Kawao woke up drenched in sweat. He had a nightmare.

One like he'd never had before.

He found himself suddenly in complete darkness.

In front of him appeared a purple vortex, growing larger and larger until it swallowed him. At the very last moment, a blood-red hand shot out from the vortex and grabbed at him.

Then he woke up.

He glanced briefly out the window before getting up.

Today was sunny, with a few scattered clouds. As he got dressed, he wondered about his dream. It wasn't the first time he'd forgotten the content of a dream shortly after waking.

He sighed and left his room. "If I don't remember it, then it probably wasn't important," he thought, as he entered the main room of his hut.

He had lived there as long as he could remember with his parents.

They greeted each other as he sat down next to his father, who was sitting at a small wooden table. His mother was preparing breakfast in the meantime.

After enjoying the quiet for a moment, his father spoke up.

"So, today is your big day, huh?" he began.

"Yes. Today is the day! Today I will become a true hunter!"

"But only if you pass the test!" his mother replied.

"Do you have any doubts?"

"No, of course not. But not everyone passes, you know?"

"Yes, but I’m the best in my class. I’ve got this!"

"You know what they say: Pride comes before a fall."

"And before pride comes success," he proudly retorted to his father.

His father just smiled at him and said, "Come on! Get going! Make us and your village proud!"

"I will! Father, Mother, I’m off!"

They both wished him good luck as he left the hut and was momentarily blinded by the bright sun.

Then he made his way to the village chief.

The chief lived in the largest hut in the village. As long as he could remember, Kawao had known nothing but his village and its island. As far as he knew, there was nothing beyond it. It was forbidden to question this.

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But those who did were bound and placed in a small boat, then banished to the open sea. They were never heard from again.

When he arrived at the marketplace, someone suddenly grabbed him from behind.

It was a boy named Kin. For some time, Kin had admired Kawao because he was the best young hunter of his year. Kin always talked about how much he wanted to be as big and strong as Kawao.

"Today's your big day, right?" Kin asked.

"Yes. I'm on my way to see the chief."

"Do you have a moment to go to the beach?"

"I think I have a moment. But I can't stay long."

Kin smiled at him and ran off. The beach wasn’t far since the village was built right next to it.

The houses were anchored deep in the sand with strong bamboo poles to prevent damage or flooding during storms. The village lay next to the open sea and a large jungle that covered most of the island. There was also a massive mountain in the east and a gorge that started at its base, dividing the island into northern and southern parts.

Kawao and Kin now stood on the beach not far from the village, silently watching the sea.

Finally, Kin spoke up.

"You'll do great!"

"What?"

"I mean the test. You'll do great!"

"Why is everyone worried about me? Sure, the test isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean my chances are bad."

"Yeah, I know! But the chances of passing are only about 15 percent."

"That’s just a general estimate!"

Kin sighed and stared thoughtfully out at the sea.

"Do you remember three years ago? When we found your vest here on the beach and you instantly fell in love with it?"

"I didn’t fall in love with it! I just think it looks really cool!" he replied, blushing slightly.

He was wearing it today. It was a gray vest with a black-and-red flame on the back. It had washed ashore back then.

"If there really isn’t anyone else out there, where do our clothes come from?" he wondered.

From time to time, various clothing items would wash up on the beach, which, once dried, were worn again.

"I’ll miss these times," Kin continued.

"You don’t have to!" Kawao replied.

"Next year, you can join the training too, and in three years, we can have adventures together again!"

Kin just smiled tiredly. A few tears rolled down his cheeks. He quickly turned away so Kawao wouldn’t see him like that.

"Go on! Pass the test!" he said before starting to sob.

Kawao quickly headed off.

"It’s probably best if I get the test over with quickly," he decided and ran to the village chief's hut, which stood prominently at the northern edge of the marketplace, towering over the other houses in the village.

At the entrance, the other candidates were already lined up.

Since the chief wasn’t there yet, he wasn’t late. He quickly lined up among the others, pretending he’d been there all along.

"Where were you?" one of the candidates whispered to him.

"I had some things to do."

"Shh!"

Slowly, the village chief emerged from his hut.

He was very old and needed a staff for support. He calmly surveyed those standing before him and cleared his throat.

"My children!" he began.

"Today is the day when it will be decided whether you become a hunter or a guardian!"

The hunters were specially trained warriors who procured food and other essentials from the jungle and the sea. Their training lasted two years, and only those who could keep up were honored with this role.

The guardians stayed in the village all their lives, maintaining it. Food processing, hut repairs, and clothing making were just part of their work.

"But unlike during your training, anyone who fails the test today will not be able to re-enter the village. Those who fail will die. Those who succeed will live. This is the test you face today.

I will now explain the contents of the test. Then you may begin:

You have until noon tomorrow.

By then, you must reach the other side of the island and bring me a tooth from Lu'Gosh.

Anyone who does this will have passed the test."

As soon as he finished explaining, the first candidates rushed off, eager to be the first to reach the goal.

Kawao was at the forefront, charging through the jungle thicket with the others.