Among the countless islands scattered across the world, there was one particularly small piece of land, only a few kilometers wide.
Despite its size, the island thrived. Dense vegetation covered the terrain, and even a lone mountain rose proudly from the center. Beasts prowled through the underbrush, birds circled above and beneath, and the whole place pulsed with untamed life.
For a modern man dropped here without tools or supplies, the survival rate could be estimated at… about seventy-one percent. Not great, not terrible. But doable, I guess?
On this island, a boy stood still, looking paralyzed and as still as a statue.
He wore a plain white shirt and dark green trousers, both traced with thin black linings as their only detail.
After a moment, his eyelids trembled. His fingers twitched, and his chest rose with a shallow breath.
Quickly, his eyes opened followed by an intense gasping of air.
He looked to be around fifteen years old, hair a reddish-brown that caught the sunlight, eyes a sharp green that said he had alot of mental strength.
His face bore the kind of expression that suggested the traits of resilience and stubborn courage.
He blinked once.
Then twice.
The haze of unconsciousness faded, and the first thing he saw… were nine other faces staring back at him.
He instinctively stepped back, heart kicking against his ribs.
Who are these people?
Then another thought hit him harder.
Wait a minute… who even am I?
Confusion washed over him, and he quickly realized he wasn't the only one. The others looked just as lost and just as confused.
For a long moment, no one spoke. They simply stared at one another, like strangers or nobodies thrown into a play without a script.
The silence stretched, tension thick enough that he half-expected someone to snap and attack out of paranoia.
It wasn't impossible.
But someone had to speak first.
And he chose to be "HIM".
"H-Hello? You guys can talk, right?"
The words tumbled out awkwardly, but at least it was something.
Nine pairs of eyes locked onto him at once. All kinda serious, mean, confused, but mostly suffocating and heavy, as if he said something gravely offending.
"Hello… Who are you?"
The voice came from a tall man with dark brown skin. His tone was rough, carrying the weight of someone who hadn't spoken in weeks.
With two voices breaking the silence, the spell finally seemed to crack.
"Hello, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Daksha."
"Hi, I'm Rosalinda."
"I'm Jackson, and you guys?"
"Michael."
"I'm Olivia."
In front of the boy, introductions began as if everyone had somehow remembered their names without needing to ask.
He frowned. What about him? What was his name?
Then, without warning, the answer came from inside, instinctive and natural. Just like breathing.
"I'm Hyeon."
"Nice to meet you, Hyeon! I'm Ciara."
The girl's cheerful response caught him off guard. Hyeon forced a smile, though it came out awkwardly.
His chest felt tight. Was he anxious?
He was surrounded by strangers, suddenly expected to mingle like they'd been classmates all along that just decided to get to know each other, it didn't sit right with him.
'Wait… am I an introvert?'
The word popped into his head and, annoyingly enough, fit the situation a little way too well. He didn't want to admit he felt safer slipping away from this group than standing in the middle of it.
He had already started inching backward when a deep voice cut through the chatter.
"Everyone, may I ask for your attention, please?"
Hyeon froze. The others stopped too, turning their eyes toward the speaker.
It was a man named Daksha.
He stood tall, his posture commanding without effort. Light skin, lean muscle beneath simple clothes, and a sharp, confident expression that made people want to listen.
In short, he looked strong. Reliable. Someone who belonged at the front.
"Let's all get to know each other properly," Daksha continued, voice steady. "I'm sure we're all confused, but we have to work together if we want to survive after nightfall."
He paused, then automatically scanned their faces one by one as if remembering their faces with just a glance.
"First, let's start with your name, age, and blessing."
Blessing?
The word snagged in Hyeon's mind, but Daksha pressed on.
"I was given the [Master of Eloquence] ability upon my arrival here, along with my name and age. I believe if you focus, you'll be able to recall the same information about yourselves as well."
The group exchanged wary looks before falling silent, each one closing their eyes or lowering their heads to concentrate.
Even Hyeon tried.
And when he did, something just clicked.
A crosshair formed in the center of his vision, framed by an octagon of faint red light.
His surroundings sharpened unnaturally, details peeling back to reveal lines of text he couldn't read at first... They looked to be alien symbols, elaborate and kinda strange.
Then, as if adjusting for his poor sake, the words started to shift into a language he could understand.
[Her name is Sabela. Recently created by a god from molded earth and given life. Her ability allows her to identify safe herbs and concoct medicines that can prevent infection or save someone from life-threatening injury.]
Hyeon rubbed his chin. A healer, then. She's bound to be useful.
His ability seemed similar, except for one fact.
His was broader, more precise, more on the self-safety side. Less practical at the moment, but far more dangerous in the long run.
It made his lips curve into a sort of smile, but he quickly stopped it before anyone saw.
His eyes stung which forced him to shut the ability off with a thought. Apparently, it wasn't something he could leave running forever.
Still, one line stuck with him more than anything else.
Created by a god.
That meant gods were real. And more than that, someone had made them.
The thought was overwhelming. Not just for him, but for the other nine who were all, unknowingly, living testaments of the same truth.
Time passed and they all introduced themselves. By the time Hyeon's turn came, he didn't fully disclose the full versatility of his ability, fearing he might get used too much.
Fortunately, Daksha, who was the majority leader believed him easily.
For now, everyone knows that Hyeon has the ability to discern what's safe and could kill them and see things from long distances.
Zooming wasn't exactly out of the scope of his blessing either which everyone agreed was very handy.
Now with introductions finally set on the table, it was time for the ten of them to start surviving in this alien, mysterious and uncharted world.