As Alaria and I climbed out of the underground library, the first thing I noticed was how dark the sky had become. The last slivers of sunlight were slipping beyond the golden horizon, casting a deep amber glow over the vast plains of Evaria. The air had cooled significantly, and the soft whistle of the wind carried the faint chiming of the whispering reeds that lined the outskirts of Sundermere.
We approached the carriage, where the others had already gathered. Lucian was idly sharpening his sword, Rowan and Callen were exchanging quiet words over a map, and Gareth sat cross-legged on the ground, muttering to himself while small sparks of magic flickered between his fingers. Elaris was seated on the edge of the carriage, waiting, her lavender eyes scanning the horizon with a quiet patience.
The moment she saw me, her expression softened. She slid off the carriage and walked toward me, her flowing robes swaying gently. "Took you long enough," she murmured, wrapping her arms around my waist before tilting her head up to press a soft kiss to my lips.
I melted into it for a moment, feeling the warmth of her touch after the unsettling discovery in the library. But the lingering presence of Veylara's words still weighed heavy on my mind. Alaria, standing just behind me, scoffed and brushed past us. "Ugh, you two are disgustingly sweet. I feel like I need a drink after witnessing that."
Elaris shot her a smirk. "Jealous?"
Alaria rolled her eyes. "Of what? Settling down and acting all lovey-dovey? No thanks, I like my fun." She flicked her crimson hair over her shoulder and sauntered toward the others. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to pretend none of this ever happened."
I let out a quiet sigh and sat down beside Elaris, leaning into her warmth. She rubbed small circles on my back, sensing my tension without me needing to say a word.
"You're worried about what we found down there," she said softly.
I nodded. "It wasn't just the book. Something else was there, watching us. And it knew who I was."
She frowned, pressing her lips together. "We'll figure it out. You're not alone in this, Noctis. No matter what's ahead, we face it together."
I glanced at her, my chest tightening at the quiet certainty in her voice. She meant it. Every word.
"Together," I echoed, squeezing her hand.
The night passed with quiet conversation and the occasional burst of laughter from the others. I could hear Lucian teasing Gareth about his inability to flirt, while Callen and Rowan debated the best way to hunt desert beasts. It was normal, comforting. A stark contrast to the heavy thoughts in my mind.
By the time we all retreated into the carriage for the night, I found myself caught in a strange limbo—comforted by their presence but haunted by the unknown ahead.
The next morning, we set off again, the wheels of the carriage creaking as we left Sundermere behind. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of the morning dew. As we traveled, the familiar golden fields of Evaria slowly began to shift, the landscape becoming drier, the soil darker, the vegetation sparser. The transition between continents was not immediate, but it was unmistakable.
Days passed, the journey long but uneventful. The further we traveled, the hotter the air became, the sun beating down on us mercilessly. The lush green of Evaria was left behind, replaced by cracked earth and windswept dunes. The shifting sands of Azareth stretched out endlessly before us, dunes rising and falling like golden waves.
I squinted against the sun, pulling my cloak tighter around my shoulders as the heat pressed down. "Well," I muttered, "Welcome to Azareth."
Lucian groaned. "Great. Just what I always wanted. Sand in every possible crevice."
Alaria smirked. "Don't worry, Lucian. I'm sure we'll find you a nice little oasis to cool off in. Maybe even a few sand striders to keep you company."
Lucian shuddered. "I swear, if one of those freakishly big bugs comes near me, I'm burning this entire continent down."
Elaris chuckled, adjusting her robes to keep them from dragging in the sand. "At least it's a change of scenery. And besides, Azareth has plenty of history. We might find something useful here."
I glanced toward the horizon, my thoughts already spinning. This was just the beginning. Somewhere beyond these dunes lay another clue—another step toward Veylara's tomb.
I only hoped I was ready for what we'd find.
The journey through the shifting sands of Azareth was grueling. Each passing day brought new challenges—unrelenting heat, unpredictable dunes, and the ever-present sense of something lurking just beyond sight. The golden waves of sand stretched endlessly, shifting and reforming with every gust of the scorching wind.
The first day, we made slow progress, our carriage rocking unsteadily as it struggled through the uneven terrain. The wheels sunk into the loose earth, forcing us to stop every few miles to dig them free. Lucian complained the loudest, dramatically wiping sweat from his forehead.
