“So how does that work exactly?” Alice asked, talking around a huge mouthful of perfectly roasted fish.
“Like, what do you guys even eat up there? Just… clouds?”
“Whenever we need resources, we fly down to the land below and gather whatever we can find,” Mira explained softly, staring down at her food.
“My family used to take turns making the trips.”
“So you have family back home?” Sam asked, his tone softening.
Mira nodded, a faint, melancholy smile crossing her face.
“Well, just my little sister now. Our parents passed away a few years back.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sam responded gently.
A brief, heavy silence fell over the campfire, save for the crackle of the embers.
“How old is your sister?” Alice asked, breaking the quiet.
“She’s eight,” Mira said, her voice full of longing.
“Turning nine soon. I just hope I can get out of this game and go back home in time for her birthday.”
“You will!” Alice declared fiercely, her gloomy mood vanishing as she thumped a fist against her knee.
“And we’re going to help you do it! Right, Sam?”
“Of course,” Sam agreed with a warm, steady smile.
Tears welled in Mira’s eyes, catching the firelight.
“Thank you,” she whispered, wiping at her cheeks with her sleeves.
“You both should get some sleep,” Alice said, her gaze drifting up to stare at the glowing moon.
“I’ll take the first watch.”
Sam looked at her, concerned.
“You sure you don’t want me to do it? You had a pretty intense fight earlier.”
“Nice try,” Alice said, turning to him with a teasing smirk.
“But the last time I slept first, you fell asleep straight away.”
“Haha, fair enough,” he responded, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
“Well, goodnight, everyone.”
Sam lay down on the soft grass, turning onto his side before closing his eyes.
Sleep didn’t find him immediately. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Instead, he simply listened to the steady, rhythmic pulse of the river, the gentle splash against the riverbank slowly lulling his restless mind to sleep.
After a few hours of rest, Alice nudged him awake to switch roles, and later in the night, Sam woke Mira so she could take over.
This disciplined rotation kept them safe until the morning sun rose.
As the morning sun climbed higher, they settled back into the routine they had already begun to build.
Mira took to the skies to resume her aerial surveillance, while Alice and Sam stood by the riverbank, determined to catch more food.
Luckily, the river was generous.
They managed to secure four fish this morning—and while they were much smaller than the monstrous catches of the previous days, it was more than enough for a satisfying meal.
“I can’t believe you guys started eating without me!” Mira cried, hovering down from above with her arms crossed in a playful pout.
When she landed, Sam and Alice were already gathered around the familiar campfire, the savoury scent of roasted fish filling the morning air.
“Don’t worry, we were saving the best ones for you,” Sam said with a reassuring laugh.
“Speak for yourself,” Alice muttered around a mouthful, ferociously tearing into a whole cooked fish like a starving predator.
The island almost felt hospitable.
They spent their afternoons roasting fish, sharing quiet stories by the fire, and tracking the slow movement of the clouds.
This peaceful routine carried them all the way to Day 4.
But on this island, peace never lasted.
By afternoon, things had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
“Anything?” Sam asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“Still nothing,” Alice muttered, staring down at the empty, mocking water.
They had combed the riverbank since dawn, but not a single fish was in sight.
It was as if the river had been stripped of life.
“I just hope Mira had better luck than we did…” Sam said, his stomach emitting a low growl.
Unfortunately, when they met back up with Mira at sundown, her empty hands confirmed she had found no luck either.
They convinced themselves that tomorrow would be different.
But tomorrow brought no mercy.
Just like the previous day, the river remained barren.
Two full days without a single bite, and the effects of starvation were finally beginning to show.
Every step felt heavier than the last, and even standing for long periods left them exhausted.
Alice’s usual fiery spark had dulled into a quiet, irritable lethargy, while Sam found it harder to keep his thoughts from drifting.
With only two days left in the death game, they were agonisingly close to the finish line—but if they encountered another hostile player in this weakened state, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
There was only one solution left.
“I think we need to explore further out,” Sam said, his voice raspy from hunger.
“But we’re safe here,” Mira pleaded, her wings drooping as she looked between them.
“Isn’t it too risky to leave?”
“Our safety isn’t guaranteed here either, Mira,” Sam replied gently but firmly.
“Remember the giant we told you about? He found us right on this riverbank. If another attacker catches us by surprise while we’re this weak, we may not survive.”
“I agree with Sam,” Alice said, pushing herself up from the grass.
“We need to find a new food source if we want to survive the next two days.”
Sam turned his attention back to the angel.
“Mira, you’ve been surveilling from the skies. Did you see anything inland that might be worth checking out?”
“There is one place that comes to mind,” Mira said, nervously staring at her dirt-stained boots.
“But… I can’t guarantee it’s safe.”
Alice stepped forward and clapped a hand onto the angel’s shoulder.
“Hey, as long as we’re together, we can handle whatever’s waiting for us.”
Mira looked up.
The anxiety in her eyes softened, replaced by a small, genuine smile.
“I guess you’re right.”
“Alright,” Sam declared, looking out into the darkening woods.
“We’ll rest here tonight and head out first thing tomorrow morning.”