The Three Day Survival Game

As the bombshell dropped ....,

The guild members collectively gasped, and someone blurted out, "Boss?!?"

While I looked at Hemma in a daze, trying to process the news, Karun was the first to recover. He walked up to Gibbard with a steady stride, clapped him on the shoulder, and said with a grin, "Congratulations, man. About time!"

The rest of us quickly followed suit, the initial shock giving way to laughter and joy. We crowded around the couple, bombarding them with questions. Hemma and Gibbard eventually relented to our persistent requests and sat down to share their story.

It turns out, Gibbard had been smitten with Hemma from the very beginning. "I don't know when it started," he confessed with a sheepish smile, "but I couldn't help noticing her. Every little movement, every smile—it all drew me in."

Hemma chuckled at that. "For me, it began when all of you arrived at the mansion," she admitted. "With Gibbard's frequent visits, his feelings became impossible to miss. And, well… I couldn't help but reciprocate."

They had planned to marry later, but with everyone moving out, they realized this was the perfect time. "Once you leave, it'll be harder to gather everyone again," Hemma said. "And for us… we've spent years cooped up on this island. This feels right."

The next day, preparations for the wedding—the first-ever wedding on the newly renovated Avikaranya Island—were in full swing. Everyone pitched in with enthusiasm, determined to make it an unforgettable event. We selected the best bio decorations we could find and turned the island into a picture-perfect venue.

As quarries set sail every day, we sent out a mere three invitations: one to Hemma's elder brother, the old butler Narayana in Velandria Country whom we'd met before, and two to Gibbard's closest friends—his younger brother and a lifelong companion.

The wedding itself was set near the beach, with a vibrant night party planned to follow. Joy was in the air as we worked tirelessly to prepare. But when it came to gifts for the bride and groom, we hit a wall. What could we possibly give them, stranded as we were on an island with no markets or shops?

Here's an expanded and polished version of this section to enhance the narrative and add fun details:

That's when we hatched a daring plan: sneak onto one of the quarries heading to the mainland, buy gifts for the wedding, and return before anyone noticed. Simple, right? Not quite.

Karun, Aiden, Astrid, Liam, and I were all in. Ryan, however, stood firmly against it. "Getting off the island without the Chairman's permission is against the rules," he said with his usual serious expression. "Count me out."

Daisy, ever loyal to her master, stayed back with him. Damian also opted out, volunteering to cover for us in case Ryan decided to start asking too many questions or needed help with anything.

With the team divided, the five of us pressed forward with the plan. The quarry was our ticket, and sneaking aboard wasn't as easy as we'd hoped. Between dodging workers and avoiding suspicion, we managed to hide ourselves among some crates.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Astrid whispered as we crouched low.

"Nope," Karun said with a grin, clearly enjoying the thrill.

Once the ship set sail, the real trouble began. The gentle rocking of the waves was enough to turn my stomach upside down. Before long, I was hanging over the side, vomiting up what felt like everything I'd eaten that week.

"Great," Aiden muttered, trying to help steady me. "So much for staying under the radar."

Astrid, ever the optimist, tried to lighten the mood. "Well, at least now we won't have to share the food we brought!"

Speaking of food, Karun and Aiden decided to raid the ship's kitchen. Liam to keep their watch. "If we're going to be stowaways, we might as well do it in style," Liam joked as they disappeared below deck.

Meanwhile, Astrid, & I who were left alone, sat beside me as I tried to regain my composure. "You okay?" she asked, handing me a bottle of water.

"Define 'okay,'" I croaked, taking a sip.

She laughed and then gave me a curious look. "So, what is the call with chairman this morning Hemma told us yo were in a call when we came to pick you up from the mansion?"

I smiled faintly. "Nothing much. We asked for permission to stay until the wedding was over. We'll be heading back the day after."

 Astrid,threw her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I wish you'd stay longer," she said softly.

I sighed, my heart heavy. "I wish we could too." I admitted.

Karun and Aiden came back with plenty of food, but Liam who was on watch was caught by the ration manager. Our little sneak away had officially been discovered. However, the captain was surprisingly lenient. He gave us proper rooms with beds and even seasickness medicine for me. The only condition was that we couldn't stray too far from the quarry once we reached the mainland.

By 11 AM sharp, we arrived at the nearby Island. The coast was busy with ships unloading, and we had two hours before the ship would leave. It was the perfect opportunity to buy gifts. Damian and Ryan, who stayed behind on the island to cover for us, asked us to buy gifts on their behalf as well.

We split into two teams: Karun and Astrid went to the left side of the market to buy gifts for Damian, and Aiden, Liam and I went to the right side, looking for gifts and adding Ryan & Daisy's request. Aiden was determined to find the best gift for his boss, and we searched every nook and cranny of the market.

After an hour of hunting through seashell stalls, we finally found what we needed: Aiden's gift for Hemma and Gibbard was no ordinary he, managed to get his hands on an exclusive, limited-edition set of crystal wine glasses, crafted by local artisans. These glasses had intricate designs etched into them, showcasing scenes from the island's rich history—nature, wildlife, and the very landscapes that had shaped their adventures. Along with the glasses, Aiden included a bottle of rare, aged wine that had been produced on a nearby vineyard known for its exceptional quality. The combination of the beautifully crafted glasses and the fine wine made it a perfect gift, representing both their past experiences and the future they would share together

and I searched through some local artisans' stalls and picked up a set of high-quality, handwoven blankets, perfect for the cold nights on the island.

For Ryan's gift, we stumbled upon a stall with an impressive selection of locally crafted leather goods. Among them, we found a beautifully handcrafted leather journal with intricate designs embossed on the cover. The journal felt special, almost like a personal treasure. 

Liam chose a handcrafted compass, its case made of polished wood with brass accents. It was a beautiful piece, and the compass itself was said to have been made by one of the island's most skilled artisans. For Daisy's gift to Hemma, Liam picked out a delicate silver bracelet, encrusted with small, sparkling gemstones that reflected the colors of the island's sunsets. It was simple, yet elegant—just like Hemma. Daisy had always been fond of jewelry with meaning, and Liam felt this would capture Hemma's style perfectly, symbolizing beauty and strength.

When we returned to the ship, we found Karun and Astrid there, and we all hid our gifts, eager to show them off at the wedding. By morning, we were back on the island, and preparations for the wedding began.