The morning felt slow. Jaxon sat inside his hut, staring at the wall. His hands rested on his knees. The air was calm. Outside, he could hear the soft rustling of leaves and the sound of small waves washing onto the sand. It felt like a normal day, but something in his chest felt off. He didn't know why. Maybe he was thinking too much again. He opened the system. It blinked to life quietly in his mind.
There were three things on the menu now. Shop. Status. Hint. He'd seen them before, but never really looked too close. He tapped Status. The screen showed simple stuff. His name. Strength. Endurance. Intelligence. Basic stats. Skills too. Tool crafting. Cooking. Tracking. Nothing that felt too special. He didn't really know what it all meant. He just knew it worked. He tapped Hint. A quiet line of text showed up.
"Observe your surroundings. The island holds more than you think."
He stared at it for a while. It didn't say much. But somehow, it made his chest feel heavier. He closed the screen and stood up.
Outside, the sky was pale and cloudy. Lina was already awake, sitting near the fire with a stick in her hand. She was drawing something in the sand. When she saw him, she smiled.
"Morning, silent woodsman," she said.
Jaxon nodded and stepped over to the pile of wood. He grabbed his axe and some vines without saying anything.
She tilted her head. "What are we building now?"
He didn't answer. He walked toward the edge of the trees.
Lina stood and followed him, barefoot as usual. "You always start things without telling me."
Jaxon didn't stop. He found a fallen tree and started chopping off the branches. The sound of the axe hitting the wood echoed softly.
She sat on a thick log nearby. "You're not gonna talk today either, huh?"
He kept working.
She leaned her chin on her hand. "You're mysterious, you know. The quiet broody type. Girls love that in books."
He didn't respond.
"I wonder what book I've read that had a guy like you," she mumbled to herself.
Jaxon dragged the branches back to the open area and started stripping them down. The system blinked again in his mind.
[New Task: Build Storage Using Woods]
Reward: 20 Coins + Skill: Intermediate Fisher]
He kept his face calm. He didn't show any sign he got a message. He'd gotten used to hiding it from her. There was no reason to tell her. She wouldn't understand it. Maybe she'd panic. Maybe she'd ask too many questions. So he stayed quiet and worked like normal.
Lina crossed her legs on the sand. "So... is this gonna be another hut?"
"No," Jaxon said.
"Then what?"
He tied two long sticks together and started building a frame. She watched closely, eyes narrowed.
"Hmm... It looks like a box?"
Jaxon didn't say anything.
She smiled. "Aha. I knew it."
He didn't look up. Just kept working.
"What's it for?" she asked.
"Storage."
She laughed. "That would've been nice to know before I stuffed my clothes in a tree hole."
Jaxon tied the frame tighter and started layering the bottom. He worked slow but steady. Lina moved to sit closer, resting her arms on her knees.
"You ever gonna tell me how you know all this?" she asked.
Jaxon grabbed more vines and didn't look at her.
"I mean it," she said. "You build like a pro. You hunt, cook, craft. You even made a pot yesterday. Where did you learn all this?"
"A book," he said.
She blinked. "A book?"
He nodded. "Was reading it before the boat sank."
She squinted. "What kind of book teaches all this?"
He paused, then said, "How to Rebuild the World."
She stared for a second, then burst out laughing. "That sounds so fake!"
He didn't react.
"Oh my god," she said, wiping a tear. "That's the most dramatic title I've ever heard."
He kept working.
She watched him for a bit, then her face got soft. "So... that book is all you had with you?"
Jaxon nodded once.
She looked down. "That's kinda sad."
He didn't answer.
By the time the box was done, the sun was higher in the sky. It looked simple but strong. Four sides, a lid, and enough space to fit most of their stuff. He lifted it and brought it into the hut.
The system blinked.
[Task Complete]
+20 Coins
+Skill: Intermediate Fisher]
There was that strange feeling again. Like something flowing into his mind. He blinked and suddenly... knew things. How to build fishing nets with knots. Where to find fish based on wind and wave. What bait worked. Things he never learned but somehow now understood.
He sat near the fire, eyes low.
Lina sat beside him, leaning close.
"You okay?"
He nodded.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
She leaned her head on his shoulder for a second, just to mess with him.
