Stella made her way toward the port, the salty breeze brushing against her face as the distant sound of waves echoed softly. She spotted Emma waiting near the dock, standing calmly as if she had been there for a while.
Emma greeted her with a gentle, reassuring smile.
"From now on, forget that your name is Stella Light. You are Emma Smith."
Stella nodded, her expression steady and confident.
"Of course. You never have to worry about me."
Emma studied her for a brief moment, then said, "I wish you a safe and happy journey… and thank you."
A faint, sincere smile crossed Stella's face, "It's me who should thank you. Without you, my father wouldn't have lived."
Emma lowered her gaze slightly before nodding, "this is my duty. Now go… you'll be late."
For a second, neither of them moved. Then Stella turned and walked toward the ship. Each step felt heavier than the last, yet she didn't look back.
As she boarded and stepped inside, her eyes widened slightly. The interior was far more magnificent than she had imagined.
Polished floors, warm lights, and an atmosphere filled with quiet elegance.
She had never seen a cruise ship before. It wasn't massive, but the quiet luxury was unmistakable.
For a moment, the sight impressed her, but the reaction quickly faded.
"I shouldn't be," she reminded herself, "I'm supposed to be the daughter of a very wealthy family."
Her posture straightened, mirroring Emma's quiet confidence.
The resemblance was exact, the same formal clothes, the same hairstyle, even the same subtle gestures.
Nothing had been left to chance, and
everything was going as planned.
Fifteen minutes later, the ship began to move, slowly leaving the port behind. By the window, Stella watched the skyscrapers fade into the distance.
Meanwhile, far behind, Emma stood watching the ship depart, with another silent figure beside her.
The man beside Emma was a handsome young figure with sharp features, blue eyes, and short dark hair. Flawless skin and a tall, slim build gave him the look of a model, especially in sportswear.
A calm smile appeared.
"So, Miss Meyer, you've finally gotten rid of your problem."
Emma returned the smile.
"Thanks mainly to you. I'm very grateful."
"This is my duty."
"You paid the full cost of the operation this morning, as I asked. Thank you again."
A slight nod followed.
"You mentioned sending her family a monthly sum."
"Yes. Now, let's leave. Disappearing for a few months would be best. My father has traveled, so there's no issue."
"What about your sister and her mother?"
Emma's expression remained calm.
"They'll regret what they've done. I can't wait to see their faces in the day, when I return with my report about the continent."
Inside the ship, Stella sat in her room, taking in the luxurious surroundings.
"Oh, the life of the rich is truly wonderful. Anyone who says money doesn't bring happiness is just a loser trying to console himself."
While moving around the room, a sudden knock echoed at the door.
A man's voice called out,
"Miss Meyer, may I have a moment of your time?"
" Miss Meyer? Wait… that's not right. Emma's last name is Smith."
Assuming a simple mistake, Stella opened the door.
"Yeah, what's up?"
The visitor spoke, "Miss Emma, I just wanted to check on you. You haven't left your room for three hours. Is something wrong?"
A young man stood there, with his fair features, slightly confused expression, dressed in ordinary clothes unlike most passengers.
That must be the person she mentioned.
A polite smile formed, "No, nothing's wrong, just..."
"Miss Emma," the young man interrupted, "your voice sounds different. Are you sick?"
"Yes, that's what I wanted to say."
"And your eyes look brighter too."
"Just lenses."
"Really? You always said those things didn't suit you. You preferred being yourself."
"Now I see why Emma called him annoying… What was the name? Right it's Ed."
"Anyway," Ed said, "see you later, Miss Meyer. You should rest while recovering."
"See you later."
The door closed quickly once the footsteps faded.
"Finally… what a talkative person ! Better check things outside. If he knows her well, that name wasn't a mistake."
An hour later, Stella headed downstairs to avoid suspicion after claiming illness.
The plan was simple, find him again, but one problem remained, she forgets his name !
"Oh my God, I have completely forgotten his name. How am I going to find him now?"
While lost in thought, she was surprised by a voice speaking to her, "Hey, Emma, how have you been? Haven't seen you in a while."
Stella turned towards the voice to find a beautiful blonde girl, she raised her eyes to look at her, she was tall and slender.
The girl spoke softly, "Ed told me you were unwell, but since you came, you must be feeling better."
Stella replied, "Oh, I think Ed may have exaggerated a bit. My condition is not that bad."
"This girl must be the one called Anna," Stella thought.
She considered it a good thing that meeting her, it was better than the talkative Ed.
"This girl is one of Emma's close friends, she must know a lot about her."
Stella asked, "How is your family doing?"
"They are doing well. How about your father and sister?"
Stella was stunned by the her question.
"Father? Sister? How is that possible? Isn't her father deceased, and she has no siblings?"
