The next morning looked almost identical to the last. After a quick meal, Alex and Lyra left the cave, heading toward the next, more distant point on their map. Behind them, the rocky wall that had sheltered them through the night grew smaller and smaller, eventually vanishing into the shimmering air of the desert. Now, the most difficult challenge awaited them—the dunes.
The sun rose quickly, and its rays began scorching everything around almost immediately. The sand beneath their feet was hot and loose, slipping into their shoes and making every step a struggle. The heat pouring from the sky once again began to wear them down.
Their last waterskin had been emptied several hours ago. Alex could feel his mouth drying out so severely that he couldn't even swallow. Every breath felt like sucking in fire, and his throat burned from the omnipresent dust. His lips were cracked and bleeding from the hot, dry wind that lashed them without mercy.
Lyra said nothing, but her face revealed everything—exhaustion, dehydration, and above all, a growing, silent fear. Every step on the desert sand felt heavier, every breath shallower. Still, they pressed on, aiming for the point marked on the map. But on the horizon, there was nothing. Only the endless sea of sand.
Time crawled by, and the sky began to change color. The orange sun dipped toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the dunes. With each passing minute, the air grew colder, but it brought no relief. On the contrary—the tension rose.
When the sun finally disappeared behind the line of dunes, Alex felt a strange shiver run down his spine. But it wasn't just the chill of the desert after dark. It was something else—something sinister. The air around them thickened, filled with an invisible weight. It was as if an unnatural darkness had surrounded them, seeping into their skin, forcing its way into their lungs, awakening a primal fear.
And then he saw them.
In the shadowed places, where the last rays of sunlight no longer reached, strange, irregular shapes began to form. At first, they were barely visible—like heat haze, like blurred reflections that didn't belong. But with every second, they grew denser, gained form, taking shape into something… alive. Something that should not exist.
Out of the void emerged smaller, shadowy figures. Their bodies rippled like smoke, as if they still didn't fully belong to this world. Black, elongated silhouettes trembled until they became real enough for Alex to make out their moving jaws and sharp, gleaming eyes.
Demons.
There was no time to think. No time for fear. They had to run.
They couldn't stop. Couldn't afford a single mistake. They had to sprint, find any cover, reach a place where they might be safe—if only for a moment.
And then… he saw a flash.
At the top of a high dune in the distance, something pulsed with sharp, glowing light. A rune. A protective symbol. A barrier—their only hope.
— THERE! he shouted, pointing toward the glowing mark.
Lyra immediately changed direction and ran toward the hill, her silhouette vanishing into the twilight as she struggled through the soft, collapsing sand beneath her feet. She was faster, lighter—she had a chance to reach it first.
Alex didn't look back. But he could hear them.
He heard the slither of moving bodies, the guttural roars filled with hatred. He heard the sharp, ragged breaths of the creatures chasing him across the desert night.
Lyra was close. Just a few more steps, one final push. She reached the top of the dune and—passed through the rune barrier.
And then the demons lunged at her.
One of them leapt with outstretched claws, but the moment its body touched the invisible boundary, a thunderous crack echoed. The demon screamed, recoiling violently as glowing red cracks spread across its black skin.
Gasping for air, Lyra turned and saw more of the creatures pressing against the barrier.
Their claws slammed into the unseen wall, leaving behind streaks of dark energy that quickly faded, absorbed by the magical symbol. They tried again and again to break through the protection, releasing guttural, furious shrieks.
Meanwhile, Alex was fighting for every step.
One of the demons closed in—within striking distance. In a blink, the black shadow raised an arm and slashed its razor-sharp claws toward him.
Alex managed a last-second shoulder roll, dodging the deadly strike. The claws ripped through the air, and the demon let out a low growl of frustration.
But it wasn't over.
Another foe was already waiting behind Alex.
Fifteen meters remained.
Each step cost him more strength. His muscles burned, his lungs felt like they were on fire.
And then came the blow.
The demon lashed out again—this time, its claws aimed straight for Alex's back.