The caravan entered the wall of sand without slowing down.
It was like a storm—but also calm.
Sand flew through the air, making it hard to breathe, yet there was no strong wind. In fact, there didn't seem to be any wind at all.
Sev stood atop his carriage at the front of the caravan, scanning the surroundings—or at least what little he could see in such an environment—nervously waiting for something to attack. He had encountered terrifying beings in the wall of sand before. From experience, he knew that as long as they were fast enough—and lucky enough—they might just pass through unscathed.
His mind kept drifting back to the last return point. That storm had been unlike anything he'd ever seen. If he had been alone, he would've had to sacrifice most of the Lost Souls to make it through alive.
The memory made him shiver.
It didn't take long for the caravan to emerge on the other side, once again face-to-face with the distant mountains.
Sev exhaled a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, then swept his eyes across the travelers and began counting.
Two more were gone.
Another quiet shrug.
He turned back toward the looming peaks and pulled out his notebook. With a practiced motion, he pricked his finger and began to write in blood.
'2nd return point: regular – 1.
Danger: close to none.
Supply: stable.
Losses: minimal.'
When he finished, he flipped to the previous page.
'1st return point: abnormal – 3.
Danger: Extreme.
Supply: stable.
Losses: None.'
Sev slowly traced his finger along the entry before shifting to another section.
'Memory lost:
I've been wandering the desert for days when I was approached by a young woman. She introduced herself as Astrid and began telling me about the mountains and her plans for the future.
I tagged along because it seemed fun, and having someone like her on my side would benefit me greatly.
Together we hunted, ate, slept, and walked toward the distant mountains.'
He read it like it was just another entry—nothing more than a random footnote in someone else's journal.
His eyes flicked down to the bottom of the page.
'The boy is shaping up to be a valuable asset.
His strength is abnormal, yet his memories show no irregularities.
His method of guiding energy may be the thing I've been searching for.
I need to study him and find out more. He could be the key.'
A wide grin crept across Sev's otherwise cold, expressionless face.
He tucked the notebook into a small pocket of his modified suit and buttoned it closed with practiced care. The air around him had turned slightly colder—the influence of the mountains slowly bleeding into the desert.
After a short scan of the area, he jumped down from the carriage and made his way to the supply wagon. From within, he retrieved a plate of dried meat and a lidded cup filled with water. Then he returned to the main carriage—this time stepping inside.
The door creaked open.
Astel turned his head toward him, already expecting his arrival. His eyes locked onto the food, watching it like a starving dog.
"We're almost at the mountains," Sev said, walking over to the bed. He handed Astel the plate and the cup. "Just one more step."
Astel nodded before digging in with barely restrained hunger.
"Two more people disappeared in the storm," Sev added.
Astel froze. His head lowered, a heavy silence filling the space.
"I almost have it. I can feel it, Sev."
He raised his head and met Sev's eyes with a serious expression on his face.
"I won't allow any more of them to die."
Sev sighed. "Just don't push yourself."
Astel nodded again and returned to his meal, finishing it quickly.
"Do you mind if I sit here while you meditate?" Sev asked, motioning to the chair he'd dragged from the table.
"Sure, do what you want," Astel muttered as he shifted into a more comfortable position, his body twitching from the strain of movement. Then he closed his eyes.
Sev watched silently for a few minutes before leaning forward and pressing two fingers against Astel's temple.
With a metaphysical push, he sent his energy slipping into Astel's mind.
Astel guided his own energy through his arteries, still searching for a response near his heart. He had been at it for days—or possibly even longer—but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find anything.
Suddenly, the flow of his energy staggered, almost dispersing.
'What is that?'
'It's been happening for a while, and I almost lose focus every time.'
His question went unanswered for only a moment.
"I'm telling you, it's your body telling you to stop this madness," said the other voice in his head. "If you won't listen to me, at least listen to your own body."
Astel shrugged mentally.
'Nobody asked for your opinion.'
He shoved the voice's words aside and continued his search.
Meanwhile, Sev monitored the process, feeling each shift in energy as if he were guiding it himself. A strange sensation crawled into the back of his mind—something was being replaced.
Bit by bit, pieces of his own memory crumbled away, fading into the void.
He knew exactly what was happening. And still, he kept watching.
Hours passed. Eventually, Astel's energy ran dry, and he collapsed inward, drained and unsuccessful once again.
Sev pulled his hand away and left Astel's mind.
A sharp pain struck him behind the eyes. He clenched his head with one hand and pulled out his notebook with the other.
Ignoring the pain, he dipped a feather in blood and began to write:
'Memory lost:
We approached the mountains, getting closer with each step, but somehow—even after days of walking—we still hadn't arrived.
After nearly dying of hunger, we decided to head back, hoping to find others and increase our chances of survival.
Astrid was a great fighter, and I helped us find shelter and avoid unnecessary fights, but it wasn't enough.
As we distanced ourselves from the mountains, we began hearing glass cracking.
Terrified, we hid in a nearby cave, waiting for the world to come crashing down around us.
But it was quiet.'
There was no emotion on his face as he wrote. It was like he was recording a fictional tale—someone else's life.
When he finished, he scribbled one last note at the bottom of the page, this time with a faint grin:
'Leaving the heart region, I've witnessed the continuous dissolution of energy and its influence on nearby cells.
The memory is hazy, but it's provided valuable insight into the effects of conceptual energy on the human body.'
Sev slowly closed the notebook and raised his eyes staring directly at the sleeping boy, "Just one more step," he whispered letting out a soft chuckle, but for some reason… he didn't feel any closer at all.