SPLASH… SPLASH…
Waves rolled in, washing over the white sand scattered with seaweed and fragments of shipwrecked wood. The sun slowly climbed to its peak, casting silver glimmers on the water's surface.
Axel Drake walked slowly along the shoreline, his gaze alert. Each step he took made a CRACK sound over the broken shells. His body still felt exhausted from the events of the previous night.
Then, something in the distance caught his attention.
"Hh… what is that?"
Not far from the water's edge, something floated aimlessly in the waves—a human body, half-submerged, rocking gently with the tide.
Axel Drake shivered. He swallowed hard and cautiously approached the corpse.
KRRAAKK!
Each step on the drying sand felt heavier. As he got closer, he could see it more clearly—a man, his face pale and blue, his body torn in places as if something had fed on him.
Axel Drake exhaled deeply. "Shark attack…"
The man's right arm was nearly severed, his calf had a gaping wound with flesh crudely ripped apart. The seawater had begun preserving the wounds, but the smell… salty and rotten.
"Ugh… damn it."
Axel Drake covered his nose, trying not to gag. Then, something caught his eye—a luxury watch still strapped to the corpse's wrist.
He frowned and started searching the man's pockets. From the tattered clothing, he found a few useful items:
• A Rolex watch – might be useless now, but who knows?
• A metallic pen – could be used for writing or even as a makeshift weapon.
• Chocolate biscuits in plastic wrapping – probably wet, but still food.
"At least this is better than nothing," Axel Drake muttered, slipping the items into his pocket.
"H-Hey…"
A sharp voice startled him.
Nova Sinclair stood a few meters away, her face flushed with anger. Her brown eyes locked onto him like an eagle spotting its prey.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Axel Drake shrugged casually. "Looking for something useful."
Nova Sinclair clenched her fists. "Have you no heart?! That's a dead man, not a loot bag!"
Axel Drake stared at her with a blank expression. "Do you want him to take these with him to the afterlife? Pretty sure he won't mind."
"You bastard!" Nova Sinclair stormed toward him and shoved him, but he remained standing firm.
"Relax," Axel Drake sighed, looking at her lazily. "We need everything we can get on this island. If you want to survive, stop acting like this is civilization."
Nova Sinclair shook her head, holding back her fury. "We're still human! We have to respect the dead!"
Axel Drake exhaled and raised his hands. "Alright, alright. I'll bury him."
SSSHH…
Sand trickled down as Axel Drake began digging a shallow grave. With minimal effort, he managed to cover the poor man's body.
As he wiped the sweat from his brow, Nova Sinclair still glared at him. "We need to set rules here."
"Rules?" Axel Drake chuckled. "Seriously?"
"Yes!" Nova Sinclair crossed her arms. "You stay on that side of the beach, I stay here. You don't bother me, I don't bother you. Agreed?"
Axel Drake glanced toward the area she pointed at. "Hmm… fine, seems fair."
With his stomach growling, Axel Drake decided to search for food in the ocean.
PLUK! PLUK!
He waded into the shallow water, scanning the rocks and corals.
"Ah, jackpot."
Among the crevices, he spotted several oysters and sea urchins. Carefully, he used his knife to pry them loose, then carried his finds back to shore.
CRACK!
Axel Drake broke open an oyster shell and scooped out the meat with his knife.
"Hmm… not bad."
Just as he was about to eat a sea urchin, he heard footsteps behind him.
"H-Hey…"
Axel Drake turned to see Nova Sinclair standing there, her face flushed from the sun. Her lips looked dry, and her voice was hoarse.
"Do you have water?" she asked weakly.
Axel Drake glanced at the coconuts beside him, then smirked.
"Want to buy one?" he teased.
Nova Sinclair narrowed her eyes. "What?"
Axel Drake lifted a coconut, twirling it in his hand. "We're on a deserted island. No money here. If you want something, we trade."
Nova Sinclair bit her lip. "What do you want?"
Axel Drake grinned and pointed at some dry wood.
"Help me make a fire, and this coconut is yours."
Nova Sinclair glared at him before sighing. "You're unbearable."
"But I can survive," Axel Drake grinned.
Nova Sinclair rolled her eyes and exhaled. "Fine. But don't expect me to keep playing by your rules."
Axel Drake just smirked.
Behind her stubborn nature, he was starting to admire this woman.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
The waves continued crashing against the shore, filling the air with the sharp scent of salt. The sun climbed higher, burning Axel Drake's skin, making it sting under the relentless heat. He rubbed his neck, then glanced at Nova Sinclair, who still stood with her arms crossed.
Axel Drake knew she was strong-willed, but he didn't expect her to be this fanatical about morality in a place where the only law was survival.
Nova Sinclair stepped closer, her expression still full of anger.
"I can't believe you rummaged through a dead man's belongings! That's disgusting!"
Axel Drake gave her a bored look. "Would you rather starve and die of thirst?"
Nova Sinclair shook her head, eyes narrowing. "At least I still have my dignity!"
Axel Drake clicked his tongue. "Dignity won't feed you, darling."
SLAP!
Nova Sinclair's palm struck Axel Drake's cheek hard, leaving a red mark that stung. Axel Drake tilted his head and let out a small laugh.
"Alright, okay. You're mad, I get it." He touched his cheek, feeling the warmth left behind by her slap. "But sooner or later, you'll realize this island doesn't care about your dignity."
Nova Sinclair just huffed before turning away. She walked to her claimed section of the beach and began writing something in the sand with a stick.
Axel Drake glanced over and read the large words she had scrawled:
"BEACH LAWS"
No stealing from each other
Do not trespass into each other's area
Show mutual respect
Try to remain human
Axel Drake chuckled. "That's cute. You think this is a law school?"
Nova Sinclair ignored him, continuing to write her makeshift rules with a determined expression.
Axel Drake sighed. He had bigger concerns—food and water.
"Alright, time to hunt."
Axel Drake slung his pocket knife and waded back into the water. Small waves lapped at his feet as he navigated the sharp coral.
PLUK! PLUK!
He spotted a few oysters clinging to the rocks. With practiced ease, he pried them off one by one.
CRACK!
An oyster shell split open, revealing fresh, glistening meat inside. Axel Drake swallowed it without hesitation, savoring the chewy texture and natural saltiness.
"Not bad."
Suddenly, something brushed against his leg.
SLURP!
Axel Drake leaped backward.
"What the hell was that?!"
He peered into the water as a dark shadow slithered between the rocks.
"A shark?"
His heart pounded. Slowly, he backed away, careful not to slip or step on something sharp. The shadow moved further out before disappearing into the depths.
Axel Drake let out a deep breath. "Damn… if there are sharks around here, I need to be more careful."
He returned to shore with his haul of oysters and sea urchins.
As he approached, he saw Nova Sinclair sitting on the sand, looking paler than before. Her once rosy lips had become dry and cracked.
"Hey, you alright?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
Nova Sinclair didn't respond, just stared at him with dulling eyes.
Axel Drake sighed and grabbed a coconut. He swiftly split it open with his knife. CRACK!
The fresh coconut water spilled out. Axel Drake took a sip before offering it to her.
Nova Sinclair swallowed hard, clearly desperate for it, but still clinging to her pride.
"What's the price?" she rasped.
Axel Drake smirked. "Help me make a fire, and it's yours."
Nova Sinclair groaned. "You're insufferable."
"I prefer the term 'practical'."