Zyon stood near the edge of the village, watching the hunting squad return from the desert.
A cloud of dust followed them across the dunes.
The moment people noticed, work stopped.
Farmers looked up from their crops.
Children abandoned their games.
Villagers drifted toward the entrance, eager to see what the hunters had brought home.
Three veteran hunters led the way while two younger trainees struggled behind them, dragging a dead Ethereal through the sand.
The creature looked like a human-sized desert lizard. Thick scales covered its body, and sharp spines ran along its back. Every bump and rock made the carcass shift and scrape against the ground.
At the front of the group, Victor carried a glowing green Ether-core in one hand. The crystal was about the size of a small apple and cast a faint green glow over his fingers.
More villagers began gathering near the entrance as the hunters approached.
Cheers rose from the crowd.
"They're finally back!"
"Looks like a successful hunt."
"That beast is huge."
The trainees dropped the ropes for a moment to catch their breath. With a loud thud, the beast fell to the ground. Several villagers stepped closer to inspect the kill.
Zyon's eyes moved across the Ethereal's body.
The scales looked almost untouched.
No deep wounds. No missing limbs.
Then he spotted it.
A feathered arrow stuck out from the creature's eye socket.
The crowd immediately noticed it as well.
"Hah! Right through the eye."
"Only Victor could pull that off."
Victor simply rubbed the back of his neck while the villagers were giving him praise.
While the villagers showered Victor with praise, one of the trainees groaned and stretched his aching shoulders. 'They have no idea how hard we all worked to kill this beast.'
Around them, villagers were already discussing what they could do with the spoils.
"That hide will make strong armor."
"And maybe some parts can be made into a weapon."
Zyon remained where he was, still a bit farther away from the hunting squad.
His gaze followed the hunters as they walked through the entrance, greeted by smiling faces and grateful voices.
For a moment, he imagined himself among them.
Covered in dust.
Dragging back an Ethereal.
Holding an Ether-core while the village celebrated.
The image lasted only a few seconds.
Zyon looked down.
A faint golden glow flickered between his fingers.
His light trembled like a candle caught in the wind.
The sun was slowly setting behind the dunes now, painting the desert in shades of orange and red.
He pushed more Heka-energy into the glow.
For an instant, it brightened.
Then it weakened again.
Zyon looked around, and nearby, an elderly woman lit a lantern with her light power and continued walking without a second thought. A group of children created tiny marbles of light and flicked them against each other, testing whose light was stronger.
Their light remained steady.
Zyon's didn't.
The glow between his fingers shrank until it was little more than a spark.
Zyon clenched his fist.
His shoulders slumped slightly as he stared at the horizon.
The last sliver of sunlight was disappearing behind the dunes.
"Why..." he muttered. The evening breeze brushed against his face. "Everyone else's light stays the same."
A light tap on his shoulder pulled Zyon from his thoughts. Turning around, he found Lorenzo standing behind him with his usual grin.
"Zyon, don't beat yourself up, bro," Lorenzo said, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "I already know what you're thinking."
Lorenzo lowered his voice and put on an exaggerated frown. "My powers are trash. I'll never become a hunter. I'll never become an adventurer."
Then he puffed out his chest and struck a heroic pose, flexing his tiny arms. "But during the day? You're stronger than almost all of us. Heck, even most of the older kids avoid sparring with you. You remember that training dummy from last week? The thing almost caught fire! Honestly, I still don't understand how you did it. It was kinda scary..."
He paused dramatically before smiling again and said, "...and also pretty cool."
Zyon tried to hold back a smile but failed.
"There it is," Lorenzo declared, pointing at him. "That's the face of someone who's worrying too much, Sunnyboy."
Zyon rolled his eyes, though a smile still lingered on his face.
Even though they were both only twelve, Zyon stood nearly two heads taller than Lorenzo.
The shorter boy refused to let that bother him and continued striking ridiculous heroic poses beneath the setting sun.
"One day," Lorenzo continued proudly, "I'll become the greatest adventurer this village has ever seen."
"Yesterday you got stuck in a cactus, Lorry," Zyon said teasingly.
Lorenzo immediately stopped flexing his tiny arms. "Bro..." He shook his head. "That cactus cheated."
Despite himself, Zyon laughed.
Lorenzo laughed as he shook his head. His dark hair stuck out in every direction as usual, making him look like he'd just survived an explosion.
The two boys turned their attention back to the village square. Villagers were helping drag the Ethereal toward the smith's workshop while others gathered around it, discussing what could be made from the Ethereal.
