We sat in silence, watching as the sky deepened into streaks of crimson and amber, the colossal stone formations catching the last rays of light. For a moment, they glowed like molten rock, their rugged surfaces illuminated in a fleeting brilliance before the shadows stretched and swallowed them whole.

Then, with a final flash of burning red, the suns dipped below the horizon. Dusk settled in, draping the world in hues of violet and indigo. The desert, once an unforgiving furnace, now exhaled a crisp, soothing breeze.

Leaning back against the rough stone wall of the alcove, my thoughts drifted with the fading light. Was this all there was to this world? An endless expanse of desert and jagged stones?

No… that can't be all there is. If there's oxygen, that means there are plants of some sort; otherwise, we'd already be dead. 

So there has to be life here… 

The silence was the only thing that answered my thoughts, broken only by the faint rustling of the wind and the distant whisper of shifting sand.

I needed to do something—anything—to keep from losing my mind. Sitting still wasn’t an option.

Restless, I picked up a small, silver, seed-shaped rock from the ground, feeling its smooth edges press into my palm. Without much thought, I tossed it lightly against the opposite wall. Clink. The sound echoed softly in the confined space, the rhythmic impact filling the void of silence.

Clink. I caught the rock as it bounced back and tossed it again. It was something to focus on, something simple. Better than staring at the desert and doing nothing.

Clink. The rock struck the stone again, the sound sharp in the stillness of the night. I hadn’t even realized how long I’d been doing it — tossing, catching, tossing again — until Ella’s gaze found me. She’d been watching the horizon, quiet for some time but now her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Atlas,” she said softly, but there was weight in her tone. “That rock isn’t helping.”

I froze mid-throw, the stone cool against my palm.

What’s wrong with my rock?

But… she was right.

I let my arm drop, fingers closing around it as the silence settled between us. The tension that had been building in my chest had nowhere to go. The rock had just been a simple distraction that kept me from spiraling.

She turned back toward the wasteland ahead, her voice quieter now. “We need to figure something out soon. If we keep moving like this… we won’t last much longer.”

I nodded, slipping the rock into my pocket and pushing myself up from the wall. "So… what do you suggest?"

"I think we should take this chance to travel at night," she answered. "It's cooler, and we won’t need as much water this way."

she had a point. The night air felt like a balm after the brutal heat of the day. Traveling now might give us an edge. If only a small one…

Amelia nodded in agreement. "You're right. We need to take advantage of the cooler nights."

I could see the gears turning in her mind. But as much as I wanted to agree, there was a part of me that doubted this plan would be any different from the rest. We were running on fumes, and it felt like we were just delaying the inevitable.

Ethan, as expected, wasn’t one to sugarcoat things. His face was set in its somber expression. "Not like that will save us," he muttered, his words a stark reminder of the harsh reality we faced.

Did he always have to be so pessimistic? Though I cut that thought short with a sigh… I was thinking the exact thing. I just wasn't so vocal about it.

Despite the doubt, we continued anyway, traveling through the cool night air and relishing in the relief it gave us from the punishment of the day. It gave us a second wind, however fleeting, and for the first time in hours, moving forward didn’t feel like an impossible task. As we walked, our breaths came out in soft puffs, barely visible at first. Then my eyes settled on a thin haze that clung to the ground, so faint I almost didn’t notice it.

But as we pressed on, the mist thickened, swirling around our ankles, twisting in slow, curling patterns with every step. It unnaturally clung to the ground, as if something alive were waiting. An eerie presence, yet oddly comforting, almost like the world itself was softening, cushioning each step through the shifting dunes.

Turning my attention away from the fog, I found myself gazing at the night sky far above. It was like a tapestry. With no clouds or light to obscure the shining stars, they only shone brighter than ever. Almost matching the moon in strength, but as I searched for the familiar constellations — Orion, the Big Dipper, or any other one I know— I came up empty.

Nothing was familiar.

A hollow feeling crept into my chest, but I pushed it aside. There were more immediate concerns than not seeing familiar star formation, like getting through the night without collapsing.

With each step, fatigue settled deeper into my bones, a dull ache spreading through my limbs. The cool air had helped for a while, but it didn’t change the fact that we were utterly spent. My eyelids grew heavier with every stride, and the others weren’t faring any better.

"We need to rest," I finally said, glancing at my companions. Ella looked like she was running on sheer willpower, and even Amelia’s usual determination was faltering.

Henry, panting as he trudged through the sand, readily agreed. "Yeah… I could use a break."

Not long after, we stumbled into a dune that offered a slight barrier from the wind. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. The mist lingered around us as we sank into the cold sand, curling in slow, lazy patterns as if it too was settling in for the night.

Fatigue hit hard, pulling us under like a rising tide. One by one, we succumbed to sleep, the cool desert night offering us a fragile, fleeting reprieve.

I just hoped it was enough to keep us going.

The next day bled into itself, hour after hour of walking, revealing nothing but the same scattered rock formations jutting from the sand. Each mile seemed to drain what little strength we had left. The desert stretched endlessly before us into a vast, smothering expanse that felt as though it was swallowing us whole. The horizon shimmered in the heat, bending light into false promises of water and shade that never came.

We marched in silence, heads low, eyes squinting under the twin suns blazing overhead. The ground shimmered with heat, and with each step, dust stirred up, clinging to our skin, our clothes, and our lungs.

I tugged at the collar of my shirt, trying to keep the fabric from sticking to my back. It was useless. My skin felt like it was being slow-roasted, the air thick with heat and the coppery taste of dehydration.

Eventually, I’d had enough. I dropped back a few steps from the others. Bringing my bag to my chest, I dug through it a bit till I found the dirty rag. I just hope whatever is on this rag is less deady than the sun. Ripping at its sides, I managed to part it through the middle to make it a bit bigger and then fastened it around the base of my neck, where the sunlight had done the most damage.

