The air felt dense and suffocating to Ravi’s throat, the heat unbelievably hotter than any forest or island he’d been to thus far. He’d travelled to the Jagun island ruins and the south of Aejik many times already, but they were as cold as the mountaintops north of Cheonsan in comparison to this desolate island. Ravi had been the head of the second expedition to the uncharted and untouched island of Haepali, but he could hardly call landing here a success. They had narrowly escaped the pull of the elusive whirlpool that had destroyed the first expedition by taking a course around that had made the trip to the island alone twice as long as anticipated. They had settled on the beach as the forest was much too dense and unbearable for Ravi’s crew and instead took trips daily into the island, which had been futile. Aside from some new plants, there was almost nothing to document. And this was what seemed so strange to Ravi, that there was not a single trace of life in this place. He expected there might not be human life, but there wasn’t even a sign of any animal life, even to the tiniest insect. He hadn’t let his crew in on this realization, though, and had them survive on fish and fruit for the last week they were situated here. However, he knew it wouldn’t be long before they started to grow tired of this insufficient circumstance and would begin to question him, and this was what made him most anxious as the nights rolled into days.

                Unraveling a vague and unfinished chart of the island across a polished table in his tent, Ravi pulled out a worn pencil to begin tracing today’s projected path of exploration. Every day he took a small crew of VIXX to move through the island and reinterpret it onto this map, but today his hand weighed heavy as it moved across the worn, thick paper. This trip was to be reported back to the organization’s leader, Hongbin, who had personally sponsored and encouraged the expedition for a new accurate map to add to his books and documents of the world, but Ravi was fearful for the outcome. They had only covered about a third of the terrain and found nothing that he knew would please his boss.

                VIXX was created under Hongbin years ago as a unique and exclusive team to map the world and document the histories of those within it. The history behind the group was incredibly vague, but no one questioned their elusive yet charismatic leader and the power he had put into VIXX. Anthropologists before their time, it was common for their lowest of ranks to be occupied with the simplest of civilians from Seokga, which through infamous and unwarranted raids from higher command led to their eventual denomination to glorified thieves. It wasn’t uncommon for members of the team to take their own profit from the sites they were exploring since the only people really getting away with anything strictly from their endeavors were those at the top. Luckily, Ravi had always had his sights on these high positions and marvelous escapades into the unknown; at heart, he was a true adventurer and VIXX was his personal calling.

                He’d joined when he was barely tall enough to fit the smallest uniform and escaped a life of certain death on the streets for an orphaned kid. Unfortunately he never knew his father, but his mother had died early in his life, memories now much too distant for him to have any remorse over. He was never really the type to dwell on the past, but only looked to the future. After only a few years of service, his talent was recognized and gradually over half a decade he had become one of Hongbin’s right-hand men. Ravi had been by Hongbin’s side as he had excavated the mountains that surrounded Cheonsan and the ruins of Jagun island, taking influence from the great man and aiding immensely to his projects. Hongbin was a figure that he looked up to with great admiration, and Hongbin had always treated Ravi with such humility during his life in Seokga. Both Ravi and Hongbin were pretty young, though there were rumors that Hongbin was much older than he looked, so they did get along pretty well and shared similar ideas. Ravi had become Hongbin’s closest and most trustworthy associate among the ranks, but even then the boy didn’t consider them to be friends. Rather, Ravi preferred to think of Hongbin as an older brother who looked out for him and wished him the best. That’s why when Ravi was made the lead of this project for the first time, he wanted to make Hongbin proud of his achievements, but the situation right now only alluded to disappointment.

                Quickly, he erased a mistake he’d marked on the chart and shook his head, his mind lost on the impending stress over this project. Rubbing his forehead with his fingers, the cloth tied over his right eye wrinkled between his fingertips. Ravi always covered this eye with a sort of blindfold, and no one really questioned him though they never understood it, but at times the band did become a nuisance. He paused and slid his fingers under the piece, ready to push it up when a light shone through the entrance of his tent. The flap had moved as a figure stepped inside, his wide-brimmed hat hiding most of his face while the dark coat draped over his shoulders hid most of his body: the common attire members of VIXX wore in their mid-ranks. Ravi blinked and sat the pencil down, standing in the presence of his subordinate who had stopped at the other side of the table. Looking past the man, no one had followed him, and Ravi returned his glance at the other with a brow raised.

