The morning light came early. Jaxon was already awake. He didn't say anything. Just stood by the trees, looking at the sky. His hands were quiet by his sides, like always. The air was warm. Birds he didn't know the names of called out from deep in the trees.
Lina came up behind him. Her hair was messy from sleep. She stretched, yawned, then rubbed her eyes.
"You don't sleep much," she said.
He didn't answer. Just picked up the axe from the ground and walked toward the pile of wood he'd started cutting yesterday.
Lina followed. "Are you building another hut?"
He nodded.
"For Iris and Kayla?"
He nodded again.
She crossed her arms. "You know... most guys would enjoy this. Three girls around them. Helping. Talking. Teasing."
Jaxon kept walking.
Lina grinned. "You're so hard to read. It's fun."
A few steps behind, Iris and Kayla came walking up. Kayla had tied her shirt at the waist. Iris had a few sticks in her arms.
"We heard chopping," Iris said.
"I wanna help," Kayla added. "Mostly because I don't want to sleep in the dirt."
Jaxon just nodded. He passed them a few tools—simple ones. A small axe, a dull knife, a stone hammer. Iris held hers carefully. Kayla twirled hers once and caught it.
Lina smirked. "Try not to hit your foot."
They began working. Jaxon didn't speak much. Just pointed. He showed where the foundation should go, how to lay the thick logs flat and tie them with vines. Iris copied his knots exactly. Kayla fumbled at first, but didn't quit.
"Why are these vines so hard to pull?" Kayla muttered.
"They dry fast," Jaxon said. "Tighter is better."
"Oh great," she muttered. "More muscle work."
Lina helped him measure the space between logs with her feet. "You know," she said, "when I imagined getting stranded, I thought it would be all crying and panic. Not... this."
"What is this?" Kayla asked.
She smiled. "Weird. But kinda fun."
They worked most of the morning. The hut shape was coming along. A square base with strong sides and a roof frame made from bent branches. It wasn't perfect, but it stood. Better than the lean-to Jaxon had made when he first got here.
Jaxon wiped sweat from his forehead. Then he started working on something beside the new hut. It was small, just wood at first.
"What's that?" Iris asked.
He didn't look up. "Table."
Iris blinked. "You're making a table?"
"And chairs."
Lina laughed. "You're really going full home mode now."
He kept hammering in silence. The girls slowly gathered around, watching him shape rough planks into something solid. The chair was uneven, but it held. He made two. Then a table. Square. Low to the ground. But it worked.
"We can actually sit and eat now," Iris said.
Kayla touched the top of the table and nodded. "Impressive."
Jaxon stood back. Looked at everything once. Then something blinked in his view.
A small glowing message.
New Task: Find the Secret Crate in sand hunt – Near the beach.
Reward: 20 coins
Jaxon narrowed his eyes. He didn't say anything out loud. Just turned and started walking toward the beach.
Lina saw him go. "Hey, where are you going?"
He kept walking.
She tilted her head, then followed.
"Let me guess," she said. "You do this thing where you leave and don't explain."
He glanced at her.
She smiled. "Don't worry. I'm used to it."
Jaxon walked slowly along the shoreline. He looked down as he walked. His eyes moved across the sand. The task said near the beach. That was all he had. No arrow. No marker.
Lina watched him for a minute. "You lost something?"
He didn't answer. Just knelt down and started brushing at the sand with his hand.
She crouched next to him. "Looking for shells?"
He shook his head. Brushed more. Moved a few feet. Started again.
She stared. "Okay, seriously, what are you doing?"
"Nothing," he said.
She squinted. "Nothing looks a lot like a weird treasure hunt."
He stood and moved again. It had to be nearby. The message said near the beach. That could mean anything. A few feet, or a few hundred steps.
He kept walking.
After maybe twenty minutes, something caught his eye. A patch of sand looked smoother than the rest. He stepped on it. The sand felt different. Hollow.
He knelt again and dug with both hands. Sand poured off to the sides.
Then—his fingers hit wood.
He dug faster. Pulled away the sand.
A small wooden crate sat buried beneath. Worn, damp, but sealed. No writing on it. No lock. Just an old wooden box. He pulled it out fully and set it down.
Lina was behind him again. She stared.
"Okay, now I want to know what that is."
He didn't answer. Just opened it.
Inside were small packs. Dried goods. Tools. A knife. A bundle of metal wire. A roll of soft cloth. A few other things he couldn't name right away.
Then the message popped again.
Task complete. +20 coins.
