And after hours of travel, they finally arrived at the shore of a vast sea, where an island could be seen on the horizon.
When they reached the shore, they realized they needed a way to cross the sea.
They had no choice but to build a raft from the nearby wood, so they worked hard to craft a sturdy raft, using every resource available to them.
After prolonged, exhausting labor, they stood before the completed raft, ready to cross toward the unknown island that awaited them in the distance.
Once they finished building the raft, they pushed it into the water and carefully climbed aboard, settling on it as they gazed ahead with watchful eyes, beginning to feel some relief after successfully creating a means to cross the sea.
While they were in the middle of the sea on the wooden raft, the weather was calm, and the gentle wind moved the waves softly. They felt at ease after leaving the desert behind them, and the features of the island grew clearer with every passing moment as they drew closer.
Hamza sat beside Basil and looked at his covered hand. He noticed the mark extending along his arm, and curiosity stirred within him, so he asked, "Basil, why do you always try to hide the mark on your hand? And what is this engraving? Does it have anything to do with her?"
Basil sighed and looked at the mark he had long tried to ignore, then said in a low voice, "This mark has been with me since my childhood. Unfortunately, because of it, I went through many troubles, and it caused me problems when I was young. The people around me saw me as a cursed child, and they feared me because of it."
Hamza looked at him with sympathy and said, "I'm sorry… I didn't know you went through all that… But this mark was the reason we were saved from that frightening woman in the forest."
Basil smiled sadly and replied, "Yes, over time I learned to use this mark to my advantage, but it still reminds me of difficult times in my life."
At that moment, they heard Zeras' voice coming from the necklace, saying:
"Your escape from what hurts you will hurt you even more… Do not run. Endure the pain until you heal."
Then he continued, "The mark on your hand may be the key to achieving what you seek."
Basil looked at the mark once more and felt a sense of hope and reassurance, then said, "Thank you, Zeras… I will learn how to benefit from it instead of fearing it."
As they continued making their way toward their destination, this conversation brought them closer to each other.
As they approached the island, at that very moment, the weather suddenly changed, and the waves began to surge and clash violently, and a sudden disturbance appeared in the sea.
Basil felt a strange sensation coursing through his body, as if something beneath the water was watching them. He looked into the depths, his eyes scanning the area with alertness and caution.
Suddenly, a massive sea monster emerged from the depths, resembling a shark. Its body was covered with thick, solid scales.
The creature lunged toward the wooden raft at incredible speed, opening its enormous jaws, determined to swallow them whole.
In the critical moment, Basil acted on instinct and forcefully pushed Hamza into the water to save him from the attack. In an instant, the monster swallowed Basil and the wooden raft entirely.
Hamza found himself floating amid the violent waves, clinging to a piece of wood from the raft. He tried to comprehend what had happened, but the shock was overwhelming.
He lifted his gaze toward the sea, where Basil had disappeared, and the monster was still circling in the waters, looping around the area, watching with hungry eyes, as if searching for its next prey.