Chapter 69: Loop
"I think it’s just ordinary sand... just a little different," Rhea said, double-checking if the desert was safe to walk on.
"Let’s go then."
Without a moment’s hesitation, they started on their way through the desert.
The morning had already broken as they made their way through the desert. They were trying to find their way back into the forest, at least—but the worms, however, had other plans.
With nowhere else to go, they had to push forward, through the desert. The texture wasn’t quite normal, nor was it abnormal—it was too dry, yet somehow too wet, fluffy like powdered clay.
No threat came their way as they moved through it. Though they stayed alert, the oddness of the surroundings was more curious than dangerous—so they barely broke a sweat.
Even so, it felt like its own kind of torture. There was no end in sight—just an endless desert that somehow led nowhere.
No matter how much they walked, nothing showed they were getting anywhere. The wind erased their footsteps as soon as they were made, leaving no path back to the forest—even if they wished to return.
As if that weren’t enough, the heat was unbearable. Daylan had gone shirtless, and Rhea and Medora wore only their vests, their shirts hanging loosely over their shoulders.
Sweat soaked their bodies like the sun had zeroed in its burning gaze on nothing but the desert.
They endured the heat throughout the day, and before they knew it, evening had fallen.