When the glow faded, Mason lunged toward the stone altar. Nancy stirred slightly, trying to lift her head, but Jack stretched out his hand, and the surrounding air thickened like glass—as if time itself had frozen. Mason was immobilized, unable to move even a muscle, though his heart pounded wildly.
"Jennifer..." he whispered painfully, staring at the body suspended by chains.
What had appeared to be her lifeless body suddenly jerked, like a rag doll tossed by the wind. It shuddered all over, and then something snapped. The mouth stretched into a grotesque, unnaturally wide grin, and thick black liquid, like tar, oozed from the eyes.
"That's not her," Nancy croaked, barely lifting her head. "Mason, run. It's only pretending to be Jennifer!"
Before Mason could react, the body exploded into a cloud of dense smoke. Out of the darkness emerged a figure—feminine, but faceless. Formed of wails, screams, and distorted memories. It lunged at Mason, but Jack lifted his hand again. The creature dispersed like ash under the force of his gesture.
"An illusion," he said quietly. "That's how demons of the past work. They feed on guilt, born from pain and betrayal. But your grandfather's guilt, Mason, isn't the only reason you're all trapped on this island. Deep down, you know... you're going to destroy each other."
Jack's figure began to blur, like a reflection in rippling water, and then he vanished completely—as if he had never existed.
Nancy collapsed. Mason caught her in his arms and carried her out of the cave. His heart thundered in his chest, and Jack's words echoed relentlessly in his mind. In the distance, a familiar lullaby played again—but this time, in reverse, as if the island itself was singing a mourning song.
*
A few hours later, deep within the forest cloaked in darkness, Jennifer awoke on a cold bed of leaves. Her wrists were tied with tape—but not too tightly, more like a staged restraint.
He sat across from her. A boy whose face she knew all too well.
"Ethan?!" she gasped, terrified. "What are you doing here? You're here too?"
Ethan looked at her over the small fire. His eyes were tired, shadowed, but still alert. There was no malice in them—only something deeper, darker. Resignation?
"I'm saving you," he said calmly, as if it were obvious.
"Saving me?" she snapped. "You tied me up, hid me away. Do you hear yourself? You look like a freaking psycho. And you're saying you're saving me?"
"I know how it looks," he admitted. "But if you had stayed there any longer, you'd be dead by now."
Jennifer struggled to comprehend. None of it made sense.
"Why? Why me? And how the hell did you get here?"
Ethan sighed heavily, as if gathering courage.
"I always knew this would happen. The island, the trip, all those 'accidents.' It wasn't fate. It was a plan. One of yours. Noah's plan."
Her face froze.
"Noah? No... that's not... you're joking, right?"
"I'm not joking, Jennifer. He knew about this island. It wasn't a coincidence that you ended up here. He wanted to provoke it. He wanted revenge."
Jennifer sat in stunned silence. Her fingers trembled. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
"And you? Why are you helping him carry out this plan?"
"Because I promised I'd protect you," Ethan answered. "I can't let the same thing happen to you that happened to Daniel."
"Daniel?" she repeated, bewildered. "Do you know... who killed him?"
"I do," he cut her off. "No one is safe here. I'll tell you everything—but promise me you won't reveal my presence. Not yet."
*
Jake and Betty were making their way through the forest, which was growing darker even though dawn was breaking. When they reached the edge of a clearing, they saw the hotel in the distance. Empty. Lifeless. Only one window glowed with a faint, pulsating light.
"Do you think they're in there?" Betty asked quietly, gripping Jake's hand tightly.
"Maybe... but something's wrong. I can feel it. That hotel isn't the same anymore."
A figure appeared on the path ahead—a little girl in a torn dress. Her hands were burned, with matches dangling from her fingers. Her smile was frozen.
"Two of you are lying," she whispered.
Jake took a step forward, but the figure vanished.
"Was she talking about us?" Betty asked, terrified.
"Or the others," Jake replied. "But if she knows... something is about to happen. Who could she mean? Who among us is lying? Are the ghosts trying to divide us? Is that the point?"
Betty only shrugged, equally lost. One thing was certain: every moment spent here was more terrifying than the last. She never thought she'd have to face her worst fear head-on.
*
Mason and Nancy were running through the woods. Moisture soaked their clothes. A fallen tree blocked their path, forcing them to stop. That's when a familiar figure appeared in front of them.
Jack.
"You want the truth?" he asked, his voice tearing through the air. "The truth about your grandfather? About what kind of monster he was? It's not just that he and George pretended to be my friends and hurt my wife... they were much worse. Beasts who unleashed the real demon of this island."
Mason froze.
Jack lifted his hand, and an image appeared in the air—a scene of nightfall, two people standing in a circle, pouring their blood onto an altar.
"That was the beginning," Jack said, his eyes glowing coldly. "And now it's time for the end. He's stronger than me. He'll consume everything—the whole island, now that you're here, Mason... and you... you already have a demon inside you. Tell me—where is Noah? Where is the real murderer? The one who planned all of this?"
The blonde girl glanced at her friend with an unreadable expression, while Mason, tears welling in his eyes, stared at the figure emerging from behind a tree. His brother. Staring at him with a look of sorrow and regret.
Mason fell to his knees. Nancy knelt beside him, cupping his face in her hands.
"This can't be true," he whispered. "He... he wouldn't..."
But he knew. Deep in his heart, he already knew.
Because this place didn't allow lies.
And he knew that the real nightmare was only just beginning.
*
The storm didn't faze him. He stood at the ocean's edge, tears streaming down his face. The waves looked like water demons—devouring everything in their path. Ready to feed the underwater darkness, waiting for another victim. Someone like him—a broken, defenseless boy.
At that moment, he saw no hope for himself. He wanted to disappear. Forever. To free himself from this place, this world, from the lives of the people he had brought suffering to.
It was his fault they were all trapped in this nightmare—on a deserted island where nothing was real. Imprisoned, with no hope of rescue, fighting every day to survive against a killer who should never have existed.
He took a step forward, ready to end it all. But someone stopped him. Wrapped their arms around him tightly and began to sob.
"Noah, please... stay. Don't do this. Don't give up. This will end one day. We'll get out of here, I promise you."
The blond boy closed his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks. He bowed his head. He couldn't speak.
They stood like that, crying together.
"Mason, what are you doing?! Get back inside! It's dangerous!" Nancy shouted from halfway down the beach.
"See? She doesn't even see me anymore. To her, I'm the murderer now. They all hate me. They treat me like I'm invisible. You have to let me go, Mason. I have to end this," Noah whispered.
"No!" Mason answered firmly, holding him even tighter. "You're my brother. I won't let you disappear. I'll protect you—regardless of what!"
"Let me go... please..."
"No!"
Mason started dragging him back onto the beach. Noah struggled, trying to break free.
"Leave me alone! Get off me, Mason! You don't get to decide for me!"
"No! I'm taking you home. No matter what it takes. It's going to be okay!"
"Nothing will be okay! You know that. Your dad hates me. He'll never let me come back. To him, I'm a freak, a monster. I was never meant to be his son. He only cares about his image."
Mason lost his patience. He threw Noah onto the sand and pinned him down.
"Listen to me, you idiot. You know he only says that. He still cares about you. He'll protect you too. You're his son, too."
Noah turned his head away, more tears falling.
"Nothing will ever be the same again. I don't want to go back. I'd rather stay here. Forever."
Mason couldn't take it anymore. He slapped him across the face.
"Don't you ever say that again!" he shouted, trembling all over.
Nancy watched from a distance, worried...