Zayde glanced around, his instincts screaming that staying in one place would mean certain death. With no idea where he was or where to go, he chose a direction at random and started walking. Thankfully, he didn't feel thirsty or hungry—at least not yet. All he could do was move forward, hoping to find a settlement, water, or food before the desert claimed him.
While his mind was a blank slate, Zayde wasn't ignorant. He understood the basics—how to eat, breathe, survive... even relieve himself. Those instincts were intact. Step by step, he pressed on, clinging to the fragile hope that something, anything, lay ahead.
The strings of fate were already weaving around him. Even the direction he chose to walk was preordained, guiding him toward the first steps of a grand adventure.
Zayde pressed on diligently, steadily trekking through the shifting sands of the desert. With each step, the ground shifted beneath his feet, but he felt he was making decent progress. However, night was slowly creeping in. The sun hung low on the horizon, and he could feel the temperature dropping with every passing moment.
The last vestiges of daylight had vanished, and the temperature had plummeted. Though Zayde had made good progress, he hadn't found any signs of civilization or shelter. He knew the night ahead would be brutal. With the cold seeping into his bones, he decided it was time to stop.
Exhausted, Zayde lay down on the sand, his body aching and battered from trekking miles upon miles on his very first day in this strange world. As he rested, he could still feel the faint warmth lingering in the sand beneath him. But he knew it wouldn't last, and the biting cold could very well claim him before dawn.
That's when an idea sparked in his mind. Desperation driving him, Zayde began to dig. He clawed into the sand, creating a shallow pit deep enough to shield himself from the frigid winds. Once the hole was about two feet deep, he climbed in, covering his body with the slightly warm sand to insulate himself against the cold.
Only his nostrils and eyes remained visible above the surface, cautiously scanning for any potential threats. Buried in the sand, he hoped his burrow would keep him warm enough to survive the night—and hidden enough to avoid whatever dangers might lurk in the darkness.
Before First Light crept over the horizon, Zayde felt the sand around him start to warm. He had managed only minimal sleep throughout the night—just enough to keep functioning. But he had survived.
With groggy movements and heavy bags under his eyes, he dug himself out of the makeshift burrow he had crafted. The faint glow of dawn began to stretch over the dunes, but Zayde's mind lingered on the horrors of the night. Echoing roars of unseen beasts had kept him on edge, and he remembered seeing massive birds circling ominously in the sky. He knew that if any of those creatures had found him, it would have been the end.
Shaking off the unease, Zayde decided it was time to move. He oriented himself in the direction he had been walking the previous day and resumed his trek, determined to keep going despite the exhaustion gnawing at his body.
Hours passed as Zayde continued walking, a mantra pounding in his head: just keep walking, just keep walking, I'll survive, just keep walking. His mind was hazy from exhaustion, but he pushed on.
And then, through the haze of fatigue, he saw it.
The first signs of civilization appeared before him. In a rocky area, surrounded by endless sand, he spotted an abandoned camp. Tarps were stretched over makeshift beds, and the faint glow of embers lingered from what looked like a recently burned-out fire.