While the men buried Alyssa's body beneath a tree that looked like a coconut palm, the three of us bawled like children near the cliffside. Wind whipped our faces, but we hardly felt it. The waves roared far below, yet all I could hear was our sobbing.

We still hadn’t processed what had happened with the captain—and now this.

What else could possibly happen?

Vhina and Ritchelle sat on the damp grass, both staring blankly into the distance, their mouths slightly open. They had cried themselves dry, their swollen eyes bloodshot and empty. Out of the three of us, they were the most broken. Maybe this was the first time they had ever seen a body like that—so ruined.

Vhina was the first to move. She pushed herself unsteadily to her feet, wiping at her cheeks with trembling hands.

“This is stupid. So stupid!” Her voice cracked as she shouted into the void. “How could something like that even happen? It—it doesn’t make sense!”

Ritchelle stood next, fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white. “Yeah! It looked like—like someone pushed her. Someone posed her shoes, too, like it was a message or something!”

I swallowed hard, my throat raw. “But who?”

My voice barely made a sound.

Before either of them could answer, teacher Norkie emerged from the trees alone.

He looked... hollow.

His sunken cheeks were streaked with drying tears. His face, pale and drawn, was almost unrecognizable. He didn’t meet our eyes. He didn’t speak. He just trudged toward his old backpack resting near a grassy mound.

Something felt wrong.

He knelt and dug through the bag. My stomach twisted as I saw his fingers close around the handle of something metal.

It was a machete.

He stood, holding it loosely at his side. His lips curled into a grotesque smile. It was too wide and forced—like his face was fighting against itself. But his eyes...

His eyes were wild. And dark.

“Hey, now,” he rasped, voice trembling with something worse than grief. “Who’s next?”

We froze.

The wind stopped. Even the ocean fell silent.

No. No, that couldn’t be right. Teacher Norkie was the one? A teacher? Our teacher?

The machete gleamed as he swung it lazily from side to side, stepping toward us. Each swing whistled through the air, closer and closer.

Vhina gasped, stumbled back, then screamed—an ear-splitting, terrified sound—and bolted for the bushes without a word.

“Vhina! Come back!” Ritchelle cried, reaching out. But Vhina didn’t stop. She was already gone, disappearing into the undergrowth like smoke.

Just like that.

She left us.

Wasn’t she a friend? My best friend?

Ritchelle turned toward me, her face pale but trying to smile. “Hey,” she whispered, voice shaking. “Don’t be scared. We’re fine. We—”

Her head twitched.

Then it twisted.

Now just once. But twice.

A sickening, wet crack echoed through the air as her neck rotated all the way around.

She didn’t scream. She didn’t fight.

Her body crumpled forward, landing in the damp grass with her face twisted skyward, lifeless eyes staring at nothing.

I shrieked.

I couldn’t stop screaming.

Ritchelle was dead. She was dead dead.

I clutched my head, shrieking louder, the sound tearing from my throat in broken bursts. I called for help. I cried for someone—anyone—to save me.

But no help came.

Teacher Norkie was already closing in, the machete dragging a faint line through the soil as he stalked forward. His breathing rasped, hoarse and ragged, echoing louder than the pounding of my pulse.

I tried to run. But my legs refused to obey.

They trembled, buckled beneath me, sending me crashing to the ground in a clumsy sprawl. Grass stuck to my damp palms as I clawed at the earth, scrambling for anything—anything—to defend myself.

Nothing.

Just mud.

I grabbed a handful, hurling it blindly at him.

The clump struck his cheek and smeared down his face.

He didn’t even blink.

The blade rose.

I watched, helpless, as the machete glinted above me, the weight of it dragging my gaze like a magnet.

No thoughts came.

No plans.

I just... gave up.

Curling into myself, I flung my arms over my head, cowering as I waited for the strike.

I closed my eyes and prayed.

The blade never reached me.

A figure lunged between us.

Rico.

He caught the blade—caught it—with his bare hands, the machete biting deep into his palms. Blood ran down his wrists, but he didn’t seem to care. His body blocked my view, but I heard the scrape of metal against bone.

