Stranded on a deserted island.

"Exchange"

Throughout the night, they slept wrapped in leaves until morning arrived. Nicho stepped out and felt the warm sand under his feet. His mind was still clouded, racing to grasp the horrifying reality—they were truly stranded on this island, surrounded by the vast ocean. They didn’t know when or if help would come. There was only the steady air and the sound of the ocean crashing fiercely. He walked a little further, gazing at the beach stretching out before him. Suddenly, his eyes caught something that made his chest tighten—something in the sand seemed off. He approached and stopped in his tracks when he saw the lifeless body of a man lying at the water’s edge.

“Oh God!”

Nicho held his breath, his eyes wide, his heart pounding louder.

Arrrgh!

The body was mangled, parts of it torn apart. It was obvious that a predator, perhaps a shark, had made it its victim. The smell of blood began to fill the air, making it feel heavy. Nicho furrowed his brow, but without thinking too much, his hands moved quickly.

“What happened?!”

The girl arrived when she heard Nicho shout.

She began digging rapidly, focused only on the task at hand, ignoring the chill that was overtaking her. In her mind, there was only one thing to do—survive

The woman also helped Nicho bury the man, checking his body for anything useful.

When Nicho’s hand finally touched the man’s pants pocket, he felt something hard. He pulled it out—a pen and a wristwatch, still working but worn. In the man’s pocket, he found a small box with a piece of chocolate cake inside. Not much, but valuable in their situation. Every item could be important.

But just as Nicho began gathering the items, an angry voice broke the heavy silence.

“Hey!”

Nicho turned, startled, and saw the woman standing not far from him. Her face was stern, eyes full of frustration.

“What are you doing? You’re disturbing the body!”

Nicho took a deep breath, ignoring her angry gaze.

“He’s already dead.”

“But—”

“What do you want me to do? Leave him like this? The body won’t need these things anymore. We, the living, need to make use of whatever we can.”

She fell silent, her eyes filled with confusion.

“That’s not right. We have to respect the dead, even if they’re no longer here.”

Nicho stood and stared at her seriously.

“Are you a reincarnation of Mary?”

The woman fell silent.

Eric snorted, gazing at the endless sea.

“Morality only exists when we have a choice. Right now, we have two choices: live or die. And I choose to live.”

The woman didn’t respond, only gazing at the ocean with a vacant look. The silence between them felt so heavy, as if time had briefly stopped.

Finally, Nicho turned back to finish his task. He dug deeper, quickly burying the man’s body until only earth and sand remained. There was nothing else to think about.

Afterward, he stood and roughly wiped his hands against his sandy pants, then looked at the woman and spoke quietly.

“We need to share this place. Half the beach is yours, the other half is mine. No one will disturb me while I look for food. You can do whatever you want.”

The woman stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly, although her face still showed disapproval.

“Alright... What do you want to do on this island?”

Nicho turned toward the dense forest, contrasting with the ocean.

“Maybe we should go into the forest? Maybe there’s life and food there?”

The woman swallowed, eyeing the thick jungle.

“Are you sure?”

Nicho nodded without saying anything, his eyes still fixed on the beach where they would have to fight to survive. With quick steps, he walked toward the ocean, feeling the sand beneath his feet. He was thirsty. Maybe he could find fresh water at the end of the beach.

A little later, Nicho stood at the edge of the sea, staring at the cold water. Without speaking, he dove in, searching for oysters and sea urchins that could be eaten. He knew it wouldn’t taste good, but in this situation, taste didn’t matter. Surviving was all that mattered.

Meanwhile, from a distance, the beautiful woman with brown hair could only watch.

After a few minutes, Nicho resurfaced, bringing back his catch—oysters and sea urchins. Although not a delicacy, it was enough to fill his stomach. He carefully opened an oyster and slowly took a bite, savoring the slightly sour, salty taste that made him feel alive. His stomach, which had been growling, was finally satisfied.

However, before he could fully enjoy his meal, he heard the woman’s voice from a distance.

Nicho turned and saw her standing, pale and weak.

“What do you want?” he asked, trying to stay calm despite the unease in his heart.

She walked slowly toward him, worry in her eyes.

“I’m thirsty,” she said weakly.

“Hmmm, could you give me that coconut?” she asked softly. “I need water.”

Nicho paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.

“A coconut? I could give you a coconut, but there’s something you need to give me in return.”

The woman blinked, her eyes widening.

“What do you mean?”

Nicho took a step closer, his tired smile still on his face.

“A trade,” he said briefly.

The woman looked at him, trying to read his thoughts.

“You want a coconut, right? We can trade something,” he said again.

A long silence followed. The woman stared at him sharply.

Despite her doubts, she knew that in a situation like this, every decision could mean life or death.

Her body was weak, and she was dehydrated, while she couldn’t climb a coconut tree like Nicho could.

“What do you want? I’m already weak from thirst, but? Are you trying to take advantage of my helplessness?”

Nicho smiled brightly.

“Come here. Are you going to let yourself die of thirst?”