Ten days later:

"Honey, I'm proud of you, but are you really sure you want to do this?" Mum's voice was gentle, but I could hear the tension in it. Her gaze was fixed on the passing scenery, but I knew her thoughts were elsewhere. "If you change your mind, we'll find another solution."

I saw her nervously place her hands in her lap, trying to hide the worry in her eyes. I, too, turned my gaze outside, where the trees flowed by like a river, as if time itself were running away. In the distance, I could already make out the sea. A deep blue that merged with the horizon.

"Yes, Mum, I'm sure." I tried to keep my voice calm and confident. "It's only for a month. I'll call you every night, and if anything happens, I'll be right back. You're not alone."

My words sounded more confident than I felt, but I wanted her to believe it. I wanted her to know I had everything under control. But the truth was, my heart sank at the thought of leaving her at a time when she needed me so much.

The taxi rolled on, and the driver hadn't even cleared his throat in the last thirty minutes. It was almost as if he, too, sensed that the air in the car was filled with unspoken thoughts. We had already been on a two-hour train ride, and the coast was far from our home. Now the sea was right next to the road, and the gentle sound of the waves filtered through the slightly open window.

It had been five years since I had last seen the sea. Back then, everything had been different.

Before I realized the ride was over, the taxi driver pulled into a small parking lot. My mum and I got out. It felt strangely final, even though it would only be a month. But we both knew this goodbye felt different—as if it were harder than all the times before. Anything could happen to her at any moment.

After submitting my application, I received a message the next morning saying I'd been accepted. Everything happened so quickly, and suddenly today had arrived. I felt like I hadn't paused for a second to truly grasp what it meant.

I took a step toward my mom and held her tightly in my arms. She held me so tightly, as if she never wanted to let me go. Her familiar floral scent filled my senses, and for a moment, I forgot the fear gnawing deep inside me. I knew it was just as hard for her to let go, but she said nothing. Perhaps because she knew there was no other way.

When I let her go, we smiled at each other. In that moment, I realized again how important she was to me and how painful it was to leave her. But I had to do it so she wouldn't leave me forever.

"Have a safe trip home and call me if anything happens!" I called out quickly before waving goodbye to my mum.

"Take care," I heard her say quietly, just before the car door slammed and the sound of the departing taxi mingled with the lapping waves. I stood there for a moment, letting the cool sea air caress my skin and trying to organize my thoughts. 

Then I began walking along the path along the sea that was shown to me on my phone. The sun was high in the sky, bathing everything in a warm, golden light.

Seagulls circled above my head, their cries echoing across the water, while some curiously begged for food. The salty scent of the sea filled my nostrils, a familiar scent I'd always associated with freedom and tranquility. For a moment, I almost felt like I was on a little adventure—but the nerves were like a knot in my stomach.

I checked my phone again to make sure I was on the right track. Suddenly, the screen showed that I'd reached my destination. Confused, I looked up and scanned the area. There was no house in sight. Only the gentle rocking of a few small fishing boats bobbing back and forth on the waves.

"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath, turning in circles, looking for any clue. No house, no street—just me and the endless sea. Was I lost? Or had I actually fallen for one of those dubious internet ads?

In the distance, I spotted a man. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, with dark skin, and was preparing his small fishing boat for departure. His hair blew gently in the breeze, and his face seemed friendly, almost inviting. The boat rocked gently on the waves, and the wooden planks creaked with every movement of the water.

Since there was no one else in sight, I plucked up the courage and began walking down the small hill that led me to him. The sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, blinding me so much that I had to shield my eyes as I cautiously made my way forward. The wind was getting a little stronger, and I could hear the gentle hiss of the waves lapping against the shore.

When I finally reached the bottom and stood directly in front of his boat, he turned around without me having to speak to him. A warm smile spread across his face, as if he had already sensed I was coming.

"Hello, you must be Leora. Am I right?" the man asked with a friendly smile that seemed uncanny to me at first. I stared at him in confusion, my heart beating faster. How did he know my name? I was sure I'd never seen him before.

"How do you know my name?" I asked suspiciously, letting my gaze glide for a moment over the old wooden boat he was wordlessly beckoning me onto.

"We can sort this all out on the trip. But we should get going; the sun will be setting soon." His tone was friendly but firm. I hesitated, but time was pressing—and somehow he radiated a certain confidence, even though the idea of boarding a boat with a stranger didn't sit well with me. Above all, he hadn't answered how he knew my name. After a moment's thought, I did as he said and climbed onto the rocking boat.

The whole situation felt strange. Did he have something to do with the job posting? Or was it all just a crazy coincidence? What if he wanted to kidnap me? These thoughts raced through my head, but at the same time, why would he be so friendly? And he didn't seem at all like someone who wanted to harm others.

"Do you happen to know where this address is?" I asked instead, showing him my phone with the location I was supposed to reach. The man squinted slightly to get a better look at the screen, and I realized how old he actually was—the small wrinkles that had formed around his eyes and the gray strands blowing in the wind. A wide grin spread across his face as he looked back up at me.

"The address on your phone is right here. You've come to the right place."

"I beg your pardon?" Confusion spread through me. "That can't be true. I'm supposed to go to a house where I'll be living for a month. But there's nothing but sea for miles around," I protested, furrowing my eyebrows as uncertainty took hold.

