The Island of Lost Souls

Previously

…The words struck a raw nerve. Leo saw his life flashing before him – the brutal fights, the betrayals, the endless cycle of violence. Thorne was right. He was a pirate. But was that all he would ever be? Suddenly, a piercing shriek echoed from the jungle. Thorne’s men, in their haste to secure the energy source, had stumbled upon a nest of the island’s indigenous creatures, magnificent winged beasts that guarded the inner sanctums. The creatures, enraged by the intrusion, were fighting back with a ferocity that dwarfed Thorne’s own men. The distraction was all Leo needed. He saw his opportunity not to strike Thorne down, but to create a diversion. He feigned a lunge, then spun, his