The sun slowly rose from the horizon, illuminating the barren land and awakening the slumbering sea creatures. A ray of light pierced the hidden cave entrance, briefly lighting up the long antennae of a small trilobite, waking it from its slumber right on schedule. It twisted its lightweight, armored body slightly to check its surroundings, seemingly undisturbed by any nighttime predators. If it had been discovered by those patrolling predators, it wouldn't have the luxury of contemplating its good fortune now.

  Time to continue with a new day.

  Extending its long antennae out of the narrow cave entrance, it sensed that the water flow was normal and the area appeared free of predatory gatekeepers. Carefully, it started to move its armored body, creeping closer to the entrance on its six pairs of articulated limbs.

  Time for morning exercises.

  One, two...

  The small trilobite quickly poked its head out of the cave, then swiftly recoiled. A large shadow flashed past the opening, stirring up sediment near the seabed, making the water murky and impenetrable.

  Rapidly moving its limbs, it darted into the murky water, quickly distancing itself from the previous cave entrance.

  That was a predator several times larger than the trilobite, one that always woke up slightly earlier, waiting in the waters inhabited by trilobites, like a lurking giant beast. Any careless or unlucky trilobite poking its head out would be met with a burst of power, the creature pouncing with great force, and its powerful jaws serving their purpose.

  After swimming out of the murky area for a while, there was no sign of pursuit.

  Turning its body to check with its lateral eyes, the murky area cleared quickly with the flow of water, revealing the silhouette of the predator.

  It was feasting on another trilobite.

  It seemed that the predator's target wasn’t it this time, but the small trilobite had no regrets about its cautious maneuvers. Without practicing these movements daily, it might have been the one in the predator's jaws—or not even have the chance at all.

  The ongoing event of a companion being eaten didn’t elicit any reaction from the trilobite. Emotions aside, the daily encounters with similar scenarios had taught sea creatures the basic law of survival of the fittest.

  The trilobite's species is actually quite famous, assuming any creature pays attention to such matters.

  They are the first species on this planet to evolve eyes capable of observing detail.

  In other words, they are the first to fully see the world. To some, the world is not inherently as it is; rather, it is as we perceive it. If so, this species would be seen as creators of the world, akin to gods.

  In reality, trilobites lack any divine consciousness or ability. Although they thrived after gaining well-developed eyes, when most creatures were effectively blind, they flourished, creating a vast population across global seas.

  But eyes were only an advantage they held briefly. Soon, more creatures with well-developed eyes emerged: peaceful, vegetarian counterparts as well as predators, both omnivores and carnivores. Unlike before, predators no longer relied merely on chance encounters to hunt. Using their eyes, they began distinguishing prey, marking the division between predator and prey.

  For the first time, predators and prey could see one another. Eyes became tools for hunting and the first line of defense. Thus, super predators emerged, and the once peaceful world turned chaotic.

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  Previously, creatures remained unnoticed unless close enough to approach. Now, predators could spot prey from afar, leaving weaker creatures at the mercy of their hunger. Sometimes, competing predators would fight over a catch.

  The environment became harsh, and competition fierce. To survive, evolution took place, sparking life into diversification. Thus, life exploded into various branches, spreading across the planet.

  In this way, eyes became the catalyst for evolution.

  Ignoring the fellow trilobite being consumed, the small trilobite, equipped with the advanced eyes passed down by its ancestors, continued its journey of survival. Maneuvering carefully and smoothly past a rock, it emerged into a marketplace of sea plants, teeming with various life forms.

  A newcomer might be shocked at the sight of predators and vegetarians seemingly coexisting peacefully. However, those familiar with the area, like the small trilobite, understand that predators are relatively few and, once fed, won't bother herbivores. This balance probably represents a dynamic ecological equilibrium established over prolonged competition, though the small trilobite doesn’t comprehend such complexities.

  Recently, a group of newcomers from the deep seemed to break the rules. Regardless of whether they were hungry, they provoked others—herbivores and predators alike. Using bodily advantages, they electrocuted opponents they could defeat, bounced away if they couldn't win, and squeezed into narrow crevices when unable to escape, evading predators with hard shells. Only super predators could give them trouble.

  Given time, they might integrate into this ecosystem and become as harmonious as current inhabitants.

  Though fed predators usually ignore others, they often engage in fights or headbutt each other out of boredom, like the two large creatures ahead of the small trilobite, forcing nearby creatures to retreat hastily. The small trilobite quickly adjusted its course, avoiding the combatants, knowing that once hungry, they’d attack nearby prey.

  Approaching a group of plankton, it gulped down a mouthful, filling its empty belly while keeping an eye on its surroundings.

  There are unwritten rules in nature, surfacing from the earliest forms of life. Even predators abide by them. Like the cave-guarding predator, after a failed hunt, once the prey escapes a certain distance, it won’t pursue further. Pregnant creatures are usually off-limits, except to the starving.

  These rules' origins are unknown, yet they foster a delicate balance beneficial to all, maintaining equilibrium between hunter and hunted.

  Beware of predators, but also those who pretend to be harmless.

  While thinking, the small trilobite swiftly dodged a "rock," deftly avoiding the camouflaged entity aiming to strike. Its refined movements arose from countless life-or-death encounters. The suspicious entity, momentarily twitching, resumed its disguise as an ordinary rock, leaving behind a thin veil of muddy water as the only trace of intent. Even judges would find no fault.

  It’s not that other areas lack food, but this is richer and relatively safer.

  Unlike elsewhere, where the same amount of food requires greater range and encounters with hungry or unusual predators, here, the fixed number of predators ensures after a meal, other beings can eat safely—a cruel balance long accepted, benefiting hunter and hunted alike.

  After feeding, the trilobite, fortunately avoiding hungry or moody predators, cautiously left for the continental slope leading into the deep sea.

  In times like these, returning to its burrow to wait for a new day is wisest, since predators should be sated. Yet the small trilobite is an outlier, having developed a post-meal habit of wandering the cliff, risking trouble but strengthening survival skills.

  Moving cautiously past unremarkable rocks and bypassing two hard-shelled predators, sidestepping three sluggish snails, it neared the cliff.

  Below lay darkness, offering little to see. But the trilobite recalled once spotting a group of unruly creatures jumping from the water here, luck preserving it from becoming prey. Their vision, poor as deep-sea creatures, didn’t worry about light.

  Why they left their deep-sea home for shallows puzzled the trilobite.

  Another time, reaching the cliff, it spotted a notorious predator, small but feared in shallow waters for its ambush prowess. Ready to flee, the trilobite saw it chasing fish and, against instinct, stayed hidden. The predator plunged into the depths, never resurfacing.

  Afterward, skirting roving predators, noting dimming light, it knew its outing was over.

  For creatures like it, the day’s end and nightfall brought peril, necessitating a safe burrow and entering hibernation to conserve energy, waiting for daybreak.

  Bypassing sated gatekeepers, the trilobite eased into an unclaimed burrow. Watching the fading light outside, it slowly drifted into hibernation.

  “Made it through another day unscathed.”