Felicia hugged her dagger close and politely thanked the old woman. She was just about to ask about the others when she heard a creaking sound. The front gate of the yard swung open, and she saw Maurice stepping inside, carrying a small basket filled with fresh fruit.

“Oh, Maurice, you’re back!” the old woman called warmly. “I missed you so!”

Maurice nodded and set the basket down.

What the hell was going on? Maurice was here too? And he seemed familiar with this family? A thousand questions swirled in Felicia’s mind, but under the old woman’s watchful eye, she quickly finished her soup. As soon as the old woman disappeared into the kitchen, she grabbed Maurice and asked, “Where are we? What about the others?”

When she had blacked out, everyone else had collapsed too. Being scattered was one thing, but if they were still lying unconscious on the beach, they’d be vulnerable to predators, not to mention Stephan was still missing, which worried her.

Maurice simply replied, “I don’t…”

Just as Felicia was about to press further, Maurice lowered his voice. “Don’t get mad. I really don’t know. When I woke up, we were already here. I asked around, and it turns out the others were rescued too. They’ve been placed in different houses in this village.”

“As for where we actually are, I’m pretty sure we’re still on the island. The old lady said their people have lived here for generations. They don’t leave, but every now and then, they find outsiders like us.”

Maurice hesitated, then added, “But something about this place feels off. I made an excuse to help the old woman with chores and walked around the village. The people here…”

“In what way?” Felicia asked.

“They don’t seem surprised by our presence. It’s like they expect outsiders to show up. And their eyes…” Maurice paused, searching for the right words. He glanced at Felicia’s puzzled expression and sighed. “Forget it. You’ll understand when you see for yourself.”

Felicia wasn’t as concerned about that just yet. Instead, she checked Maurice’s pulse. To her surprise, his condition had improved significantly since the night before. The venomous creature’s backlash seemed to have stabilized. It wasn’t gone, but it was no longer critical.

Felicia exhaled in relief. “Alright. Let’s go. We’ll say a quick goodbye and take a look around.”

Maurice nodded, then casually informed the old woman, who was still busy in the kitchen. She responded with a cheerful smile, reminding them, “Be sure to come back before dark! It’s dangerous out there at night.”

Dangerous? What kind of danger?

Felicia and Maurice exchanged glances. Neither asked for clarification. Instead, they silently stepped out of the courtyard. Hanging above the entrance were large lanterns, and the doorframe was freshly decorated.

Felicia casually asked, “Is someone getting married here?”

“Seems like it,” Maurice replied, his gaze lingering briefly on the decorations before he looked away.

Felicia wandered around the village. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. If she ignored the fact that they were on a mysterious island, this place could have been any other rural village. It was ordinary, peaceful. In fact, the setting stirred a distant memory. It reminded her of the village where she had grown up.

It was not until she completed her circuit of the village that she finally understood the “strangeness” Maurice had mentioned.