The nameless island was already terrifying enough, but Gu Linina's words now made me feel as if an invisible, sinister hand was reaching out to engulf us.
What on earth was going on?
My heart pounded as a creeping fear of the unknown spread through me.
If this was all a conspiracy, what was the mastermind's goal?
What was so special about us?
Suddenly, I remembered an incident from a couple of years ago, a South Korean passenger ship that had sunk. The ship, named Sewol, sank in Korean waters. Out of the 500 passengers on board, only a little over a hundred survived; the rest were lost at sea with the vessel.
What was eerie was that the South Korean government didn't launch a rescue immediately after receiving the news. The then-president, the first female president of East Asia, mysteriously went missing for seven hours, coincidentally missing the crucial golden hour for rescue after the ship's disaster.
Back then, I was discussing this event with people on an online forum, with all sorts of gossip circulating.
It wasn't until this female president was impeached and purged that the media revealed she had been a devout follower of a cult.
The day the Sewol sank happened to be the death anniversary of the cult leader, and thus, the notion of a sacrifice spread like wildfire.
This was something I had dismissed as idle gossip long ago, but now it flooded my mind.
Were we being sacrificed as offerings?!
Did followers of sea gods still exist in this day and age?
My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, an intricate web of information intertwining, leaving me utterly bewildered.
But this was not the time to dwell on such matters. Surviving on this nameless island was a problem in itself.
How could I spare the energy to ponder the conspiracy behind the sinking of the Bolijin?
So, I bit down hard on my tongue, the sharp pain jolting me out of my inexplicable panic.
My expression was still somewhat dazed, but I forced myself to remain focused and pressed Gu Linina further, "Hasn't there been any news at all about our disappearance outside?"
Gu Linina hesitated, then after a moment of thought, shook her head. "Something like this would have gone viral. In the past few months, I've never seen any reports of a shipwreck like ours."
My spirit sank, and I completely lost hope.
Although I hadn't held much hope for a rescue team finding us, Gu Linina's definitive answer extinguished any possibility of returning to normal society.
My poor father, living in the countryside, had only me as his son. My mother had disappeared when I was very young.
My father and I relied on each other. Before I could fulfill my filial duty, I was already cut off from him by the vast sea, stranded on this terrifying, uninhabited island.
Perhaps I would never see him again!
I mourned silently. Gu Linina, sensing my dejected mood, tried to comfort me. "Brother Ye, don't be too sad. Our plane crashing here must have caused quite a stir. Perhaps a rescue team will come for us soon."
I managed a wry smile and remained silent.
It had been two days since their plane made an emergency landing on this desolate island. Given the speed of international rescue efforts nowadays, two days was essentially the end of any hope.
Perhaps they had already been included in post-incident reports, declared missing, or, just like us, their case had been suppressed by influential forces, making them the next batch of victims.
Although I no longer harbored any hope for rescue, no matter what happened, one had to keep living.
I pulled myself together and began to tell Gu Linina about our experiences over the past few days.
We were all in the same boat, fellow castaways. While I couldn't guarantee everyone's survival, I could at least warn them about the horrors of this nameless island and prepare them!
Sometimes, a piece of information could save a life.
In the unpredictable embrace of nature, life was both the most precious and the cheapest commodity!
The remaining survivors, upon hearing about my experiences on the island, quietly gathered around, eavesdropping.
Thanks to my previous job, which involved constant interaction with people, I was a very eloquent speaker.
Furthermore, everything I said was based on my personal experiences.
I vividly described the thrilling dangers and bizarre occurrences.
The emotions of the group, which had gradually calmed down, began to fluctuate again with my narration.
The terror of the nameless island was amplified by my account!
Many of these survivors had thought they were merely in an ordinary forest, never imagining it could be so utterly brutal!
Some women even lost emotional control and began to sob uncontrollably.
Gu Linina's expression also changed as she listened.
She bit her lip, her body trembling uncontrollably, her face ashen.
I looked at the panicked crowd with a touch of pity. It was fortunate that they hadn't encountered any wild animal attacks in the past two days.
But whether they would continue to have such good luck was uncertain.
My story came to a brief end. The narration had taken up most of the day, leaving me parched. I grabbed my water bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls.
The scene fell silent for a moment.
No one spoke, except for a few women who had cried themselves hoarse, now sniffling and catching their breath.
A conflicted expression appeared on Gu Linina's face. After a while, she took my hand and led me towards the nearby woods.
Gu Linina's hands were fair and tender, as delicate as a piece of white tofu, making one want to take a bite.
My heart skipped a beat.