Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women
Chapter 1030

Chapter 1030: Chapter 1030

She nodded, whispering watchers’ signs in her sleep-lingual: key.

He stepped from the circle to stand with Grace at the orchard’s edge. The watchers were dim, but present, floating around their form like familiar silhouettes. Wind stirred ribbons and leaves with soft patterns of light. Grace leaned against him. "They showed her the memory-pool."

"They showed all of us," he said. "And the glacier-pool drew the watchers’ memory into her heart."

She touched his cheek. "She’s theirs now."

"And ours," he whispered. "We walk with watchersedge, memoryglow, mountain-birth."

They held each other as watchers pulsed once in unison, as though presenting them to each other: island, child, witness, covenant.

Dawn would come and reweave watchers sign into life. Their story would live in songs and memory world-built. They stayed unmoving, handshaking guardians, until watchers moved into the morning haze.

Mist lay thick over the orchard at dawn as Jude stepped onto dew-slick grass, the watchers’ light glowing soft and steady across saplings at the mountain’s foot. His breath rose in frosted puffs of prayer. He paused to steady himself, hands brushing the braided ribbons tied onto seedlings, each a promise of guardianship. Behind him, Grace woke with a sigh and slipped her hand into his. Raven stirred in her arms, Laurel nestled between wives. Jude drew breath. "Today," he murmured, "the watchers ask us to descend deeper, into the old cavern by the glacier." He felt Grace press back in wordless solidarity.

Wives emerged in silent procession: Susan carrying spring water, Rose stacking honeyed flatcakes, Serena coiling new glyph-ribbon, Layla cradling blue petals, Natalie holding dew in a jar, Zoey with her paintbrush, Lucy with tablets for carving memory, Stella bearing unlit torches, Emma and Sophie each with watcher-figures carved from driftwood, Scarlet trimming crimson thread. Children followed in bare feet, clutching tokens of stone and seed.

Jude led them down ribboned path, watchers hovering overhead, guiding with pulses of azure light as dawn brightened. They matched footsteps with watchersong taught days before, rhythm synced with blinking watcher lights. Leaves whispered. Every step felt laden with memory.

They reached glacier-runoff by midday. Chill bit through clothes. A pool of crystal-clear water gathered in a bowl hewn by centuries of melt. Watcher-light drifted across its surface, drifting like wandering spirits. Jude knelt and poured flatcakes cut with glyph script onto the still water. Grace poured spring water; Natalie added dew warmed by flame; Susan scattered petals onto the surface. Serena tied cables of ribbon to a stone by the pool.

Laurel, trembling, kneeled at the edge and extended watcher-figure into the water. The watchers overhead pulsed. Light concentrated around her figure as if drawing from her hands. The pool rippled outwards first to the wives, then to watchers swirling overhead in perfect orbit. Juice of light turned water to vibrating living mirror.

Jude bent and cupped water, tipping it over his hands, then by Grace’s ear whispered, "We drink what they give." She accepted the bowl and drank gratefully. Wives followed. Each felt something bloom in their core: memory, unity, resolve.

Watcher-light intensified. One shape descended and dipped a misty limb into pool, then rose to hover above Laurel. Gentle arcs of light radiated from her chest, forming a glowing seedling shape in the air. A hush wrapped around them all. Laurel looked at her father, eyes bright as stars. She flicked wrists in watchersign: echo of the watchers’ spiral.

In that moment, all hearts recognized a covenant reborn: watchers, people, island, child as bridge between realms. They remained motionless until dusk, tied to sacred knowledge and morning’s promise.

They traced steps back to orchard, watchers guiding with glowing ribbon-pulses against gathering dusk. Vines and saplings caught the light. The wives reached home just as shadows swallowed firelight. Seedling-ring glowed rose-blue with watcher echo. Children bounded inward. Grace and Jude brought Laurel through, and wives circled around, offerings held high: bowls of pool water, petals, flatcakes, dew.

Jude set Laurel in center, watcher-figure still glowing above her chest. Wives stepped forward, squat-lifting figures of watchersong and swirling glyphs in water and earth. Susan poured pool water onto her palms, Rose placed flatcakes at her feet, Serena tied ribbons around her ankles, Layla scattered petals, Natalie dripped dew on her brow, Zoey painted seed glyph on her arm, Lucy carved memory-slates with watchersign, Stella lit torches, Emma and Sophie added watcher-figures, Scarlet braided crimson threads into her hair. Children pressed token stones into soft earth.

Jude stepped back and took Grace’s hand. Together they began watchersong, a sound like roots trembling, like seeds opening under snow. Wives echo chorally, children peeping and humming. Watcher-light pulsed in sync, arches and arcs across sapling edges forming constellations. Laurel hummed too, stronger than children, her voice echoing watchersong melody around orchard.

Watchers drifted in full patterns, a storm of living light weaving through trees. The seedling-ring glowed brighter, vines lifted overhead, petals hung suspended in midair. A hush so full it stretched time.

Then watchers retreated to edges, leaving seedling-ring glowing like holy ground. Wives lowered their heads, some weeping tears of light. Laurel sank to knees, still humming under breath.

Jude stepped forward and spoke. "The watchers have placed their memory in her. And through her, in us all. We vow to guide, to teach, to remember every watchersign she carries, for the island, for their light. We are caretakers of the covenant."

He touched the watcher-figure on Laurel’s chest, where light had centered, and murmured watchersign. Laurel nodded, eyes closed in joy. Wives echoed watchersign of promise. Children copied quietly.

That night they sheltered under watchersilk canopy, children in wives’ arms, watchers drifting overhead. Fire embers lulled with warmth of covenant deepened. Jude wrapped Grace close and whispered, "We have passed threshold."

She nodded softly. "Together."

Next day, watchers lingered at orchard edge. The wives formed morning circle and taught children watchersign for glacier, seed, heart, and memory. Laurel led, repeating watchersign for "covenant" while children echoed. Watcher-light responded, hovering low, casting gentle arcs.