The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm orange glow over the makeshift campsite.
By now, the tents were all set up — though "tents" might have been a generous term.
Most were lopsided, hastily assembled, and looked one good gust of wind away from collapsing. But for a bunch of stranded students and teachers, it was home for now.
Lucas wiped the sweat from his brow and surveyed their work with a mix of pride and exhaustion. "Well, it's not exactly a five-star resort, but at least it won't fall on our heads... probably."
Leo, who was standing nearby, let out a dry laugh. "Speak for yourself. My tent looks like it was designed by a blindfolded toddler."
Lucas grinned. "Then again, that's about the level of your engineering skills, so I'm not surprised."
"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence," Leo shot back, rolling his eyes.
The two of them wandered away from the main camp, drawn by the sound of waves crashing against the shore.
The beach was quieter now, with most of the group focused on settling in for the evening. A few students lingered near the water, chatting in low voices or simply staring out at the endless ocean.
Lucas kicked at a stray pebble as they walked, his thoughts drifting.
It had been an insane day — one that felt more like a fever dream than reality. Yet here they were, stranded on some abandoned island, their survival hanging by a thread.
"I still can't believe we're here," Lucas said, breaking the silence.
Leo shrugged. "Could be worse."
"How?" Lucas asked, genuinely curious.
"We could've ended up on one of those creepy islands with, like, cannibals or something," Leo said.
Lucas gave him a sidelong glance. "You realize that's not exactly comforting, right?"
"Just saying, we've got it pretty good so far. No cannibals, no killer animals — "
At that moment, a small splash caught their attention. Both boys turned toward the water, where the waves were rolling up onto the shore.
"Did you see that?" Lucas asked, squinting.
"Yeah," Leo said, stepping closer. "What was it?"
They watched as the water surged forward again, bringing with it a surprising sight — a fish, flopping helplessly in the shallow surf.
Lucas blinked. "Well, I'll be damned. Dinner just delivered itself."
Leo crouched down, studying the fish with a mix of amusement and hunger. "It's not exactly a feast, but I'll take it. Think anyone at camp knows how to cook?"
Lucas laughed. "If not, I guess we'll just have to eat it raw. Sushi-style."
"You're joking, right?"
"Mostly," Lucas said, though he didn't sound entirely sure.
As they debated the finer points of island cuisine, Lucas noticed a familiar figure standing further down the shore.
It was Sophia. She stood with a few other students, her blond hair blowing gently in the breeze as she gazed out at the horizon.
Lucas's heart did a little flip, and he elbowed Leo. "Hey, look. Sophia's over there."
Leo glanced in her direction and smirked. "What's the plan, Romeo? Gonna swoop in and impress her with your island survival skills?"
"Nah," Lucas said dryly. "Maybe I'll start by not embarrassing myself for once."
"Good luck with that," Leo said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Before Lucas could muster the courage to approach her, a loud voice called out from the direction of the camp.
"Everyone back to camp!" Ms. Elara's authoritative tone rang out over the sound of the waves. "We're distributing rations, and you'll need to be here to get yours!"
Lucas groaned. "Guess it's time to play nice with the group."
Leo picked up the fish, holding it gingerly by the tail. "Think we should bring this back? It's not much, but it's something."
"Yeah, why not?" Lucas said. "At least it'll make us look productive."
The two of them made their way back to the campsite, where the rest of the group was already gathering around a makeshift table.
Ms. Elara stood at the center, her no-nonsense demeanor firmly in place as she organized the distribution of rations.
"We have limited supplies," she said, addressing the group. "Everyone will get their share, but we need to be careful not to waste anything. This has to last until we figure out a more sustainable food source."
Lucas and Leo slipped into the crowd, the fish dangling from Leo's hand like a trophy. A few students noticed and started whispering, but Ms. Elara's sharp eyes zeroed in on them almost immediately.
"What's that?" she asked, her tone somewhere between curiosity and suspicion.
Leo held up the fish. "Found it on the shore. Figured it might be useful."
Ms. Elara raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Good thinking. Add it to the food supply. Every little bit helps."
Leo handed the fish over to one of the teachers, and Lucas couldn't help but feel a small surge of pride.
"See?" he whispered to Leo. "We're already contributing. We'll be the heroes of this island in no time."
Leo snorted. "Yeah, because a single fish is going to save us all."
The rations were distributed quickly, each person receiving a modest portion of dried food and a small bottle of water. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them going for the night.
As Lucas sat by the fire, chewing on a piece of tough jerky, he couldn't help but glance around at the others.
Some of the students looked scared, others simply tired. The teachers were doing their best to maintain order, but even they seemed a little out of their depth.
Still, there was a strange sense of camaraderie in the air — a feeling that, despite everything, they were in this together.
Leo nudged him with his elbow. "What are you thinking about?"
"Just... everything," Lucas said. "How we got here, what's going to happen next... all of it."
Leo nodded, his expression unusually serious. "Yeah. It's a lot. But hey, we've made it this far. That's something, right?"
"Yeah," Lucas said, managing a small smile. "That's something."
The fire crackled softly, and for the first time since the ferry accident, Lucas felt a flicker of hope. The island was full of unknowns, but at least for tonight, they had each other.
And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.