                “What’s wrong?” His voice was deeper than many expected from his face, but after hearing it once no one could imagine him sounding any other way.

                Heavy eyes piercing his subordinate, the figure wordlessly glanced up from the brim of his hat, his own dark eyes fitting for his mysterious demeanor. “The captain was getting his men worked up last night about the mission.” Biting the inside of his cheek, Ravi listened as his nightmares started to unfold into realities. “He told them about how our rations are short and unsuitable for the crew, and that we haven’t made any progress. I believe he might have persuaded a few into believing these…” The man paused for a split second, trying to not offend Ravi though it had become clear to the superior he might have just as well been one of the ones persuaded by the captain. “Criticisms…” Blinking once, he let the brim of his hat fall over his face again, returning his dead stare to the floor while Ravi tried to pace his breathing and calm his nerves. If this was kept up, it could lead to an entire revolt against him and then just how would he be able to look at Hongbin in the eye again and explain that disaster. That is, if he even made it back without a compliant ship crew and boat. “Do you want me to take care of him, sir?”

                “Don’t do anything.” His voice stern and alert, Ravi immediately dissuaded any action against the ship’s captain. He would like to deal with the matter himself, but he had his duty to document the island already occupying his time. Time was the issue here; if he didn’t resolve the matter with the captain now things could get worse in just a day, but if he sacrificed any daylight he’d never reach the center of the island. It was only dawn now, so he did have only a short time to spare, but Ravi was hesitant. Turning on his heel and holding his face in one hand, he squeezed the bridge of his nose between his fingers while it scrunched up in frustration. “Just get the team ready to head out. We’ll be leaving when the sun is full.” Without another word, the subordinate nodded and walked out, the light from behind the tent’s flap piercing Ravi’s back before disappearing a second later.

                With an audible sigh, Ravi took a seat at the desk and stared down at the missing details on the map. He ran his fingers up through his hair before leaning back in the uncomfortable wooden chair, trying to muster up some sort of optimism for the day before he met his men. Not a sound was heard through the tent before he stood up again, grabbing his straw hat and storing the map away on his person. His feet sinking into the sand with each step, he emerged from the lonely tent to his team gathered and ready while the seamen were either still asleep or only just waking up. Looking in the direction of the ship sitting in the water a fair distance away, he imagined the captain was still asleep in his quarters as long as the few remaining men below deck. The man in question was just the opposite of Ravi: crude, hasty, and generally admired by the crew. To the sailors, Ravi was a simple employer with no real experience to his name, so against a man who had led them for years he couldn’t even hold a flame against him.

                As he approached his own team, which he could count on his fingers, he pointed out two specific cloaked men. “You stay here and watch over the camp.” He may not have stated it outright, but they knew he meant to keep an eye on the other men, especially the ones alone in the ship. Looking at the rest of the group, he added, “The rest of us will be heading to the center today, no excuses. Got it?” The others merely tilted their heads, shaded by the same straw hats as their superior. Most of them were much older than Ravi, their hair even gray or disappearing from under those delicate caps, but they didn’t dare refuse an order of his outright. Of course, that didn’t mean they didn’t mutter curses after orders to themselves or talk bad about how a kid like Ravi should know his place, but he was lenient to such trivial issues. Though the men were a level or two higher than fresh recruits and rookies, many were still criminals or subtly problematic. Either way, there wasn’t much they could do now and instead began gathering their own bags to head off.

                Following suit, Ravi strapped his own bag over his back, but stopped before the two ordered to remain behind. “When I return later,” he whispered between them, eye glancing to the side the ship remained wading behind him. “I want a full, detailed report of everything that crew does or says.” Tightening the band under his chin for his hat, he lifted his head for both the action and as a visage of command. “But by no means will you take any action against them, understood?” The men bowed and walked away toward the shore, Ravi’s stern expression following them until they drifted to the image of the boat. Now, instead of worrying over his loosening grip on the crew within the vessel, he watched the light of the sun behind it glisten off the polished snake head carved into the bow. That snake was a long-time symbol of VIXX, but more importantly to Ravi, it was a symbol of Hongbin’s trust in him that this mission would go well. His eye flickered from the risen sun and he turned away, pushing the concerns out of his mind as the thick trees now before him swayed in the breeze. Feeling he had lost enough daylight as it is, the boy caught up to the other four entering the forest and took the lead toward the anticipated center of the island. If there was anything worthwhile to be found in this strange place, it must be there.