"This is hell. Actual hell," he groaned, leaning against the side of the carriage. "Who in their right mind decides to live here?"
Gareth, despite also suffering from the heat, smirked. "Nomadic tribes, desert warlords, people who don't complain every five minutes."
Lucian shot him a glare. "You say that like you're enjoying this."
"I'm just more adaptable than you."
Alaria rolled her eyes and nudged Lucian. "Quit whining, will you? You're acting like a pampered noble."
"Maybe because I was one."
"That explains a lot."
I tuned out their bickering as I focused on the horizon. The sun was beginning to set, casting a deep crimson glow over the dunes. The shifting sands looked almost alive, slithering with the wind's whispers. The beauty of it was undeniable, but there was something eerie about Azareth—something wrong.
Elaris must have sensed my unease because she stepped closer, lightly brushing her fingers against mine. "Are you alright?" she murmured, her lavender eyes filled with concern.
I exhaled, shaking my head. "Something about this place feels… unnatural."
She glanced around before nodding. "I feel it too. Like we're being watched."
Veylara's voice slithered into my mind. "You are. But not by anything you should fear… yet."
I stiffened slightly at her words, but I didn't respond.
That night, we set up camp beneath a rocky outcrop that shielded us from the relentless wind. The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows against the uneven rock walls. Everyone was exhausted, their movements sluggish as they ate their rations in silence.
Rowan, who had spoken the least throughout the journey, finally broke the quiet. "We'll reach the first town in two more days, if we keep this pace."
Elaris nodded. "And then we rest. Resupply. Figure out our next steps."
Lucian groaned. "I'm going to find the biggest tub of water and stay in it for hours."
"You'd turn into a prune," Callen muttered, adjusting his armor.
"At least I'd be a cool prune."
I listened to their chatter, but my mind drifted elsewhere. The exhaustion weighed on me, yet I knew sleep wouldn't come easily. The desert had a way of making everything feel… fragile. Exposed.
That night, I barely slept, my dreams filled with fragmented images—flashes of golden ruins buried beneath shifting sands, voices whispering in a language I couldn't understand.
When I woke, the air was unnervingly still.
The second day of travel was even more grueling. The heat became suffocating, making it difficult to breathe. The dry wind sucked the moisture from our lips, and our water supply was depleting faster than expected.
Alaria was unusually quiet, which was unnerving in its own right. She kept glancing over her shoulder as if expecting something to appear behind us.
By midday, Lucian had wrapped his head in a cloth to shield himself from the sun, his usual humor fading. "If we don't reach that town soon, I might start hallucinating."
I didn't have the heart to tell him that I already was. The heat shimmered against the dunes, twisting the landscape into mirages. I swore I saw figures moving in the distance, only for them to vanish when I blinked.
Veylara's presence coiled around my thoughts again. "The desert keeps its secrets well, but some things do not wish to remain buried."
I didn't answer. I didn't want to know what she meant.
By the time night fell, we were all barely holding on. We set up camp between two dunes, the sand surprisingly cool beneath us. Elaris forced me to drink more water, her touch lingering against my wrist. "You're pushing yourself too hard," she murmured.
I met her gaze. "I'm fine."
"You're not."
I wanted to argue, but I didn't have the energy. Instead, I let her rest against my side, her warmth a grounding presence.
On the third day, the landscape changed.
The dunes began to flatten, the sand becoming more compact. We started seeing remnants of old stone markers, partially buried by time. And then, finally, as the sun began its descent once more, we saw it—the faint outline of a settlement against the horizon.
Lucian let out a strangled laugh. "That's not a mirage, right?"
Rowan, ever skeptical, narrowed his eyes. "No. It's real."
A breath of relief swept through the group. We pressed forward, ignoring the exhaustion in our limbs.
As we drew closer, I took in the sight before us. The town—Sundermere's desert counterpart, Luthra's Watch—was built against a towering stone mesa. The buildings were carved into the rock itself, their sandstone exteriors blending seamlessly with the landscape. Cloth banners fluttered between wooden beams, their faded colors showing signs of age. The streets were busy, filled with merchants, travelers, and armored guards.
But the moment we passed through the gates, I felt it again.
That gnawing sensation of being watched.
Veylara's whisper curled around my thoughts. "We are one step closer, Noctis."
I clenched my jaw, pushing the feeling down. Whatever awaited us here… I wasn't ready for it.