We sailed at 9 in the morning; the ship was massive, the biggest one that I've seen in person. There must've been hundreds of people. I was told that about 30 of us would step foot on the island; all of us were professionals in the fields of survival and weaponry. Although I was the only animal expert on board, the stranger who I've yet to know his name said that I was the only one needed. Though it felt strange to me, why does he only need one animal expert and why are there no scientists here?

I had no interest in getting to know anyone as I knew this journey would be harsh and deaths are likely. I didn't want to get close to anyone.

I watched the ocean as the man approached me. He said nothing, just had his hands behind his back with a friendly smile, and he wore a purple waistcoat. The journey would take us 7 days, so I might as well attempt at talking.

"I never got your name."

"Names are irrelevant."

This was a good opportunity to learn more about him, and I need to know more.

"You might be right, but I still would like to know; after all, the journey will be long," the man chuckled a bit and said, "if you must know, I go by Angeles." An odd name, I thought.

"So tell me, what do you do since this island is so important to you?" His smile widened as if he waited for this question all day. "I'm a truth seeker if you will. I'm fascinated with this blue dot of ours and want to uncover its secrets. Many men look at the stars and ponder what's out there, but to me, the secrets of Earth are far more fascinating."

He sounded like a man I once knew, and it is not a compliment.

"So how did you hear of this island? Why are you so adamant on going there?"

He stroked his mustache and said, "you see dear Blackwood, I've always been interested in lost islands, and this one the size of Switzerland and yet not discovered until now all because powerful storms guard it."

"Powerful storms?" I asked; no one mentioned them.

"Ah yes, Blackwood, those storms are so mighty that nothing can pass them. However, during July, which is now, the storms aren't as deadly, so we can pass them and reach the island and discover its secrets."

"And you believe that God is there?" I asked skeptically, wondering how he would respond.

The man chuckled and said, "Blackwood, how do you think species came to be?"

His smile irritated me; I felt like I was a kid trying to explain physics to a teacher who knew the answer like the back of his hand.

"What the first species was and how it was exactly formed we may never know, but I certainly don't believe in God's creations; its theories have been disproved for decades now."

The man was unfazed.

"I do not care if theories are disproven."

I raised an eyebrow."So you believe in creationism?"

He laughed slightly."I believe that whatever created us still exists," I rolled my eyes.

"It doesn't. Nothing created us; we just came to be from little cells, and everything that existed before went extinct. The oldest organisms are 500 million years old, while the first organisms from a billion years ago died," he smiled at me.

"Do you truly believe that? How old the universe is and what's beyond it. It is no happy accident; the world isn't random. Something is going on, and we don't know it yet. After all, nothing is truly forgotten; everything has to be documented; that is the rule of life."

I raised an eyebrow."Wait; let me get this straight, so you believe that whatever hasn't been documented by intelligent beings was never real? Sounds naive to me."

"Oh no, Blackwood, there is a line. The first creatures achieved intelligence; other organisms existed to fulfill nature's niches. The intelligent being documented life then died, and then another intelligent life overtook their duties."

"And you claim this with zero evidence?" I crossed my arms.

"The crewman that you saw could be from an intelligent being from before that survived. The island is a very isolated place; anything could've survived there." I shook my head.

I shook my head."Even if whatever that thing was is intelligent, I just don't believe it. I don't believe in a higher power or your wild speculation. It makes no sense to me. There is no god, nor any Garden of Eden, there never was any evidence for it, and this island won't be that. It's all fantasy from the human mind, and whatever that thing was that did that to the crewman was possibly a... parasite or something infectious."

The sun pierced through the dark clouds, and Angelus began to head down to the ship

"If you would excuse me, I must be going now." That man was a total fool; he will be the first to die on this expedition.