Creating Civilization In My Private Island

Five years have passed again, and the village has thrived. The once constant struggle for survival has eased, largely thanks to Kael's innovations and leadership within the hunting team. He's no longer the boy who first joined, but a seasoned hunter, respected by the village and beloved by his family.

One afternoon, after a particularly bountiful hunt, Kael and the other hunters return to the village, the nets heavy with fresh catch. As they gather near the village center, an unusual stillness settles over the group. Chief Duran, now older but still commanding respect, steps forward, his weathered face lined with concern.

"Gather 'round," the chief calls, his voice deep and steady, though Kael can sense an urgency beneath it. The hunters fall silent, forming a loose circle around him. Kael stands at the front, his brow furrowed in curiosity.

"Do you know about the Darkbound?" the chief asks, his voice grave. His eyes scan the crowd, landing on the older hunters who exchange uneasy glances. Kael notices their shift in demeanor; the older hunters seem tense, their expressions darkening with recognition. He, along with the younger hunters, remains puzzled. This is the first time he's heard the word.

One of the older hunters, Torin, steps forward, his face grim. "It's been a long time since the Darkbound last threatened us. We hoped it wouldn't come again in our lifetime."

Kael glances at Taryn beside him, whispering, "What's the Darkbound?"

Taryn shakes his head, his voice low. "I've only heard stories. The elders rarely speak of it."

The chief clears his throat, silencing the murmurs. "The Darkbound," he continues, "is a time when the world around us is consumed by darkness. For many moons, the light above will fade, and the sea will grow cold. The creatures of the Abyss will stir, and the beasts in the waters will become more ferocious, more violent."

Kael feels a chill run down his spine as the chief's words sink in. Darkness? Beasts more dangerous than the Abyssian?

"The past chiefs left us warnings carved in stone," Duran says, his voice heavy with the weight of history. "They wrote of the Darkbound as a time of great peril, when even the strongest struggled to survive. During this time, other creatures, as powerful as the Abyssian itself, will emerge from the depths. They are predators, unlike anything we've faced before, and they will actively hunt—merlans and beasts alike."

A ripple of unease moves through the hunters. Even Kael, who has faced the dangers of the sea countless times, feels the weight of what the chief is saying. He clenches his fists, his mind racing. More powerful than the Abyssian?

"What do we do, Chief?" one of the younger hunters asks, his voice trembling slightly. "How can we prepare for this?"

Chief Duran sighs heavily, his broad shoulders sagging as though the weight of his words is pressing down on him. "The truth is, there isn't much we can do. We've survived many things, but the Darkbound is… different. We can only hope that the Abyssian itself will defend its territory when the time comes."

The crowd stirs uneasily at the mention of the Abyssian. Even now, the name of the massive creature that terrorizes them stirs a mix of fear and hatred. Kael watches the older hunters exchange dark glances, the memories of their encounters with the beast clearly weighing on their minds.

One of the hunters, a grizzled man named Jarek, mutters under his breath, "The Abyssian? That monster's done nothing but take from us."

Chief Duran raises a hand, quieting the murmurs. His voice is steady but carries a note of exhaustion. "I know many of you despise the Abyssian. It has claimed many lives, brought suffering to our people for generations. But we must also recognize that it is the very reason we are still alive."

The chief's gaze sweeps over the group. "The Abyssian controls the depths. It keeps the other monsters, the things even worse than it, at bay. It guards this territory fiercely, and that is what has allowed us to exist here. Without the Abyssian, those creatures from the darkest parts of the sea would have overrun us long ago."

A stunned silence falls over the group. Kael feels a knot tighten in his stomach. He had never considered that their survival was linked to the very creature that terrorized them.

The chief's words hang in the air, heavy and foreboding. Kael's mind races with questions, but one stands out more than the others. He steps forward, his voice calm but insistent. "Chief, what happens if it can't hold back these creatures? What happens if it falls?"

Duran meets Kael's eyes, his expression grim. "If the Abyssian falls, we will have no defense left. The sea will be ruled by chaos, and survival will become a desperate fight for each day. That is why, as much as we hate it, we must hope that the Abyssian remains strong. We must prepare ourselves for the worst, but we must also hope that the Abyssian fights to protect its territory, as it has for centuries."

Kael feels a strange mix of emotions—fear, anger, and a reluctant understanding. The Abyssian had taken so much from all of them. But now, it seemed that their survival was tied to the very beast they feared.

Days pass, and the looming threat of the Darkbound weighs heavily on the village. Kael continues to hunt, but each outing feels more tense, as if the sea itself knows what's coming. During each hunt, Kael occasionally breaks the surface, a habit he's formed recently, searching for answers in the sky above.

On one particular day, while swimming through the hunting grounds with Taryn, Kael emerges from the water again. As he does, the sight that greets him is unsettling. The sky, once bright and clear, now seems to fade into a hazy gloom, the light dimming with each passing day. The sun, which used to shine down brightly on the surface, now feels distant, shrouded in an eerie mist that seems to thicken with every dawn.