Everyone ran as fast as they could, their feet barely finding purchase on the ground that was collapsing beneath them.
The screams grew louder, fear pounding in their chests like mad drums, but this time there was no time for hesitation.
Everyone was fleeing, except Zahra.
The moment the sand began to pull her in, she gasped, trying to scream, but faint whispers, barely audible, slipped out:
"Amer..."
No one heard her, except Amer.
He turned immediately, as if his body responded before his mind, and when he saw what was happening, he didn't hesitate.
He ran toward her with all his strength, moving as though everything in the world had disappeared. No fear, no logic—only her, only Zahra, sinking before him.
He dropped to the ground and extended his hand, gripping her arm tightly, as if she were the only thing keeping him alive.
He said in a strong, steady voice:
"Hold on to me!"
Zahra was sinking, her hands sinking into the sand as she desperately tried to hold on to life, but the sand was stronger, slowly swallowing her.
Zahra (in a voice full of panic, clinging to Amer's hope):
"Don't leave me... Amer, I don't want to die!"
Amer's grip tightened, his body tense as he tried to pull her out, but he felt the strong resistance, the sand fighting back, as if it wanted to take her by force.
At that moment, Juan noticed the situation. He had made it to the safe area with the others, but he saw how quickly the sand was advancing, and how Amer himself was starting to lose his balance.
He shouted with all his might:
"Amer! Let her go! If you stay, you'll sink with her! Come back now!"
But Amer didn't move.
He heard Juan's voice and saw the fear in everyone's eyes, but he didn't care.
All he saw was Zahra. Her fingers clinging to him, her wide eyes silently calling out to him. She was between life and death, and he was the only one who could save her.
He shouted angrily:
"I won't leave her!"
He tried again, his body screaming in pain, but he didn't care.
Zahra was on the brink of collapse, her eyes drowning in tears, but her faith in him had not weakened.
With the strength she had left, she screamed:
"Amer, I want to live!"
The voices filled the air, everyone calling for Amer to let go and save himself. Even Juan, who had always been steady, seemed to have lost control, his voice carrying a desperate tone:
"Amer! Don't be a fool! You'll drown with her!"
But Amer didn't hear them. All he saw was Zahra's face before him, sinking in fear, helplessness, and despair.
As for Sarah, she couldn't move. Her hands were raised slightly, as if trying to reach them, but her feet were rooted in place. She wanted to save them, but she didn't know how.
And in the moment the sand started to swallow Zahra more, her whispers were barely audible amidst the storm:
"Let me go… Amer, stay alive. I'm sorry for everything I did to you… before."
Her words were weak, but her eyes carried a deep sincerity, as if she wanted to leave this world without any burden.
But Amer didn't hear, didn't see, didn't feel anything but anger.
He tightened his grip on her, bracing himself with all his strength, until the sand reached his knees. His eyes locked with hers, and there, amidst the swirl of sand, he spoke in a deep, sharp voice:
"You're not the only one who controls your fate… you can't decide alone, you need more than just your opinion to make a decision about you."
His tone was different, there was no despair or urgency, it was like a command with no turning back.
Zahra was stunned by his words, unable to respond amidst the chaos.
Amer continued speaking, and this time, he wasn't just angry—his anger erupted in his voice, as if the very sky itself trembled:
"No... I won't let you, you damned desert, swallow us! You've already taken enough from my comrades!"
But the sand didn't care about his words... it kept pulling her, as if mocking him.
It was expected that Amer would break, lose his strength, realize the weakness of humanity before the power of nature...
But something strange happened.
In an unexplainable moment, a moment that defied all logic, everything changed.
Amer spoke, his voice sharp as a sword:
"Desert... give me Zahra back. Do you understand?"
Suddenly, the storm stopped. The sand froze as if an invisible hand had commanded it to be silent. The air became unnaturally still, eerily so.
In a moment that felt like time had bent, the sand threw Zahra back to Amer's side, as if nothing had ever happened.
Everything returned to normal in an instant.
No one understood what had just happened. Zahra was gasping for breath, her eyes wide with terror and shock, her body trembling, but she was alive.
As for Amer, he sat beside her, staring at the sand, which had suddenly stopped moving, as though it hadn't moved a moment ago.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with something new… not anger, nor confusion, but something entirely different.
Everyone's gaze was confused, as if they were seeing something that didn't belong to this world.
Then, Amer gently leaned toward her, brushing the strands of hair wet with sweat and tears from her pale face, as if his touch soothed everything she had been through.
He took her hand, gently wiped her tears, and smiled at her with a warm smile, saying softly:
"Didn't I tell you that you wouldn't die?"
Zahra, who couldn't find the words, suddenly threw herself into his arms, holding onto him with all her strength. Her embrace was more than just comfort; it was gratitude, protection, and a need for the safety she found in him when she thought death was inevitable.
Amer didn't hesitate for a moment. He held her tightly, as if to tell her, "I won't let you go. You are safe now."
They stayed like that until her heartbeat returned to normal, and the fear gradually faded away.
Once they had caught their breath, everyone began praising Amer, calling him a hero and a madman.