With a fierce growl, Rico shoved the blade aside, twisting it from teacher Norkie’s grip. The older man staggered, losing balance for just a second. Rico didn’t waste it. He drove his foot hard into teacher Norkie’s stomach. The sound was brutal—a sharp, hollow thud—as the kick sent him sprawling onto his back.

Before I could even register what happened, Rico scooped me into his arms in a tight bridal carry and bolted for the trees.

The world blurred around us as he ran, weaving through dense foliage with frantic, pounding steps. His breath came hard and fast, his body trembling with strain. I felt the heat radiating from his chest, his sweat trickling down and dampening my shirt where it touched my bosom—but I didn’t care.

I clung to him, my heart hammering faster than it should, not just from fear but from... something else. Something I didn’t dare name.

For the first time since this nightmare began, the sheer terror ebbed but just for a heartbeat. I felt... safe. And for that brief moment, all the fear and chaos melted away.

We burst into a clearing, and he slowed, gently setting me back on my feet. His breath came ragged as he braced his hands on his knees, chest rising and falling in sharp gasps. Sweat dripped from his chin, plastering strands of his dark hair to his forehead, but he still managed a crooked, awful smile.

I couldn’t help it. I laughed.

It was the worst timing imaginable, the sound sharp and broken in my throat. I regretted it instantly, clamping a hand over my mouth as the weight of everything returned.

What was I doing? We’d barely escaped being murdered.

I pulled the hydro flask from my bag, the one I’d meant to give to Vhina—the same Vhina who had just left us behind without a second thought. Rico hesitated when I offered it, his gaze lingering on the half-empty bottle.

“Are you sure?” he rasped. “It’s barely enough for—”

I punched his chest, just lightly enough to make a point. “Drink it already.”

He didn’t argue further. Tipping the flask back, he drank it dry before handing it back.

“Thank you.” His voice softened. “Are you okay?”

“I... I’d be lying if I said yes.” My voice cracked. I swallowed hard, fighting back the sob threatening to break free. “I’m still processing everything. I don’t even know how to—”

“I’m sorry.” He shifted as if unsure what to say. “And... Thank you. For the water.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m the one who should be saying sorry.” My voice shook, but I forced a smile. “You saved me, Rico. Thank you.”

His lips curled into a faint, exhausted smile.

“We need to stay alert,” he murmured, his voice grim now. “No matter how hard this is. If we can’t accept the truth, we won’t survive next time.”

He was right.

The truth.

Teacher Norkie tried to kill me.

The captain was dead.

Alyssa. Ritchelle. All of them gone.

And Vhina—my best friend for nearly five years—abandoned me. Left me there to die.

I sat on a nearby boulder, my legs trembling too hard to support me any longer. Rico paced the clearing, brushing back low-hanging branches, erasing any sign of our path. When he returned, he stripped off his coveralls, revealing a soaked white undershirt clinging to his chest. He leaned against a tree, arms crossed, eyes distant.

Neither of us spoke for a long time.

The silence hung heavy. Too heavy.

We were both trying to make sense of this nightmare, but the longer I sat there, the more hopeless it felt.

Finally, Rico stirred.

“We can’t stay here,” he said quietly. “If that teacher is still alive, he’ll be looking. We need to keep moving.”

I nodded, pushing myself up.

The clearing stretched vast around us, surrounded by coconut-like trees, the ground uneven and damp. It was almost as wide as four soccer fields. Moonlight cast pale silver patches across the landscape, dim but enough to see by.

At the center, half-buried in vines and moss, loomed the ruins of a massive stone structure.

We exchanged a glance.

“Could be shelter,” Rico offered, but he didn’t sound convinced.

Or a trap.

Still, we had nothing else.

We approached cautiously, the crumbling walls rising high above us. It must have once been beautiful—ornate carvings twisted along the edges, though time and decay had worn most of the details away.

We split up to search.

Rico took the eastern wing while I explored the opposite side. Every step felt heavier as the night deepened. Shadows crept longer. The air grew colder.

I found mostly useless junk—rusted metal scraps, bits of torn fabric, empty containers—but I gathered some dry branches and twigs piled near a collapsed column.

Night had fully fallen when we met back in the center.

“Nothing useful,” Rico muttered, shaking his head.

“Same here.”

It was too late to keep searching. Too dangerous.

