Morning light shimmered across the cracked stones of a winding rocky trail. Loose dust and gravel crunched beneath twelve pairs of elven boots as the children trekked through a wilderness path that carved through barren hills. Jagged ridges loomed in the distance, casting long shadows over dried bushes and the occasional lonely cactus. The air was crisp, a lingering coolness from the night clinging to the landscape before the sun fully asserted its desert authority.
Gabyola walked ahead, eyes narrowed, posture calm and practiced. Her Hawkeye skill let her pick out distant movements: fluttering birds, dust trails from rodents, or shifting heat signatures that might suggest something larger. "Clear for now," she called back, her voice serene but alert.
Behind her, Fuhiken adjusted his shield strap and walked in pace beside Yuuna, who held a worn book in one hand and her wand in the other. He glanced sideways at the quiet girl, trying to sound casual. "Yuuna, about that Alphaflare spell… are you alright now?"
Yuuna blinked, as if pulled from deep thought. "Mostly. But my body's still recovering. That spell channels too much mana, especially for someone like me."
Gigih, trailing just behind, gave a sheepish shrug. "She fainted the moment it ended. Like... dropped face-first."
Fuhiken frowned. "You should've told me sooner."
"Didn't want to worry anyone," Yuuna said flatly.
Sakura, carrying a staff in one hand and balancing a fruit bar in the other, chimed in. "My healing didn't help much right after that. But I'm fully recovered now!"
She took a loud bite of her third melon bun that morning. "Maybe because I eat a lot."
There was a pause.
Kyle blinked. "...That's probably not how recovery works."
"But it does for her," Yuuna said calmly, as if that absurd logic had long been accepted.
Gigih muttered, "I tried eating more once. Got stomach cramps for two days. ended up vomiting a rainbow."
Adiw folded his arms. "I once saw her eat three full plates of stew and ask for dessert. We hadn't even started the battle yet."
Jessica nodded slowly. "She once ate pudding during a boss fight."
"She healed us while chewing," Fuhiken added, both impressed and mildly disturbed. "Didn't even miss a spell cast."
The group went quiet.
Sakura gave a cheerful hum and continued munching.
No one argued further. They had all seen the truth firsthand: Sakura's stomach operated on laws beyond science and magic.
---
The rocky path finally opened into a wide stretch of cracked land , the beginning of the desert. A wall of dry wind greeted them as they passed an eroded stone arch. The color palette of the world shifted to gold and pale tan, the sun blazing brighter above.
"Welcome to nowhere," Kyle muttered.
Yuuna squinted at the horizon. "It looks like the Sahara."
Adiw tilted his head. "What's Sahara?"
"It's a massive desert," Yuuna replied. "In another world. Heatwaves shimmer, the land stretches endlessly, and water is rare. Kinda like this."
Sinryo whistled. "Sounds terrible."
Thanks to their magic bags, though, the party had more than enough water. The enchanted pouches held dozens of cooled flasks, fruits, and soaked cloth wraps. Sakura passed around a few water-rich melon slices, trying not to eat them all herself.
Kyle and Sinryo kept watching Yetsan with squinting suspicion, their eyes narrowing like a pair of amateur detectives piecing together an unsolvable mystery. Clad in full armor with not even a bead of sweat on his visor, Yetsan stood perfectly composed in the searing desert heat. The golden sun blazed overhead, yet not a single sigh, groan, or complaint escaped him.
"How is he not sweating?" Kyle grumbled.
"I'm pretty sure his full armor should cook him," Sinryo added.
Yetsan, ever pristine, folded his arms. "Yuuna modified my armor. Internal mana vents regulate the temperature."
Yuuna nodded. "I embedded some ice magic matrices. Experimental, but it works... now."
Kyle looked interested. "Can you do mine?"
Sinryo perked up. "Mine too!"
Yuuna hesitated. "The first three tests exploded."
"…Never mind," both boys said in perfect unison, their earlier enthusiasm evaporating faster than a puddle in the desert. The memory of spontaneous armor explosions, whether real or imagined, flashed vividly across their minds. Neither wanted to test their luck against magical combustion, especially not when their lives were already hot and chaotic enough. With identical expressions of cautious retreat, they subtly stepped back, as if distance alone might shield them from any accidental enchantment fallout. Their synchronized surrender spoke volumes: some experiments were better left un-repeated.
Gaby raised a hand from the front. "Birds overhead. Not flying like normal ones."
Jessica narrowed her eyes. "Firebirds?"
As the group paused for caution, several large avian shapes circled above , wings trailing embers, beaks glowing faintly red. The air around them shimmered unnaturally.
The battle was short. Kyle's rifle echoed across the dunes, precision shots dropping two birds mid-dive. Gigih followed with an Ice spell that burst into a cold mist, freezing feathers mid-air. Yuuna chained a Paralyze on one that dropped fluttering like a brick.
Adiw, burning with energy, cleaved a salamander that had slithered too close. "Weak to water and ice. Got it."
Fahleena spun her keyblade in a radiant arc, its tip catching the sunlight like a divine relic. With a theatrical flourish, she struck down the lunging creature from the shadows. "Foolish beast! You dare challenge the wielder of destiny? Your low intellect shall be your doom!"
A curious silence followed after the skirmish. No signs of major wounds, just a bit of dust and pride.
---
Orchid, as if untouched by the fight, had wandered several paces off-trail. "Look! Desert rose!"
Her finger pointed toward a spindly plant jutting from the sand, pink petals blooming defiantly against the sun. She knelt to inspect it, humming.
"Orchid," Gaby called, "don't wander too far."
But the holy knight girl had already begun gently patting the flower, cooing as if it were a small animal. Gaby sighed and went to retrieve her.
Back in formation, the party pressed on. The land was more dune than rock now, and heat distortion made the horizon ripple like water. Sparse patches of dry grass dotted the slopes. An odd creature or two watched from distant rocks , nothing hostile, yet.
The magic bag distributed another round of drinks, and Sakura passed out salted crackers. Jessica, arms crossed, observed the way Kyle and Sinryo bickered over who got the shadier walking spot.
Yuuna kept to the center of the group, one hand pressed over her chest. Though her face showed no discomfort, her breathing was slow and careful. The Alphaflare spell had taken more from her than she admitted. Still, she remained silent. There was no point worrying the others more.
The sun moved higher. The wind turned dry and sharp. And somewhere far beyond, in the heart of the desert, something was watching them.
---