Chapter 23: The Desert’s Malice
"This place is beyond stranded now," Laura muttered, her voice laced with growing dread. Her sharp eyes scanned the lifeless desert. Even by desert standards, this was abnormal. The natural cycle of life was shattered.
"Even in the harshest conditions, life thrives in one form or another..." she continued, her throat dry with anxiety. "But here, nothing. Not even vultures or sand crawlers."
A realization hit her.
"...Just what kind of monster has entered this place?"
A sickening chill crept up her spine. Every fiber of her body screamed at her to turn back. The sensible thing to do was return to the castle, admit she found nothing, and keep the people safe. There was no point in searching for Einar now—he was most definitely dead.
Even if he had changed, even if he had grown stronger, there was no way a mere mortal could survive in a desert this corrupted. The monstrous force that had twisted this land was beyond human.
She gritted her teeth.
"I should leave..."
Her trembling hands yanked the reins of her horse, ready to turn around—
—but she hesitated.
A faint whisper in her heart clawed at her conscience.