Rico knelt and worked silently, using the branches to start a small fire. Sparks caught, and the flames flared to life, crackling softly. The firelight flickered across his face, highlighting the dark smudges beneath his eyes.

We huddled close, letting the warmth chase away the night’s chill.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

Then, softly, I broke the silence.

“Do you think... Do you think anyone else made it?”

Rico stared into the flames. “I don’t know. I hope so.”

We didn’t talk much after that.

The fire crackled. The wind whispered through the trees.

And somewhere, out in the darkness, teacher Norkie was still out there. Waiting.

“You know,” Rico said, breaking the silence, “I never really thought I’d see you again.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Same here,” I replied, forcing a half-smile. “Honestly, I was on the verge of forgetting you even existed... if we hadn’t met here.”

He raised a brow, giving me a playful, knowing look before chuckling.

“So... How’s life been? You know, before all this?” He gestured vaguely to the darkness surrounding us.

I shrugged, the weight of everything pressing too hard on my chest. “Not great. But I was managing. What about you? I heard you became council president in your fourth year. Got the news after I graduated.”

His smile turned a bit softer. “Yeah, I did. You must have good connections to know that. But it wasn’t the same without you there. Felt... boring, I guess. So, I chose a totally different course after that.”

“Oh, sure,” I teased, narrowing my eyes. “You probably had plenty of girls keeping you entertained instead.”

Rico’s face flushed. “Wha—? No! That was just Matt’s joke, you know. I... I’ve never even—” He trailed off, looking away.

We both fell into awkward silence, the crackling fire the only sound between us. I shifted, suddenly very aware of the tension. Sure, we were older now, but some topics still felt... strange.

Clearing my throat, I changed the subject. “So, uh... How long have you been seafaring?”

“Eleven months. This was supposed to be my last trip before going home.”

A lump caught in my throat at the word “home.” Would we even make it back there?

I swallowed hard and asked, “What happened to Matt?”

Rico hesitated, his brows drawing together like he was trying to decide how much to say. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter.

“We got separated. After we... buried your friend, we talked about how we’d get through the night. Then, that teacher came out of nowhere. He shoved me to the ground, grabbed a stone, and threw it at Matt. It hit his leg pretty bad. They fought, but... that teacher got him in a chokehold and dragged him off. I looked everywhere. I—” His voice tightened. “I couldn’t find him. Then, I heard you screaming.”

The honesty in his voice made my chest ache. I wanted to say something comforting but couldn’t find the words.

Instead, I opened up, too. “My best friend ran off. Vhina. She... left me there.”

Rico nodded, thoughtful. “Maybe she was scared. People react differently to—”

“It wasn’t just fear,” I cut in, my voice breaking. “We were all scared. But Ritchelle and I… We didn’t run. We stayed. She stayed.”

I stopped, the image of Ritchelle’s broken body flashing too vividly in my mind. The ache behind my eyes grew sharp.

Rico shifted closer like he wanted to comfort me but hesitated. He raised his hand then let it fall back to his side.

“That’s enough crying now,” he said softly. “I hate to say this, but... You need to move on. We both do.”

It was the second time someone told me that today.

Move on? How could I? My best friends were either dead or had abandoned me.

If teacher Mary were here, she’d know what to say.

Rico stood suddenly and disappeared into the woods, the darkness swallowing him up.

I wiped my face, trying to shake off the rawness inside me. When he returned, his arms were full of large green leaves and strands of something pale and fibrous.

“What... What’s all that?” I asked, sniffling.

He held up the strands. “I scraped them off those coconut-looking trees. They’re soft. Thought they might help you sleep more comfortably.”

I blinked, taken aback by the gesture.

Rico knelt and spread the fibers across the ground, mixing the leaves in as he layered them. When he finished, he stood back, frowning at his work like it wasn’t quite right.

Without a word, he grabbed the torch he’d fashioned earlier and disappeared into the woods again.

I watched, confused, as he made several more trips, each time bringing more leaves and fibers. He kept expanding the bed, smoothing it out until it was large enough for me to stretch comfortably.

It looked like a mound of hay, but softer. Fluffy, even.

My heart squeezed painfully.

He didn’t have to do all this.

