The plane vibrated with the hum of its engine as it sliced through the cerulean sky, a white streak cutting through the perfect blue expanse. Below, Rook Island stretched—an untouched paradise of jagged cliffs, sprawling jungles, and white-sand beaches. It was the kind of place where dreams were made—if only the weather wasn’t so damn hot.

Ethan Cross sat near the open door, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The wind tore at his hair, but he didn’t mind. The whole point of this trip was freedom, wasn’t it? No responsibilities, no schedules—just four friends.

And her.

Liza. His girlfriend. The one person he could never get enough of, the one who knew him better than anyone else. She sat across from him, her smile lighting up her face as she held her camera to capture every moment of their adventure. Liza had always been the adventurous type—the one who’d dragged him into this skydiving trip in the first place.

She had insisted they do this—dare to leap from a plane. Ethan hadn’t been too sure about it at first, but now, as the wind whipped past him and his heart raced in excitement, he couldn’t deny the thrill.

Beside him, Grant was checking his gear, already buzzing with the kind of energy that only came from an adrenaline junkie. His usual cocky grin was plastered across his face as he adjusted his helmet, ready for anything. He’d been talking about jumping out of a plane since high school, and now, he was finally doing it. Of course, Ethan couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else by his side.

Daisy, sitting next to Liza, nervously bit her lip, her eyes darting between the open door and the safety harness on her chest. She was usually the calm one of the group, always collected, but this—this was different. Daisy and Liza had been best friends since college, and although Daisy had agreed to come along, Ethan could see her hand trembling ever so slightly.

“You ready?” Ethan asked, leaning over to Liza, his voice barely audible above the hum of the plane. She looked at him, her blue eyes wide, and her excitement almost seemed to radiate from her.

“I’m more ready than you are,” she teased, nudging him with her shoulder. “You look like you’re about to jump off a cliff, not from a plane.”

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. She was right. His nerves had been eating him alive since they boarded the plane, but now, as they neared the moment, something else filled him—an electric rush, a sense of invincibility.

Before he could say anything more, the light on the wall flashed green. The door opened with a loud clunk, and Grant was out the door before anyone could blink. Ethan’s heart skipped a beat as the wind screamed through the opening, sending a chill down his spine.

Daisy’s face went pale. “I don’t know if I can do this, Ethan,” she admitted, her voice barely audible above the roar of the wind.

Ethan reached out, taking her hand gently. “It’s okay, Daisy. You’ve got this. We all do.” He squeezed her hand before standing, following Grant’s lead. “Let’s do this together, alright?”

Liza was next to him, her eyes locked with his. The world outside seemed to disappear, and for a brief moment, everything else fell away. She gave him a soft, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Ethan,” she said, her voice low and steady. “I’m right here.”

He wanted to say more—wanted to tell her how much he loved her—but the moment wasn’t right. Instead, he simply nodded and let her slip her hand into his. Together, they walked toward the open door, the island now directly below them, the earth pulling them into its embrace.

The wind rushed past them as they jumped, the world below falling away faster than Ethan could comprehend. For a moment, everything was just a blur—an explosion of adrenaline and raw emotion. The sensation of free-falling through the sky was unlike anything Ethan had ever felt. He and Liza were together in that moment, bound by nothing more than the thrill of the unknown.

And then, with a snap, their parachutes deployed.

Ethan looked over at Liza, who was grinning, the wind tugging at her hair. It was the perfect moment—their moment—until the crackle of the radio in his ear interrupted the peace.

“Ethan! Are you seeing this?” Grant’s voice came through, sharp with tension.

Ethan glanced up, eyes narrowing. Something wasn’t right. He could see the plane in the distance, spiraling out of control. His stomach dropped. The pilot was struggling, trying to regain control, but the plane was coming in too fast.

“Get to the tree line, now!” Ethan shouted to Liza, his heart racing.

The sound of the plane’s engine screaming as it plunged into the air sent a wave of panic through him. Ethan barely had time to react before the world exploded.

He pulled Liza closer, wrapping his arms around her as they plummeted toward the island. The ground rushed up to meet them. Ethan’s instincts kicked in, and he braced for impact, pushing Liza down toward the earth just as the plane’s explosion sent shockwaves across the jungle.