                The air grew heavier the farther they distanced themselves from the beach, but Ravi made no attempts to stop for even the shortest break. If he wanted to make it to the center and back before nightfall, he would waste no time. The journey there was already grueling as it was; no clear paths with the countless roots and wild grass obscuring their vision of what was ahead, and the even more obstructive trees that surrounded them. The forest was vast, the bases so close to one another that one could barely see what was meters ahead of them and tops so wide and green that the blue sky was impossible to make out. Sunlight did peer through the leaves and branches on occasion, but otherwise this place was difficult to tread unlike any other. Luckily they had already mapped enough on their map and marked their way on several trees to maneuver a little easier than the past week, but it was still draining with Ravi’s persistence. He was plenty tired himself after the first two hours of pure walking, and by noon the suffocating humidity had completely numbed his body. Reluctantly, he finally called for a break and stopped in a small patch of open space hidden within the trees, his men instantly falling against the enormous trunks in exhaustion. They didn’t utter a word or complain, they understood well enough that this was a tiring mission, and so Ravi also silently rested alone.

                Leaning against the rough bark, some pieces chipped off as his back rubbed against them, though he never noticed. His attention was only on the map unfolded in his hands, held in front of his waist weakly as his body tried to recuperate every moment. They’d reached the edges of where they had last mapped, meaning everything after the next few meters was a complete mystery and would inevitably take longer to trace. Though, they were on the edge of the island’s direct center and the incentives hidden there were the only source of motivation Ravi could find in such a weakened condition.

                After developing a plan and finding a path to take from what was on the map, Ravi had chugged some of his water down and stood in attention, twisting the cap to his flask closed and stuffing the map in his inside pocket. Rounding up the others, they followed him through the forest once again, now making new marks in the terrain for their return later. Ravi would mark this all on the map later rather than on the way, then confirm it upon their return or make any necessary changes, and so far this seemed to work best. Though, things only became a little strange when the trees began to gradually thin out after only an hour of surveying. The trunks became slim and sparse from each other, the wild grass visibly shorter than before. The men could slowly see ahead to open spaces glistening in the sunlight that now shone from above, and better yet, there seemed to be an established short-grass path that weaved them in strange directions. Aside from the wind and the sounds of their own gear clanking on their bodies, this part of the island was incredibly serene. Before, the vague noises of the ocean could still be heard, but the seashore was long forgotten here. An aura of peace washed over them, and as their pace became more relaxed Ravi couldn’t help but feel a looming strangeness.

                Instantly, the squad’s leader stopped and the others did the same behind him, a few looking around the bright, quiet area until Ravi’s deep voice grabbed their attention. “Don’t make a sound.” He commanded and his men obeyed; some not even letting out a breath while Ravi seemed to be listening for something. Holding his right hand up to his ear, he closed his eye and concentrated on what he had sworn he caught moments earlier. His left hand sat on the knife sheathed on his hip while the rest of his body froze in anticipation until finally his eye snapped open and he suddenly rushed to the right, across a small plain. His subordinates immediately trailed behind him, trying to keep up while the man sped off in an unknown direction.

                So far the path they had been following had taken them around the exact center of the island, though Ravi couldn’t even tell as it was happening. However, with the sound emanating from the area, he was back on track and bolted toward the source. He’d found a new confidence, or maybe it was desperation from his failure so far, that the source of this strange sound would bring him some fortune, and so he hastily made his way through the small hills and trees to his last hope. And before long, Ravi had found just what he had expected: a river. He had yet to find any source of fresh water while exploring this terrain, and so the emergence of such a wide, deep stream made his heart race. He paused to take in the sight, approaching the water cautiously before bending on a knee and slowly dipping his cupped hand into the cool liquid. Beads of water splashed onto his wrist as his fingers disrupted the flow and the boy gleamed. The water was astoundingly clear, and as he brought a pool of it to his mouth, the taste was sublime. The crew had been relying on the fresh water brought by the ship the entire trip so far, but with this hidden river Ravi was sure they could last plenty longer now.

                Soon enough his men had caught up with him and they also marveled at the sight, some collecting the resource in their flasks while others surveyed the surrounding area. It was only Ravi, though, who heard another strange sound. Rising up on his feet, he traced the bank upstream, one foot pressing into the wet earth slowly after the other while he closed his eye again. Tuning out the water rushing past him, he could hardly make out the new noise to in fact be music. Waving back to the others, he held his finger to his mouth and waved ahead, subtly demanding their silence and to keep moving upstream. From an anxious walk, the leader eventually sprinted into a run as the music grew louder, thus closer. He assumed the end of the river would be where the music was coming from, and that the source also had to mean there were people on this island after all. After some distance and maneuvering through the wild land, this theory was confirmed and before his very eyes, Ravi came upon probably the most important discovery in his career.