Rico finally stepped back, wiping sweat from his brow. “That should do it,” he muttered, though he didn’t seem satisfied.

I pressed my hand into the makeshift bed and felt the softness. The way the fibers cushioned my palm reminded me of clouds—if clouds didn’t smell like tree bark and damp leaves.

“Rico, this is... It’s perfect. Thank you.”

He gave me a half-smile, then he walked over to the pile of branches I’d gathered earlier. Without saying a word, he arranged them into a rough mat on the opposite side of the fire and dropped onto it with a quiet grunt, his back turned to me.

That pang of guilt twisted tighter in my chest.

He did everything—fought off teacher Norkie, saved me, built the fire, made me a bed—and here I was, just... letting him.

I curled up on the soft bedding, staring into the flames.

I should be stronger. I couldn’t keep relying on him for everything.

But as the fire crackled softly and exhaustion weighed down my eyelids, I realized that—for the first time since this nightmare began—I didn’t feel completely alone.

“Hey,” I said softly, breaking the quiet. “Why don’t you sleep with me? There’s enough space for one more.”

It took a second for the double meaning to hit me. My face heated. “Wait—no! Not like that! Don’t get weird thoughts! I didn’t mean it that way.”

Rico smirked but stayed where he was. “Relax. I know what you meant. Besides, I wouldn’t fit. I’m a two-person kind of guy.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m serious. We can sleep togeth—I mean, you can sleep here. With me. Just... sleeping.”

His grin widened. “You really don’t have to clarify. I get it.” His voice softened a little. “But... We’re a man and a woman. It’s not exactly appropriate, you know.”

I scowled. “You can’t afford to be modest right now. It took me a lot of courage to even offer, so you better take it.”

For a long moment, he didn’t answer. Then, slowly, he turned toward me. The fire crackled between us, dancing in his eyes. In the dim light, his face was mostly shadow, but I could still make out the curve of his lips as he smiled.

He drew a deep breath. “You look so beautiful from here. I wouldn’t give up this view for anything.”

His words hit me hard. My pulse pounded in my ears, and I opened my mouth to throw back some kind of teasing reply—but nothing came out.

We just stared at each other, caught in some unspoken moment as the flames shifted and flickered.

Minutes passed. Finally, without another word, we both settled in.

The night air bit at my skin, but I barely noticed. Somehow, I felt warm enough already.

*****

I woke late the next morning, blinking against the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Rico was gone.

For a split second, panic gripped my chest. Had he—?

No. He wouldn’t leave me. I knew he wouldn’t.

He was probably searching for food or scouting the area.

Pushing the nerves aside, I decided to keep searching the ruins on my own. Maybe there was something useful we’d missed last night.

I moved further north, weaving through broken stone columns and overgrown vines. Most of the debris was just rubble—crumbling walls, shattered furniture, and strange, rusted shapes I couldn’t quite identify.

Then I found them.

Bones.

I knelt, staring at the pale fragments half-buried in the dirt. They were brittle, jagged—too broken to tell if they were human.

A sick feeling curled in my stomach.

I shoved away the thought and pressed on, trying not to overthink it.

The grassy undergrowth thickened, and just beyond it, I spotted something unusual—a huge metal structure, partially sunken into the earth.

It took me a moment to place the shape.

A lift.

I approached carefully, brushing aside vines clinging to its rusted frame. Its massive rigging and cables stretched high, and the cabin, though weathered, looked oddly familiar.

Beneath it, near the base, a small pile of ashes and charred twigs caught my eye.

I crouched, running my fingers over the blackened remains. Burnt, but recent. Someone had made a fire here... not long ago.

Footsteps crunched behind me.

I spun, heart leaping—

It was Rico.

He emerged from the tree line, arms loaded with fruit—apples, oranges, grapes, and berries as if he’d raided a whole market.

“And here I thought you left me,” I teased, hiding how relieved I felt.

He grinned. “Nah, just making sure we don’t starve.” He set the food down and raised the hydro flask, now filled. “The island's got everything, huh? Weird, but... lucky for us.”

We sat together, eating in comfortable silence as we shared the fruit. Sweet juices dripped down my chin, and for a while, everything felt almost... normal.

I told him about the lift and the strange ashes I found.

Without a word, we went to inspect it together.