The realization hit her hard, first the lie about the name, and now this? Emma had a father and a sister too?
Stella stood there in disbelief, her thoughts racing.
Anna noticed her hesitation and asked, "Emma, are you okay? What's going on? Why aren't you saying anything?"
Snapping out of her daze, Stella forced a smile, "Ah, I'm just feeling a bit tired. I think I'll go back to my room now."
Before Anna could respond, Stella turned and hurried away, her mind swirling with confusion and fear.
As she walked away, Anna sighed, "Does she always act this way when she's sick?"
Back in her room, Stella slammed the door behind her with such force that it startled one of the ship's crew members passing by. She collapsed onto a chair, placing her hands on her head, overwhelmed by the sudden revelations.
" What on earth is going on? Why did she lie to me? My intuition tells me I've gotten myself into some kind of trouble!"
For the rest of the day, Stella didn't leave her room. During that time, several of Emma's colleagues came by to check on her, including Anna and Ed.
Stella assured them she was fine and just needed some rest.
This expedition team consisted of thirty individuals: twenty men and ten women.
They were a diverse group of researchers in biology, archaeology, and anthropology.
Hours later, Ed knocked on Stella's door again, informing her that they were about to reach the continent and should get ready.
Two hours later, the ship docked at their destination.
As soon as they disembarked, the team was in awe of the scenery.
The beach was unlike any other they had seen, its sands were black, speckled with white pebbles, resembling a starry night sky. The waters were crystal clear with patches of reddish-purple seaweed swaying beneath the surface.
The beauty of the scene captivated everyone, momentarily easing Stella's fears.
But then, something in the water caught Stella's attention, a transparent, swiftly moving creature. Her heart pounded as she realized what it was. Her face twisted in horror, and she screamed, "Everyone, be careful! There's something toxic in the water! Get away quickly!"
Heeding her warning, the team immediately retreated from the water.
Stella grabbed a long tree branch lying on the sand and carefully dipped it into the water, she pulled it out, and the sight of the branch made everyone shiver with fear.
Ed, recognizing the danger, exclaimed, "It's a box jellyfish!"
Box jellyfish are known for their deadly venom, capable of ending a human's life in just three minutes. It's said that the toxicity in just one of these jellyfish can kill sixty adults.
Transparent and small, they're often mistaken for harmless creatures, especially since people usually associate bright colors with danger. But this rule didn't apply to the box jellyfish.
The group quickly moved away from the beach, knowing that there was no antidote for its venom.
The leader decided they should head toward the forest, but this time with more caution.
At first glance, the forest seemed ordinary, but as they ventured deeper, they realized it was anything but.
The trees were of different colors, shades of green, orange, yellow, and dark green.
Everyone eagerly took out their cameras, capturing the vibrant scenery.
They were thrilled when they discovered a group of birds they had never seen before. But while the group marveled at their discoveries, Stella couldn't shake her unease.
"Just as soon as we arrived, we almost lost some members. If I were in this leader's place, I wouldn't have acted so recklessly. Moving deeper into this unknown forest is definitely not a good idea," she thought, her gut warning her something was terribly wrong.
While scanning her surroundings, Stella noticed something unusual.
A butterfly with colors she had never seen before, a vivid turquoise that almost seemed unreal. Intrigued, she moved closer to take a picture, but the butterfly fluttered away.
Determined, Stella whispered,
"Well… I'll catch up with you. You're worth the trouble."
After a short chase, a clear shot was finally captured.
Proud of the result, realization hit her, she had drifted too far.
"Oh no… where's the group? I was so focused on taking pictures I didn't notice I left them behind."
A quick attempt to retrace her steps followed.
"I remember leaving them next to the red tree."
The group had gathered around it earlier, studying its unusual color and documenting it from every angle.
Suddenly, distressed voices echoed throughout the forest, frightening Stella.
These voices were familiar to her.
She felt confused and scared but continued walking in the direction of the sounds.
When she arrived, she was shocked and terrified.
Her eyes reflected horror and anxiety, and her face was twisted with fear.
A group of masked men surrounded the explorers.
Their builds were strong, movements controlled, and their masks, strangely shaped, almost ritual-like, hid every trace of identity. They advanced in silence, step by step, tightening the circle.
The expedition members retreated backward, trying to escape, but there was no way out.
As the masks flew around them, the brutal attack began.
Screams and shock erupted among the team as sounds of pain and torment filled the air.
Hope faded, and spirits broke, visible in their panicked faces twisted with agony.
When it ended, the ground was no longer visible in places, broken gear, scattered belongings, and motionless figures lay among dark stains soaking into the soil.
The once vibrant expedition had turned into a scene of ruin, silence pressing heavily between the trees.