After a few days of sailing, the crew arrived at Shadow Tropic after four days, the crew is now standing on the main deck in a circle with Byul in San's hands "ok" said Hongjoong "today we won't be splitting like last time, six of us will go to the island and the rest will watch over the ship, agree?" He asked "Aye captain" they responded and Hongjoong held nine sticks in his right hand making everyone pull one.
"So, it's decided, Yunho, Valerie and Jongho will stay at the ship and the rest will go explore the island" Hongjoong said "now, get ready to land" he clapped his hands earning an Aye Captain from the crew "and San" he called on San "Byul will stay at the ship" he said pointing down at the ship "fine" San said sulking.
The six men departed to the island on Valerie's boat since it's the biggest one they have, Valerie and the two boys and Byul watched the boat go to the island, the island had big and tall trees surrounding its beach, making it impossible to see inside the island "it's my first time seeing such huge trees" said Jongho "it looks like they are a couple hundred years old" he said "you know, I think I know what kind of trees they are" said Yunho and ran to his cabin and after a couple of seconds, he came back with a book in his hand with the title 'Earth to the Unknown' and sat in the middle of the main deck, Valerie and Jongho joined him and Byul sat on Jongho's lap "she won't scratch me right?" He asked 'no, I won't' the cat said to Valerie and she smiled "no, she won't" she told him and he sighed and started patting her while Yunho was still looking in the book.
"Found it!!!" Yunho yelled getting the attention of his both mates on his sides "They are called Hyperion trees, they are the tallest trees in the world" he said surprising them "isn't Hyperion the name of titans?" Jongho asked "it is" Valerie answered him "but it doesn't mean that titans live there, the tree can be planted anywhere, right?" She asked Yunho worried "yeah, that's right" he assured her standing up and the both of them let a breath out "well, they are safe then" Valerie said standing up and Byul got off Jongho's lap letting him stand "I'll go make us something to drink" Valerie said heading towards the kitchen.
The six men landed on the island and they were met with huge trees that has a very wide trunk which twenty men can't surround it fully "that's a huge tree" said Wooyoung and San at the same time "is all the other trees on the island this huge?" asked Yeosang looking up at the tree "let's go find out" said Hongjoong heading towards the island with his crew behind him "remember guys, stick tog-" "let's have a race!!" Yelled Wooyoung interrupting Hongjoong "the first one to arrive at that tree is the winner" he said pointing at a tree that's seven trees away from them "the loser stays on the island until we depart" he continued "deal" said San "that looks like fun" said Yeosang "I will surely win" said Mingi "are you serious?" asked Seonghwa frowning his eyebrows "on my mark" Wooyoung said ignoring him with the three men standing next to his right "three," he started counting and Hongjoong and Seonghwa gave up on them watching from behind "two, one, go!!!" He yelled and the four of them started running with Wooyoung first, Mingi second, San third and Yeosang forth.
The sunlight didn't reach the island fully because the trees branches were blocking it, so, the deeper they go into the island the darker it becomes.
Wooyoung and Mingi were fighting for the first place while Yeosang passed San and became the third.
While running, Wooyoung heard a hiss in the air making him slow down then stopped surprising Mingi "if you won't run you'll become the last and stay at the island!!!" Mingi yelled, continue running but Wooyoung ignored him and stayed in his place looking around, it became darker and harder to see, big trees surrounding him from everywhere.
Yeosang caught up to Wooyoung, surprised to see him standing in his place, he started slowing down until he stopped next to him "is there anything wrong?" He asked him while panting, confused and frowning his eyebrows, but Wooyoung didn't look at him and continued looking around "I just heard something, and I've got a bad feeling about it" he said confusing Yeosang even more and after a moment San arrived next to them "is there something wrong?" He asked panting "Wooyoung heard something suspicious, but doesn't know what it is" Yeosang told him "it just feels off, that's it" he said looking at both of them "anyways, let's go get Mingi and head back to Hongjoong and Seong-" "AAAHHH" Wooyoung was interrupted by a scream coming from where Mingi went making the three of them flinch and widen their eyes "that's Mingi!" San yelled and started running towards Mingi with Yeosang and Wooyoung behind him.
The three men ran towards where they heard Mingi and when they arrived, they saw him sitting on the ground, looking directly in front of him with his hands on the ground supporting him "Mingi!!" San yelled approaching him making Mingi turn his head towards him "are you okay?" Wooyoung asked squatting next to him "what happened?" Yeosang asked standing next to them "th-th-there's a-a-a ghost in here" he managed to say those three words confusing his crewmates "what do you mean a ghost?" San asked him "I saw her" he whispered "she was wearing a white dress and her skin was so pale and clear you could see through it, and her hair was pitch black and long covering her face" Mingi described the ghost with wide eyes still not moving from his place.
