In a vast island surrounded by a large body of water and huge corner stones whose peaks rose above the waves, the island lay bare and desolate, its emptiness suspicious, for no living organisms seemed to compete, adapt, or even attempt survival against the harsh perils of the environment, leaving an eerie silence that magnified its mystery.
Instead, the island was surrounded by the usual parched land, the relentless heat absorbing moisture from the sands, while the undergrowth, shrubs, and grasses followed their familiar mode of photosynthesis to cling to survival. A few plants bore edible berries or seed crops, yet the majority consisted of weeds, vines, creepers, and cover crops—vegetation lacking nutrients, inedible, and in some cases dangerously poisonous to unsuspecting animals or living beings who might attempt to consume them.
A few other things stood out on the island, such as clusters of trees, scattered rocks, mountains, and hills that littered the slopes, serving as natural landmarks across the barren terrain. Even more haunting were the bones lying here and there, silent evidence that although no living figures remained, life had once thrived. Some skeletal fragments—small parts of rib cages, fermurs, and vertebrae—were scattered across the ground, yet the most notable and most common remains were the limbs of dead creatures that had once ruled the land, their presence a chilling reminder of dominance lost to time.
However, while there were scattered bones and dismembered limbs across the island, there were surprisingly few skulls of once‑living beings. Among the moderate remains, only a single skull stood out—its shape resembling that of a wolf. Though stripped of ears and eyes, the structure retained defining features that made it unmistakably an animal, a wolf to be precise. Despite the absence of certain parts that constituted a skull and the presence of others, there was one more thing notable about the skull.
There, beyond the figure of the skull and close to the neck bone, lay evidence of how the skull had been removed from the animal it once inhabited. It appeared forced out by something that gripped and constricted, perhaps to immobilize the creature, unlike the clean severing of a sword or blade. Instead, the marks resembled what a rope or coiling force might leave, twisting and tightening until the skull was torn free. Though no living beings remained to recount the tale, the silent island itself seemed to whisper of violence, struggle, and a forgotten story etched into bone.
The skull itself offered a subtle clue about the perpetrator who might have ended the lives of every animal inhabiting the island. Its markings suggested a large snake‑like monster, a predator that coiled tightly around its victims to suffocate and crush them, indifferent to whether they were mighty or small. To this creature, the only distinction was life itself—any living being became food, sustenance for the lone predator whose presence haunted the desolate island and explained the silence that now reigned.
However, in some parts of the island it became clear the predator was not as solitary as one might assume. Along the few beaches and riverbanks, just meters from the vast body of water surrounding the island, signs of violent struggle were evident. The land was upturned, irregular, scarred with craters as though a massive being had hurled itself against the ground or smashed something repeatedly with colossal fists. This small section of the island, unlike the rest, did not carry the same forlorn aura or eerie stasis; instead, it bore the chaotic imprint of conflict, movement, and resistance, hinting at a hidden story beneath the silence.
Instead, even though the signs were scattered—bent trees, fallen branches, and drifting leaves—the land itself seemed caught in motion, as if disturbed by unseen forces. The beings responsible for this restless activity could be found either within the surrounding waters or hidden deep inside an improvised cave, a cavern resembling one of the craters formed by immense impacts. Within that shadowed hollow, two soul beings appeared suspended in momentary stasis, locked between existence and oblivion.
One was an apprentice soul vampire, clothed in the customary black suit worn by initiates across New Darkovia, his presence shadowy yet restrained. The other was an immense death knight, towering three times larger, his skeletal frame encased in carefully plated silver armor. A silver helm rested upon his bony lap, while a massive breastplate shielded his upper body, crowned by a small skeletal head that gave the figure a grotesque, uncanny appearance. Unlike his armored torso, his hands and legs were bare, unprotected by gauntlets or boots, emphasizing his raw, skeletal form. Facing one another, the apprentice soul vampire and the death knight seemed locked in conversation, frozen mid‑exchange when stasis overtook them, their eerie stillness hinting at secrets unspoken.
However, the next moment something stirred—deep within their bodies, dormant energy began to flow once again, subtle changes rippling outward as the two figures slowly escaped their momentary stasis. For the apprentice soul vampire, his form grew blurry, as though attempting to move at impossible speed while remaining rooted in place. It seemed he called upon the wind itself to cloak his figure, his essence flickering between motion and stillness. Though unclear, all that could be discerned was his desperate effort, inch by inch, to break free from the invisible bonds that held him captive.
While for the death knight, the suspended energy within his body began to surge along the pathways housing the energy within his body once again. As he tried to move, his skeletal hand shifted slowly at first, then abruptly shot forward, stopping mere meters from the apprentice soul vampire's face. In that instant, speech returned to them both, breaking the silence of stasis. The apprentice soul vampire whispered,
[…try again tomorrow.]
The death knight, his voice resonant and heavy, replied,
[…my leg healed, perhaps with me alongside you, we might gain enough advantage in the coming battle.]
Their words carried the weight of unfinished conflict, hinting at a struggle yet to unfold.
The apprentice soul vampire and the death knight exchanged glances, their hollow eyes scanning both one another and the cave around them, silently questioning the strange forces at play. Each suspected the other might hold answers, yet their earlier replies revealed only uncertainty and deeper mystery. After careful thought, the soul vampire's gaze sharpened, searching for what had vanished or newly appeared within the cavern's shadows. When he noticed the latter, his attention fixed upon the death knight, and with a voice heavy with suspicion he asked:
[Where is Floki?]