Meanwhile, in another Biome, the heat was absolutely unrelenting. Even the air was shimmering with exhaustion, bending in the distance like a mirage.
It was as if the land itself was trying to disappear from the cruelty of the blazing sun. Jagged dunes rolled across the landscape like waves frozen in time.
There were no plants, no shelter, just endless golden sand occasionally broken by sun-bleached stone and the skeletal remains of beasts long perished.
Lucian stood atop one of the tallest dunes, his black coat whipping lightly in the wind, his eyes narrowed against the glare of the twin suns above. Sweat beaded at his brow, but his breathing was steady, his posture relaxed.
There were no trees to hide behind, no shadows to take refuge in. Everything here was exposure, pure, brutal, and honest. A land not for those who relied on tricks or spells. Here, strength and steel ruled.