Yeosang, Wooyoung and San looked at eachother confused and nervous, Yeosang gulped "maybe you were just hallucinating" he gave an excuse "it's dark in here and you might see weird things" he told him "I wasn't hallucinating!" Mingi yelled standing up "she was laughing" he said "I think she wanted to kill me" he whispered to them "come on Mingi, a ghost won't kill a human" San told him nervously "they might scare the shit out of you but won't kill unless they have to, right Wooyoung?" He asked looking at Wooyoung who was still sitting on the ground not looking at them and quiet "Wooyoung?" Yeosang asked checking on him and putting his hand on his shoulder "Mingi" Wooyoung said catching their attention "is that the ghost?" He asked pointing his finger in front of him and when they turned their heads to where he was pointing, they saw a small figure peaking her head from behind a giant tree, it was the same as Mingi described it, and she was smiling at them.
The four of them froze in their places "he he he" the ghost laughed in a high pitched eerie voice making them shiver, Yeosang gulped "listen" he whispered to them "on the count of three, we run towards Hongjoong and Seonghwa, understand?" He whispered to them and they nodded "one," the ghost started moving getting away from the tree slowly still laughing "three!" Yeosang yelled and they started running back from where they came from "what happened to two?!" San yelled "just run!!" Yeosang yelled back at him "what is wrong with these islands!!" Mingi shouted while running "I don't know, ask that messed up map!!" Wooyoung yelled back at him "did we lose it?" Yeosang asked still running "I don't kno-WAHHHH" Mingi looked back and saw the ghost chasing them and they all started screaming "AAAAHHHHH".
"It's such a peaceful evening" Jongho said sipping from his coffee with Byul on his lap sleeping, they were sitting on the wood of the main deck drinking coffee and tea "it's rare to go through such a beautiful day without chaos" Yunho added drinking coffee "this thing is delicious, I should bye more from the next island we stop at" Valerie said drinking her tea "do you think they found something strange there?" Jongho asked taking a sip "I don't think so" Valerie answered him "if by any chance they found something, they'll be right back" Yunho assured him "you are right" Jongho said "they are probably competing over stupid things and having fun" he said smiling to himself.
"Heeelpp!" Mingi shouted reaching for Seonghwa who is confused from their behaviour "what's wrong" he asked Mingi who is hiding behind him "there is a ghost following us" Yeosang said catching his breath "A ghost?" Hongjoong questioned next to Seonghwa "yeah, a ghost" San said lying on the ground "she wants to kill us" Wooyoung told Hongjoong holding his shoulders and shaking them "are you serious?" Hongjoong asked him not buying what he said and Wooyoung nodded "this is bullshit" he said massaging his forehead "language" Seonghwa told Hongjoong giving him a scolding look and he rolled his eyes "what ghost are you talking about?" Seonghwa asked them trying to understand them "she is short, thin, pale skin and black hair covering her face" Yeosang described the ghost "and she was laughing" San added standing up "laughing?" Seonghwa and Hongjoong asked in unison "yeah, like Heee Heee" Wooyoung said "not Heee Heee, it's hehehe hehehe" San corrected him "neither this it's more like" Yeosang stopped talking remembering how she laughed "he he he" "yeah like how Seonghwa laughed" he said pointing at Seonghwa "I didn't laugh" he said looking confused "then who laughed?" Mingi asked behind him "he he he" they heard the laughter from behind San and they all turned their heads slowly to find the ghost standing right behind him "he he he" she laughed "AAAAHHHH" They all screamed and started running towards the shore.
"I should do some workout until they come back" Jongho said stretching his arms above his head and standing up "I think they'll be late, they must be having fun on the island" Valerie told him flipping the pages of a book Yunho gave her about poisonous plants, the three of them were on the main deck, Yunho on the crow nest with Byul on his shoulder, Valerie sitting on one of the barrels next to the main mast and leaning her back on it and Jongho started doing push ups on the other side of the main deck "Yunho, is there any trace of them?!" Valerie shouted so Yunho could hear her "no, they're still inside the island!!" He shouted back at them "see, they'll probably be back at sunset" she assured Jongho and got back to her book and he to his workout.
"I wanna go home!" Mingi cried running behind Seonghwa "I don't want to be a pirate anymore!" he yelled "it's too late for turning back now!" Seonghwa shouted "why is it following us?!" San asked "I don't know, maybe because it's what they do!" Hongjoong shouted sarcastically "there, it's the boat!" Yeosang shouted pointing ahead of him "let's hurry and get out of here!" Wooyoung shouted speeding up but he was stopped by another ghost, a woman with red messy hair, black blouse and black pants and her face and body were covered with blood "where are you going?" She asked with her hoarse voice "don't you want to play?" She asked again making Wooyoung step back "I want to play" she said pulling a knife from behind her back "AAAAAHHHHH!" the six of them screamed and started running in the opposite direction "wait, I still want to play!" She yelled chasing them.
After the sunset, their boat came back to the ship, and when they arrived, no one said a word "how was the island?" Jongho asked playfully but he got no response, Yunho came down with Byul in his hands "Byuuul" San cried hugging Byul and heading to his cabin and so did the others "I think they are tired from all 'the exploring' they did today" Jongho said playfully making the other two chuckle "let's head towards the next island!!" Hongjoong yelled from his cabin door then got in it slamming the door harshly "I think he is the most tired one" Valerie commented and headed to the quarter deck, grabbed the map and marked the next island for departure.