But the man simply laughed. His laugh was deep and heartfelt, as if I'd said something incredibly funny. This only confused me more.

"I was told to bring a young lady with me to the island today," he explained after calming down. "And that's obviously you. The house you're looking for is on an island. It's only accessible by boat or helicopter."

"An island?" I repeated, almost in a trance, trying to process the thought. Suddenly, everything fell into place—well, almost. It was so obvious, and yet I had overlooked it. Of course, I could have researched exactly where everything was before coming here. But in my panic and desperation, I had overlooked the most important thing. Typical. Just jumping in without thinking it through—as naive as I was.

The idea of spending a month on an island even sounded appealing at first. But the longer I thought about it, the more an oppressive feeling grew within me. I knew I would quickly feel trapped. Alone on an island, cut off from the world? I could only hope it was a larger island, with enough space to avoid feeling trapped.

"But now come on, help me load it up quickly. We should leave soon," the man said suddenly, a little more stressed. He pointed to a few boxes and my suitcase that were still standing at the edge, waiting to be loaded onto the boat.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and nodded as I walked toward the crates. The salty smell of the sea mingled with the fresh breeze, and the sound of the waves calmed me a little. Even though everything was strange and uncertain, I had to go through with this. It was my chance to earn money for my mother's treatment.

We finished loading in just a few minutes, and Tom, that was his name, slowly sailed away from the mainland. I sat on the boat's wooden bench and watched the small waves gently lap against the hull. Everything about that moment felt like a vacation—at least for a moment.

I looked back at the mainland, which slowly shrank until it was just a blurred strip on the horizon, before disappearing completely. A queasy feeling spread through me as I wondered if accepting that job offer and leaving my mum alone for a whole month had really been the right decision. The wind played with my hair, and I felt the uncertainty gripping me.

"No one really told you you had to go to an island?" Tom asked, pulling me from my thoughts. His voice was friendly but curious as he steered the boat through the gentle waves.

"No," I answered somewhat hesitantly. "Is the island far from the mainland?"

He grinned crookedly and shrugged. "Depends on what you mean by far. It'll take us about 20 to 30 minutes on this boat to get there. So, I wouldn't recommend swimming that far."

He laughed at his own joke, and even though I was feeling nervous inside, I had to smile too. Tom seemed likeable, which made the situation a little more bearable. But my nervousness didn't disappear by any means.

"And how many people live on this island?" I asked curiously, hoping that there might be more society than I had previously assumed.

His laughter stopped abruptly, and he looked at me seriously. "I don't know if you'll like the answer. For some, it would be a dream; for others, a nightmare. There's only one house on the island. Only the Millers live there—the family and the sick nephew you'll be caring for. Otherwise, the island is completely deserted."

I stared at him in horror. This couldn't be true. Alone, with only a sick person, on a deserted island? My bad feeling intensified. What if my nephew could barely communicate? What if he was seriously ill? What would I do all day then? Countless questions swirled through my head, and the lightness I'd felt just minutes ago gave way to growing panic.

"Don't worry, I'll come by every Tuesday, as long as the weather's good, to check everything's okay. I'll also bring food and other things, because the Miller family almost never leaves the island," he said in a reassuring tone. But to me, it sounded anything but reassuring. Who would voluntarily live on a deserted island, completely cut off from the outside world? Was there perhaps something they were hiding?

"Then why are they leaving the island now for a whole month if they never leave?" I asked, not hiding the curiosity in my voice.

"I can't tell you either. I'm just bringing them what they need. But you'll see—the family might seem a little... strange. But they're actually quite nice," he said, shrugging his shoulders as if it were the most normal thing in the world to shop for people living in complete isolation on an island.

As we cruised across the shimmering water, he told me stories from his life. He spoke of his grandchildren, how much he loved the sea, and how he earned his living by fishing and running errands for the locals.

After a while, I could see a dark mountain rising from the water in the distance, breaking majestically through the smooth surface of the sea. The closer we got, the more clearly I could see the island. The mountain, which had initially seemed so tall, now appeared much smaller, more like a hill. The coast on our side was rugged and rocky, with craggy cliffs rising several meters above the water. It was obvious that we would find no access to the island here.

Tom skillfully steered the boat in a gentle curve around the island. Suddenly, the landscape changed before my eyes. Dense greenery seemed to spread out before us, trees stretched into the sky, and then I saw it—a waterfall cascading from the cliffs into the sea.

I couldn't help but stare in awe. The island was far more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. The mix of wild nature and the gentle, clear blue of the sea had something magical about it. Maybe this month wouldn't be as bad as I'd initially feared.

We slowly drove around the island, and only now did I realize it was much larger than I had initially thought. The dense forests stretching across the rolling hills seemed endless. At one point, I spotted the roof of a huge house, only vaguely outlined among the treetops. The glaring sun prevented me from seeing any more details, but the sight alone made my heart race. It was impressive and a little intimidating.

Soon, the rugged cliffs that had accompanied us so far disappeared, giving way to soft, golden sand. The sea gently lapped against the shore, which seemed so calm and inviting that I wanted to jump in immediately. 

Tom steered the boat toward a small, narrow jetty that extended into the waves and appeared to be the only access to the island.

So this was the island where I would spend the next few weeks.