"You always act like nothing's wrong," she whispered.
He stayed still.
"I think something's wrong," she said. "You just don't say it."
He didn't answer.
They sat quiet for a while. The fire cracked softly. The wind blew past them. Trees rustled. Birds called out in the far distance.
Then she said, "Hey... you ever think this island's not on any map?"
Jaxon didn't look up.
"I mean... the animals are weird. The fruits are strange. The sky looks fake sometimes."
He stared at the flames.
"You ever feel like maybe... we're not on Earth?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
"Maybe," he said.
She smiled. "That's the most you've said all week."
He stood up and walked to the beach without a word.
She watched him go, her smile fading a little.
"…weird boy," she said softly. "but kind of nice."
Lina followed him down to the beach. Her steps were light, kicking sand as she walked. Jaxon was standing near the edge of the water, staring out at the sea. His face was blank, but his eyes looked like they were thinking. Like always.
She stopped next to him, arms crossed.
"You always walk away when I get serious," she said.
He didn't answer.
She looked out at the water with him. "Do you think someone will come? A ship or a plane?"
Jaxon stayed silent.
She kicked a small rock. "I don't think so either."
He started walking along the shore, checking the sand. Small shells. Seaweed. Bits of driftwood. A rusty can. Nothing useful. He picked up a long flat piece of metal, bent and old. He didn't say anything but carried it under his arm.
"You never get tired, do you?" she asked.
He glanced at her.
She smiled. "You're like a robot. Work, eat, sleep. No play."
He kept walking.
She chased after him. "You should relax sometime. We could build something fun. Like... I don't know, a boat bed."
"No," he said.
"A boat hut?"
"No."
She sighed. "You're no fun."
He didn't answer.
They walked along the beach until the sun hit higher. The wind was warmer now. Jaxon stopped and picked up a smooth stone. He rubbed it with his thumb, then dropped it again. He didn't really know what he was looking for. Just things. Anything that might help later.
Lina followed behind him, quiet for a bit. Then she said softly, "Do you think we'll be okay here?"
He looked at her. Her face was turned toward the sea, eyes half-closed.
He didn't speak.
She turned to face him, lips curling into a light smile. "You never answer things like that. I think you don't want to lie."
He nodded.
She laughed. "Wow. An actual nod. I'm honored."
They kept walking until they reached the edge of the trees again. Jaxon stopped and stared at the line of vines growing between the trunks.
She poked his arm. "Let's take a break?"
He didn't move.
"Come on," she said. "I know what'll cheer you up."
He raised an eyebrow slightly.
She ran ahead and crouched near the sand. "We're building a castle. A big one."
He didn't respond.
She looked over her shoulder and pouted. "You're really not gonna help?"
He dropped the metal piece near a tree and walked over.
She grinned. "Finally."
She started shaping the base with her hands. It looked like a lumpy circle.
Jaxon crouched and started packing sand tighter with both hands. His movements were calm and steady. She watched him, impressed.
"Wow," she said. "You're serious even when building a sand castle."
He didn't look at her.
She built a crooked tower next to his side. "This is the royal library," she said. "Where I store all the books I read in my head."
He glanced at it.
She leaned closer to him. "And this is the dark mysterious tower," she whispered, pointing at his side. "Where the brooding prince lives alone with his secrets."
He said nothing.
She nudged his shoulder. "Hey. I'm talking about you."
"I know."
She smirked. "You're not denying it?"
"No."
She laid back on the sand, looking up at the clouds. "This place... it's not so bad when you're around."
He looked at her for a second, then back at the sand.
She smiled again. "You know I'm teasing, right?"
He didn't answer.
They worked on the castle for a while. Jaxon made a trench around it. Lina added sticks as flags. It was quiet but warm. The wind blew soft, brushing sand across their legs. The waves made a gentle sound, like breathing.
After a while, Jaxon stood and dusted off his hands.
Lina stayed sitting. "Done already?"
He nodded and walked toward the hut.
She watched him go, her eyes soft. Then she looked at the sandcastle and smiled to herself.
Inside the hut, Jaxon sat down beside the storage box he made earlier. It looked fine. Strong. He opened it and put the metal piece inside.
