Tomorrow is my birthday. January 1, when the world cheers happy new year. But I wasn't excited at all.

"Honey did you pack your stuff? It's almost time to go." Mom asked, her voice slightly quivering. Her hazel brown eyes were puffy and red—a trace she cried. The usual comfortableness of my room suddenly turned into a tense mood.

"Cam, let's play hide and seek!" Little Melody popped her head to my sight, bounding up and down. Her bright shining spirit cleared a bit of the gloomy air, but the tension remained wondering in the small room. Before mom let Melody's wild spirit run over my room, she lifted her up ignoring Melody's weight. The little kid tried to wiggle herself free as her curly pigtails whacked mom's face.

"Sorry Melody, I need to pack my stuff," I apologized patting her small head. Melody whined and wiggled fiercer that made mom free Melody from her hands. She scrambled to my side her two arms pulling my blue sports shirt aggressively as I stared  at her with sorrow filled eyes.

"I told you Melo I'm kinda busy right now." Melody's cheeks grew red as it puffed like a pufferfish. She stormed out of my room, muttering under her breath. My dad always says "Melody's a small happy hurricane."

When Melody and Mom left, I crashed into the bed and broke off sobbing. My light, short brown hair spreads out on my blue pillow, my tears slowly dampened the sheets. My hands grasped on the two sides of the pillow as I tucked my head under.

Melody, mom, dad, and all the names that I love rang in my head.

I had a flashback of when I was seven years old. A day my brother returned from the Island of Destiny as bone.

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It has been a whole two weeks since my brother Nichol's birthday, he turned twelve but I never got to celebrate for him. Instead brother Nichol left home and never came back, I still remember him crying on his birthday even though he has never showed any weakness. My brother and I attend to swords arts class and he was one of the best student. He was the strongest in the ten to twelve year old class. I asked mom and dad where he went, but all they did was shake their heads and tears fell on the pale cold floor.

Although my parents never told me what happened to him, I knew the truth about this country in a young age. He was taken to the Island of Destiny where every kid's destiny is chosen: to live on or die. And my big brother was probably in the island fighting off monsters to walk on the path to live on.

Island of Destiny, where every child of Bellicor goes once. Our country Bellicor, holds a strong fierce name combining two Greek roots, war heart. This is the name of my home. War heart, where power is the only path.

Bellicor is a brand new country made from a small island that our king had found and brought willing travelers to be immigrants. At first, King Enzo, our king, seemed to be wise and fair but it turned out he was fooling people with lies. The king later gave dictatorship to himself making countless unfair laws including the rule, the strong will only live on. He had a strong and swift army that kept citizens in Bellicor, or some say a cage. Island of Destiny was created to test child's worth, King Enzo explained that instead of having a bunch, it would be better to have one that is high quality.

King Enzo and his massive army captured many dangerous monsters and trapped them in the Island of Destiny being a challenge to the children. When a child of Bellicor turned twelve, they must be prisoned in the Island of Destiny for a whole month. If  they survive, he or she will become as a full citizen of the war hearted country. If the child dies by monster, disasters, or anything else...they die known as weak and worthless.

Brother Nichol was there being tested. I wonder if he's battling fierce monsters, swiftly dodging their claws, or saving someone's life as a hero. In the neighborhood championship, he won every battle his choppy dark brown hair wet with sweat and his tensed muscles clenching. My brother can't die, he's the best.

"Cam? We need to eat dinner hon." My mom called for dinner, juicy smell of meat wafting my nose. I sniffed then walked to the dining table, I stumbled on the wood floor although nothing was there.

Dad was already eating, his brown beard leaving smear of meat sauce. My mom was settling in her seat having a hard time with the swollen belly.

I exclaimed then munched down my served meat. The best thing about my mom is that she doesn't make the grown up plates main dish bigger, all equal and fair.

Ding Dong

The house doorbell ring as I rushed to the door. My mom nodded to signalize I can open it. I saw a forty or fifty year old guy holding a small box his eyes dull and unreadable.

"I'm sorry." Is all what the delivery guy said and went back to the truck. I tilted my head at the words printed and attached.  My dad took the box his gaze stuck on the small paper that was printed on the box.

My dad, my dad, ran tears and my mom seemed to know what happened. She trembled down and cried her hands covering her face that has perfect make up. Dad hugged her and nudged me closer. I read the printed words on the box. Nichol Russell's bone to the family who was waiting for him to come back.

Nichol was dead.

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I woke back to the present my eyes puffy from crying. Mom called me it was time to leave as I wiped off my tears. I grabbed my backpack and swung it on my shoulders and rushed to the door, A tall blond guy was waiting for me his eyes unreadable. He was a soldier, muscular and tall, proved himself worthy when twelve.

"C'mon it's time to go." He insisted his chin held up high. Quickly, I strapped my watch to my wrist and followed the guy out of the house. Dad and Melody stayed behind as they waved goodbye while Melody being confused. She asked dad few times where I was going, but he only bit his lips. Melody grunted and scrambled to the TV to watch Mickey Mouse ClubHouse. My eyes clouded with sadness, I prayed to see their face once more, going through peaceful days sharing dinner, night after night.

The blond guy took us to the shore a boat to travel to the Island of Destiny. Sea breeze whispered in my ear like ghost spirits. Only the clam strikes of waves broke the silence as I looked down avoiding mom's gaze. In the boat, a boy about the same age as me sobbed his nose stuck to his black backpack. His mom who had the same colored flashy orange hair stroke his back though she needed comfort too. I sat down next to the boy; without words, without greetings.

Mom hugged me tight as she settled next to the empty seat left to me. She didn't say a word as if words is a curse. The blond guy rumbled the boat engine as he steered the boat to where the boy and I's destiny is chosen. No one spoke except the seagulls who sang happily not sensing a thing about humans.

"Remember what everyone taught you for this day. Polish your sword well and always keep your eyes open and—," My mom was interrupted  by the blond guy, he never reads moods does he? Heartless.

"It's time."

He kicked me and the boy out as the parents bit their lips. They couldn't retort, or save them, they will be punished badly affecting their kin. I looked at my watch that was pointing to 11:59.

The boat rumbled it's engine. I waved goodbye to mom trying hard not to cry. It left as it turned smaller and smaller heading for the North Star. The sounds of water bubbling because of the engine left my ears leaving only the waves to sing.

I saw no boat turning back to get us. I saw no birds to carry me back home.

It was 12:00 AM as my survival game started.