Andrew was struggling to eat a packet of military rations leaning against one of the doors of the large truck that was transporting them. His arms were bandaged, as were his knees, and through the dirty window of the car he could see at least thirty trucks identical to the one transporting him. This convoy was formed by the remaining army of the Portuguese domain. The war against the melody creatures was over.
The result was clear: a crushing defeat for humanity.
The war to defend the nascent Portuguese domain ended in a resounding defeat. The creatures kept coming, the musicians didn't have a second's rest, there was no chance of winning, and as a result, they opted for retreat. Most of the civilians were successfully evacuated, but unfortunately there were a large number of casualties. The Portuguese domain had fallen, and Obel was not going to sit idly by, so he gathered his remaining army and decided to leave for "The Remains of Gibraltar." This small country had been ravaged by creatures just a few years ago, and a few months ago, a rumor had been circulating throughout Europe about a Harmonic who had managed to liberate Gibraltar. Obel decided to head there in search of refuge for the remaining civilians and, in addition, to find a new "Arch of Harmony" and some cursed singer to open it. It was time to go to Nadira; they were going to begin their risky plan.
It was necessary to explore beyond the main island of Nadira. Obel wanted to be the first to find and decipher the secrets that no one had ever imagined existed in Nadira. He craved power, he wanted to conquer Europe, to wrest it from the hands of the Supreme Emperor of the Orchestra, and to achieve this he needed power, power capable of revolutionizing an entire continent, no more and no less.
Andrew covered his nose as he swallowed the food rations he had been given. Food was scarcer than ever, and no one could be picky.
"How are you doing, kid?" Obel asked over the radio.
Hearing it ring, Andrew put down his plate of food and slid over to grab the radio.
"Bad, the food is completely disgusting. When will we get to Gibraltar?" Andrew said reluctantly.
A deep sigh was heard over the radio.
"In two weeks, more or less."
Andrew turned off the radio and rolled down the car window. Desert, sand, and more sand. That was the view Andrew had right now. Monstrous sand dunes reigned supreme in this place. The whole world had changed thanks to the great creatures that were now at the top of the hierarchy; the earth itself had adapted to them. This place, once teeming with flora and fauna, had been reshaped by the presence of a fifth-rank melody creature, a disaster. The mere existence of that damn creature was enough to completely change this place. Andrew reached for the backpack on the seat next to him and took out a large canteen of fresh water. After taking a big sip, he decided to get out.
Andrew opened the door of the truck and stepped outside. As he touched the metal surface of the cargo balloon, he remembered how incredible the evacuation had been. The moment the evacuation was declared, everyone mobilized in hundreds of large trucks that had been prepared in advance at headquarters. Moments later, the order was given to be taken to a large steel esplanade. When all the trucks were parked there, a balloon that dwarfed even the most populated cities in Portugal (in terms of size) rose from the ground, propelled by powerful gusts of wind conjured by the best harmonics in the domain. This large balloon had been carrying them all this time through the immense desert.
This desert was considered one of the most dangerous and lethal in the world, and because of it, Europe was considered the third most dangerous continent, although of course, there were only three populated areas; the other three were considered a total loss and impossible to liberate. Even so, crossing this desert was not a simple coincidence or mistake. One would think that it was necessary to cross the cursed desert of Europe in any other situation, but considering the variable of the cargo balloon, it was possible to bypass the desert and take a different route to Gibraltar.
For Obel, crossing the desert was necessary, as there was another person here who had shocked the world with his rumors. Another harmonist who acted alone, just like the stranger who managed to liberate Gibraltar.
This solitary musician seemed to be different from the one in Gibraltar. He seemed to live entirely in the desert, completely dominating this place. Rumors suggest that this man wants to kill the fifth-rank creature nicknamed "Sejmet." An almost impossible feat, of course.
Andrew perched on the edge of the huge platform to get a better view of the vast expanse of dunes. In a way, it was a beautiful sight. As he took a deep breath, hot air entered Andrew's lungs. This place was characterized by its terrible heat, and just breathing here was more uncomfortable than usual. Therefore, it was normal to use all kinds of oxygen masks. Standing on the edge of the large platform, his canteen now hanging from his waist by one of the belt loops, he watched something in the distance that made his hair stand on end. A large sand golem walked among the dunes. The largest buildings constructed by humanity paled in comparison to its size. It was too big. It felt like something forbidden, its very existence not allowed here.
Isabel, one of the commanders, approached Andrew and placed her left hand on his right shoulder.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Isabel asked, her voice trembling but still trying to sound calm.
"...Too much. What is it?" Andrew said.
"It is said to be one of the old golems of Anubis."
"Anubis?!"
"It's just a theory..."
Andrew remained thoughtful as he watched the monstrous golem walk away.
"Is it dangerous?" Andrew asked.
"We don't think so. It has never attacked anyone. It's as if it sees us the same way we see mere insects," Isabel said, still uncertain.
Andrew remained silent, thinking about what Isabel had said. He didn't like this, not one bit. The Portuguese domain had just been annihilated, Andrew was still being held captive by these people, and the creatures were growing stronger. The world was in much worse shape than Andrew had thought; the symphony had done a good job of hiding information of such magnitude from the public.
"Can't I have one peaceful day?"
Andrew protested.
Andrew looked expectantly at the desert expanse, still finding it unreal that a single harmonic could live in this place. It felt like hell on earth. The heat was so intense that even the most resistant flora was unable to grow here; supposedly, nothing and no one could live here.
