Five years passed.
The island itself remained the same ancient graveyard swallowed by tropical wilderness and endless rainfall but she slowly adapted to it in ways that no ordinary child should have been able to. By the time she turned twelve, Modernia no longer felt like punishment. The constant rain stopped bothering her long ago.
Every afternoon, dark clouds gathered over the island, releasing cold tropical rain that drenched the forests and endless graveyards. The wind became stronger during storms, carrying the scent of wet soil and flowers across the coastline while lightning illuminated the rows of floating instruments above forgotten tombstones. At first, the weather had terrified her. The storms felt endless. The nights felt lonely.
Now, she found comfort in them. Rain became part of her routine.
She knew when storms would come by the smell of the air. She knew which caves flooded during heavier rainfall and which cliffs became slippery enough to avoid entirely. She learned where tropical fruits naturally grew, where freshwater streams formed and which parts of the forest stayed warm during colder nights. She had become strangely good at surviving.
The old woman who defended her during her parents' funeral still came during the first two years.
Every few weeks, a small boat would arrive from Concerto carrying food, clothes, books, blankets and supplies. The woman never stayed too long because the other Musica disliked her involvement with Alpha II, but she always visited anyway.
The old woman had wrinkles around her eyes and silver hair tied into a bun. Her back hurt when she walked and her breathing sounded heavier every year, yet she still came carrying baskets larger than she probably should have been able to carry.
At first, their conversations were awkward. Alpha II did not understand kindness. Most people looked at her with fear since she was born. The old woman looked sad.
"You need to eat properly," the woman would say while unpacking baskets inside the cave. "Being isolated does not mean you stop growing."
Alpha II would quietly watch her organize things.
"You did not have to come."
The old woman always smiled sadly.
"I know."
Then she would continue coming anyway. Slowly, without realizing it, Alpha II began waiting for those visits. The woman told stories about Concerto, the Musica and also about Melody.
She spoke about how beautiful music festivals used to be before fear became stronger than celebration. She spoke about how people danced on the coastlines while instruments floated in the skies like stars. Sometimes she brought books for Alpha II to read, though she struggled at first. Eventually, Alpha II started talking back, asking small questions. It was enough for her to slowly begin appreciating the woman.
Then, during the third year, the woman stopped coming.
At first, Alpha II waited. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. The boat never arrived. The loneliness returned quietly.
Then, one evening, the giant appeared again.
He sat near the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean while rain fell around him like it meant nothing. His white curly hair rested against the wet stone while his sapphire eyes reflected the distant lightning..Alpha II sat beside him quietly.
"The old woman did not come."
The giant remained silent for a few moments and sighed softly.
"She probably died. She did not have much time left anyway."
Alpha II lowered her gaze. For reasons she did not understand, her chest hurt slightly. The giant looked towards the ocean.
"That happens."
After that, food began appearing again.
Every few days, she would wake up to find baskets near the cave entrance filled with fruits, dried food, warm meals and supplies. Sometimes, there were clothes. She saw warm ones for colder days and lighter ones for humid afternoons. She had shoes that somehow fit perfectly. She knew immediately who left them.
The giant never admitted it but he was the only person on the island. Every time she asked, he pretended not to know what she meant.
"Food appeared again."
"Hm."
"Did you leave it?"
"No idea."
"There are clothes too."
"That is interesting."
"You're lying."
"I'm extremely offended. I rarely lie."
The conversations usually ended there. Still, she appreciated it, even if he pretended otherwise.
The strange thing about the island was her body. She should have gotten sick. Modernia rained constantly and sometimes storms lasted entire days. She spent years running through forests soaked in cold water, climbing cliffs during thunderstorms, and sleeping in humid caves yet she never got sick. Even stranger, she could not remember the last time she got hurt.
One time she slipped while climbing wet rocks and fell several meters. Nothing happened. Another time she cut herself accidentally and the wound disappeared unusually quickly. At first, she thought it was luck. Later, she began realizing something about herself was wrong. The island itself was strange too.
Modernia had unnatural places too. The first one was the giant hole where a mountain supposedly used to stand. She found it terrifying the first time she saw it.The opening was so deep she could not see the bottom no matter how long she stared. Wind spiraled violently around the edges while strange echoes emerged from below.
The old woman once told her stories about it.
"When I was young," the woman said during one visit, "my parents used to talk about lights appearing over Modernia."
"Lights?"
The old woman nodded.
"Twice. The first light filled the skies. The second one made the ocean churn. Storms swallowed the coast and when explorers arrived, the mountain was gone and the island was cut in half."
The second strange thing was the gorge. A massive scar stretched across Modernia as if someone had sliced the island open. The cliffs surrounding it were sharp and unnatural, descending so deeply that waves crashed violently far below.
The old legends blamed Melody, the strongest Musica in history. People believed her soul protected them. Alpha II asked the giant about it once. They sat near the coast while rain tapped softly against the rocks.
"Did Melody do this?"
The giant looked toward the gorge and smiled slightly.
"It was a good fight."
"You fought Melody?"
"No, my teacher."
Alpha II stared at him. The answer confused her mostly because he never sounded proud or boastful. The more years passed, the more she noticed something strange about him.
The giant was ridiculously handsome. Even she knew that much.
His face always looked calm, his voice was deep and steady and his movements were effortless. Sometimes he sat near cliffs staring at storms for hours without saying anything.
He looked lonely. Even as a child, she could tell. There was something quiet about him. She wanted to talk to him more but that was difficult. He appeared when he wanted to. She searched for him countless times in the forests, cliffs and graveyards but found nothing.
Then randomly, he would appear standing behind her, sitting near cliffs or walking through rain as though Modernia itself hid him. She never found him unless he wanted to be found.