Creating Civilization In My Private Island

Korin steps forward, his small hands trembling as they clutch his mother's arm. His voice quivers with a mix of denial and fear. "No way… Big bro wouldn't just die like that! He's too strong. He still needs to protect us from the Darkbound… He promised!" Tears streak down Korin's face, his belief in Kael unwavering, but there's a crack in his voice that betrays his fear.

The grief in the air is palpable. Some villagers murmur softly among themselves, others weep openly. They all know what Kael meant to the village—how he provided for them, ensured their safety, and led the hunts that kept them fed. His absence will leave a gaping wound not just in his family, but in the hearts of everyone.

"He was our hope," one of the elders whispers, their voice carrying softly through the crowd. "We all ate because of him. Kael kept the village alive… with his strength… his plans."

Mira breaks down, sobbing into Eamon's chest, her hands gripping his tunic as though she could squeeze the pain away. "He's not gone… not yet… He can't be…"

Eamon holds her tightly, his own face a mask of restrained sorrow. He says nothing, his silence a heavy acknowledgment of what he knows to be true. Yet he cannot bring himself to shatter her hope. Not now. Not in front of Korin. Not in front of the village that looks to them for some flicker of light in this sea of grief.

A year has passed since that fateful day, and though the wounds of loss remain, life in the village continues. Korin, now older and hardened by the passage of time, officially joins the hunting team. His once youthful innocence has been replaced with the quiet determination of someone who's grown up too fast. He swims among the other young Merlans, some of them friends he's known all his life, newer recruits, each bearing the same hardened expressions—survivors of a world growing increasingly hostile.

The village has changed too. The abyss, once a distant shadow far from their territory, looms ever closer in the minds of the villagers. Korin, despite his resolve, finds himself repeatedly drawn to its edge on every hunt. He lingers there, staring into the impenetrable darkness below, where his brother was lost. The void beckons him, a constant whisper in his mind.

Korin's fellow hunters swim up behind him. One of them, Lira, places a hand on his shoulder. "Korin, we need to keep moving. The beasts are getting bolder. We can't afford to waste time."

He nods silently, his gaze still fixed on the abyss. "I know… I'm just thinking something." The temptation to dive in, to search for Kael, gnaws at him. But then he remembers his parents—his mother's hollowed face, his father's silent grief—and he hesitates. What would happen to them if he disappeared too? No. He can't abandon them. Not like this. Not when they still need him.

Five years slip by, the memory of Kael still a dull ache in the village, but now eclipsed by a new horror: the Darkbound. The beasts from the abyss have begun to rise, no longer confined to the depths. The first sign is the battles. Rumors spread that an Abbyssian, is locked in combat with another colossus beyond the village's borders. It's a war of titans, their clashes shaking the ocean floor and sending ripples of fear through every community.

And then, the village itself is attacked.

The first strike comes in the dead of night. A monstrous creature, dark and twisted, breaches the outer defenses. Its form is grotesque—long, serpentine, with glowing eyes and jagged scales. It crashes into the village, tearing through coral homes, its screech piercing the water. Panic erupts as villagers scramble to defend themselves, grabbing spears and harpoons.

"Korin!" Mira's voice cuts through the chaos as she swims toward him, her eyes wide with fear. "We have to go—"

"I'm not leaving!" Korin shouts, his spear already in hand. He stands his ground, his body taut with adrenaline. The beast thrashes wildly in the distance, sending plumes of sand and debris swirling through the water. Around him, hunters are already engaging it, though their weapons seem useless against its thick hide.

Eamon appears next to them, limping but determined, gripping his old hunting spear. "You're coming with us. We need to regroup, this isn't a fight we can win head-on."

"But the village—" Korin begins to argue, but Eamon cuts him off with a firm glare.

"We'll fight another day. If you die here, there's no one left to protect your mother." His voice is rough, authoritative, but there's a crack in his words that betrays his fear.

The beast lets out another deafening roar, swinging its tail and sending a group of hunters tumbling through the water. Korin watches in horror as two of his comrades are caught in the thrashing, their bodies crushed against the jagged rocks.

"We need to fall back!" Naida, now leading the hunters, shouts over the chaos. "Everyone, to the inner ring!"

Korin hesitates, his spear still poised, his heart screaming at him to fight. But then he feels his father's hand on his shoulder, steadying him. With a reluctant nod, he pulls back, joining the rest of the villagers as they retreat toward the center of the village, where the defenses are stronger.

Back in the abyss, Kael sits in the dark cave, his eyes half-closed as he meditates, absorbing the strange energy that pulses from the depths around him. It's been five years since he was flung into this forsaken part of the ocean, five years of isolation, survival, and a deepening connection to the mysterious force that now surges through his veins. The energy is thick here, like a living, breathing entity, saturating the water. Even after all this time, it doesn't diminish—it only seems to grow denser, more potent.

At first, Kael didn't understand what was happening to him. The energy was overwhelming, threatening to consume him.