"That'll make a solid armor or shield."
"I wonder what they will use the Ether-core for."
"I am sure the core will give some good enhancement to the hunters' weapons."
"I could use some new boots," a man joked.
The safe return of the hunters always put everyone in better moods.
The sun continued its slow descent, catching the naturally golden tips of Zyon's dark curls.
One by one, lanterns lit up across the streets. A young father illuminated his stall as he packed away the last of his goods. Nearby, several children ran through the square chasing floating orbs of light, their laughter carrying through the evening air.
Zyon watched them for a moment before a faint glow appeared between his fingers. He looked down as the small light flickered uncertainly. Across the square, a girl not older than ten guided a glowing bird through the air, laughing as it flew around her head.
Her light stayed bright.
The glow in Zyon's hand weakened, and he instinctively fed more Heka into it. For a brief moment, it grew stronger, only to flicker again as the sun sank lower behind the dunes. His fingers curled slightly. His breathing grew uneven, and a faint sense of exhaustion settled into his limbs.
Lorenzo noticed. The grin on his face softened for a moment before he intentionally looked elsewhere.
"Come on," he said, nudging Zyon with an elbow. "Let's go see if the hunters lost a limb this time."
Zyon snorted, now laughing out loud.
Halfway across the square, the sand beneath his sandals trembled for a heartbeat.
Not much.
Just enough.
He then stopped and turned.
The village carried on normally.
Nobody reacted.
Nobody seemed to notice.
A strange chill crawled up his spine.
Slowly Zyon turned toward the desert.
Far beyond the village, the desert stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
Two figures stood on a distant dune.
Wrapped entirely in black rags.
Zyon narrowed his eyes. The distance made it impossible to see their faces.
If they even had faces.
His breath caught. "Lorenzo..."
The name never left his mouth.
He wanted to shout.
Wanted to point.
Wanted to run.
He couldn't move.
The two figures stood beyond the barrier.
Watching him.
A cold weight settled on his chest.
Slowly, Zyon closed his eyes.
One second.
Two.
Three.
The feeling loosened and the pressure faded.
When he opened his eyes the dune was empty.
The figures were gone.
Zyon stumbled back and sucked in a deep breath.
His legs worked again.
"What the hell..." he whispered.
For a moment he wondered if he had imagined everything.
"Whoa..." Zyon said under his breath.
Lorenzo walked a few steps ahead with a noticeable bounce in his stride. "What?"
"Did you feel that?" Zyon asked, his eyes wide open.
Lorenzo raised both shoulders. "Feel what, bro?"
After a few seconds, Zyon shook his head. "Never mind."
They resumed walking, but the strange feeling refused to leave. It settled deep in his chest, small but persistent.
Zyon once again glanced around the square.
Around him, the village carried on as normal. Families gathered for dinner. Hunters shared stories from the desert. Lantern light spilled from windows while laughter echoed through the streets.
Yet when Zyon looked toward the darkening dunes, his steps slowed.
The desert seemed different.
The uneasy feeling lingered, but Lorenzo quickly distracted him. "Dude, look at that."
The two boys stopped beside the Ethereal for one last look. Up close, the creature seemed even larger, its thick scales gleaming beneath the lantern light. Zyon's eyes lingered on the arrow buried deep in its eye.
"Think you'll pull off a shot like that someday?" Lorenzo asked.
Zyon looked toward Victor and nodded toward his friend. "Yeah. One day."
As darkness settled over the village, the crowd slowly dispersed and families returned to their homes.
"See you tomorrow, Sunnyboy."
"See you, Lorry."
The boys gave each other a high five and parted ways.
Not long after getting home, Zyon climbed into bed.
The events of the day lingered in his mind.
The hunt.
The strange weakness in his Light.
The two figures beyond the barrier.
Eventually sleep claimed him.
...
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
Slowly, desert dunes emerged from the void.
Then a voice.
Ancient.
Distant.
As if it had traveled across countless years to reach him.
"Run."
The single word echoed across an endless desert.
The horizon split with golden light.
For a moment, the dunes stood still.
Then the sand moved.
Something enormous raced beneath the surface.
Closer.
Faster.
Its path zigzagged through the desert, throwing waves of sand into the air.
Coming straight toward Zyon.
Zyon woke with a gasp.
The room was dark.
His heart pounded.
And for some reason...
He could still hear the word lingering in his head.
Run.