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The moon had risen silver and full over the restless sea by the time Antonio returned to the ship. Frazer was already fussing over his notes and injuries, muttering to himself about "unmapped miracles" and "feral elegance," but Antonio hardly heard him.
He stood at the rail of the ship long after the crew had gone below deck, his gaze locked on the dark silhouette of the island. The jungle rustled in the distance like a secret whispered just out of reach, but it wasn’t the island that haunted him—it was her.
Ro.
She had emerged from the wild like some fierce spirit of nature, golden-haired and ocean-eyed, barefoot and sun-browned, fearless in the face of death. She hadn’t just survived this untamed land. She had belonged to it, and it to her.
Antonio ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed, still feeling the imprint of her voice, her presence, the wild fire in her gaze. How had she lived like that—alone, for ten years? How had she not been broken by it?
She was unlike any woman he had ever known. She was unlike anyone.
He had offered her a place in his world, but it was her world that had shaken his.
As night deepened, he barely slept. His thoughts drifted to what she might decide. Would she come with him? Would she stay, melting back into the trees like a dream?
By first light, he couldn’t wait any longer.
With hurried steps and a heart beating louder than the oars in the water, Antonio rowed the small skiff toward the shore. The morning sun spilled golden light over the waves, and the sea shimmered like glass. The closer he got, the tighter the anticipation wound in his chest.
And then he saw her.
She stood at the water’s edge, waiting.
Barefoot in the sand, her long blonde hair catching the wind, Ro looked like she had stepped out of a painting—wild and radiant, strong and untouchable. Her arms were folded across her chest, but her eyes—those ocean-blue eyes—watched him steadily.
Antonio’s breath caught.
She had come.
He leapt from the boat before it even touched shore, boots splashing into the surf. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ro gave a small smile, soft and guarded. "I thought you'd be back earlier."
Antonio chuckled breathlessly, his smile helpless. "I didn’t want to scare you off by being too eager."
"You almost did."
They stood a few paces apart, the tide lapping around their ankles.
"Have you decided?" he asked, voice gentle now.
Ro looked past him, out to the horizon. Her fingers curled and uncurled at her sides. Then she met his eyes again, the strength in her voice unwavering.
"I’ll come with you. But I’m not leaving this place behind. It’s a part of me."
Antonio nodded slowly, his heart swelling.
"Then I’ll make sure you never have to."
And with the sun rising behind them, golden and full of promise, Ro took her first steps toward a new life—one still tangled with wild roots, but now reaching toward something unknown and extraordinary.