"Isn't something wrong?"
Cold fog shrouded the lake. As Shade continued forward, he suddenly asked in his heart.
Yes. The previous two times, they had already thrown you a rope.
At that moment, Shade could already see the blurry outline of Lake Heart Island through the fog, yet the witches had not thrown over the rope meant to pull him ashore. The swarm of Red Butterflies, which dyed even the White Fog crimson, continued forward. Shade could not even see the light of the campfire.
"Could I have landed in the wrong place this time?"
But Father of Infinite Tree had always made him appear in the same location every time. There should not have been an exception this time.
The butterflies transformed back into Shade above the lake. Before the scattered red glimmers had faded, Shade narrowed his eyes at the island's edge not far away. He could vaguely make out the scenery along Lake Heart Island's shore: an extinguished campfire, a camp enclosed by a simple fence, tents, and daily supplies.
When he finally broke through the fog over the lake and stepped onto the island, Shade confirmed that there was not a single witch in the camp. They had all vanished.
The camp did not look as though it had been abandoned for long. It had not yet fully blended into the scenery of Lake Heart Island, and obvious traces of human habitation remained. When Shade reached toward the charcoal in the campfire, his hands, stiff from the cold, could still feel warmth. It was just that the fire itself was not a normal flame, so its temperature could not be used to judge when Miss Violet and the others had left.
"Six maids, the Witch Emperor, and a near-graduate of Serkses Higher Medical Academy... none of