Empty Island, 21 Miles from Borough Port.
A small group of twelve set out for the island, rowing quietly through the water alongside Red and Marvessa. The island lay off the coast near Borough territory, close enough to watch, far enough to remain forgotten. The viscount had assured them there was nothing there, he had sent men to survey it years ago.
They had found nothing. No mines. They had not discovered any veins of crystal or metal. No ruins. Not even monsters. The land itself was fertile, the soil dark and rich, yet utterly unused.
What had driven people away was not danger, but discomfort. The air on the island felt heavier than on the mainland, pressing against the chest, making each breath subtly laborious.
That was why no one had ever tried to build a house there. Why no farms had taken root. Why the island had been quietly abandoned without ever being claimed. At the time, no one had understood the reason.
