Sandstorms in the desert were nightmares given form.
These storms were believed to be the remnants of an ancient curse that lingered over the desert. The sands within them didn't just scrape and blind.
They shredded essence and willpower, leaving survivors physically intact but mentally hollow. The air carried whispers and phantom voices that lured people out of cover with promises of safety, only to bury them alive.
It was said the storms were sentient, targeting anyone and anything. They would twist their paths, hunting those with the most essence as if drawn to their strength.
And now, one was heading straight for them.
Within moments, the camp erupted into chaos. Students scrambled to secure the caravan, lashing down supplies and reinforcing their makeshift shelters with enchantments. Shouts rang out as leaders barked orders as the hum of magic filled the air as protective barriers were hastily erected.
Elyonari moved quickly, her slender hands glowing faintly as she cast a wide Seventh Star Barrier over the camp. The surface shimmered, transforming into a reflective hemispherical dome that would repel the worst of the storm's fury.
Still, she knew it wouldn't hold for long.
"Get inside the barriers! No stragglers!" Elyonari called out, her voice cutting through the chaos.
She glanced toward the heart of the camp, where a familiar figure stood atop a makeshift platform, commanding the scene with cold efficiency.
Adelasta Viaca, her crimson hair flowing like ink under the desert sun, barked orders with her usual icy demeanor.
"Reinforce the eastern quadrant! You—expand the radius of your barrier!"
Elyonari made her way toward her, watching as students scrambled to follow Adelasta's commands. Despite the situation, the girl looked as composed as ever, her piercing eyes scanning the scene for weaknesses.
"Adelasta," Elyonari called, coming to a stop beside her. "We need to move the wounded to the center. If the storm hits full force—"
"I know," Adelasta interrupted, her tone curt but not unkind. "Do it. And make sure the weaker barriers are layered. The first collapse will spread if they're not."
Elyonari nodded, impressed despite herself. Adelasta's reputation for coldness wasn't unwarranted, but it was moments like these that showed why she was respected.
She was the perfect leader.
As the storm grew closer, the oppressive heat of the desert gave way to a biting chill. The air seemed to hum with energy and the whispers began.
"Everyone! Close your eyes and cover your ears! Don't listen to the voices!" Adelasta shouted. "If you do, you'll die!"
After the mystic barriers were set, they all closed their eyes and covered their ears. Elyonari sat and leaned against a boulder, doing the exact same. Adelasta and a few of the students were also with her, covering their ears and closing their eyes.
"We'll lose at least a third of them," Adelasta said flatly, as though it were a mathematical certainty. "The weak won't make it."
Elyonari felt a pang of guilt as she heard her. Many of the students were still unprepared for what was coming and knew Adelasta was right.
The first gust hit like a hammer, slamming into the barriers with enough force to send several students sprawling. Sand blasted through tiny cracks, stinging exposed skin and blinding those too slow to shield their eyes. The whispers grew louder, mingling with the screams of those who faltered.
Elyonari squeezed her eyes shut, her long silver lashes trembling as she pressed her hands tightly over her ears. The roar of the sandstorm outside the barrier was deafening, but even worse were the screams.
Then, she heard all the barriers shattering.
Dozens, maybe hundreds, of voices crying out in agony, terror, or despair. The sound cut through her even though she tried to block it out.
Elyonari gritted her teeth, trying to focus on the sensation of the rough stone at her back and the familiar weight of her wooden mage staff on her lap.
But then it came.
"Elyonari…"
Her breath hitched. It wasn't just familiar.
it was Vastarael's voice.
Warm, inviting, and filled with that unplaceable charm he always carried.
"It's me," the whisper continued, soft yet clear, cutting through the screams and the howling storm. "Open your eyes… just for a moment. Didn't you miss me?"
Her heart raced. She knew it couldn't be him. Vastarael was leagues away, somewhere in the expanse of the Epoch Cycle. Yet the voice was so real, so intimate, that doubt crept into her mind.
What if it was him? What if something had happened and he'd come to find her?
"No," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head violently. Her fingers pressed harder against her ears, desperate to drown it out.
"Elyonari… please," the voice coaxed, dripping with honeyed sweetness. "Don't you trust me? Look at me."
Her resolve wavered. She felt her hands twitch, a primal urge to uncover her ears, to see if he was standing there, just beyond her closed eyes.
"Just one glance, Elyonari," Vastarael's whisper deepened, soft yet commanding. "You'll regret it if you don't."
Her breathing grew ragged as her muscles tensed. She fought the rising temptation, her mind racing through logic and instinct.
"No… you're not real," she hissed, her voice shaky but resolute. "You're not real!"
Yet even as she said it, the voice shifted, growing closer, more intimate. She could almost feel his breath brushing against her ear, sending a chill down her spine.
"You've always doubted me, haven't you? But I'm here now… Look at me, Elyonari. Open your eyes. Don't you want to see me the same way you did back then?"
As she resisted, the once-flawless voice began to falter. What was once smooth and alluring began to twist and distort.
"OpEn YoUr EyEs…"
Elyonari clamped her hands tighter against her ears, but the voice slipped through, worming into her mind.
*oPeN yOuR eYeS, ELYONARI…"
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, her pulse roaring in her ears. The voice split into fragments, overlapping like echoes in a vast, empty cavern.
"OpEN—yoUr eYeS—ElyOnARi—NOW—NOw—NOW!"
It became a cacophony of glitching, unnatural tones, each more fragmented and horrific than the last.
"nO—NoW—oPEn YO—yoUr EYES ELY—ON—ARI! oP—OpeN—ONLy Me!"
The distortions mixed with high-pitched screeches and guttural whispers, making her head throb. Her hands trembled as she dug her fingers into her hair to ground herself.
"Stop it… stop it… STOP IT!"
She screamed, but her voice was drowned out by the chaos in her mind and the screams around her.
Sweat poured down her temple and her entire body shook. The more she resisted, the worse the voices grew, their twisted sounds clawing at her sanity.
A sudden wave of nausea hit her and for a moment, she faltered. Her eyelids fluttered, almost opening.
"YESS—YEESSS—oPEN oPEN OPE—YESSS…" the cacophony cried, the distorted fragments now laughing in triumph.
She almost gave in.
"No!" Elyonari yelled, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. The metallic taste shocked her senses back to reality.
She summoned every ounce of her willpower, focusing on the steady rhythm of her breathing, on the grounding sensation of the cold stone at her back. The whispers screamed louder, glitching into a frenzied mess of overlapping voices that blurred together.
"OpEN oPeN OPENOPENOPEN—"
And then... silence.
The storm roared on outside but the voices stopped. Elyonari gasped, her chest heaving as she leaned forward, tears streaking down her sweat-drenched face.
She had won. Barely.
"Fuck you, stupid cursed storm..."