The sun was setting, leaving a fading orange glow behind. Nova was still sitting on the sand, her eyes glued to the contents of the suitcase they'd just unpacked. Axel, beside her, was busy examining the large folding knife he'd pulled out.
"Man," Nova muttered. "This looks like something out of an action movie."
Axel raised an eyebrow. "A bad action movie. This is real."
Inside the suitcase, they'd found more stuff that made their skin crawl—a small pistol with two magazines of bullets, several passports with different names but the same face, and documents, mostly in some foreign language, stamped with what looked like official—or maybe classified—seals.
Nova picked up one of the passports and opened it. "Marcus Langley," she read aloud. "If this is really him, then he's been on this island a long time."
Axel leaned back against a coconut tree growing at a weird angle on the shore. "The question is, why'd he bring all this? And more importantly…" He looked at Nova. "Is he still alive, or is he already a corpse?"
A shiver ran down Nova's spine. She glanced at the worn-out map they'd also found. Several locations were circled in red ink.
"Maybe these are places he visited," Nova said, pointing at the map. "Maybe there's something there."
Axel stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "Tomorrow, we find out."
They put everything back in the suitcase and buried it under the sand. It felt safer that way. Tonight, they needed sleep, but somehow, the island felt even more unsettling after their discovery.
The sea breeze was gentle, and the waves softly crashed on the shore. Above them, the stars shimmered, oblivious to the tension between the two people on the beach.
Nova tried to sleep, but her eyes wouldn't close. Every now and then, she heard the sound of twigs snapping from the direction of the forest.
Axel, who was also awake, suddenly whispered, "Did you hear that?"
Nova held her breath. Footsteps. Slow, but distinct.
They both sat up immediately. Axel gripped his knife tightly, while Nova tried to peek in the direction of the sound.
Something moved behind the bushes.
The figure didn't come closer. Nor did it leave.
It just stood there, watching.
Nova's heartbeat pounded in her ears. "What is that…?"
Axel tightened his grip on the knife. "Someone."
Silence.
A few seconds later, the figure turned and disappeared into the forest.
Nova swallowed hard. "They're watching us."
Axel nodded, still alert. "And they know we're here."
That night, they didn't sleep at all.
When the sun rose, they immediately got ready to move.
"First destination," Nova said, pointing at the map. "The closest marked spot."
They trekked through the jungle, maneuvering around massive tree roots. After about twenty minutes, they arrived at a low cliff. Below, hidden among the rocks, was something suspicious.
Nova climbed down first, followed by Axel.
Behind a pile of stones, they found an old, rusted metal box.
"Marcus definitely hid this," Nova muttered.
Axel grabbed a large rock and used it to break open the lid. As soon as it opened, their eyes widened.
Inside, there were more documents. But this time, one sheet stood out the most—a report with the stamp of a mysterious organization.
Nova picked it up and read aloud. "Operation Black Island – Target: Marcus Langley. Priority: Elimination."
She turned to Axel immediately. "Marcus Langley isn't just some random guy. He's a fugitive."
Axel let out a deep breath. "And if we found this, that means we could be targets too."
Suddenly—BANG!
A gunshot echoed in the distance.
Nova and Axel dropped to the ground instantly, their hearts racing.
From beyond the trees, footsteps approached.
Nova bit her lip. "We have to run."
Axel nodded. "Now."
They sprang to their feet and bolted through the jungle. Behind them, dark figures began to emerge. Armed men.
Axel and Nova stopped at the riverbank, panting heavily. Their clothes were drenched, their bodies shivering, but their minds raced faster than the river that had just carried them away from danger.
"This is insane," Nova wiped her wet face, trying to calm herself. "We were just shot at."
Axel took a deep breath and looked behind them, making sure they had put enough distance between themselves and the armed men. "We need to find a safe place," he said. "Until we know who they are and why they're after us."
Nova nodded, then glanced at the suitcase still clutched tightly in Axel's grip. "And we need to figure out who Marcus Langley really is."
Three hours later, Axel and Nova found a small cave hidden behind thick bushes. It wasn't big, but it was enough to take shelter for now.
Axel started a small fire with dry twigs they had gathered. The flickering flames cast shadows on Nova's still-tense face.
"Let's go through the suitcase more carefully," she said.
Axel opened the suitcase again, taking out its contents one by one. They already knew about the money, fake passports, and pistol. But now, they had to be more thorough.
Nova picked up one of the passports and flipped it open. The man's face stared back at her with a serious expression.
"Marcus Langley," she murmured. "But look at this… there are four other passports with the same face but different names."
Axel picked up one and read it. "Jonathan Pierce."
Nova checked another. "David Crowley."
"Michael Lannister," Axel muttered, frowning. "This guy has a lot of identities."
Nova gave Axel a serious look. "Normal people don't have this many passports."
Axel nodded. "He's clearly not just a regular tourist. He could be a spy, a con artist, or a criminal."
Nova sighed and continued searching the suitcase. She pulled out a large brown envelope. "What's this?"
Axel took it and carefully opened it. Inside, there was an old map, several photographs, and a small piece of paper with handwritten notes.
Nova unfolded the map. "This… is a map of this island," she said softly.
Axel shined the light from his matchstick onto the map. Several spots were circled in red.
Nova pointed to one of the markings. "This is where we are now."
Axel pointed at another marking. "And this… what is this? A base?"
Nova read a small note in the corner of the map. "Main site – the key is inside the safe. Beware of them."
She looked at Axel. "What does that mean?"
Axel shook his head. "I have no idea. But it's clear Marcus Langley was looking for something on this island."
Nova picked up the photographs from the envelope. They showed ruins, a cave, and… something that looked like an underground bunker.
Axel and Nova exchanged glances. "If this is real, then this island holds more than just sand and palm trees," Nova said.
Axel nodded. "And those people who attacked us… maybe they're after the same thing."
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island, a man in a black jacket stood among the trees. He held a small pair of binoculars, watching Axel and Nova from afar.
He pressed a button on the radio in his pocket. "They've found the suitcase."
A rough voice responded through the radio. "Keep watching them. If they find the bunker, we need to get there first."
The man gazed at the cave where Axel and Nova were hiding and smirked. "They won't get far."
Back in the cave, Nova looked at Axel. "So, what now?"
Axel took a deep breath. "We have two choices."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "I hate when we only have two choices. Why can't there ever be a third one?"
Axel chuckled, then turned serious again. "First, we can find a safe place and hide until help arrives—if help ever arrives."
Nova crossed her arms. "And the second?"
Axel looked at the map again. "We go to the locations marked on this map… and find out what's really happening on this island."
Nova sighed. "Honestly… I prefer the first choice. But I know we can't just sit around."
Axel smiled slightly. "So we're going?"
Nova shrugged. "If we die, I'm haunting you in the afterlife."
Axel chuckled. "Noted."
As the first light of dawn appeared, they stepped out of the cave. They were going to find answers. Or die trying.