The world around Darian, Niara, and Ailik was suddenly swallowed by absolute darkness. For a few seconds, time itself seemed to stretch inside that void, until reality exploded in a blinding flash. When their vision returned, the ground was gone; they were floating in an endless blue, hovering over the edge of an island of colossal proportions that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Ailik closed her eyes, succumbing to extreme exhaustion. Darian grabbed her, holding her firmly by the arm. The group fell. The impact against the sand was brutal, a dry boom that echoed across the deserted coast, kicking up a dense curtain of dust and salt.
Darian snorted. Without wasting time, he let his curse flow, expanding his perception. His senses crawled across a vast area around them. In that entire region, there wasn't a single pulse of life, only the oppressive silence of sand.
Darian's expression changed. Something was wrong.
