Two years after Vaelor arrived on the island, it was finally the day before the competition. Everyone was doing their normal chores and preparing for the big day. But this year, people were not excited—they were afraid. Because they now knew the truth, what the other side held. There used to be at least fifty participants in the competition, but this time only ten people participated.

  Arix Valmor woke up earlier than his usual time at seven a.m. He was excited because finally he was able to participate in the competition. After finally getting out of his bed, he moved downstairs for breakfast. His house only had two rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs.

  The kitchen, dining area, and bedroom were all arranged in the downstairs room, His mother slept there while Arix slept upstairs.

  His mother had prepared the usual breakfast that morning, two pieces of bread and water to wash it down.

  Arix sat down and started eating. His mother’s face was still, her eyes fixed on the dishes and her jaw tightened, her teeth pressed together. Arix knew that his mother didn’t want him to participate in the competition. He gazed at her from the side while eating his bread. He knew what was coming. After a while, she finally broke her silence, “Are you really going to participate in the competition?”

  Arix replied, “Yes, I am,” while he kept eating his bread. He kept staring at his bread instead of his mother.

  “You do know what Vaelor said, right?” his mother replied. The dishes clattered against each other, making a loud echo throughout the room.

  “Yes, I know, Mother. There are monsters on the mainland, but that’s what I have been training for.” Arix stopped to take a bite of his bread and continued, “I always knew the mainland was not going to be safe, but I still want to go. I have to find my father.”

  He gave side-eyes to his mother while chewing his bread. Without observing him, she kept doing her dishes. Arix swallowed his bread and spoke again in a low voice, “And think about our island. There is no more space left for making new homes for people, and food is also running out. We don’t even know if we will get to eat tomorrow. He had already finished his first piece of bread and reached for the next one.

  This made his mother stop doing the dishes. “You want to throw your life away just like your father did?" A few tears fell from her eyes, and her voice began to tremble.

  Arix was about to take a bite of his bread, but he stopped. He threw his bread down on the plate and stood up. Both his hands were on the table, and he shouted in a loud voice, “Father is not dead, and I will find him. I will pass any competition I have to and leave this island.” His eyes widened instantly, and he fell silent. He had never talked to his mother like this.

  His mother started crying. Arix realized what he had done. He sat down and put both his hands on his head. “Look, Mother, I know you are worried, but relax. I know what I am doing, and no one is stronger than your boy here on the island. These monsters will run away as soon as they see me. I will leave the island, find my father, find a new land where we can settle and live our lives in peace.”

  She wiped her tears, but her face was still wet. “Please be safe, and stay away from those monsters.” Arix answered, 'Okay, Mother, don't worry,' and started eating his remaining bread in peace.

  His mother thought to herself, “It’s a waste of time to try to stop him now. I hope he fails the competition.” She dried the last utensils and went outside to dry the clothes.

  Arix finished his bread. Before leaving, he said, “Bye, Mom, I am heading out,” and left the house.

  While heading through the market, some people were decorating the street with flags and balloons. Shopkeepers were selling bread like always.

  On his way, he saw Rowan Crowe. Rowan was going to participate in the competition too. He was the chief's son and quite arrogant. He was the same age as Arix.

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  Upon seeing Arix, his smile faded away, and he straightened his shoulders, slightly lifted his chin, and whispered, “Peasant,” and walked past him without another word. Arix didn’t say a word and kept walking forward. He didn’t want to make a scene here, and he knew it was useless to say anything.

  Rowan’s father could eliminate anyone without any reason. He was not a good leader, but he still won elections by bribing families and making promises he never intended to keep.

  Arix reached the beach and sat on the sand there. The beach was empty like always. He liked staring at the sea; it gave him peace for some reason. Arix had turned twenty-two a few weeks earlier, but he never cared about his birthday. Most of his days were spent training.

  “Are we going to stare at sea again?” someone spoke from behind. Arix looked around and saw Elena. “Gosh, she is beautiful,” he thought to himself while staring at her face. She had long black eyelashes, her dark hair was long, and she always had a smile on her face. She was smart and strong. Arix liked Elena.

