Eleo strolled through the dense forest, whistling as he walked. "Man, this place is huge," he muttered, pushing aside a branch. "I've been walking forever—where's the action?"
Just then, a deep, earth-shaking thud echoed through the trees. Then another. And another.
Eleo's ears perked up. "Oh, finally! I hear something!" Excited, he sprinted toward the noise, dodging vines and leaping over roots.
He burst into a clearing—then froze.
Towering before him was a massive T-Rex.
Its yellow eyes locked onto him. Its nostrils flared. Its jagged teeth dripped with saliva.
Eleo stared.
The T-Rex let out a deafening ROOOOAAAARRR!
Eleo turned on his heel. "NOPE!"
He ran. He ran fast.
The ground shook as the T-Rex thundered after him, trees snapping like twigs in its wake.
"WHY IS THERE A T-REX HERE?!" Eleo screamed, pumping his legs as fast as they could go. He ducked under branches, weaved between trees, and leaped over logs, but the dinosaur was gaining on him.
"I AM NOT A SNACK!" he yelled over his shoulder.
The T-Rex snapped its jaws just inches behind him.
Eleo screamed. "I DON'T WANNA BE BUNNY NUGGETS!"
He spotted a massive tree with a hollowed-out trunk ahead. Without thinking, he dove inside, curling up and holding his breath.
The T-Rex skidded to a stop, sniffing the air.
Eleo clamped a hand over his mouth. Please don't eat me. Please don't eat me.
The dinosaur huffed, snorted, then—after what felt like an eternity—turned and stomped away.
Eleo didn't move for a long moment.
Then he let out a shaky breath. "Okay… New rule… If I hear a scary noise, I run the other way!"
Eleo then peeked out of the hollow tree, making sure the T-Rex was really gone. He let out a long sigh of relief.
"Okay," he muttered to himself, stepping out and dusting off his fur. "No more running into giant monsters. Just gotta take it slow and—"
A deep, rumbling snort cut through the air.
Eleo turned his head. His ears drooped.
Standing just a few feet away was a massive two-headed rhino.
Its thick, armored hide was covered in scars, and both heads glared at him with beady, aggressive eyes. Steam puffed from its nostrils like an angry bull.
Eleo forced a nervous grin. "Uhh… nice rhino. Good rhino. You wouldn't chase a tiny little bunny, right?"
The rhino scraped its giant feet against the ground. Both heads snorted loudly.
Eleo swallowed. "Yeah, I figured."
The rhino charged.
"AWW, COME ON!" Eleo shrieked, turning on his heel and bolting again.
The ground thundered as the two-headed beast stormed after him, knocking down trees like they were twigs.
"WHY IS EVERYTHING IN THIS FOREST TRYING TO KILL ME?!" Eleo cried, zigzagging through the trees as the rhino plowed forward, barely slowing down.
One of the heads lunged, trying to chomp him.
"RHINOS DON'T EVEN HAVE TEETH LIKE THAT!" Eleo yelled, ducking just in time.
He spotted a fallen log ahead and took a flying leap over it. The rhino, however, slammed right through it, sending splinters flying everywhere.
Eleo glanced back and groaned. "Of course you can do that."
Then, up ahead, he saw it—a steep, rocky cliff.
"Oh, that's bad," Eleo muttered. But before he could stop, his foot hit the edge, and—
"WHOOOOOAAA!"
He tumbled off the cliff, flailing wildly.
The rhino skidded to a stop just before the edge, both heads peering down as Eleo disappeared below.
A loud CRASH! echoed from below, followed by a groan.
From the bottom of the cliff, Eleo's voice weakly called out:
"I hate this forest…"
Eleo dusted himself off, groaning as he stretched his sore limbs. "Okay, okay, Eleo. So this island might be full of terrifying, flesh-hungry monsters that all want to turn you into bunny stew… But! No worries! You're still gonna become the strongest!"
He puffed out his chest proudly, striking a heroic pose. A second later, he deflated slightly. "…Assuming I don't get eaten first."
Looking around, he placed his hands on his hips. "Alright, so what to do now? What to do…" His eyes scanned the area until they landed on a bush full of plump, blue berries.
His ears perked up. "Ooo, food!" He hopped over and inspected them. "Ahh, wish these were carrots, but this'll do." He plucked a berry, popped it into his mouth, and chewed thoughtfully. His nose twitched.
"Mmm… Not bad. Kinda sweet, kinda tart… maybe too tart." He stuck out his tongue, then shrugged and grabbed a handful. "Eh, food is food!"
After munching on a few more, he continued walking, his gaze wandering—until he spotted something interesting.
A cave.
A dark, looming, mysterious cave.
