Fang marks

Chapter 1 Title: "The First Voyage

In the winter of 20XX, Lila Bennett set foot on the island for the first time.The weather that day was gloomy and windy. From two or three in the morning, the wind howled like ghosts wailing. By the time Lila woke up, both the television and his phone were sending out news alerts: the entire northern region would experience a sharp drop in temperature, and snow was likely.This kind of weather wasn't ideal for going out, let alone for setting sail.But Lila Bennett had no intention of breaking his promise.He hadn't slept much the entire night. By 5 a.m., he was already wide awake, climbing out of bed to wash up. He made a simple breakfast: a cup of hot milk and an egg.Outside, the sky was still dark, and the wind continued to howl.Shadows of trees swayed as lights flickered on and off. Alone at the table, Lila ate his meal and opened the map on his phone once more.He couldn't remember how many times he'd looked at this map.In the middle of the dark blue sea was a lonely patch of brown earth, marked by two small words: Ferry Island.Ferry Island was a privately owned island.From the map, it appeared to be about 78 kilometers from the coastal edge of Wutong City. The island wasn't small, covering about 80,000 acres. But it wasn't a beautiful scenic spot, and it was far from other developed islands. After being purchased, it had faded from the public eye and been forgotten by most.At 6 a.m., before leaving, Lila Bennett made sure all the doors and windows of his home were locked and left a note on the table.The note explained where he was going and why he was leaving—it was for the police. Missing person cases with no leads were all too common among those living alone.Of course, if anything did happen to him, there was at least one person who could help the police: his friend, Ethan Cheng.But Ethan Cheng was a busy intern doctor, and Lila was sure that by the time Su even realized he was missing, his grave might already be overgrown with weeds.On the crowded early-morning bus, filled with the smells of various breakfasts, Lila listened to a song.It was "The Wolves and the Ravens" by Rogue Valley, a song about wolves and ravens, though the title didn't really connect with the lyrics.The right earbud wasn't working, and the bus was noisy, making it uncomfortable to listen to, so Lila didn't finish the song. Even so, the melody and lyrics echoed in his head long after he'd turned off the music.At the next stop, Lila got off the bus, returned home, and pulled his dusty guitar case out of the cabinet, slinging the guitar over his shoulder.As he passed by the table, he paused for a few seconds, then tore up the ridiculous note.He had overlooked one crucial fact earlier: starting last month, there wasn't really anyone who'd file a missing person report for him—except maybe a debt collector.Heading out again, Lila caught the rush-hour crowd. It took longer than expected to get back on the bus.At the terminal, he also spent more time than anticipated boarding the coach. Lila didn't care much. If he reached the destination and found the person waiting for him had already left, he could tell himself he wasn't the one who broke the agreement.Lila carelessly bought his ticket.It took two hours to get from the bus station to the Ferry Island pier.He had to notify the driver in advance; otherwise, the driver might pass right by, as no one usually stopped there.Sure enough, when Lila mentioned his destination, the coach driver gave him a strange look. "With weather like this, what are you doing heading to that place?"Lila was bundled up with a guitar on his back and a bulging canvas bag, wrapped in a scarf and hat, leaving only his dark, grape-like eyes exposed. He looked young."Part-time work," he said earnestly.The driver frowned. "What kind of part-time job is there at the pier?"Lila thought for a moment. "Cleaning up ocean trash blown ashore."The driver asked, "Does your family know about this?"Lila, representing himself as his only family member, nodded. "Fully aware and supportive."The well-meaning driver didn't ask further questions, just waved him off. "Alright then, I'll let you know when we arrive!"Lila found a seat, sitting quietly and staring out the window.When they neared the pier, the driver let him off and leaned out from the driver's seat to warn him, "Kid, the wind and waves are rough today—don't go out to sea alone! Several people have drowned at this pier this year. Their bodies washed ashore in such bad shape you wouldn't even recognize them. Think of your family and friends!"Lila stood silently on the empty asphalt road, watching the bus drive away.The cold, hard ground was covered in fallen leaves, which the wind swept around in circles. The icy wind cut at his face like knives.He pulled out his phone and followed the GPS towards the ominous-looking pier.***After walking through a wooded area for about ten minutes, Lila began to wonder if the GPS was malfunctioning.Having lived in Wutong City for more than a decade, he had never ventured this far or visited such a remote place. If not for this trip, he wouldn't have realized how vast the city actually was.The fallen leaves in the forest were thick, crunching underfoot as he walked, each step deep and uneven. The sound startled some birds hidden in the winter woods, causing flocks of dark shapes to fly from the treetops."Caw—"The harsh cries of birds echoed in the air.If this whole thing turned out to be a scam, this place would be perfect for a crime.The victim could be kidnapped or even killed here. No one would hear their screams. The body might be dismembered and fed to the hungry fish in the sea, leaving no trace behind.No one would ever discover that someone had disappeared from the world.Lila Bennett wondered if, by coming here, he was committing slow suicide.After walking a few more minutes, the sound of the waves grew louder, and the coastline became clearer.On the beach were some old boats, their hulls covered in angry, chaotic graffiti. The winter winds had blurred the paint, making it clear these were the work of rebellious youths.Judging by the driver's reaction earlier, Lila guessed these boats belonged to people who used the private pier illegally.Private piers were less regulated than public ones, so people often launched boats without the required permits.It seemed the owner of Ferry Island didn't care, and the place was even more disorderly than Lila had imagined.After walking another hundred or so meters, Lila caught sight of a sleek white ship through the gaps in the trees.The ship was docked at the pier, gently swaying with the waves. It was impeccably maintained, its gleaming hull suggesting it belonged to someone wealthy—wealth far beyond the reach of ordinary people.Lila breathed a sigh of relief.On the deck stood a single man, around forty years old.He shouted over the wind, "Are you Lila Bennett?"The question sounded like a secret code.Lila tightened his grip on the strap of his canvas bag, his heart beating faster. "Yes."The man jerked his chin. "Get on board!"So soon?No ID check or any other verification? Just straight onto the boat?Lila, his nose red from the cold, was a bit concerned about how casual this all seemed. He hesitated. "With this weather, is it safe to set sail?"The man glanced at him, said nothing, and walked into the cabin.Lila stood there for a moment, weighing his options. He decided that being broke was worse than dying.So, he boarded the ship.Inside the cabin, it was much warmer. The decor wasn't as luxurious as he'd imagined, instead giving off a steady, understated elegance. Aside from the man on deck, there was another boy about Lila's age on board.The boy was already sitting in the corner of the sofa, wrapped tightly in a blanket, possibly cold, as his entire body was covered.Lila found a seat and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Lila Bennett."The boy gave him a cold glance before turning back to stare at the cabin walls, clearly uninterested in conversation.Lila kept quiet, hugging his canvas bag and guitar.In terms of being aloof, he wasn't going to lose."You can call me Uncle Ping," the man from the deck said bluntly. "I'll be picking you up here every month. You were twenty minutes late today. I hope you'll be on time next time."Lila took off his hat and scarf, revealing a mess of soft black hair. "Alright, Uncle Ping."He had a clean, youthful face, still carrying a hint of childishness. He looked like a pampered kid from a good family. Why he would come to a place like this was a mystery.Uncle Ping's attitude softened. "We've gone out in much worse weather than this. Don't worry, Mr. Reed's orders are to get you safely to the island.""Understood, Uncle Ping. I'm fine with it," Lila replied.The boy turned his head, seemingly surprised by Lila's polite response. But Lila, staying cool, didn't even look at him.Uncle Ping used the walkie-talkie to signal for departure, and the