“We could use this if we can get it out,” I said. “Might be a way off this island.”

Rico nodded, pressing his hands to the metal frame. “Are you going to make a boat out of it? Anyway, let’s try moving it. Ready?”

We pushed together, bracing our feet. The lift didn’t budge.

Rico let out a long breath and stepped back, frowning. Then, without a word, he disappeared into the woods again.

When he returned, he was dragging a massive log—twice his height, probably just as heavy. I stared, speechless.

“How… How did you even carry that?!”

Rico just grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. “Told you. I’m a two-person kind of guy.”

Rico wedged one end of the massive log under the base of the lift, adjusting a slab of stone in the center like a crude fulcrum. It took me a moment to realize what he was attempting.

“A lever?” I muttered, impressed.

He gestured for me to hold the other end steady as he shifted the log deeper beneath the metal. I backed away once he’d braced it, watching as he gritted his teeth and pressed down hard.

The log barely budged.

It caught somewhere under the contraption with a groan of strained wood and metal.

Rico exhaled sharply, then—disgustingly—spat on his hands, rubbing them together like he expected it to give him some kind of super strength.

I wrinkled my nose. “Seriously?”

But my disgust vanished when he pressed down again with a deep grunt. The lift gave a loud creak and finally tipped aside with a heavy crash, revealing what lay beneath.

As I’d suspected, a pile of ashes mixed with soil remained along with several unburned branches and twigs.

Someone had stayed here.

Not too long ago.

I felt Rico’s gaze on me and glanced up. “What?”

His lips curled in a small, teasing smile. “Nothing. You just look so serious and... interested.”

I shrugged. “I guess I’m trying to keep my mind off what happened. Anyway, what do you think this means?”

He crouched, prodding the ashes with a thoughtful frown. “Well... ashes? Pretty self-explanatory.”

I shot him a look. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

His smile faded as he considered it more carefully. “Someone camped here before us.”

“Exactly! Now, who do you think it was?”

He shrugged. “I barely knew anyone on the barge. I can’t guess.”

“No, not that. What if this island has locals?”

Rico shook his head. “Locals wouldn’t live here. If they did, they’d have better shelter than this wreck.”

I blinked. That idea hadn’t even crossed my mind. “You have a point.”

“Still,” he added, glancing back at the firepit, “we can’t deny someone was here.”

“Yes,” I agreed, frowning. “But who?”

“It could be...” His voice dropped. “It could be one of the missing people from the barge.”

Hope surged through me. “Yes! That’s it! It might be one of the passengers!”

Rico raised a hand gently. “Hey, slow down. We shouldn’t get excited until we find them.”

Embarrassment cooled my excitement. I nodded, swallowing hard. “You’re right. But still, we have to search. Maybe they didn’t go far.”

Just as we turned to leave, Rico’s gaze snagged on something in the ashes. He knelt, brushing away the soot, and tugged free a charred piece of wood.

“Hold on,” he murmured. “There’s something carved here.”

I moved closer as he squinted at the faint markings.

“Finlay,” he read aloud.

My heart clenched.

“Let me see that!” I snatched the wood from his hand, rubbing away more grime.

It was faint, but unmistakable.

Finlay.

My breath caught. “It’s him! He was here!”

Rico nodded, though his expression stayed cautious.

Still clutching the piece of wood, I met his eyes. “We have to find them. Now.”

He nodded again, more firmly this time. “Agreed.”

We kicked dirt over the remnants of our fire, making sure it was fully extinguished before gathering our things. Our goal was clear—find the missing group. Or as teacher Mary had put it: Finding the Lost Group mission.

I scooped up the half-full hydro flask from my makeshift bed when I caught a blur of motion.

Rico’s body whipped sideways, hurled against a stone column with a sickening thud.

He hit the ground hard, rolling limply.

“Rico!”

I spun, heart slamming in my chest. But before I could react, a furry mass barreled into me.

A solid, crushing headbutt hit my ribs, launching me backward.

I flew, landing hard beside Rico, my vision tilting sideways.

The world dimmed.

And then—nothing.

I opened my eyes to a sight so surreal it felt like a dream.

