By the time the cracked wasteland of the Gray Barrens fell away behind them, the Everburning Sands stretched out ahead, welcoming them with an unforgiving wave of heat. The air shimmered with fiery mirages, distorting the horizon like a restless flame. Beneath the surface, the ground pulsed faintly, alive with a deep volcanic energy that seemed to breathe, radiating waves of scorching heat into the air.
"Stay close," Zuka commanded, his voice steady but firm as they flew low over the dunes. His white wings moved with precision, steadying him against the relentless updrafts of blistering air. "This desert's heat is more than just a physical trial. It gets into your mind, distorting your senses. Be vigilant."
Above them, Noir soared effortlessly, his shadow cutting across the shimmering sands below. His gaze flickered over the endless expanse, taking in the surreal, shifting shapes that seemed to dance on the horizon. "The Everburning Sands," he mused, his voice carrying an almost reverent tone. "A place where the laws of time are fickle, bending and twisting under the weight of the flames. If you look closely enough, brother, you might see fragments of the past—or glimpses of the future bleeding through the present."
His lips curved into a faint smile, though his crimson eyes darkened with intrigue. "Tell me, Zuka, if the sands whispered a truth to you—one you weren't ready to hear—what would you do?"
Zuka remained silent, his golden eyes fixed ahead on the endless expanse of dunes, undistracted by his brother's question. Around them, the desert's landscape shifted unnaturally, the shimmering heat distorting the sands into strange and fleeting shapes.
One of the soldiers flying nearby wiped the sweat from his brow, his breath uneven. His gaze locked onto a flickering figure in the distance—too human-like to be ignored. "Are those... people?" he asked hesitantly, his voice tinged with unease.
"No," Zuka said sharply, his tone cutting through the oppressive air. "The heat plays tricks. Don't trust what you see."
"Or," Noir interjected, his voice playful but laced with unsettling amusement, "perhaps they are people. Shadows of those who once dared to cross these sands. Armies lost to the heat, kingdoms swallowed by the flames. Dreams consumed by ambition."
Kaizen, flying alongside Zuka, frowned deeply, his cobalt wings angled against a sudden burst of scorching wind. "I've heard stories of this place," he said, his tone grave. "The volcanic flows beneath these sands are constantly shifting, ready to erupt at any moment. Some say the heat here is a punishment, but no one knows for what."
Noir let out a soft laugh, the sound low and melodic. "Punishment, perhaps," he said, tilting his head slightly, "or maybe... a test. These sands burn away the unworthy. But for those who endure, they reveal their truths. Maybe the desert is simply waiting for someone strong enough to survive its fires."
The oppressive heat grew more intense as they pressed onward, the Everburning Sands stretching endlessly in every direction. Even the Dragonoid soldiers, trained and resilient, began to falter under the relentless waves of heat. Their wings beat steadily, but their breaths grew labored, their strength tested by the desert's merciless grip.
As they neared what appeared to be the desert's edge, the flickering illusions around them began to shift. The mirages grew clearer, coalescing into shapes that seemed almost solid. Half-formed figures loomed in the distance—spectral images that felt more real with every passing moment.
Zuka's eyes narrowed as a new sight emerged ahead of them: an ancient ruin, partially buried beneath the sand. Weathered pillars jutted from the ground like skeletal remains, etched with symbols too faint to decipher. The structure radiated an aura of power, as though it had been waiting for their arrival.
"This wasn't here before," Zuka said, his voice measured but suspicious.
Noir descended beside him, his wings folding elegantly as his boots touched the heated sand. His crimson eyes sparkled with dark curiosity. "Perhaps not in your world," he said with a smirk. "But here, time flows like molten glass. What the desert buries one day, it may unearth the next. The sands obey no master but their own whims."
Zuka ignored Noir's riddles, his focus fixed on the ruin ahead. Without a word, he motioned for the group to keep moving, their pace quickening. The desert was behind them now, but its heat clung to their skin like a ghost, a reminder that the Everburning Sands were more than just a trial—they were a force that tested not only the body but the mind.