***
{Inside The Projection}
Days blurred into seconds, weeks into minutes.
The early mornings crept in like sneaky little thieves, robbing the night of its quiet despair and dumping them into yet another day of trudging south.
Crunching grass.
The screeches of monsters in the distance.
And, every now and then, the blood-curdling scream of some poor Seeker biting off more than they could chew.
That was their soundtrack.
Malik was always the first one up, moving before the Shams even had a chance to wake up.
His steps were lighter now—not in a carefree way, but in a way that spoke of his cowardice.
His eyes were fixed on the horizon as if it held all the answers he'd been searching for.
Behind him, Jasmine and Safira dragged their feet, noses buried in their Scrolls like zealots reading their holy scripture.
Every second of them not talking was an extra second to memorize every damn line.