                Huddled behind a bush, Ravi watched the scene of figures parading around a small plain below and away from them. His team stayed hidden as well, a few bringing out materials to begin writing observations down right away. Ravi on the other hand was entranced by the scene and sat motionless, his breath light and hollow as he took the sight in. There were only a handful of people below, ten at most, and they were all festive. Some played strange instruments made of wood; one even sat on the tree in the center of their activities and played a makeshift harp connected to a branch. The tree itself was equally impressive as it was the biggest that Ravi had seen on the island, its trunk the width of at least fifteen men and its height double that. The people in their basic costume seemed to blend well with the tree and the earth they celebrated on, their clothes tanned with natural, earthly embellishments.

                The only one who stood out among them was the one dressed in a tanned skirt that began at his waist and draped and split over his legs like a loincloth would. The skirt ended at the figure’s knees, leaving the rest of his skin bare aside from the anklets and bangles made out of what seemed to be parts of plants. A line of small, pale shells contrasted against the person’s glistening skin as it lied across his chest, a matching set tied around his waist and shaking across the cloth as he moved. In rhythm with the music, the figure began to dance alone as the others sat and watched. Soon, they began to sing along to the dance, and the boy quickened his steps, his arms twisting around with each spin of his body and reaching upward toward the sky. His thighs revealed themselves from under his costume as he moved elegantly across the grass, his bare feet constantly moving. Then, the music gained momentum and the people’s singing morphed into a chant of some phrase Ravi couldn’t recognize. “En! En! En!” They cried out, and Ravi assumed this was somehow directed at the boy in the middle. Before he knew it, the music cut off and the chanting ended, the figure paused on his knees and his chest heaving as he caught his breath.

                It was then that the explorer snapped out of it and turned back to his men, waving more hand signals at them as a means of moving to lower ground and closer to the people. He knew enough not to just intrude on them with no warning, and instead decided that they would only observe for the day. As quietly as he could, Ravi inched to lower ground and hid in the shade of a nearby tree. The faces of the people were much clearer, and he was captivated especially by the member in the center. The others had begun to gather around the mysterious boy, all seemingly younger than said figure, and slowly began to remove his decorations until he stood up by himself again. His face was soft, but his eyes and stare were deadly.

                Some of the children of the group chatted among themselves, but quieted as the older figure turned toward the river nearby. The river was huge here, even more than where Ravi had first found it, but the water was also much more rapid. This seemed slightly odd for how peaceful the surrounding land was, the conditions of this space much more reminiscent of the thick forest around the center. It was only in that moment of thought that Ravi had realized that maybe that thick wall of unmapped forest wasn’t just strange, but had a purpose: to protect whatever the center held.

                Though these revelations may have bothered him otherwise, the current turn of events shook his focus off the thought and back to the man now standing on the bank of the river. The others in the group watched, and as the ostracized member began removing his clothing, Ravi quickly glanced to the members of his own team. Only one was still writing anything, but even he, like the others, were completely mesmerized by the happenings before their eyes. When turning back himself to the scene, his heart dropped as the member was already halfway into the river, completely unmoved or fearful of death. It didn’t occur to him at the time that maybe the intention was suicidal, but impulsively, Ravi sprang up and dropped the bag off his back. Against some opposition from his team and his own better judgment, he rushed toward the plain ways away and dove into the chaotic river after the other. Pushing against the current, he struggled to look out for the boy, only spotting him floating downstream as he reached the end of his breath. Quickly, Ravi swam closer and grabbed his wrist before he moved past, pulling his body tightly against his own as he carried them both to the surface for life. Holding the limp boy in his arms, Ravi dragged himself over to the riverside and heaving for fresh air, laid out the other on the ground only to realize he wasn’t breathing.

