Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women

Jude blocked the next strike but felt the impact rattle through his bones. This wasn't like fighting an enemy. This was something else entirely.

This was fighting himself.

The realization sent a spark of adrenaline through him. Every move the other him made was precise, calculated. There was no wasted motion, no hesitation. He moved like someone who had already mastered everything Jude was still struggling to perfect.

Which meant Jude was at a disadvantage.

The other him didn't let up. He pressed forward, his attacks relentless. Jude barely managed to keep up, dodging and deflecting, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out forever.

He needed to change the rhythm.

Jude feinted to the left before pivoting sharply, throwing a kick aimed at his opponent's ribs.

The other him caught it effortlessly.

Jude's eyes widened as a sharp pain shot up his leg. His doppelgänger didn't give him a chance to recover. He yanked Jude forward and drove a knee into his stomach.

Jude gasped, the air forced from his lungs. He barely had time to register the pain before he was thrown backward, his body hitting the ground hard.

Dust rose around him as he struggled to push himself up.

The other him didn't move.

Jude gritted his teeth. He refused to lose.

Not like this.

He forced himself to his feet, ignoring the dull ache in his side. He met his doppelgänger's gaze.

Something flickered in those eyes.

Amusement.

Jude exhaled sharply. He knew he couldn't win if he kept fighting like this. He wasn't just facing another opponent. He was facing someone who knew every one of his strengths and weaknesses.

He had to change the way he fought.

Instead of charging forward, he stilled himself. He focused.

The other him watched, waiting.

Then, Jude moved.

He didn't fight with brute force. He didn't rely on instinct alone. He let go of everything unnecessary, the doubts, the hesitation, the second-guessing.

And he attacked.

This time, he wasn't just reacting. He was adapting.

Their movements blurred together, a battle of precision and will. Jude could feel the shift, the moment where his attacks stopped being predictable. The other him wasn't untouchable. He could be hit. He could be hurt.

Jude wasn't just fighting himself.

He was surpassing himself.

The moment came suddenly, a brief opening.

Jude took it.

His fist connected with his opponent's jaw, the impact sending his doppelgänger staggering back.

For the first time, the other him looked surprised.

Jude didn't stop. He pressed forward, forcing his counterpart onto the defensive. It wasn't about overpowering him. It was about breaking past the limitations he had unknowingly set for himself.

The battle raged on, but the tides had shifted.

Jude wasn't the same person who had started this fight.

And that made all the difference.

With a final strike, the other him faltered.

Jude stood over him, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his brow.

His doppelgänger stared up at him for a long moment before exhaling a quiet chuckle. "Looks like you finally figured it out."

Jude didn't respond.

The other him smiled faintly. "Then I guess my job is done."

And just like that, he faded.

Jude didn't move for a long time.

The world around him was silent.

Then, the air shifted.

He turned.

The masked figure was there again, standing at the edge of the battlefield.

They said nothing.

Jude swallowed. "What now?"

The figure tilted their head. Then, they gestured.

A doorway appeared.

Jude exhaled slowly.

He didn't hesitate.

He stepped forward.

Jude stepped through the doorway, his body still aching from the battle he had just fought. The weight of exhaustion clung to him, but he couldn't afford to stop now. The air shifted around him as he moved forward, and when he emerged on the other side, the world before him was entirely different. The cracked earth and burning sky were gone. In their place was a vast, moonlit forest stretching endlessly in every direction. The trees were ancient, their gnarled roots twisting through the ground like veins. Thick mist curled between the trunks, and the distant sound of water echoed through the silence. The air was cold, crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine.

Jude's instincts screamed at him to stay alert. This place wasn't normal. There was something in the air, something unseen but undeniably present. He could feel it watching him, pressing against the edges of his consciousness. He took a slow breath, steadying himself. Whatever this next trial was, he was ready. He had to be.

A rustling sound came from the trees to his right. He turned sharply, his muscles tensed, ready to react. Shadows flickered between the trunks, moving too quickly to track. His fingers twitched at his sides, but he forced himself to remain still. Reacting recklessly would do him no good here. The presence in the forest wasn't attacking him. Not yet.

A voice drifted through the mist, low and unfamiliar. "You don't belong here."

Jude's eyes narrowed. He couldn't see the speaker, but he knew better than to ignore a warning like that. "I don't have a choice."

Silence stretched between them. Then, the voice spoke again. "You seek something, but you don't understand what it truly means."

Jude frowned. "And you do?"

A chuckle, soft and distant. "I have seen those who walk this path before. Few reach the end. Fewer still survive it."

Jude clenched his jaw. He had come too far to turn back now. "Then I'll be the exception."

The mist thickened, curling around him like living tendrils. The air grew colder, and the shadows between the trees deepened. Then, the figure stepped into view.

Jude had expected another version of himself, or perhaps another guardian like the masked figure from before. But the being before him was neither. It was tall, draped in tattered black robes that swayed despite the still air. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, but its eyes burned through the darkness, two piercing lights that seemed to see straight through him.