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Here's the next chapter.

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The Black Pearl crashed up on Shadow Break Island, the mighty full moon high above them. The crew started to jump off the ship, arguing who got to stay behind or who got to go with Jack, Merlin and Arthur. There was a massive argument about it that took around ten minutes to sort out, but in the end, they decided the five to stay behind. The Island didn't look like much from the beach. Just sand with a forest of tropical trees in front of them. However, this wasn't known as one of the most dangerous Islands in all the seven seas for nothing.

Merlin stood in the shallows of the water, looking out across the rough sea that splashed up his legs soaking his trousers. The water was cold and uninviting, but Merlin had swum in far worse. However, being so far away from the sea for so long, the cold water got to him. Merlin shuddered and then waded towards the group on dry land. As he approached them, he studied the tropical forest. It didn't look pleasant or a place where you'd be able to camp without being eaten alive. Remembering the children's stories about the Island that he had been told, Merlin followed the group into the forest.

After half an hour of walking, the pirates and knights were hot and sweating like hell. Their clothes clung to them as mosquitoes tried to bite them. They were all gasping for air from the heat. Even on a cool night like that one, the tropical forest was still roasting.

"Do we even know where we are going?" Arthur cried out to Jack, who was at the front.

"We walk through this forest, through King's Resting Place and sneak through Crystal Eye cave and we will then think of a plan to rescue Morgana!" he call back, pushing a bunch of vines out of the way. Merlin heard Arthur sigh in annoyance. He opened his mouth to ask him about it, but he was cut off by a terrible scream.

"He was just 'ear! He was just 'ear!" screamed a man to the left of the group. "Patty was 'ear a second ago, he screamed an' he ain't 'ear!" The pirate screamed and shouted, wailing his arms about, fear pasted on his face.

"Shut him up, shut him up!" Mr Gibbs hissed to the crew. "Shut him up!" he hissed a little crew advanced towards the man to cover his mouth.

"He was just 'eaaaaarrrrrrr!" The knights swore there and then that they'd never forget what happened next, whether they wanted to or not.

Something invisible clawed its hands into the man's back and through, lifting him up into the air. He stayed, wailing in the air, for just a moment before he was pulled towards a tree, and dragged straight through it. As he went through the tree, a spray of the man's blood was left on the tree, making his body shape. A roar ripped through the forest, followed by hisses and snarls.

Another man was dragged back into the depths of the forest, screaming into the night. The men were now starting to panic. A man Merlin knew well – living on the ship under the name of Mike - was picked up by something in the air, invisible claws bursting through his chest and throwing him towards, and through, a tree. Blood sprayed out onto the men. A roar broke the men's screaming as they turned in the direction they had just walked from.

Whatever the creature was, it had been stalking them since they entered the forest.

"Run!" shouted Jack, already fleeing past Merlin and the knights.

"Jack!" Arthur cried after him slightly annoyed. "You –" his sentence was cut off by another roar, but louder and closer. A tree fell down from somewhere in the distance. "You haven't got a half bad plan there," the Prince said, running after him; Merlin and the knights hot on their tail. Pirates started to run after them, but they were being swiped off their feet by the invisible monsters that were trying to kill them, possibly trying to eat them.

Merlin ran ahead to be by Arthur and Jack's sides. They pushed giant leaves that Merlin could not remember the name of, out of the way. Vines hung in their way, as if the forest itself was trying to slow them down for the beast that was chasing them. Merlin heard screams behind them. He knew that he could do something with the help of his magic; he knew he could stop this with a few spells, but he couldn't, or Arthur would find out about him. And that was the last thing that he needed right now.

Suddenly, a scream came from right behind Merlin. Right behind him. He stopped and turned, the others stopping a few meters in front of him. Merlin stared as one of the invisible monsters had struck on Leon. He couldn't stand there and watch his friend die… He couldn't.

Before Merlin knew what he was doing, ignoring Jack's cries to carry on running, Merlin picked up a big and heavy stone with two hands, and flung it at where he guessed the invisible creature was. His aim was good, as is must have hit the creature on the head, by the way the rock hit something in thin air then bounced to the floor by Leon's feet. Merlin's breath got caught in his throat for a second… Then he was running.

He heard Arthur and Jack call after him, their voice full of worry. Merlin ran through the forest, the creature hot on his heels. If he wasn't such a great runner, Merlin would have been dead already. A rock, suddenly blocked Merlin's path, forcing him to divert another way. He turned sharply left, slowing slightly then picking up a new type of speed. Merlin didn't dare look round to see if the creature was still there. He didn't need to look round to know that it was there, still chasing him.

Merlin suddenly came to a clearing near an edge of a cliff that dropped down into a deep, freezing, fast and fierce river. He stopped near the edge, catching his breath before turning round and walking away from the edge. A strong roar gripped Merlin with fear, as the full moon shone brightly over the clearing and making the beast that had chased and killed some of the pirates, visible.

It was a shadow.

Merlin knew that shape from a book he had read. The shadow belonged to a male ogre, three times Merlin's height, and even though it was a shadow, it still smelt. Merlin now knew why the Island was called Shadow Break Island…

Because the shadows break free from their masters at night.

The Warlock turned his eyes slowly towards his shadow. He imagined his own eyes staring back at him. Then, without Merlin commanding his shadow to do so, it waved at him. The ogre roared again, getting closer.

"Treunr ahsterm," Merlin out stretched his hand and cried. Nothing happened. The ogre moved closer, his feet making the earth move. Merlin turned to his shadow again and it waved back at him. He could imagine his shadow with a big grin on its face. Suddenly, Merlin's shadow, started to come to life. It slowly came off the ground, and slowly became 3D, slowly became an actual person... As much as a shadow could become a person. It stood up next to Merlin and ruffled its shadow hair, then reached out and ruffled Merlin's.

The shadow Merlin turned to the ogre shadow as it roared again. Shadow Merlin walked forward towards the other shadow and reached out its hand. A funny hissing noise came from it, and Merlin guessed that it was using a spell. He was right. The ogre shadow suddenly started to burst in the flames. Fire escaped from its shadow form, ripping him apart in seconds. The shadow ogre turned to dust. Shadow Merlin turned and looked at the real Merlin, his master. The master he was about to kill to be free like all the other shadows.

Merlin took a step back whilst his shadow self stepped forward. Before Merlin could stop his shadow self, it ran at him… and hugged him. Merlin paused for a moment, wondering why his shadow was hugging him. He then gave in and hugged his shadow back.

"Merlin!" the two Merlin's broke apart at the sound of Alex's voice. The shadow Merlin looked at where her voice had come from and then back at Merlin. It stepped back and waved. Merlin waved back.

"Go do some good and stand up against the bad shadows," Merlin said. His shadow nodded and ran off into the forest of the night. A few seconds later, Alex came from out of the bushes.

"There you are you idiot. Everyone's worried, come on," she said, storming over to him. She reached out to grab his arm but stopped. "Err, Merlin, where's ya shadow?" Merlin looked down to where his shadow was meant to be. He looked up at Alex and smiled.

"Out and about," he replied.

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