The shine of sunlight shot daggers into Kaz's eyes. He shielded his face with one arm, wincing at the searing pain from the heat that spread across his skin. The ground beneath him felt like a frying pan, the scorching hot sand biting into his bare feet.
"Where am I? A desert?" Kaz muttered under his breath, blinking against the blinding light. He quickly regretted his words as he took in his surroundings. Endless stretches of sand, towering cacti standing like silent sentinels, and the oppressive heat radiating from every direction. The horizon shimmered with mirages, making the world feel distant, unreal.
"In all the worlds the rift could've sent me, I ended up in a desert," Kaz thought bitterly, trying to gather his bearings. As he jumped off the ground, he realized the full extent of his predicament. His skin burned as if it were being scorched, and the sweat clung to him, making everything feel heavier. He scanned the area desperately, looking for something, anything, that might help him survive this barren wasteland.
The only things he could make out were the cacti and the dry, cracked earth. His thoughts raced—how was he supposed to survive in this place?
"How does this work… system?" Kaz muttered, hoping for some kind of response. But there was nothing. Not a single change in the air. He gritted his teeth. "Appraisal!" he called out, but still, nothing.
Frustration welled up inside him. As he stood there, trying to figure out his next move, a thin line of shimmering scripts appeared in the air before him.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Kaz thought, staring at the strange symbols that had manifested before him.
Name: Kazeem Steel
True name:
Soul crystal: Shard
Rank: Novice
Flux shard: 0/1000
Feature: [null] [Beyond] [Prosper]
Trait: No Lineage
Trait Description: You were born to no one. Nothing birthed you.
Kaz blinked at the words, feeling a sharp pang of confusion and frustration. No lineage? Was that even a trait? It felt more like a curse. He didn't have a useful trait, or at least not one he could recognize. The [Beyond] feature made his skin prickle, but it didn't seem to do anything for him now.
"These will be my lifeline?" Kaz muttered, scoffing at the irony. "I'm basically dead. I don't even have a useful trait."
Before he could dwell further on his fate, a massive shadow loomed over him. He barely had time to react before he heard a deafening hiss. A giant scorpion, its pincers snapping, shot out of the sand and tried to stab him with its venomous tail. Kaz ducked to the side, adrenaline surging through him as his instincts kicked in. The creature's dark eyes glinted with hunger, its body swaying as it prepared for another strike.
Kaz's heart raced. There was no time to think. The air around him felt charged with danger. He could almost feel the scorpion's malice in every move it made. He had to escape.
"Shoot, shoot, shoot, this massive scorpion keeps attacking me!" Kaz panicked, scrambling to his feet and sliding across the sand in a desperate attempt to evade the creature's next strike. The scorpion's tail lashed behind him, the sharp sting of its poison scraping the air. Kaz's legs burned as he sprinted, his thoughts scattered.
Then, something caught his eye.
Ahead, nestled between two jagged rocks, was a massive Venus flytrap. It seemed almost too perfect to be real—its bulbous, green petals opening and closing rhythmically, like an ancient predator waiting for its prey.
Kaz's heart skipped a beat. If he could lead the scorpion to it, maybe—just maybe—he could escape unscathed. He didn't have much time, but it was his only option.
"Good, good, if I lead the scorpion to the flower, I can get away unscathed," he thought to himself, a plan forming rapidly. He threw a handful of sand at the creature, hoping to distract it. The sand whipped into the air, catching the attention of the scorpion. It scuttled toward him with terrifying speed, its pincers snapping eagerly.
Kaz's pulse quickened. He was running out of options.
He bolted toward the Venus flytrap, praying it would work. His body was a blur as he sprinted, the sand kicking up around him. The flytrap's eyes—if it had any—locked onto him as he neared. It seemed to sense him, its massive jaws snapping open, ready to catch whatever came too close.
Kaz was almost there, just a few more feet, but then the flytrap reacted. Its petals began to twitch, sensing his proximity, and it surged forward. At the last second, Kaz slid under the massive flower, narrowly avoiding its deadly snap. The scorpion was right behind him, charging with its tail poised for the kill.
Kaz gritted his teeth and kept running, heart pounding in his chest. The flytrap's petals closed with terrifying speed, and Kaz shot past it, hearing the wet snap of its jaws just as the scorpion barreled toward it.
The two creatures collided. The scorpion tried to lash out, but the Venus flytrap was quicker. Its jaws snapped around the scorpion's pincers, holding the creature in place as it struggled. The scorpion's tail whipped around in vain, trying to strike, but the flower's powerful grip held it tight.
Kaz didn't wait to see the outcome. He stumbled away, his legs aching, his body still buzzing with adrenaline. His mind raced, but all he could focus on was one thing: survival.
As he continued to run, he stumbled upon a small oasis hidden amidst the dunes. The sight was almost too good to be true—a sparkling pool of water surrounded by palm trees, the air cooler and fresher than the stifling desert heat. Kaz's legs felt weak beneath him, and he staggered forward, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him.
"Is this just luck, or is this a mirage?" Kaz thought, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. The water sparkled invitingly, the palm trees swaying gently in a nonexistent breeze.
He approached cautiously, unsure of whether to trust the oasis or not. But the aching thirst in his throat was too strong. Without another thought, he knelt by the water's edge, scooping up a handful and drinking deeply.
The cool liquid was like life itself, revitalizing his body and mind. He took another gulp, feeling his strength return with each sip. The water was real. For the first time since arriving in this alien world, Kaz felt a small sense of relief.
But the question still lingered: was he truly safe, or was this just another illusion, another part of the rift's cruel game? The heat of the desert felt farther away now, but Kaz couldn't afford to let his guard down.
As he stood up, wiping his mouth, he gazed out over the oasis. The sand stretched beyond, infinite and unyielding. Was this just the beginning of his journey, or would the world around him prove as merciless as the rift itself?