It was simply terrifying to think about staying here.
Andrew, realizing that he was just going over the same thing in his head, decided to go and ask the old musician some questions. Andrew walked on the huge metal plate carried by the balloon, the metal resonating with every step he took.
"I hope I never come back to this place..."
As he walked, he could see at least five groups of people, some building fires, others simply cooking, and many others telling stories. Andrew managed to hear fragments of these stories, some of which were simple, typical tales that parents used to tell their children.
But some, some of these stories made him think. Maybe they didn't scare him, but they left a small essence that gnawed at his mind, and that was considering that he was just passing through.
"I heard a knock on the window, as if a weak, damp hand had rested on the glass... and then, the sigh of someone who wasn't breathing..."
"Let's leave the terror for later..."
Andrew shook himself and moved on. Every time he moved forward, more trucks appeared. Obel had gone all out with this evacuation. The strange thing was that each time, the people and the trucks looked more worn out. Some had flat tires, others looked like they had been crushed by creatures, and others, strange as it was, looked like they had been dented by bullets.
What was worrying were the people. In just this short period of time, Andrew could see at least twelve corpses, twelve people who had not survived the evacuation...
In front of Andrew, a family was crying inconsolably over the death of their father, who lay on the ground, violently mutilated.
Andrew frowned and looked away from the scene. He wasn't in the mood for things like this. Who would be?
When he reached the end, where the balloon's command center was located, Andrew noticed a strange pattern. The cars and people in the worst condition were in front, while those in better condition, and of course, more important, were in the back.
"Curious..."
Andrew walked into the command center. The guards let him pass when they saw him. Most of them already knew him here. After that display of his healing abilities in battle, everyone recognized him.
Andrew found it quite strange, since he himself had no idea how he had healed that musician, Camila. Andrew had done it purely on instinct, in a way, luckily.
"Good afternoon, Andrew, what are you doing here?" Obel asked when he saw Andrew arrive.
Even the other commanders who were in the meeting turned to look at Andrew.
"I have some questions," Andrew replied, trying to exert a little authority.
As usual, it didn't work.
"I'll answer them later. Right now we're on something important. Leave."
After that defeat in the war against the melody creatures, Obel's attitude had become annoying and irritable. The old man was more unbearable than ever.
Andrew looked Obel in the eye without hesitation, but in the end, Andrew just rolled his eyes and snorted before leaving.
Back outside, the hot, sharp wind slid into his lungs. Andrew remained indifferent as he watched two large sandstorms heading toward the balloon. Weather phenomena were not enough to defeat the balloon; not even a third-rank creature would be enough.
Andrew walked over and took a seat on the edge of the metal plate.
"What will it be like?"
Andrew was curious about the musician who lived in this desert. He must be powerful, at least as powerful as a fourth-rank musician. A third-rank musician surviving here was crazy...
Then, the great sandstorm began to move erratically. It didn't feel natural, not natural at all...
Andrew stood up and tried to concentrate to see as far as possible. What he could see was enough to alert him and make him run to the command center.
Upon arriving at the center, Andrew ran between the hideouts and entered the meeting room as if he owned the place.
"Obel!" Andrew shouted as he entered.
Seeing the fear in Andrew's eyes, Obel gave him his full attention.
"What's going on?" Obel asked, already standing up.
"I saw it... In the storm, I saw the Sekhmet!"
At that moment, all the commanders, soldiers, and people in the room looked at Andrew in fear.
All the commanders stood up, alert.
"Are you sure about what you're saying, boy?" asked one of the older commanders.
"Absolutely sure," replied Andrew.
"This... completely changes our plans. We must change course," said Isabel.
"No, we need the musician who lives here," said Obel, annoyed.
The whole room fell silent. The man with the highest rank wanted to stay here, in the hunting grounds of a fifth-rank creature...
"Are you crazy?! Are you really going to risk all these people for a single musician?" said Isabel, very angry.
She was the only one capable of opposing Obel's will.
"We need him, Isabel. We need that man on our team. We can't explore this desert without him," Obel replied.
Andrew was stunned. No one had mentioned anything about exploring the desert. Andrew had been told that they were only passing through the desert. He thought it was a faster route to Gibraltar, and recruiting this man was just a bonus.
"Wait, what do you mean, explore the desert?" Andrew said, confused.
"What? Does that bother you? I need to explore the desert. What you guys want isn't important right now. The balloon will hold up, and we'll explore the desert," Obel replied dominantly.
Andrew was perplexed. Obel's behavior was really strange. He didn't feel like himself; he wasn't in his right mind.
It could be due to the loss of so many of his men, or the simple fact that they had been so brutally defeated.
Andrew, who was lost in his thoughts, felt a gaze piercing the back of his neck, a gaze capable of penetrating steel itself.
Andrew turned his head and looked to see who was watching him.
The two looked each other in the eye without fear, the eyes of that blond man penetrating the very essence of Andrew. It was Rodrick, the second most powerful man in the entire organization. He was the musician Andrew had seen fighting in the war, Obel's comrade in combat.
"Idiot," Rodrick said to Andrew.
Andrew chose to remain silent and swallow his ego; there wasn't much he could do.
"Sorry for the trouble," Andrew said before leaving the command center. The meeting was going to get heated.
As he left, Andrew could only observe the monstrous figure of Sejmet. The arena served him so well that it felt like a universal rule. Andrew sighed.
"God, save me once again..."