                He had only glanced up for an instant at his team rushing over hesitantly and the other mysterious people staring back at him horrified before his eye became fixated on the motionless body before him. With shaky hands, Ravi slowly snapped out of his confusion and anxiety and delicately tilted the boy’s head back, opening his mouth slightly so he could try and breathe some air into his lungs. After a few huffs, Ravi clenched his fists over the other’s chest and began to push down repeatedly, ready to try and push more air into him until suddenly the body jolted up and he coughed up the deadly water. He didn’t wake up, but after checking his pulse and listening to his weak breath, Ravi understood he was only unconscious for now.

                With an audible sigh, Ravi sat back weakly and looked back to his wary team, all standing over the other with plenty of confusion. They waited for his direction, but Ravi understood that they really had no idea what to do now that they had blown their cover. Even worse, as the leader looked around, the others had already disappeared into the forest. Now they were left with this strange person, and Ravi certainly didn’t have the heart to just leave him lying here, especially since he had almost tried to kill himself while no one lifted a finger to help. After a moment and with some regained strength, the leader grunted as he tried to lift the other, some of s coming to his aid and situate him properly on Ravi’s back. One of the members took off his cloak and covered the boy while Ravi looked around once more, trying to determine whether this was a good or bad idea before they finally made their way back toward camp.

                It took hours until they reached the shore and Ravi was lost in his own consciousness the entire time. He had no idea what to do at this point, nothing like this had happened during his excavations with Hongbin, and now he was alone with no one to guide him. Instead, he had to make the ultimate decisions now, and this was the most difficult and pressing matter he’d need to resolve. By now the sun was setting as they settled back into camp, but Ravi wasn’t allowed a real moment to rest. Instead, he was immediately confronted by the ship’s disgruntled captain, who had apparently been waiting for their return long enough to anger him more. He was followed by a few men of his crew, who were just as clearly unnerved, though all three of them against an exhausted and stressed Ravi made him completely uncomfortable. Handing the boy on his back to another on his team, he faced the man with his left palm resting on his knife.

                “Why are you here, what happened on the ship?” Ravi called out to them and briefly scanned the area with his eye, unable to find any sign of the two he left behind to watch over the crew.

                His eye darted back at the older, crude man as he spat out a reply, “I’m here to speak for my men of course!” His voice was almost sarcastic, but plenty demeaning. “They’re hungry and thirsty, and as I’ve recently been told they only have enough water for the journey back…” The grimace on his face lowered while the others behind him stared back at Ravi just as harshly. “We need to leave, see?”

                “We can’t, we haven’t finished our job—“

                “Well that’s too bad,” The captain yelled at the younger boy, his gray brow furrowing with a fiery temper. “But y’see, that’s not our problem. We’re paid to bring y’here and bring y’back.”

                Ravi groaned under his breath, cursing himself that he didn’t resolve this sooner. his dagger, he leaned to one side and nodded in the captain’s direction. “We found a water supply,” He paused as the man began edging closer to him with a menacing posture. “And there’s vegetation here, we can last another week or two just fine—“ He stopped as the captain stood right before him, glaring right into his eye with much repressed disdain.

                “We’re leaving tomorrow morning,” His rancid breathe brushed against Ravi’s cheek and the boy slowly began pulling out his weapon. “Whether you come or not is up to you.”

                “Is this mutiny?” Ravi’s voice deepened into a whisper as he moved the conversation strictly between themselves.

                Eyeing the blade appearing from the boy’s side, the captain smirked and huffed a laugh. “It will be soon enough.” Meeting with Ravi’s eye, the boy bit his cheek as his mind raced across every detail of the mission so far. Leaving now would mean he hadn’t finished documenting the island as planned, but he couldn’t stay longer with a crew that could riot against him any second. In fact, they already were rioting, and he was just surprised they hadn’t attacked him yet. He shut his eye tightly and thought it over until he convinced himself he did indeed have incentive to at least temporarily satisfy Hongbin: the person he had saved just earlier. If he brought back this mysterious being to Hongbin, then he could avoid any conflict with the sailors and just barely avoid his boss’s scorn.

                Hesitantly, Ravi nodded and agreed. “We’ll leave tomorrow then…” Bringing the knife to the captain’s throat, he held the man against the blade and stared straight into his fearful eyes. “But don’t forget that I’m one of your employers. If you pull anything like this again I’ll make sure you won’t reach Seokga.” Slowly, he pulled the knife away from the man and stuck it back in its sheath, watching as the captain trudged back toward his own men. Taking the unconscious boy from one of the cloaked figures, Ravi could only hope that this was the best decision not only for him, but for this nameless outcast who had inevitably become his heaviest responsibility.