The waves crashed violently against the shore as you stumbled onto the sand, your entire body aching from the rough swim to land. Saltwater stung your throat, your breaths coming in sharp gasps as you tried to process what had just happened. One second, you and your friends had been on the boat, the sun warm on your skin, music blasting as laughter filled the air. The next, the sky had darkened, the wind howling as a storm came out of nowhere, flipping your world upside down.

Now, the boat was gone—wrecked, scattered, useless. The island stretched before you, dense trees looming in the distance. There was no sign of civilization, no docks, no houses. Just endless wilderness.

“Are you okay?” A voice pulled you from your thoughts.

Alex.

He was kneeling beside you, his dark hair dripping with seawater, his chest rising and falling heavily. His hand hovered over your shoulder, as if he wanted to touch you, to make sure you were real, but wasn’t sure if you could handle it. His usual teasing smirk was gone, replaced with something else—concern.

You swallowed hard, trying to force down the panic rising in your chest. “I think so,” you muttered, pushing yourself up onto shaky legs. Your muscles protested, exhaustion threatening to pull you back down, but you refused to let it.

Behind you, Tyler stumbled out of the water, coughing as he wiped his face. “Well, that sucked,” he muttered, running a hand through his soaked hair. Katie and Emily were a few feet away, still catching their breath, their expressions mirroring the same disbelief you felt.

“What do we do now?” Emily asked, hugging her arms around herself.