Estelle Island

Amanda wasn't sure if there was any place for us to sleep on the island. Rumors had it there was a cottage house somewhere in the middle of a forest, but since no one aside from Ash visited this place, and he—conveniently—was out of reach, we had no chance to confirm it. The next morning, I filled my bag with sweats, jeans, and sneakers, preparing for at least a week of camping in tents.

I hated camping. I had been sleeping in a tent twice my entire life, both on school trips, and I remembered both times as a dreadful experience. I truly hoped we would find this damn house to be real.

As I sat inside the car, I was flooded with a new wave of uncertainty. What was I even doing? I was too heartbroken, confused, and angry to properly think this through. I was so focused on the fact that someone had given me some kind of answer that I didn't—not even once—question it. A stranger who covered his face in a deep hood told me to go and seek knowledge on an island, and I blindly trusted him th