Ashen Light

Chapter 16: Death Grip

The Solis Dunes stretched endlessly under a sun that blazed like molten gold. The heat rippled off the sand, distorting the horizon as the group pressed forward. Their shadows flickered like mirages, matching the rhythm of their trudging steps.

The day passed without incident—once again travelling through the extensive desert without to find the third shrine of Apollousa, just the constant crunch of boots on sand and the occasional shared glance. Skylar had grumbled about the monotony, Zack tried to lighten the mood with jokes that landed half-heartedly (mostly to Skylar's annoyance), and Astro mostly observed, his dark blue eyes scanning the desert with quiet fascination.

When night finally fell, it brought a blessed coolness that swept over the dunes. The group made camp in a small hollow sheltered by a natural ridge of sandstone. A small fire crackled weakly, the flames barely visible against the starlit canopy above.

Cyrus sat with his back against a jagged rock, his blade propped beside him like a silent sentinel. Zack and Skylar were already out, Zack snoring softly while Skylar shifted occasionally in her sleep. Astro lay curled up, his wolf tail twitching faintly as he murmured in his sleep—a habit they'd all learned to ignore.

Despite the stillness of the night, Cyrus couldn't sleep. Something about the air felt... strange. He couldn't quite place it—a faint static prickling his senses, almost like the hum of distant thunder, though the sky above was clear.

He stood, brushing sand off his clothes, and began a slow circuit around their camp. His blade hummed softly as he gripped it, its golden glow muted but steady. The dunes looked the same as they always did, but there was an unnatural stillness, as if the desert were holding its breath.

It was difficult, wanting to sleep but dreading what you would find when your mind diverged into that sleepy subconscious, where your literal demons torment you, night after night. What he would give to just have his body to himself.

The desert was quiet. The usual whispers of wind through the dunes were absent, replaced by a stillness that pressed against his senses. And the air... cold. The desert was always hot during the day and comfortably cool at night, but that was something Cyrus had grown accustomed to. This was different. This cold carried an edge to it, a sharpness that pricked at his skin and made him instinctively shift his grip to his blade.

Cyrus glanced back toward the fire, his gaze lingering on the others. They looked peaceful enough, undisturbed by the unnatural stillness. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The desert, vast and ancient, felt alive in a way it hadn't before—watchful.

A faint breeze stirred the sand, brushing against his face like icy breath. It wasn't much, but it was enough to set his pulse racing. He rose quietly, careful not to wake the others, and began to pace the perimeter of their camp. The blade at his side thrummed faintly in response, its golden glow barely perceptible in the darkness.

Cyrus scanned the dunes, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. There was nothing overtly out of place—no movement, no sound—but the cold persisted, gnawing at his senses like an unseen presence. It wasn't enough to act on, not yet, but it was enough to keep him on edge.

The sensation came slowly. Was his heart just beating that fast, or was there really a secondary beating, off-rhythm with his own? It was a fast heartbeat, and it sent the feeling of needles into his veins.

Cyrus froze, his hand tightening on the hilt of his blade. The sensation crawled through him, an invasive rhythm that wasn't his own. It was too sharp, too erratic—a pounding that didn't belong.

He exhaled slowly, his breath fogging in the air. That, too, was wrong. It never got this cold in the desert, not even at night.

The faint heartbeat grew louder, each pulse reverberating through the stillness like the toll of a distant bell. The ground beneath his boots felt suddenly fragile, as if something vast and unseen stirred beneath the sand.