The morning sun rose over the endless desert.
Another day of scorching heat awaited the refugees. The sand had already begun warming beneath their feet, and the hot wind carried dust across the settlement.
People were waking up slowly.
Some immediately rushed towards the water distribution area, carrying their empty pots. Others remained inside their shelters, too exhausted to move.
The drought had reached a point where even walking a short distance felt like a punishment.
But today, something was different.
The Empress woke up feeling unusually refreshed.
She sat up and looked at the small clay pot beside her.
The previous night, she and the Emperor had prepared another batch of the herbal drink using the leaves brought by the three ghosts.
She had consumed a cup before sleeping.
Surprisingly, she hadn't woken up during the night feeling thirsty.
Usually, her throat became dry several times, forcing her to take tiny sips of water from their limited supply.
