The Compass of Rejected Tides
You inherit a cursed lighthouse and a compass that peels your skin to reveal a lost treasure—if you can bear the cost.
After your estranged uncle dies, you inherit a crumbling lighthouse on an island locals call cursed. Inside its base, you find a compass that glows only when you touch it—and every touch leaves your skin raw and your thoughts dissolving into whispers. The local witch reveals the truth: this is a rejected-mate bond, twisted into a tool that seeks a treasure buried in the island's depths. To break the curse, you must assemble a crew of strangers and journey into the dark heart of the island, where the treasure waits to claim you as its own. Can you trust those who might betray you, or will the compass's pull drive you mad first?
The story begins
The lantern swung wild in your grip as the lighthouse door slammed shut behind you, the wind ripping the sound away into the storm's howl. Salt spray stung your cheeks, mixing with the rain that soaked through your coat in cold rivulets down your spine. You'd barely made it up the cliff path before the sky opened, and now the old stone tower loomed above you like a crooked finger pointing at the churning gray heavens.
You'd inherited this place three days ago. Three days since the solicitor's letter arrived, three days since you'd learned your uncle had died a broken man on this rock, three days since the strange compass in the cellar had started whispering your name in your dreams.
The door groaned behind you, and you spun—but it was only the wind. Still, your heart hammered against your ribs. The air inside was thick with dust and salt and something else. Something that smelled faintly of ozone and crushed herbs.
"Bold of you, courier," a voice said from the shadows, sharp and amused. "Breaking into a witch's island without even a knock."
You turned. A woman leaned against the spiral staircase, arms crossed, eyes glinting gold in the lantern light. Elowen. She'd been watching you the whole time.
"You're going to want to hear what I have to say before you go any further."
What happens next is up to you.
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