Part 1: Island of Ice
An unusual and unnatural event occurs; a giant island of ice suddenly appears in the middle of the ocean, far away from any civilization. The appearance of the island attracted the interest of researchers and explorers worldwide. The island does not follow the rules of nature, it appeared out of nowhere and is constantly shrouded in a blanket of fog.
The sheer size and shape of the island is unbelievable. The thick fog and strong current make it impossible for any sea vessels to approach the island. All attempts to approach the island by air also failed due to electro-magnetic interference. Aircrafts control systems were compromised and communication was also cut off. The unusual phenomenon surrounding the island of ice only fed the interest of those who wish to investigate the mysterious island.
Several years passed and still no one had succeeded in setting foot on the icy island. It proved even more difficult than travelling into outer-space. Hundreds of research teams, scientists and environmentalists still observed the island from afar. One of the most amazing discoveries was that the island remained frozen all year and the temperature and weather conditions hardly changed.
Even with so many eyes watching the island, very little was known about it. The human scientists would never consider the island to be something created by magic. Yes, the island of ice was not formed by nature; under the sea the island is nested in the branches of an ancient crystalised tree.
Part 2: The Sacred Tree
Two mystical species inhabit the seas around the Sacred Tree. The Merpeople have been the guardians of the Sacred Tree since it was created. They are responsible for all the strange phenomena and disturbances keeping the humans away from the island of ice. The Merpeople provide nourishment to keep the tree alive as well protect the surrounding waters from impurities like pollution and toxins. A duty which had become increasingly difficult with the rapid growth of the human population and the devastation they inflict on the planet.
The Majestic Snails live on the seabed around the roots of the Sacred Tree. These wise creatures are long-lived and possess the ability to foretell the future and see prophecies. The Sea Snails predict the arrival of a young human girl whose destiny is tied to the Sacred Tree and its survival.
Although the two species inhabit the same waters they rarely interact with each other since they have different roles to play in protecting the Sacred Tree.
For hundreds of years the Sacred Tree and island of ice remained hidden from humans (above the sea). Over a long period of time, uncontrollable events weakened the barrier keeping the island hidden from the world.. The Merpeople prioritised the Sacred Tree above all else; they collectively decided that the Sacred Tree and island of ice needed to be protected at all costs. To strengthen the barrier surrounding the Sacred Tree, the Merpeople released the section of barrier concealing the island of ice, revealing its existence to the world.
The Sacred Tree was all that remained of the Northern Sea Goddess. Millenia ago, the goddess sacrificed her soul to seal away the Kraken; a demonic creature that wreaked havoc in the northern seas, poisoning the water and killing anything and everything in its path. The Northern Sea Goddess was not powerful enough to defeat the demon monster alone so instead she sacrificed her sacred soul to seal the Kraken in a cage of impenetrable and unmeltable ice. With the demon Kraken sealed away and all the creatures of the Northern Sea safe, all that remained of the sea goddess was the Sacred Tree; its branches coiled around the cage of ice.
However, as the Northern Sea Goddess was weakened from the poisoned water she was unable to complete the seal. At the centre of the Sacred Tree was a crystal heart with a missing fragment.
As the centuries passed, the seal on the ice cage gradually weakened. The snails foresaw that should the crystal heart remain incomplete, the demon monster will escape from the cage of ice and once again contaminate the entire ocean. With the seal weakening everyday sea creatures oceanwide searched for the missing fragment.
Part 3: A new team of explorers
The team has travelled far and wide to study and explore the natural world. In less than ten years, what was once a close group of friends with similar interests became one of the most accredited and respected teams of explorers in the world. For their latest quest, the team have set their sights on an island no human has ever set foot since it mysteriously appeared in the Northern Sea over twenty years ago.
The team of explorers had read hundreds of articles and research studies on the strange nature of Ice Island. They watched interviews of those who attempted to approach the island noting the inescapable fog, sudden changes in the water current, aircraft system failures and compromised communication lines. With so many dangers and unknowns there was an endless list of reasons the team should avoid approaching Ice Island. This team was famous for taking extremes, it was part of the reason they were so successful. In their eyes, Ice Island was another challenge for them to concur. After studying every available piece of material on Ice Island, the team of explorers equipped themselves to be ready for anything.
Even though they were the first humans to successfully set foot on Ice Island, the team of daredevil explorers were somewhat disappointed at how easy it turned out to be. There was no impenetrable fog, crashing current or electro-magnetic interference. In fact, everything was annoyingly normal.
While her friends take photos and plan where to set up camp, one member of their team is uncharacteristically silent.
Part 4: Sasha
The very moment she stepped on the icy surface Sasha experienced an indescribable and overwhelming sensation. Even though she had never been there before, Sasha felt an unusual affinity for Ice Island. She couldn’t understand why she felt strongly connected to the mysterious island. As she gazed out at the eerily silent sea, Sasha heard something calling out to her.
At night Sasha woke up struggling to catch her breath after seeing visions of a majestic tree, merpeople, a crystal heart, the island and a demon of death. Sasha wondered what was happening to her; after arriving on the island, she wasn’t able to think straight. She hadn’t had nightmares since she was a child. Just as she began to calm down, Sasha once again heard a mesmerising melody rising from the sea. The melody resonated with something inside her and suddenly a sharp pain stabbed at Sasha’s heart. Unable to resist the growing impulse inside her, Sasha left the safety of her tent and ventured out into the freezing darkness. Barefoot, Sasha walked towards the edge of Ice Island, with each step the mesmerising melody calling her became clearer.
Part 5: The found fragment
The Merpeople could not believe the power of the Sacred Tree failed, for the first time humans were allowed entry to Ice Island. While the Merpeople were panicked and scared the wise snails were calm as they sensed a familiar presence above the sea. What they had spent centuries searching for had finally returned; the missing fragment of the crystal heart.
The Merpeople could not understand how or why the heart fragment fused with a human soul. Actually, the reason did not matter, the Merpeople were desperate to return the fragment to the heart of the Sacred Tree. For that they were willing to do anything, even risk exposing their existence to the world.
The Merpeople were warriors and wanted to retrieve the fragment by force. The snails however, were thinkers and wanted to approach the situation with more caution and formulate a properly detailed plan. The two mystical species could not be any more different; it was those differences that were stopping them from working together to retrieve the heart fragment.
They only ceased their useless and repetitive argument when the Sacred Tree began to glow. The heart of the ancient tree was resonating with its missing piece. The two mystical species were unaware that above the sea on Ice Island, Sasha was responding to the call of the Sacred Tree.
To be continued…?
Afterwards
- On the surface in the dead of night, Sasha is perched on the edge of the icy island. As she looked down into the darkness of the sea, the stabbing pain became unbearable. Sasha screamed out at the star reflected sea before losing all her strength and being swallowed by the freezing sea.
- Sasha wakes up in an unfamiliar yet familiar place. She was resting against something that resembled a crystalised tree branch.
- The pain she had experienced before falling had disappeared.
- Sasha encounters the Merpeople and snail, they looked exactly as they appeared in her dreams. From the two mystical species Sasha learns the truth about Ice Island.
- It is revealed that the only way to prevent the Kraken from eventually breaking free was reuniting the fragment with the crystal heart. But what would that mean for Sasha?
Dedicated Dreamer 