Jaxon exhaled slowly. Then closed the crate again and picked it up.
Lina crossed her arms. "You have this weird look every time you find something."
He said nothing.
She grinned. "Like a quiet pirate."
Back at camp, the other two girls were sitting on the new chairs.
Kayla raised an eyebrow. "Nice box."
"Treasure?" Iris asked.
Jaxon just nodded once and carried it to his hut.
Jaxon placed the crate down just inside his hut. The light from the sun hit the top of it, making the edges stand out. He sat down beside it. Looked at it for a second.
Then he opened it again.
The supplies were still there, untouched. He took out the metal wire first. It was thin but strong, rolled tight like it had never been used. He turned it in his hand, thinking. Could use this for traps or maybe something stronger for the hut. Next was a clean knife, sharper than the one he had. That was good. He set it down.
Lina peeked in. She leaned against the side of the hut, not coming in but looking close. "So. What is that?"
He didn't answer. He took out the cloth and unrolled it. It was clean, almost like bandages or something to wrap food in.
"You know, talking is free," she said.
Still quiet.
She walked in slowly. Sat near him but not too close. "I'm guessing you're not gonna tell me where that came from."
He picked up a small brown packet. It looked sealed, flat, and dry. He opened it carefully. Inside were thin dried strips—maybe dried meat or fruit. He sniffed it. Smelled clean. Natural.
Lina watched him. "You're just gonna eat that without asking me to try?"
He gave her one piece.
She bit it. "Hmm... Not bad. Still chewy. But better than those weird bananas."
He ate one himself. It had a strange taste, not sweet, not salty. But it filled his stomach quick.
Outside the hut, Iris and Kayla were still sitting at the table. Iris was humming to herself. Kayla had her arms behind her head, staring up at the sky.
"This place is kinda weird," Kayla said.
"Yeah," Iris answered. "But I feel safer now."
Kayla turned her head. "Because of the guy?"
Iris nodded. "Mhm."
Kayla smirked. "He's too serious for me. Like a walking wall."
Iris blushed. "I don't mind it."
Back in the hut, Lina picked up the knife. "This is nice. Better than that junk you were using. You could shave with this."
Jaxon was already packing the items back in carefully. Saving them for later. He didn't want to waste anything.
Lina leaned on her elbow. "So, how'd you find this crate, hmm?"
He didn't answer.
She sighed. "One of these days you're gonna slip up and tell me everything."
He looked at her.
She smiled. "Maybe when we're older and married."
He looked away.
She laughed. "Still nothing. You're like a robot."
He stood up and stretched. Then stepped outside. The sun had moved higher. The new hut was standing well. The table beside it made it feel more like a home. Not just a camp anymore.
Kayla stood when she saw him. "We helped, just so you know."
He nodded.
Iris smiled soft. "It was nice. Like building a treehouse with friends."
Lina stepped out behind him. "He found a box of stuff. Don't ask. He won't say where."
Kayla raised her eyebrow. "Like a treasure box?"
He nodded.
"Cool," Kayla said.
Iris tilted her head. "Is there more?"
Jaxon shook his head.
Lina flopped onto one of the chairs. "We need to do something fun."
Kayla looked at her. "Fun how?"
"Something not survival," Lina said. "We've been working for days."
Iris blinked. "Like a break?"
Lina grinned. "Yeah. You know, like making something dumb. Like sandcastles."
Kayla rolled her eyes. "Are we five?"
"I want to," Iris said quietly.
Kayla looked at her, then sighed. "Fine. Let's do it."
Jaxon stood still.
Lina turned to him. "You too."
He said nothing.
She grabbed his hand, light and quick. "You're not escaping."
He frowned but didn't resist.
They walked to the shore. The waves were small today. The sky was soft blue.
Iris knelt and started shaping the sand carefully. Kayla used a stick to dig lines and make towers. Lina sat beside Jaxon, grinning as she smashed a pile into a lumpy wall.
"This is stupid," Kayla muttered.
"You're smiling," Lina said.
"No I'm not."
Jaxon watched. He didn't build at first. Just sat. His eyes moved to the trees, then back to the sand.
Lina leaned closer. "Don't tell me you've never made a sandcastle before."
He didn't reply.
She smirked. "Wow. You really didn't have a childhood."
She started pushing sand toward him. "C'mon. Just once."
He blinked. Then slowly moved his hands. Formed a small shape. No style. Just a low square.
Lina stared at it. "You're really bad at this."
He ignored her.
She kept going, adding shapes, fixing towers. Everyone was quiet, but not awkward. Just peaceful. The kind of silence that felt calm.
