A look of trepidation crossed Jasmine's face as she stared at her father, an arrow lodged deep in his chest.
"D-Dad?!"
She screamed, sprinting toward him, her heart hammering as her gaze darted around the room, searching for any sign of the attacker.
But there was nothing.
No doors forced open, no walls disturbed. Everything looked just as it had when she'd entered. It was as if the arrow had simply… appeared.
She turned back to her father, her face pale, as he frowned, glancing down at the arrow protruding from his chest.
"As I thought," he muttered.
"There was someone lurking in the sunken islands. Though I didn't expect them to reveal themselves… not this soon."
Hearing him speak so calmly, almost dismissively, left Jasmine bewildered.
"Dad… are you… okay?"
Her voice trembled; the question sounded absurd, yet she couldn't stop herself from asking.