I curled my hands into a closed fist and felt the sand between my fingers. Every few seconds I was greeted with a cool, gentle wave of water. I could feel some seaweed stuck in my hair. Birds were singing in the sky above and the trees seemed to be laughing with joy in the warm breeze. I tried to open my eyes but the bright sun made it impossible. I embraced the peace.
She is gone. The Temptress is gone and now I am trapped here all alone. But where am I? This does not feel anything like the places I've been since entering that house. Get on your feet, forget about her. She is gone, bested by the hands of the Fiend. Forget vengeance, save yourself. Open your eyes, damn it.
I flipped onto my hands and knees and crawled away from the frightful shoreline, not wanting to take any chances with what may have still dwell beneath. I stumbled up the dunes and gazed upon an island of paradise. It was unlike anything I'd ever laid my eyes on; a perfect vision od ecstasy, a dreamy palace, home to the soulless. I had nearly forgotten the very concept of serenity, but here it was, a sanctuary from the madness, an island of reason. I looked back out upon the once screaming sea and began to weep. Was this pitiful beach the last and only vestige of sanity in this world gone mad? I had never felt so lost. The woman that guided me here had been torn asunder before my very eyes and all that was left for me was to die on this beach or press on in a hostile realm of torture and strife.
There must be a point to all of this! Am I being tested? Is this serene bit of earth truly meant to draw me away from my true path? I must press on, as much as my soul aches to stay.
A foreboding wilderness stood off in the distance. It was mocking me, challenging me to press on. I knelt down and closed my eyes, found the Temptress in my thoughts. If I stayed here, I would most certainly die, but at least I would die in peace. If I press on, I might find answers. It was no longer my decision as my body had already begun approaching the jungle. There was something terrible in those woods, I could feel it. But, what did it matter? Fear was no longer going to slow me down. Time to reap the whirlwind, time to solve this enigma.
What's the point of fighting when there's nothing to save? Time is melting away. I can't explain, but my eyes are begging to stay. I must say a sunny day helps to push the memories away. However, caution must be obeyed on an island of the decayed.
