The Watcher's strides were deliberate, her robe flowing as though it had a life of its own, catching light from the distant, alien sun. Solstice followed cautiously, the weight of the world pressing on his shoulders.
The silence between them was heavy, but it didn't feel oppressive. It felt… expectant. As though the sands themselves were waiting for something to break the stillness.
"Who are you really?" Solstice finally asked, his voice cutting through the quiet like a blade.
"I've already told you," the Watcher replied, her tone even. "I observe. I guide. But it is not my story you walk."
"Guidance usually involves answering questions," Solstice said dryly.
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "You've not yet asked the right ones."
The path they walked wasn't marked, yet the Watcher seemed to know it intuitively. The dunes began to shift, flattening into what looked like the ruins of an ancient city. Half-buried spires jutted from the sand like the ribs of some great beast. Cracked mosaics spread across the ground, their vibrant colors dulled by the weight of time.
Solstice slowed as they entered the ruins, his eyes scanning the structures. Something about the place felt… familiar. Like a fragment of a dream he couldn't quite piece together.
"What is this place?" he asked, his voice quieter now, almost reverent.
The Watcher paused, glancing over her shoulder. "A remnant," she said. "A city caught in the Threshold, abandoned by those who once lived here."
"Abandoned?" Solstice repeated, his gaze lingering on a toppled statue. It depicted a figure cloaked in robes, their face obscured by a veil. "Or something worse?"
"Both, perhaps," the Watcher said cryptically.
Before he could press her, a sound broke the stillness—a faint, melodic humming. It was haunting yet soothing, a song carried on the wind.
Solstice tensed, his hand instinctively moving to his sword. "What is that?"
The Watcher didn't respond immediately. Her gaze was fixed ahead, where the ruins gave way to a shadowed archway. "You are about to meet one who walks a path similar to your own," she said. "Be wary, Solstice. Not all who wander the Threshold do so with noble intent."
The humming grew louder, closer. From the shadows of the archway emerged a figure draped in tattered cloth, their face obscured by a hood. They moved with an unnatural grace, their steps soundless on the mosaic floor.
"Another traveler?" Solstice asked, his grip tightening on his weapon.
The Watcher inclined her head but didn't reply.
The figure stopped a few paces away, their head tilting slightly as if appraising Solstice. Then they spoke, their voice soft yet carrying an otherworldly resonance. "A stranger in the sand… How peculiar."
Solstice frowned. "I could say the same about you."
The figure chuckled, a sound that sent a chill down his spine. "Oh, I am no stranger here. This city has been my home for longer than I care to remember."
"You're lying," Solstice said, his tone sharp. "The Watcher just said this place was abandoned."
"Did she now?" The figure's hood shifted as they turned their gaze toward the Watcher. "Still keeping secrets, I see."
The Watcher's expression remained impassive. "You know the rules of this place, Silas. Do not test them."
Silas laughed again, the sound echoing eerily through the ruins. "The rules… such a fragile thing, aren't they? But don't worry, dear Watcher. I'm not here to break them."
"Not yet," she murmured, her golden eyes narrowing.
Solstice stepped forward, his patience thinning. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
Silas turned back to him, and though his face was hidden, Solstice could feel the intensity of his gaze. "Who I am is unimportant. As for what I want…" He paused, his head tilting as though listening to something only he could hear. "Perhaps the same thing you do. A way out."
"A way out of what?" Solstice asked, his frustration mounting.
Silas didn't answer. Instead, he began to hum again, the melody weaving through the air like a tangible thing. The ruins around them seemed to respond, the mosaics glowing faintly, the sand shifting as if alive.
"What are you doing?" Solstice demanded, his hand moving to draw his sword.
The Watcher raised a hand to stop him. "Wait."
The glow intensified, and for a brief moment, the city came alive. The broken spires repaired themselves, the mosaics regained their vibrant colors, and ghostly figures walked the streets, their laughter and chatter filling the air.
Solstice stared in awe. "What is this…?"
"Echoes," the Watcher said softly. "Memories of what once was."
Silas stopped humming, and the vision faded as quickly as it had appeared. The city returned to its ruined state, silent and still.
"Why did you show us that?" Solstice asked, his voice quieter now.
"To remind you," Silas said, his tone serious for the first time. "This place is not what it seems. And neither are you."
Before Solstice could respond, Silas turned and began to walk away, his figure fading into the shadows of the archway.
The Watcher watched him go, her expression unreadable. "Come," she said after a moment. "There is much you need to learn."
Solstice hesitated, his gaze lingering on the archway where Silas had disappeared. Then he turned and followed the Watcher deeper into the ruins.