Cael found himself in a desert.
Sand stretched in every direction, endless and unforgiving.
The sun was high, merciless, baking the earth until the air shimmered with heat.
Cael looked around, searching for any sign of the True Iridescent Monarch.
'Where was she?'
A hand burst out from the sand a few meters away, followed by a voice cursing under its breath.
"Tch. I almost got buried alive while sleeping."
The Monarch pulled herself out of the ground, shaking sand from her hair and clothes.
She was dressed like a man, in loose thug clothing that prioritized movement over appearance.
Unlike the last time Cael had seen her in the second resonance, she looked older.
Early twenties, perhaps. Her features had sharpened. Her posture carried a weight that had not been there before.
The wind picked up, sending grains of sand skittering across the dunes.