Eleo tapped his chin. "Hmm… I wonder… Should I go in there? Yes? No?" He rocked on his heels, pretending to debate with himself. "Nah, I'm just gonna—"
He took a step away.
Then stopped.
Then spun back around.
"Okay, just a little peek!" He grinned before dashing toward the cave entrance.
The air inside was cool, and shadows stretched deep into the cavern. Eleo stood at the mouth of the cave, cupping his hands around his mouth. "HELLOOO!"
His voice echoed back at him.
"Hello… lo… lo…"
Eleo's eyes widened. "Wow, that's cool."
Grinning, he tried again. "ELEO, YOU'RE SO STRONG!"
Silence.
Then, the echo returned.
"You're weak… weak… weak…"
Eleo blinked. "…Wow. Rude."
Crossing his arms, he huffed. "Stupid cave doesn't know anything."
Still, curiosity got the better of him. Taking a cautious step forward, he squinted into the darkness. "Alright, let's see what's in here…"
And with that, he ventured inside.
Eleo wandered deeper into the cave, his ears twitching as he scanned his surroundings.
"Man, this cave is boring," he muttered, kicking a small rock. "I was expecting treasure! Or monsters! Or at least something cool—"
Then, he saw it.
A dim, flickering glow further inside.
His curiosity piqued, Eleo hurried toward the light. As he got closer, he saw a small campfire, its flames crackling softly. But what caught his attention most wasn't the fire—it was the skeleton sitting beside it.
A tall, slender skeleton dressed in an immaculate suit, complete with a monocle over one hollow eye socket. His bony fingers rested elegantly on his knee, and despite his… well, skeletal appearance, he exuded an air of sophistication and calm.
The skeleton slowly turned his head, his monocle gleaming in the firelight.
"Ah," he said smoothly. "Hello there."
Eleo blinked. Then, without hesitation, he plopped down next to the skeleton. "Hello."
The skeleton gave a small nod. "Rather bold of you to sit beside a talking skeleton without any hesitation. Most would run away screaming."
Eleo grinned. "Eh, I've had a long day. Nearly got eaten by a T-Rex. Then a two-headed rhino tried to use me as a chew toy. Honestly? A fancy skeleton is probably the least terrifying thing I've seen today."
The skeleton chuckled, his bones rattling slightly. "Fair point."
Eleo stretched his legs out, letting the warmth of the fire sink into his fur. "So, uh… do you know what this place is?"
The skeleton folded his hands in his lap. "Indeed. This is Trial Island."
"Trial Island?" Eleo tilted his head.
"Yes," the skeleton confirmed. "It is a place where members of my clan must come to redeem themselves if they wish to rejoin. The trial is simple: survive here for two months. Alone."
Eleo's ears perked up. "Oh wow. That sounds intense."
The skeleton gave a small shrug. "It certainly isn't a vacation, I can assure you."
Eleo stared at him, then smirked. "You must be pretty strong to last this long."
The skeleton chuckled again. "Flattery will get you nowhere, young traveler."
"Not flattery," Eleo said, leaning forward. "Genuine observation. Say… how about you join my team? I'm traveling around, fighting the strongest people out there. You seem like a very strong guy."
The skeleton gave a good-natured sigh. "Tempting. But I'm afraid I must decline. I have only two more days left. Once my trial ends, I can finally return to my clan."
"Aww, man!" Eleo pouted, crossing his arms. "That's a shame. You'd be a great teammate."
The skeleton smiled. "I appreciate the sentiment, truly."
Eleo suddenly clapped his hands together. "Alright then, I'll just stay with you for the next two days!"
The skeleton blinked. "Pardon?"
"You heard me!" Eleo grinned. "I'll stick around. Keep you company."
The skeleton tilted his head. "That is… not necessary."
"I know," Eleo said with a smirk. "But let's be real, you've been alone for way too long. You need some company."
The skeleton let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "You are quite the peculiar one, aren't you?"
"That's what everyone says," Eleo said proudly.
The skeleton studied him for a moment, then let out a full, hearty laugh. "Alright, alright. You win. I suppose a little company won't hurt. My name is Tony, by the way."
Eleo beamed. "Nice to meet ya, Tony! I'm Eleo!"
Tony gave an elegant nod. "A pleasure, Eleo."
As the fire crackled between them, Tony leaned back, resting his bony elbows on his knees. "So, tell me, Eleo… why exactly are you running around fighting the strongest people you can find? Masochism? A death wish?"
Eleo smirked. "Nope. I wanna become the strongest."
Tony arched a nonexistent eyebrow. "Ah. That old goal. And how's that working out for you so far?"
Eleo winced. "Uhh… let's just say today's been humbling."
Tony laughed again, the sound echoing in the cave. "Well then, my friend, I believe these next two days will be very entertaining."