate to come across an empty cave right behind a waterfall, which made my life a lot easier. The cave offered shelter, and the waterfall was a source of water and a breathtaking sight.

Thinking of the waterfall, I couldn't help but grin even wider. I'd never seen such a glorious sight. Sure, I've seen waterfalls back home, but compared to this one, ha! It's like comparing a fly to an eagle. The waterfalls on the island were quaint, trickling streams, while this was a mighty cascade of roaring water, tumbling down with such force that it created a constant mist around the base. Every time I looked up, I couldn't even see where it began, and the speed at which the water fell was incredible. It'd be a miracle if anyone survived falling from that height, especially with the sharp, jagged rocks jutting up like thorns at the base.

Yeah, I feel sorry for anyone thrown off that. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it's used as a death sentence.

---

I hadn't planned to spend this long in the same spot. I always imagined that when I was free, I'd continuously travel, discovering new places and exploring the world in which outsiders live. Easier said than done.