  They were both friends from childhood. “Are you just going to stare at me or say something?” she asked. She walked beside Arix and sat down.

  “I like staring at ocean,” Arix replied, glancing at her. She was studying the sea too. He turned his gaze to the ocean. “Don’t you want to train for the competition?” Elena asked.

  “Someone famous said you should rest the day before a competition—it helps your body and mind perform better,” Arix replied, smiling slightly. He was nervous about the competition but didn’t want to show it to her.

  “And who were those famous people?” Elena asked again. Her eyebrows were raised, and she smiled.

  “Well, I don’t know that,” Arix replied.

  “You know that this competition is held to find the five strongest people from the island to send to the mainland, right? And if you don’t win, you have to wait five years to try again,” Elena said.

  “Yes, I know that.” Arix hesitated, then continued. “I will win, don't worry. And what about you—are you ready for the competition?” Arix asked her. He glanced sideways to look at her. She stared at the sea without blinking. “I will win this competition and leave this island for good, don’t you worry,” she replied.

  Elena’s parents both died in a fire accident years ago. She was just sixteen then. Now she was twenty-one and lived all alone.

  Arix turned back to the waves, “We will find a better land than this one to settle in.” Elena didn’t say anything. She looked away from Arix. She saw Vaelor, who was also looking at the ocean, standing at the beach far from them, “Look, there's Vaelor. It’s been two years since he returned.” Arix looked at him.

  Vaelor was the first person to ever return to the island after leaving it. But he was also alone. All his group members had died. He said there were giant creatures as tall as two-story houses on the mainland. His group was the first to ever leave the island, and Vaelor was only eighteen at that time. He returned after twenty-eight years. He warned everyone that these creatures on the mainland were so fearsome and could kill anyone in an instant. Many people became afraid and dropped out of the competition because of this. They wanted to be safe on the island instead of facing monsters.

  Vaelor lived alone in a small hut now. He didn’t talk to anyone or go anywhere except the beach.

  “Leave him alone. Let's do some training,” Arix said. She agreed, and they both trained for a few hours afterward.

  In the evening, while returning home, Arix saw Tarin. He was training with his giant greatsword. Years ago, when Tarin was only seven, his father lost the competition but still left the island without notifying anyone. That is why Tarin got the tag of a traitor’s son.

  He was massive. He started training when he was 10. Now he was 24 and stronger than almost anyone on the island. Arix raised his eyebrows, looking at Tarin train.

  “I hope I don’t become his opponent,” Arix thought to himself. He didn’t say anything to Tarin and left.

  It was nighttime. The stars were shining bright, and the moon was half-full. Arix went to bed early that night, but he couldn’t sleep. He was lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling.Silence surrounded him. He thought about the day when his father left him.

  He was only 12 at that time. Everyone was celebrating around him and waving them goodbye. But Arix was standing beside the crowd, crying silently. His father noticed him and came closer to him and put his hand on his head.

  He bent down on one knee and smiled, “Don’t worry, Arix. I will return soon. And when I do, I will tell you about all my adventures.” Arix wiped his tears, “Promise me you will return soon.” His father answered, “I promise, my son.” Ten years had passed, and he had never returned.

  Arix’s eyes were wet. But he could not let emotions take over him. He was anxious about the competition.

  “What if I lose and never get to leave this island?” Arix thought to himself. He was overthinking again. “What if I never find my father? What if he's dead?”

  “No, I should not think negatively. I will win. I have to. And my father will be safe too.” He got up from his bed and looked outside his window. He could see the waves of the sea from his room. It was quite a nice view. It helped him relax a little. Tomorrow was a big day when everything would be decided, if he left the island or stayed here forever.

  Arix kept staring at the waves for a few minutes and went to bed again. Unease still lingered in Arix's mind, but he still fell asleep this time.

  Arix was ready to leave the island and venture forth to the mainland, mainly to find his father and a land to call a new home. However, he didn’t know that the secrets and mysteries he would uncover on the mainland would change his entire goal and journey. He also didn’t know that the Lord already awaited their arrival and that someone else had already betrayed the humans.