Jaxon looked up once. The sky was turning orange. The day was ending.
He stood.
Lina looked up at him. "Done already?"
He nodded once and walked back.
She watched him go. A soft look crossed her face.
Kayla looked at her. "You're in trouble."
"Huh?"
"You like him."
Lina turned red. "I do not."
Kayla laughed. "Liar."
That night the wind was soft. The fire crackled gently. The sky above was clear, full of stars. The waves were slow and quiet like they were resting too.
Jaxon sat near the fire. The others were around but not saying much. Iris leaned against a tree, watching the flames. Kayla sat with her legs crossed, looking up. Lina was sitting beside Jaxon again, arms around her knees.
No one was talking.
Just quiet breathing. The sound of fire. Crickets in the distance.
Lina broke it first. "You ever wonder why we're here?"
Jaxon didn't look at her. He just stared into the fire.
"I mean," she went on, "not just being stuck on the island. I mean why we survived. Out of all those people. It was a big boat."
No answer.
She smiled a little. "I know. Too serious of a question."
She looked at him sideways. "You're thinking about something though, right?"
He stood up slowly and walked to his hut.
She watched him go. Her smile faded a bit.
Inside the hut, Jaxon sat down on the floor. He took a breath. Then opened the system.
[ SYSTEM MENU OPENED ]
– Shop
– Status
– Hint
He went to [Status] again. His name was there. Basic stats. Nothing too special. But something had changed.
[ Intermediate Fishing Skill: Active ]
[ Building Skill: Basic ]
[ Coins: 78 ]
He stared at the numbers. Then tapped on the new thing under "Building." There was a new option now.
[ Basic Building Tips – Open? ]
He opened it.
[ Foundation: Must be stable. Use thick logs or packed earth.
Walls: Best with dry wood or stone.
Roof: Vines, leaves, or cloth.
Additions: Tables, chairs, storage help comfort and morale. ]
He read it slowly. Then closed it.
His hand moved to [Shop]. He tapped it.
The items glowed slightly.
– Rope (5 coins)
– Stone Knife (10 coins)
– Cooking Pot (already owned)
– Nails (15 coins)
– Small Blue Tarp (20 coins)
– Clean Water Pouch (8 coins)
– Fire Starter (20 coins)
– Small Lamp (25 coins)
He had enough for some of them. But he didn't buy anything yet.
He leaned back against the wall. Looked up at the roof he made. It held up okay. But it needed more.
Outside he heard a quiet laugh. One of the girls.
Probably Lina.
He closed the system.
Then stood again and walked outside. The fire was still glowing, soft orange. The three girls were sitting around it now, closer.
Lina saw him. "Back from your hut of secrets?"
He said nothing. Sat beside her again.
"You're always disappearing," she said. "It's rude, you know."
He looked at the fire.
She leaned closer. "You have a secret hobby or something?"
He didn't answer.
She grinned. "You like drawing? Writing poems? Making tiny bird houses?"
Still no answer.
Kayla rolled her eyes. "Leave him alone."
Lina rested her chin on her knees. "He's more fun when he's annoyed."
Iris smiled. "I think he's just quiet."
"Quiet and cute," Lina added.
Kayla groaned. "You're hopeless."
The fire popped.
Jaxon stood again.
Lina looked up. "Again?"
He didn't speak. He walked toward the beach.
Lina stood up too. "I'm going with you."
He didn't say no, so she followed.
They walked together. The night was cooler now. The moonlight hit the sand in pale blue. Their footprints left a trail behind.
"You always walk alone," she said. "You think better when you're alone?"
He nodded.
She kicked at some sand. "You don't talk much."
He kept walking.
"I like that though," she said. "Kind of calming. You're like a rock."
He stopped near the shore and looked out. The waves moved slow and dark.
She stopped next to him.
"Back home I never met anyone like you," she said. "Guys talked too much. Tried too hard."
He said nothing.
"I don't know if you're just quiet or hiding something," she said. Then smiled. "But maybe I don't need to know."
He glanced at her.
She smiled wider. "Just be the way you are. It's fine."
They stood like that for a while. No one moved. The stars above them felt bigger somehow. Like they were farther from the world.
Then Lina turned around. "C'mon. Let's go back before Kayla thinks I drowned."
He followed her back. Slowly. Quietly.
The fire was lower now. The other girls were already heading to sleep.
Jaxon sat near his hut one last time. He looked at the sky again. Then at the system.
He didn't open it this time.
He just closed his eyes.