SSSHHH...
Thin smoke rose from the pile of firewood as sparks slowly spread across the dry twigs Axel Drake had gathered. The sun was beginning to dip toward the west, leaving golden-orange rays reflecting off the surface of the sea.
Nova Sinclair sat not far from him, her arms crossed over her chest, eyes fixed on the coconut she had just sipped. She was still upset, but her thirst was greater than her pride.
Axel Drake glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then smirked slightly.
"You know, I could've asked for something much more unreasonable as the price for that coconut."
Nova Sinclair snapped her head up sharply, her expression turning wary again.
Axel Drake raised both hands casually. "Relax, I just want one thing... your name."
Nova Sinclair frowned, not expecting that request.
"My name?"
Axel Drake nodded. "Yeah. We're stuck on this island for who knows how long. So at the very least, I'd like to know the name of the person who's going to be my beach neighbor."
Nova Sinclair was silent for a moment before finally sighing. "Nova Sinclair."
Axel Drake smiled, as if satisfied with her answer. "Nova Sinclair. Nice name. Now, you get two coconuts."
He pushed another coconut toward Nova Sinclair, who hesitantly accepted it.
"You're weird," Nova muttered.
"I prefer the term 'unique,'" Axel Drake replied casually.
CRACK! CRACK!
Axel Drake began prying open some oysters with his knife. Each time the hard shell cracked open, the fresh meat inside glistened under the twilight glow.
Nova Sinclair eyed him doubtfully. "Are you sure that's safe to eat?"
Axel Drake shrugged. "Do you think I have another choice?"
He stuck the oysters onto a stick and placed them over the fire. A savory aroma slowly began to fill the air, blending with the salty sea breeze drifting from the shore.
GRRROOOWWWLLL...
Nova Sinclair's stomach growled loudly.
She immediately straightened her posture, her face flushing in embarrassment. "I'm not hungry!" she said quickly.
Axel Drake grinned mischievously. "Oh? But your stomach says otherwise."
Nova Sinclair turned away, but Axel Drake noticed her eyes sneaking glances at the oysters as they cooked.
"Listen," Axel Drake said, holding up an oyster that was now open, the meat inside steaming. "I can eat all of this myself, or..."
Nova Sinclair swallowed. "Or what?"
Axel Drake twirled the oyster in his hand. "We can make another trade."
Nova Sinclair narrowed her eyes. "What do you want this time? My middle name? My blood type?"
Axel Drake chuckled. "I just want you to admit something."
Nova Sinclair crossed her arms. "Admit what?"
Axel Drake leaned in slightly, his voice teasing. "That I'm better prepared for survival than you."
Nova Sinclair scoffed. "In your dreams!"
Axel Drake shrugged. "Alright, then I'll just eat this myself."
"Wait!"
Axel Drake smirked. "I'm waiting for the confession."
Nova Sinclair clenched her teeth, then let out a long sigh. Reluctantly, she said, "Okay... for now, you're better prepared than me. Happy?"
Axel Drake nodded. "Very."
He handed an oyster to Nova Sinclair, who accepted it with a half-annoyed expression. However, the moment she bit into the chewy oyster meat with its slight natural saltiness, her eyes widened.
"This..."
Axel Drake waited for her reaction.
Nova Sinclair quickly swallowed. "This is good."
Axel Drake chuckled. "Of course. I'm not just a programmer, I also know how to survive."
Nova Sinclair didn't respond, just kept eating eagerly. Seeing that, Axel Drake felt satisfied.
On this uncharted island, their relationship had just taken a small step—from enemies to reluctant allies.
But there was still so much they didn't know.
And the night was still long.
SSSHHH… CRACKLE!
Sparks continued creeping through the dry twigs Axel Drake had gathered. The scent of smoke mixed with the salty sea air, drifting in the breeze. Night slowly descended, the sky shifting from orange to deep purple, and the sound of waves became the only music accompanying them.
In front of the small campfire, Nova Sinclair continued to devour the grilled oysters eagerly.
Axel Drake smirked as he watched her finish one oyster, then immediately reach for another without hesitation.
"Who was it that said they weren't hungry?" Axel teased.
Nova Sinclair shot him a brief glare while chewing.
"I just didn't want to eat something without knowing if it was safe," she retorted. "But now I know it's edible."
Axel Drake chuckled. "Of course it is. We don't have many options here. If you're too picky, you'll die faster than me."
Nova Sinclair scowled. "I'm not going to die on this godforsaken island."
Axel Drake looked up at the darkening sky. Stars began to appear one by one, twinkling faintly behind thin clouds.
"How long do you think it will take for us to be rescued?" Nova Sinclair asked suddenly.
Axel Drake shrugged. "Depends. If someone managed to send out a distress signal before the ship exploded, maybe a few days. But if not..."
Nova Sinclair swallowed. "How long?"
Axel Drake gave her a serious look. "It could be weeks. Maybe months."
Nova Sinclair's face tensed. "No way."
Axel Drake raised an eyebrow. "What do you think happens when a plane or ship sinks without sending a signal? It takes a long time before the world even realizes something's missing, let alone finds it."
Nova Sinclair stared at the fire, disbelief in her eyes.
"I can't be stranded here forever," she muttered.
Axel Drake remained silent. Deep down, he knew Nova Sinclair had already realized the same harsh reality.
GRROOOOWLLL...
Her stomach rumbled again, this time even louder.
Axel Drake stifled a laugh as Nova Sinclair quickly crossed her arms over her stomach, as if trying to hide the sound.
"So..." Axel Drake eyed her with a playful look. "Want to trade again?"
Nova Sinclair frowned. "For what?"
Axel Drake held up a sea urchin he had managed to catch earlier. "I can cook this for you. It's tastier than oysters and full of nutrients."
Nova Sinclair eyed the sea urchin warily. "What do you want this time?"
Axel Drake grinned. "A story."
Nova Sinclair blinked. "A story?"
"Yeah. Tell me something about yourself. Consider it tonight's entertainment."
Nova Sinclair rolled her eyes. "You think this is an interview?"
Axel Drake shrugged. "We don't have TV or radio here. The least we can do is talk."
Nova Sinclair sighed. "Fine."
As Axel Drake roasted the sea urchin over the fire, its sharp spines blackening and falling off, Nova Sinclair thought for a moment before speaking.
"I'm a lawyer."
Axel Drake glanced at her in surprise. "Seriously? That explains why you kept bringing up beach laws earlier."
Nova Sinclair ignored the comment. "I work at a big law firm in New York. My life is full of contracts, cases, and people trying to outsmart each other."
Axel Drake nodded. "Sounds exhausting."
Nova Sinclair let out a short laugh, laced with irony. "Extremely. I barely have time for vacations like this. And look at the result... I ended up on this cursed island instead."
Axel Drake handed her the roasted sea urchin. "Now your turn. Tell me something about yourself."
Axel Drake smiled as he started eating. "I'm a programmer, like I said. I work at a big tech company, spend my days in front of a screen, writing code, and drinking way too much coffee."
Nova Sinclair raised an eyebrow. "So you're the kind of guy who prefers computers over people?"
Axel Drake laughed. "Pretty much."
But then…
CRACK!
Axel Drake froze.
A branch snapped in the darkness.
His eyes narrowed.
"Maybe just an animal…" he thought.
But then—
CRACK! CRACK!
The sound came again, closer.
Axel Drake gripped his knife tighter.
"Damn... I'm not alone here."
Tension filled the air.
Somewhere in the dark forest, something—or someone—was watching him.
And Axel Drake had just realized it.