I was hovering far above the island as if seeing it from a bird's-eye view. The entire landscape spread below me—beaches, forests, and the ruins where Rico and I had camped. I could even make out the vague shape of our location, though everything was blurred, like a television screen stuck on static, the kind that sputtered with bzbzbzbz noises and gray dots.

Scattered across the haze were tiny, moving dots—people? Animals? I couldn’t tell.

The vision lasted only seconds before vanishing like a breath on glass.

I jolted upright with a loud gasp, lungs burning for air. My pulse thundered in my ears as my surroundings came into focus.

Rico stood before me, tense, his body angled protectively. His fists clenched as if bracing for a fight.

Then I saw them.

A pack of black wolves loomed just beyond the ruins, circling the perimeter like shadows against the fog. I counted at least twenty.

The largest of them all, a dirty white wolf, stood front and center, its piercing gaze fixed on Rico. It was the alpha male. Its fur bristled, lips curling back to reveal long, sharp fangs.

We were completely surrounded.

“Don’t worry, Jelly. I got this,” Rico said, voice tight.

He was lying.

I could almost hear his heartbeat thudding like a drum.

Grabbing a few rocks from the ground, I forced myself to my feet. “No. We got this.”

Rico turned his head just enough to catch my eye and gave me a tight, grateful smile.

But the alpha male shifted its attention toward me.

The snarl faded.

Its golden eyes locked with mine for a heartbeat before it stepped back, then it retreated further into the pack.

It let out a long, echoing howl.

The others answered, their haunting cries rising in unison before they turned, melting back into the forest without a fight.

We didn’t move.

Frozen, we stared at the spot where the wolves had disappeared, waiting for them to return, but they never did.

Finally, our knees buckled, and we sank onto the damp grass, gasping for air.

Rico broke the silence first. “Oh my god. What the hell was that?”

“Wolves,” I whispered, still breathless. “But... Why are there wolves here?”

“I have no idea. But—” He turned to me, frowning. “What did you do? Their leader backed off the moment it saw you.”

I shook my head. “I didn’t do anything. I just... stood there, ready in case they attacked.”

Rico exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Imagine if they’d all jumped us at once.”

“Yeah. I don’t even want to think about it.”

He flashed a crooked grin. “Well, I can imagine it. My ribs getting crushed, fangs tearing me apart—”

“Stop! That’s not funny.”

Rico snorted. “Sorry. I guess the adrenaline’s messing with me. You know, one of those close calls where you realize you just couldn’t survive.”

He laughed nervously, but I could see the strain in his face.

I stared out into the trees. “What now?”

His smile faltered.

He didn’t answer. His gaze drifted upward, lost somewhere in the sky.

Then I noticed it.

There was a thin line of blood running from his right shoulder.

“Hey! You’re bleeding!”

Rico blinked, then he craned his neck to look. His face twisted as he tried to see the wound. “Oh. Don’t worry. It just grazed me.”

I scowled. “Grazed? Seriously? Let me see it.”

“It’s fine.”

“Rico, you’re hurt. I need to check it. I can’t sleep knowing you’re injured, and you keep doing everything. Let me help.”

He hesitated, meeting my eyes with an expression I couldn’t quite read.

Finally, he sighed. “Okay. Just... Don’t poke it too hard.”

I moved closer, inspecting the wound. It wasn’t as deep as I’d feared, but the skin had torn in a nasty scrape.

Ripping a strip from the bottom of his shirt, I carefully wrapped it around his shoulder, tightening it just enough to slow the bleeding.

“There. That should hold.”

Rico glanced at the makeshift bandage, smirking. “Teacher-slash-nurse, huh?”

“Don’t start teasing. We should stay here another night so you can rest properly.”

His smile vanished.

He leaned in, his face so close I could feel his breath—warm but tinged with the sourness of exhaustion.

“No,” he murmured. “I’m fine. Staying here’s not safe anymore. The wolves know where we are now.”

He was right.

We were exhausted, battered, but staying meant risking another attack.

We had to move.

Grabbing my dented hydro flask, I exhaled slowly, forcing my frayed nerves to steady—like how I kept my sanity in check.

Still, as we prepared to leave, my thoughts drifted back to that strange vision I’d had when I passed out.

And I couldn’t shake the feeling it meant something.