The world went dark.

When Ethan awoke, the sky was still burning with the last remnants of the fireball that had consumed the plane. His head pounded, his vision blurry, but he knew one thing—he had to find Liza.

She was lying beside him, her body pressed against his in the aftermath of the crash. For a moment, there was a peace between them, an unspoken understanding. But the crackling of distant fires and the thick smell of smoke reminded him that their fight had just begun.

Ethan helped Liza to her feet, his voice urgent. “We need to move. Now.”

Through the smoke and chaos, he could see Grant already running toward the wreckage, searching for supplies. Daisy wasn’t far behind, her face pale but determined.

Liza’s hand tightened around his. “Where’s the plane?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Gone,” Ethan said, scanning the horizon. “We need to find shelter. Fast.”

And with that, the group of four—bound by the bond of friendship—and for Ethan and Liza, love—turned toward the heart of the island. The adventure had taken a sharp turn from vacation fun to survival, and the storm was only just beginning.

The sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows over the wreckage scattered along the beach. Ethan groaned as he sat up, blinking through the haze of pain and disorientation. His clothes were damp with seawater, and the air smelled of salt and burning metal.

“Ethan!” Liza’s voice cut through the fog, sharp with worry.

He turned to see her running toward him, her hair disheveled her face streaked with dirt. Relief flooded through him as he scrambled to his feet, his muscles protesting with every movement.

“Liza,” he breathed, pulling her into a hug. “Are you okay?”

She nodded against his shoulder, her breath shaky. “I’m fine. You?”

“I’ve been better.” He managed a meager smile before looking past her. The remains of the plane lay in twisted ruins, smoke curling into the sky. His stomach twisted. “The others…”

“We need to find them,” she said firmly.

Together, they combed through the crash site. Grant was slumped against a piece of debris, wincing as he clutched his ribs. Daisy was nearby, sitting on the sand with a dazed expression.

“We’re alive,” Grant muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. “Barely.”

Jason crouched beside him. “Can you walk?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Grant stood with a grimace, testing his balance.

Ethan glanced around. “We can’t stay here. We need to find shelter and figure out what’s next for us.”

The group moved cautiously into the jungle, the dense foliage swallowing the sounds of their footsteps. The air was heavy with humidity, and the distant calls of unseen animals echoed around them.

“This place is unreal,” Daisy said, her voice trembling.

“Yeah, like Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs,” Grant quipped, earning a half-hearted glare from Daisy.

Ethan led the way, his senses on high alert. Every rustle of leaves and snap of a twig made his pulse quicken. They didn’t know what was out here—or if anyone else was.

After what felt like hours, they found a small clearing. Ethan dropped his makeshift pack—a strip of fabric tied around salvaged supplies—and ran a hand through his hair. “Alright, let’s regroup here for now. We need food, water, and shelter before nightfall.”

“Liza, Daisy—can you look for anything edible? Fruits, berries, whatever we can eat.

Grant, see if you can find a source of water nearby.”

“What about you?” Liza asked.

“I’ll try to figure out some kind of shelter. Meet back here in an hour.”

The group split up, each of them venturing cautiously into the jungle. Ethan worked quickly, clearing a space and fashioning a crude shelter out of branches and leaves. He glanced at his watch. It had been nearly an hour, and the others weren’t back yet.

Suddenly, Liza and Daisy emerged from the trees, their expressions tense.

“What happened?” Ethan asked.

“We saw something,” Liza said, her voice low.

“Smoke. Not from the crash—this is deeper in the jungle.”

Jason frowned. “A campfire?”

“Maybe,” Daisy said, her eyes wide. “But it means someone else is also here.”

Before Ethan could respond, Grant stumbled into the clearing, his face pale. “Guys, you won’t believe what I just saw.”

“What?” Ethan asked, his stomach tightening.

“There’s a guy… out there. He was digging something, like he was burying it.”

Ethan's mind raced. Smoke. A mysterious figure. Suddenly, their situation felt a lot more dangerous.