Then he turned to the shelf where he left the book. It had dried finally. The pages were wrinkled and curled, but it wasn't ruined. He opened it carefully, flipping through the pages. Some were stuck, but most were readable. He found a chapter about storage. He already built one. But he kept reading.
It talked about long-term survival. About how to organize. How to keep food from rotting. How to boil water. He read slowly, his eyes moving across each word like he was memorizing them.
He didn't hear Lina come in.
She sat beside him quietly, her chin on her knees.
"Your book?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Is it really that good?"
He didn't speak.
She looked at him for a while, then back at the book. "I wish I had something from home. Just one thing."
He kept reading.
She leaned closer, her voice quieter. "I think... I miss stuff. Like music. And tea. And soft pillows."
He flipped the page.
She smiled to herself. "But I don't mind being here. Not with you."
He paused a little, then kept reading.
She rested her head on his shoulder for real this time.
He didn't move.
The night was calm.
Jaxon sat just outside the hut. The wind moved slow across the trees, brushing the leaves. The fire burned low beside him. It gave enough light to see, not enough to chase the quiet away.
He had the book in his lap, but he wasn't reading.
He was staring into the dark, thinking.
His hands had cuts from carrying the wood. His arms ached from swinging the axe. His back hurt. But it was the kind of tired that felt right.
He opened the book again. The page was about building fences and setting traps. He read a line then stopped. It wasn't what he needed right now.
He closed the book and leaned back, resting his head on the hut wall.
Then he heard footsteps. Soft ones. Coming from behind.
It was Lina.
She came closer and sat next to him without asking.
"You look like a man thinking about taxes," she said.
He didn't look at her.
She pulled her knees up and hugged them. "I was thinking," she said, "you're a mystery."
He stayed quiet.
"You don't talk much. You disappear sometimes. You know how to do things I've never seen."
Still no reply.
She looked at him sideways. "Are you from the future?"
He finally looked at her.
She smiled. "You didn't say no."
"I'm not," he said.
She leaned back, stretching her arms. "Alright. Just a really serious guy then."
Jaxon stared at the fire.
She glanced at his hand. "Those cuts look bad."
"They'll heal."
"Want me to clean them?"
"No."
She rolled her eyes. "You're so easy to talk to," she said with a small smirk.
He looked at her for a second.
Then she smiled again, teasing. "You know, I think I'd go crazy if you weren't here."
He didn't reply.
"I'd be talking to coconuts by now," she said. "Naming crabs. Making a leaf friend."
He didn't smile, but he didn't move either.
She leaned forward, resting her chin on her arms. "But you… you just build stuff. Hunt things. Stare into the distance like you've seen war."
He looked at her again, slow.
She met his eyes. "You never laugh. Ever."
"I don't need to."
"Even now?"
He didn't answer.
She leaned a little closer, eyes still on him. "I'm going to make you laugh one day."
"No."
"Yes," she said. "Mark my words. Before we leave this island, I'll get a smile."
Jaxon didn't say anything.
The fire crackled.
She stayed quiet after that, just watching the flames with him. Time passed slow. The island night was cool. The bugs made soft sounds in the trees.
Lina stretched again. "We should sleep soon."
He nodded once.
She stood and brushed off the sand from her legs. "You coming?"
"In a bit."
She turned and started walking back to her own small hut. Then stopped halfway. She looked back.
"Hey," she said, voice quiet.
He looked up.
"I'm glad you're here."
He didn't say anything.
She gave a soft smile, then walked away.
Jaxon sat a while longer, alone again.
His hand touched the ground beside him. The sand felt cool now. The air smelled like leaves and smoke.
He opened the shop again.
Not to buy. Just to check.
The coins were still there. The same. He scrolled through the list slow. Clothes. Tools. Traps. Rope. Bandages. Even simple medicine.
He closed it.
Then opened the "Status" again.
His name was there. His skills. Nothing else.
No health bar. No magic. No level.
Just his name. And the skills he earned through doing things himself.
It was strange. But it made sense.
He closed everything again and stood. The fire had died low now.
He covered it with sand and walked back to his hut. The stars above were clear. Bright. No moon.
The world felt far away.
Inside the hut, he sat on the mat. The smell of wood and leaves filled the small space.
He leaned back, eyes on the roof.
Then closed them.
Sleep came slow.
But it came.