Chapter 1 Shadow Island
My name is Leon Hart, and I’m a mercenary who takes on dangerous missions.
Two months ago, I returned home one night after completing an assignment.
I slipped quietly through the door, hoping to kiss my sleeping wife, Elsa Davis.
But the moment I stepped into the living room, I heard a man shouting.
“Oh, fantastic… You’re so amazing. I love you, Elsa. You’re mine!”
With every grunt, the bed creaked from the forceful movement. A woman moaned.
I stepped forward, and what I saw in the bedroom crushed every last bit of hope.
A stranger—a young man—had his hands around Elsa’s neck, taking her from behind with brutal force.
Elsa’s face was pressed into a pillow, her voice muffled and unclear.
“You’re so good, Darling. Keep going!”
Blinded by rage, I grabbed the knife I always carried and plunged it into his back.
I stabbed him fifteen times, wild with fury. His upper body was nearly torn apart by the time I was done.
…
Later, I found out that the man was named Saul. He was the son of a wealthy mogul—Hardey—and Elsa’s boss.
The police arrested me and began the investigation and trial.
Hardey claimed Saul and Elsa had known each other for a while and had already slept together.
My lawyer argued that under the “Castle Doctrine,” I had the right to use deadly force against an intruder in my home.
Since multiple injuries were found on Elsa’s body, Saul was ruled to have committed unlawful entry—but I was accused of using excessive force.
In the end, the state court sentenced me to three years in prison.
But when the police took me for a physical exam, the doctor injected me with a sedative. I passed out.
When I woke up, I was already here—on Shadow Island.
There was a note in my pocket: “You damn criminal, Elsa played us all. That bitch conned Saul out of millions and ran. I’ll send her to hell myself. As for you, enjoy dying slowly on Shadow Island.”
—Hardey
So this is the infamous Shadow Island.
A forsaken place, used to dispose of enemies and criminals.
People dumped here die slowly—of thirst, hunger, or despair.
Even the strong don’t last long. Maybe a few months, a year at most. But eventually, they lose their minds from the loneliness.
I have no idea how long I’ll survive here.
On my second morning on Shadow Island, I was walking along the beach searching for food when I saw a woman.
She was lying still on the sand, wearing a red bikini and a life jacket.
I ran over to her.
Waves lapped at her body, her golden hair drifting with the current.
I touched her neck—she was warm. She had a pulse.
But her breathing was faint, with a slight rasp.
There must’ve been something blocking her airway.
I unfastened her life jacket, placed my hands on her chest, and started CPR. I also gave her mouth-to-mouth.
With each push, her chest sank and bounced back, over and over again.
After a while, she coughed up seawater and woke up.
She didn’t slap me like they do in movies.
She just murmured, “Thanks.”
I helped her sit up. She looked around in a daze. “Who are you? Where am I?”
“This is Shadow Island,” I told her. “I’m Leon. Just some unlucky bastard who got dumped here.”
“Shadow Island?” she asked, confused. “That’s a real place?”
I gave a bitter laugh. “It’s more of a nickname. This mysterious island probably isn’t even on the map. It’s completely cut off. People who are too inconvenient to put on trial—or who pissed off someone powerful—end up getting dumped here to die. What about you? Who’d you piss off?”
She reached out a hand. “Hi, I’m Alice Lain. I’m a fitness instructor.”
A fitness instructor, huh?
I gave her a quick once-over. No wonder she had such a great body.
Alice looked frustrated. “The cruise ship I was on sank. I fell into the sea and drifted for a long time… I must’ve passed out. Then I woke up here.”
She fell asleep? In the ocean?
Even with a life jacket, falling asleep at sea is insanely dangerous.
I had to admire her nerves of steel.
I asked the most important question on my mind. “Any other survivors?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
I suggested we search along the beach.
Even if we didn’t find other people, we might at least come across some supplies.
As we walked, Alice told me what happened. “Last night, the cruise suddenly caught fire. Smoke filled the cabins. A few lifeboats were lowered… It was pitch-black out. Our boat had a few people on it. Then there was a huge explosion—the cruise ship blew up. Our lifeboat flipped. I’ve been drifting ever since…”
Hope stirred in my chest.
If Alice made it here, there had to be other survivors.
We walked for about twenty minutes along the beach when we spotted a few women up ahead.
Alice ran toward them, excited.
As I approached, I heard them chattering anxiously.
“What do we do now? Do you think a rescue team is coming?”
“There has to be one! I’m sure they’ll arrive within thirty-six hours!”
“Right, if we stick together, we’ll get through this!”
A rescue team?
They really think someone’s coming to save them…
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