Ethan motioned for the group to follow him, his movements deliberate and silent. They crept through the jungle, staying low as they approached the area Grant described.

Through the thick foliage, they saw it: a man, muscular and rough-looking, crouched by a freshly dug hole. His clothes were grimy, and his eyes darted around nervously as he covered the hole with dirt.

“What’s he doing?” Daisy whispered.

“No idea,” Ethan replied, his voice barely audible.

Before they could observe further, movement to the left caught their attention. Another group of men appeared, their footsteps hurried and their expressions sharp. The man by the hole stiffened, quickly brushing off his hands and stepping away from the site.

Ethan motioned for the group to back away. They moved slowly, careful not to make a sound, until they were far enough to whisper.

“Who were they?” Liza asked.

“They didn’t look friendly,” Ethan said grimly. “And I’m guessing they’re not out here on a sightseeing tour.

“What do we do now?” Daisy asked, her voice trembling.

Ethan looked at his friends, the weight of their situation sinking in. “We stay out of sight and figure out what’s going on. Whatever they’re doing out here… we don’t want to get in the middle of it.”

The last traces of daylight disappeared as Ethan led the group deeper into the jungle, the towering trees casting long, shifting shadows. Every step felt like a gamble. The group’s movements were cautious, each footfall as quiet as they could manage on the uneven ground, but adrenaline coursing through his veins made every noise sound amplified in the oppressive silence of the jungle.

The humid air clung to them like a second skin, and the oppressive darkness made it nearly impossible to see. Every rustle in the bushes or snap of a twig sent shivers through Ethan’s spine. He motioned for the group to crouch behind a cluster of ferns as the distant sound of muffled voices filtered through the trees. Pirates. They were close—too close.

Ethan strained his ears, trying to make out the voices. He gestured silently to the others, pointing toward a shallow ravine just ahead. Liza’s face was pale but focused, her hand gripping Daisy’s tightly as they began to move. Grant followed close behind, his breathing controlled but shallow, his usual bravado stripped away by the gravity of the situation.

As they descended into the ravine, the voices grew louder, accompanied by the crunch of boots on leaves. Ethan froze. Just ahead, a small group of pirates emerged from the treeline, their torches casting an eerie glow against the dense foliage. Ethan’s heart thundered in his chest as he pushed the others down into the undergrowth, signaling them to stay silent.

One pirate suddenly stopped, tilting his head as if he had heard something.

“Wait,” he said, his voice was sharp. “Did you hear that?”

Ethan’s heart nearly stopped. The pirate turned, his torchlight sweeping dangerously close to their hiding spot. Ethan could feel the group holding their breath, every second stretching into an eternity. The pirate stepped closer, the glow of his torch illuminating the brush where they lay hidden. Ethan’s grip on the makeshift knife in his hand tightened, ready for the worst.

But just as the pirate bent down to inspect the area, a distant call echoed through the jungle.

“Hey! Over here!” another pirate shouted.

The man hesitated, his brow furrowing, before straightening and moving toward the source of the call. Ethan didn’t dare move until the last of the torchlight disappeared into the trees.

Ethan exhaled shakily, signaling the others to move. They crawled through the undergrowth, keeping low and silent until the voices and light were far behind. Every muscle in Ethan’s body screamed for rest, but he couldn’t stop now. The jungle seemed endless, but finally, they stumbled upon a small, secluded clearing—a shallow depression shielded by thick brush and a towering hill behind them.

“Here,” Ethan whispered, his voice hoarse. “This will have to do.”

The group sprang into action despite their exhaustion. Grant quickly fashioned a makeshift tarp using fabric he had salvaged earlier. Daisy gathered leaves and branches for cover, her movements steady despite her trembling hands. Ethan and Liza worked together, securing the perimeter with makeshift barriers of branches and rocks.

The fire they built was small, its flickering flames barely enough to pierce the darkness, but it was a beacon of hope in the oppressive jungle. Sitting around it, the group exchanged quiet glances, their fear palpable but unspoken. They had survived the crash and evaded the pirates—for now.

Ethan’s gaze drifted to the dense jungle surrounding them. The island was vast and dangerous, but their will to survive burned brighter than the fire before them.