Tyler and the assault on the temple

Tyler recounts with emotion the assault on the temple, an event that marked his mind and probably that of the entire crew. He begins by evoking the grueling crossing that preceded the fighting: landing on the island and the arduous progression through the dense swamps. He describes how the crew had to fight their way through with vigor, but without any ease, struggling against the suffocating vegetation and the rugged terrain to reach the temple ruins emerging from the forest.

He recalls the intensity of the battles in the heart of the ruins, the clash of weapons and the cries echoing against the ancient stones. He recounts how the crew gradually gains the upper hand, advancing step by step toward the very center of the temple.

It is at this precise moment that his story stops, as if a veil had closed over his memory. He remembers the adrenaline, the fierce combat and the sensation of being surrounded by the enemy. He recalls fighting alongside his brother Scott, and that the reassuring presence of the latter gave him the strength to continue the assault.

But as he remembers the tumult of the melee, his memory breaks abruptly. He does not remember what happened next.

Silence falls over the square, broken only by the crackling of the wood. Meroll, with an anxious look, takes the floor.

Meroll: Are you sure you didn't see anything else, my boy? Your story is quite unusual!

Tyler lowers his eyes toward the glowing embers, a shiver running down his spine despite the heat of the fire. He shakes his head gently, searching for his words in the silence that has settled.

Tyler: No... Well... I don't know... The next memory I have is of my awakening. I found myself alone, lying on the floor of a cave. It was emptiness in my head. I didn't even know who I was! It came back after a few minutes... except for what happened during the fight.

Meroll stares at the flames as if searching for an answer before speaking softly, in a more solemn tone.

Meroll: This temple you speak of... it is not a simple ruin, Tyler. It was built an eternity ago in honor of Nãkama, the goddess of the ocean. She is everywhere here, in the currents and in the breath of the wind. The fact that you woke up in her entrails, after disappearing like that in the middle of such a battle... is a mystery that no one can explain.

Muspill: Besides Nãkama?

Meroll: Besides the goddess, of course. She alone knows what truly happened in the temple. And it seems certain to me that she played a leading role in this strange tale.