But when Zahra looked at him, there was something in her eyes that needed no words.
There was no time to rest, so they decided to continue the journey.
As they walked, Amer noticed Zahra struggling to keep her feet on the ground.
He quickly approached her, and when he saw her stumble, he stopped directly in front of her, speaking calmly:
"Zahra, stop."
Zahra looked at Amer in surprise, but she fell silent.
Amer kneeled, lifting his gaze to her feet, and was stunned by the swelling and the slow bleeding from the wounds caused by the rough sand tearing at her skin.
He looked up at her with concern, his voice calm but firm:
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Zahra tried to smile despite the pain that was splitting her face.
"Because the journey is long... and I don't want to be a burden."
Amer continued to stare at her for a few moments, unable to believe what he had just heard.
Then, without saying another word, he turned, sat down for a moment, and then spoke in a decisive tone:
"Get on my back."
Zahra was surprised, but before she could protest, Amer interrupted her:
"Zahra, there's no room for discussion. Your feet can't take any more, and if you keep going like this, it will only get worse. Get on my back now."
Zahra hesitated, looking at Amer, then at the others who were watching silently.
But Amer's gaze left no room for refusal. He wouldn't take another step without her.
Zahra took a deep breath and finally surrendered. She stepped forward shyly, placed her hands on his shoulders, and allowed him to carry her on his back.
When she settled, she felt, for the first time since entering the desert... safe.
As Amer walked steadily, carrying her in his arms, he whispered softly, barely audible, but enough to bring a smile to her face despite the pain:
"Didn't I tell you that you'd never be a burden?"
As night fell, the caravan finally stopped. The exhaustion was evident on everyone. Each of them collapsed onto the cold sand, panting after hours of walking through the desert, as if their bodies had lost the ability to endure.
Amer sat on the sand, his hand on his forehead, distressed:
"I never thought we'd make it here... after all this."
Sara looked around, sorrow in her eyes, then said in a pained tone:
"We're here... alive, and that's what matters."
Juan sat beside them, lost in thought, staring into the dark horizon:
"We've lost so much... how do we keep going after all this? What about Master Ishtar and the students? What about Maher?"
Amer, looking at Juan with sadness, replied:
"They were part of us. I can't believe we lost them like this, but we have to continue. Death is unforgiving, and we don't have the luxury of stopping."
Aram, placing his hand on his knee, his eyes barely open from exhaustion:
"We've lost a lot... but we must honor those who remain."
Zahra, her head lifted with difficulty from the sand, tried to hide her tears before looking at Amer:
"I can't take this anymore. I feel like I'm going to give up. How can we continue in this hell?"
Amer, his face calm as he placed his hand on her shoulder:
"We won't allow that, Zahra. We're together, and that's what keeps us alive. We have to prepare to continue, not because we want to, but because we must."
Sara, in a sad voice, looked at Zahra:
"You're not alone. We're here for you, and for each other."
A moment of silence passed, and then they began counting the dead, checking who remained alive. The situation was painful, but there was no other choice.
Juan, smiling bitterly:
"The number doesn't match what we had hoped for. We lost Master Ishtar and Maher, and many of the students who have been with us from the beginning."
Aram, shaking his head in sorrow, waving his hand in the air:
"I can't believe what happened. Think of those who remain. The battle was bigger than we could handle."
Zahra, wiping her tears in silence, stood up and said:
"At least we're here now, alive. But they won't be forgotten. It will never be easy."
Amer, looking at her with determination, his eyes full of strength:
"We will live for them. We will move forward for them. They won't take more from us. We are stronger than all of this."
In the midst of hunger, thirst, cold, and darkness, there was no need for words.
Everyone knew that nothing could change their reality now. Running from the truth or trying to find impossible solutions was futile.
Silence spoke, and exhaustion conquered. One by one, they surrendered to deep sleep despite everything.
Amer walked away from them, his steps heavy in the sand, fleeing from their voices and the shadows of death that still chased him.
He sat there, his back resting on his hands, closing his eyes in the hope of finding a moment of calm.
But when he thought of himself, all he saw were the faces of betrayal and the desert that had swallowed them all.
Then, at that moment, he lifted his eyes to find the moon full in the sky, but not like any moon he had ever known before. It was enormous, glowing with a bright blue light, flooding the desert with unbearable radiance.
His astonishment didn't end until the stars lit up, as if they were ancient eyes watching over the world.
The stars became more than just distant dots; they were celestial bodies dancing above the horizon, weaving silver threads over the sand.
The desert changed. Its vastness became enveloped in warm purple light as the red sands turned purple, like a silk fabric woven from the light of dawn.
Then, the butterflies appeared.
They floated slowly around him, as if they were part of a heavenly spell. Their glowing wings left trails of light on the sand, as if the earth were writing a poem of light.
A warm breeze, not cold, touched his body and soul together, carrying with it a fragrant scent, as if it passed through hidden gardens.
He felt as though the wind was touching his wounds, soothing them.
Amer closed his eyes, this time not to escape but to surrender to the overwhelming peace.
Suddenly, a faint voice broke the silence of his thoughts:
"It seems you were right… there's no more room for doubt."