Sighing in relief, I finally looked up and noticed the commotion up ahead. 

"Hey, man, slow down with that," Henry said, his voice taut with barely contained anxiety. He eyed Ethan's water bottle like it was the last lifeline in a sea of despair. "We need to conserve what we have."

Ethan had stopped walking to take a swig from his canteen. Not a sip but a mouthful. He didn’t even look at Henry.

“We’re not exactly swimming in the stuff,” Henry added, louder this time.

Ethan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned. “Are you really doing this right now?”

Henry shrugged, but it was forced. “I’m just saying, we need to save what we have.”

Ethan let out a short, humorless laugh. “Right. Because a couple of sips are gonna make the difference between life and death?”

“Out here?” Henry snapped. “Yeah. They might.”

I stopped fiddling with the cloth and looked between them, but I stayed quiet.

Ethan turned fully now, his jaw clenched. “You want me to dehydrate on your schedule?”

“I want you not to be an idiot,” Henry shot back. “We’re rationing for a reason, Ethan.”

“Well, maybe if we weren’t wandering in circles in a goddamn oven, we wouldn’t be worrying about rations.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had a map etched into your skull,” Henry barked. “Got any better ideas, or just more complaining?”

Ethan took a step forward, canteen still in hand. “You know what? If I run out, I’ll just take yours. That work for you?”

Henry stiffened. “Back off, man. I'm serious,” Henry warned, his voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger as he tried to hold his ground.

“Serious about what? You think you can make me back off?” Ethan challenged, his tone dripping with defiance as he got in Henry's face.

Damn it, Ethan, not now. I could feel the panic rising in the group, a palpable wave of fear that threatened to engulf us all. Before I could intervene, Henry shoved Ethan back, and in retaliation, Ethan lunged again, swinging wildly. His fist cracked against Henry’s jaw, dropping him hard into the dirt. And before I knew it, Ethan was on top of him

Rushing over, I yanked Ethan off Henry before he could do any more damage. "Piss off!" Ethan yelled, jabbing his elbow at me with a desperate, wild swing.

I blocked the hit, then kicked his leg out from under him, wrapping my arms around his neck in a chokehold. "Calm down! We don’t need this kind of trouble," I shouted, tightening my grip as he struggled against me.

Seconds felt like hours as he fought against the hold, the panic and anger coursing through him like a fever. But eventually, he stopped resisting, the fight draining out of him. "Let me go! I'll be calm," Ethan grunted, his voice strained from the pressure. Releasing him, I watched as he slumped to the ground, gasping for air, the reality of what had just happened beginning to sink in.

What the hell are we doing? We’re falling apart.

Turning to Henry, I helped him up and checked if he was okay. “You good?”

“I'll survive, but I just need a moment,” Henry replied, his voice shaky as he tried to steady himself. 

Amelia’s voice cut through the tense air, her expression tired but still commanding. "What hell were you thinking, Ethan?" she demanded, her tone cold enough to freeze the desert sand.

Ethan's eyes shifted, guilt and frustration warring on his face. He struggled to form a coherent response, knowing that Amelia demanded that he take accountability.

Her words held an unspoken threat. “If you don't explain, I'll take all your supplies and leave you here to die.”

Ethan straightened as he braced himself, canteen still in his hand. “You want an explanation?” he hissed. “Fine—I drank because I had to. And if anyone expects me to share my own supplies I found, then I'd be forced to act.” He didn’t soften or apologize. “If you want my supplies, take them. But don’t pretend you’d choose the group over your own throat when your mouth goes dry.”

Amelia’s jaw tightened, then she turned away, calling to Benjamin. “Bandages. Now.”

Benjamin nodded, quickly moving to help Henry as Amelia directed the rest of us to find a place to rest.

"Let's find some shade and take a breather. We need to calm down and think clearly," Amelia concluded, her tone firm, signaling the end of the argument, but not the lingering tension between us.

Gratefully, we took refuge in the rocky terrain, the jagged formations offering a brief respite from the relentless heat. I sank into the shadows, letting the coolness soothe my aching muscles, but my mind refused to rest. Doubts gnawed at me, curling around my thoughts like a parasite. Are we just wandering aimlessly? Destined to collapse from exhaustion in this barren wasteland? There were no landmarks, no sign of civilization – just endless sand. What if there was no end to this desolation?

I forced my gaze to the horizon, willing myself to focus on anything but the gnawing uncertainty. The sky stretched out in a vast, unbroken blue. 

Rain… Was that too much to ask for? I imagined the heavens breaking open, the downpour sinking into the parched earth, cooling this forsaken land. But no clouds formed, no storm gathered—just the unrelenting sun.

Then something shifted in the distance.

The dunes… moved.

I blinked, straightening as I squinted against the glare. The rippling motion was subtle, like the rolling waves of an unseen tide, but unmistakable. My pulse quickened. Am I imagining this?

I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

Nothing.

The sand lay still, as lifeless as before, the dunes exactly where they had been. A slow exhale left my lips. Great, now I’m seeing things.

Shaking my head, I reached for my canteen, the cool metal against my palm grounding me. I took a slow sip, letting the water settle my nerves. It was just the heat and exhaustion playing tricks on my mind.

That had to be it.

Glancing at the others, I caught sight of Ethan slumped against a rock, his shoulders sagging, eyes hollow. Whatever stubborn hope had kept him going seemed drained by the vast emptiness around us. I couldn’t blame him. The desert had a way of stripping you bare, leaving nothing behind but raw survival instinct.

With nothing left to do until nightfall, I let my head rest against the stone, closing my eyes, and let sleep take me.