"Well, we're definitely not in a rural area," Keeva noted sarcastically. A sentiment all of them shared…
Because they were in a literal desert.
Endless dunes stretched in every direction, golden sand reflected the harsh sunlight. The heat was immediate and oppressive, far more intense than it had been on their side of the breach. No vegetation. No structures. No signs of civilization whatsoever.
"The barrier still moved us," Finn said, feeling the wrongness of it in his bones. "Despite being connected, it still randomized our location."
"But at least we're together," Thalia pointed out. She looked at Deacon and Finn. "So, which direction?"
Both Transcendents turned slowly, scanning the cardinal points with their enhanced senses.
Finn's Error Vision picked up subtle flaws in the distance — minute distortions in the heat haze that suggested structure rather than natural formation. South. Definitely south.
