The sun hung low in the sky, painting the dunes in hues of deep orange and crimson. Zhan Arkheis rode in silence, his eyes fixed on the horizon. The jagged outcroppings of glass and stone had given way to an expanse of smoother sands, their surface marred only by faint ripples that stretched endlessly toward the distance.
The amplifiers hummed steadily in the wagons behind him, their glow synchronized with the faint pulse of the shard. The Essence in the air was heavier now, pressing down on him like an unseen weight. Each step forward felt deliberate, as though the sands themselves were pulling him closer to something vast and unknowable.
And still, the whispers persisted.
"The shard burns. The sands resist. The debt stirs beneath your feet."
Zhan ignored them, his hand brushing against the hilt of his sword. He had heard enough warnings, enough vague threats. Let the sands resist. Let the cycle claw and scream. He would press forward regardless.
The shard pulsed brighter, its light flaring briefly through the seams of its case. The amplifiers flared in response, their hum rising.
And then, in the distance, he saw it.
The black-stone city.
It rose from the sands like a monolith, its towers gleaming faintly in the dying light. The walls were smooth and seamless, their surfaces carved with runes that pulsed faintly with Essence. The city seemed untouched by time, its edges sharp and pristine despite the encroaching sands.
At its center stood the obelisk.
Even from this distance, Zhan could feel its presence—a massive, looming force that seemed to radiate power. The shard in its case flared brightly, its pulse quickening as though it recognized the obelisk's call.
Zhan dismounted, his boots sinking slightly into the sand as he approached. The air grew colder with each step, the weight of the Essence almost suffocating.
When he reached the city's edge, he paused, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The amplifiers pulsed behind him, their hum rising as they synchronized with the city's runes.
The whispers surged, louder now, their words sharp and insistent.
"The heart of the sands. The anchor of the cycle. The debt cannot be denied."
Zhan smirked, his gray eyes gleaming. "The debt can wait."
He stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the city.
The streets were silent, their surfaces smooth and unbroken. The runes along the walls flared faintly as he passed, their light casting strange, shifting shadows. The amplifiers' hum followed him, their glow dimming as the city's own Essence grew stronger.
Zhan moved with purpose, his steps echoing softly against the stone. He could feel the shard's energy burning in his veins, guiding him toward the obelisk at the city's center.
The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of the runes and the whispers in his mind.
"The sands bow. The cycle watches. The debt grows."
He tightened his grip on his sword, his gaze fixed ahead. Whatever lay at the heart of the city, he would face it.
The obelisk loomed above him, its surface carved with runes that glowed brighter than any he had seen before. The Essence radiating from it was overwhelming, pressing against him like a tidal wave.
The shard flared violently in its case, its light spilling into the air around him. The amplifiers responded in kind, their hum rising to a deafening pitch.
Zhan stepped closer, his boots crunching softly against the stone. He placed a hand on the obelisk, its surface cool and smooth beneath his touch.
The runes flared, and the whispers surged.
"The cycle bends. The sands awaken. The heart sees you."
The ground beneath him trembled, and a deep, resonant sound filled the air—a sound that seemed to come from the obelisk itself.
Zhan gritted his teeth, his hand tightening on the stone. "Enough games," he said, his voice steady. "Show me what lies at the heart of the sands."
The obelisk's light intensified, and the world around him dissolved into blinding brilliance.
When the light faded, Zhan found himself standing in a vast, empty expanse. The sky above him was a swirling void, a maelstrom of Essence and shadow. The ground beneath his feet was smooth and featureless, stretching endlessly in all directions.
And then, a voice spoke.
"Zhan Arkheis."
The voice was vast and ancient, carrying with it the weight of the desert itself. Zhan turned sharply, his sword drawn, his gray eyes scanning the empty expanse.
A figure emerged from the void, its form indistinct and flickering like a mirage. It was tall and humanoid, but its face was a swirling abyss, its body wrapped in shifting threads of light and shadow.
"You have come far," the figure said. "Too far."
"I've come for the heart of the sands," Zhan replied, his voice calm but firm. "And I will not leave without it."
The figure tilted its head, its void-like face shifting. "The heart is not yours to take. It is bound to the cycle, as are you. The debt cannot be escaped."
Zhan smirked. "The cycle is a lie. The sands bow to strength, and I will make them kneel."
The figure's form flickered, its voice sharp. "Strength without balance is destruction. Ambition without restraint is ruin. The sands do not kneel, Arkheis. They bury."
Zhan stepped forward, his blade gleaming in the faint light. "Let them try."
The ground beneath him trembled, and the void around him shifted. Tendrils of Essence coalesced, forming massive shapes that loomed above him. The figure watched silently as the tendrils surged forward, their movements swift and unrelenting.
Zhan moved instinctively, his blade flashing as he struck at the tendrils. The shard's power surged through him, sharpening his reflexes, quickening his movements.
Each strike sent shockwaves through the void, the tendrils shattering and reforming around him. The amplifiers flared in the distance, their glow casting strange shadows against the swirling sky.
The figure's voice echoed above the chaos.
"You cannot fight the sands. You cannot fight the cycle. You cannot fight the debt."
Zhan snarled, his blade cutting through another tendril. "I can fight anything. And I will win."
The figure tilted its head again, its voice cold. "Then you will break."