The sea looked alive that morning—gray, endless, and whispering.
"Land ahead!"
The cry cut through the fog. Sailors ran to the rails, their faces pale as bone. Through the mist, the outline of an island rose like the spine of a sleeping beast.
Erevos.
The Isle of Beasts.
Every year, humanity sent an expedition to that cursed land. Every year, none returned.
Kaito Sumeragi stood at the bow, his fingers gripping the cold railing. The wind smelled of iron and ash.
"You're quiet today," said Renji Kurogane, leaning beside him. Renji's coat flapped in the wind, and the faint grin on his face tried to hide the unease in his eyes.
"I'm just thinking," Kaito murmured. "We're the sixty-seventh expedition. What makes us any different?"
Renji chuckled. "Because we've got me."
"That's not comforting," said Hana Mizushima, appearing beside them. Her brown hair fluttered under her hood, a small map clutched in her hand. "If history repeats itself, then we're already ghosts."
"Don't say that," Kaito said. "Ghosts don't dream."
Hana gave him a faint smile. "Then let's make sure we don't die before we find the truth."
The captain barked orders from the helm. The fog thickened until the world became a blur of gray.
Boom… boom… boom…
The sound wasn't thunder. It came from beneath them.
The deck shuddered. The water around the ship rippled like it was breathing.
"What was that?" someone shouted.
The captain's voice was sharp. "All hands ready! We're not alone!"
From the depths below, something vast moved. A shape—bigger than the ship—glided beneath the surface, casting a shadow that swallowed the sea.
The water glowed faintly blue, and through it Kaito saw a colossal figure: scales black as glass, eyes burning gold. And in its chest—where a heart should be—pulsed a crystal, beating like a living thing.
"That's… one of them," Hana whispered.
The Beast rose. Water exploded upward, drenching the deck. Its roar shattered the fog, a sound like the world itself screaming.
"Hold on!" the captain yelled.
The ship broke apart.
Kaito's world turned white—then black.
He awoke to silence.
Cold sand pressed against his face. The waves hissed softly beside him. Broken planks floated in the shallows, and the fog hung heavier than before.
"Renji! Hana!" he called out.
No answer. Only the echo of his voice vanishing into the mist.
He staggered to his feet. His uniform was torn, his compass cracked and spinning wildly.
Then, faintly, he heard it again—boom… boom… boom…
The same heartbeat as before.
It was coming from the island.
"Guess we made it," Kaito whispered.
Something shifted in the fog ahead. A figure appeared—tall, human-shaped, glowing faintly blue. Its eyes were calm, almost kind.
"Who are you?" Kaito asked.
The figure tilted its head. Its voice was soft, echoing like it came from deep underwater.
"Welcome home."
The fog trembled, and the world seemed to breathe.
And then, the island roared.