"Nothing happened!" she snapped, exasperated. "The rain made my blouse see-through. He gave me his jacket so I wouldn’t put on a show for the entire camp!"
Cirrus hesitated, processing. "That was... decent of him," he admitted grudgingly. "But why was he half-naked?—?"
"You’d have to ask him," she seethed, throwing up her hands. "Youkissed me once after three years and now you think I belong to you? We’re not together anymore?—"
"And whose fault is that?" Cirrus cut in, his voice barbed.
Vivienne clenched her jaw. "That’s not fair."
They stood in painful silence before Cirrus finally spoke, his tone raw.
"When I said I’ve always been clear about what I wanted, about wanting you, I meant it. You’re not a belonging. You’re the best thing I ever lost. And until you tell me you feelnothingfor me, I willneverstop trying to win you back."
Her breath caught. The anger between them dissolved into something more fragile. She opened her mouth to respond, but Lewis’ voice echoed through the rainforest, calling her name.
Vivienne bit her lip. "We should get back." She turned toward the crew, ignoring the pain in Cirrus’ eyes as she walked away.
24
The rainforest began to thin, the blanket of the canopy yielding to a brilliant stretch of blue sky. A cool breeze drifted through the clearing, a welcome guest after hours of trekking.
“We’re close,” Vivienne murmured, eyes locked on the tree line ahead, where towering trees and vines concealed the stone structures. “It’s right around here.”
Captain Garrett gave a sharp nod. “Stay alert. We don’t know what we’re walking into. Weapons ready.”
The crew shifted at his command, gripping swords, knives, and makeshift spears. As Vivienne stepped past the final barrier of trees, she swallowed air, her throat tight. Ancient ruins stretched before them. Crumbling walls, fallen pillars, and archways that once stood tall, all half-swallowed by the rainforest. Thick vines snaked up the structures, their roots wrapping around the stones as if the rainforest itself refused to let the past remain untouched.
She stood frozen, jaw slack, heart pounding.I’m here. I’m actually here.A grin broke across her face, her eyes stinging with emotion.
Lewis let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned. You weren’t kidding.”
“No,” Vivienne whispered, stepping forward. She knelt beside a wall, fingers tracing a weathered carving. “Look at this. The details... This place must be centuries old.”
Commander Thorne’s voice was firm, delivering orders. “Spread out. Secure the perimeter. No one touches anything until we know what we’re dealing with.”
The crew moved with caution, their unease palpable. Cirrus was already sketching the ruins on the map with singular. Vivienne turned to speak to him, but he walked off without a word, still simmering from their earlier conversation. She clenched her jaw, exhaling through her nose before shifting her attention to Lewis.
“We need to go in,” she said, pointing to the antiquated stones. “Standing out here won’t give us the answers we need.”
A shout cleaved the air.
“Captain! Over here!”
All eyes followed the crewman's outstretched arm. Beyond the outer wall, barely concealed by tangled foliage, lay a field of bones. Human remains—scattered, half-buried in earth, stripped clean. Darkened.
Vivienne’s stomach clenched.Could they be my parents? Another expedition? Something much older?
Captain Garrett’s voice was strained. “There must be… hundreds.”
Dr. Mercer stepped forward, kneeling by the remains. “There are at least fifty skulls in just this area, but no complete skeletons. Likely the result of scavengers. The exposed bones show advanced erosion, but those buried are the same strange black.”
Garrett exhaled. “Cause of death?”
Dr. Mercer ran her fingertips over a jagged notch in the bone. “Defensive wounds… sword slashes.” She pressed her lips together. “Then fire.”
The revelation pulled the air from the crew’s lungs.
One sailor inched forward. “Doctor… were they still alive when?—”
