Chapter 2: Desert
Step! Step!
The sound of footsteps echoed through the vast white expanse, resembling an empty room—yet endless, stretching beyond comprehension.
Like an ant, Nur was spotted moving across this desolate plain, his lone figure swallowed by the sheer nothingness surrounding him.
He had striking black hair, messy and unkempt, and brownish eyes that carried a certain depth—something lost yet searching. The stark white background made his presence all the more distinct, yet at the same time, he seemed to blend into it.
His white trench coat swayed with each step, blending seamlessly into the endless white void. Beneath the coat, he wore a dark forest-green shirt, grayish-black pants, and boots that had begun to feel heavier with each passing second.
When Nur woke up, he found himself in a familiar appearance—his own, yet somehow… different.
…
Step! Step! Step!
He had been walking for a while, but as he continued, he couldn't shake the thought that this journey might be pointless.
He could hear his heart thumping, his breath, his pulse, and the ache of tired muscles and fragile bones. In fact, all these sounds faintly reverberated through the space.
With every step, the cacophony of noises made him feel increasingly uncomfortable.
As time passed, within a place where there was no sun to set nor a moon to gaze upon, seconds of walking turned to minutes, minutes to hours.
Huff, huff!
He panted heavily.
Is there no end to this?I don't want to move an inch anymore. This sudden exhaustion!
A sensation of weight pressed down on him—not physically, but mentally, as if the space itself rejected his presence.
His gaze flickered upward.
Nothing.
No sky. No horizon. Just white.
A vast, consuming void.
He swallowed hard.
"And, this space! It feels like I am standing in mid-air. A void… I should call it the white void or bleached abyss".
Bent over his knees, panting! "What the hell am I naming it for?!"
His heart raced, each beat echoing in his ears. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples, stinging his eyes.
I need to find an exit! My brain's gonna get roasted! I need water—this is tiring.
Pant! Pant!
This sudden—!
Pant!
It feels like I am in a desert!
Wiping his sweat away with his elbow, he blinked—
"…"
Sand? What's this?!
His feet were half-buried in the sand.
As he straightened up, the view before him—no, the entire place—had changed.
He was now standing in the middle of a desert!
His panting slowly subsided. Loosening his tense body, he looked up.
The sky stretched endlessly, a brilliant blue canvas unmarred by clouds, the sun blazing overhead.
His mind couldn't process it all, so it shut down for a moment. At that moment, all he felt was relief.
The change of scenery was something he needed, but worry started to burn deep within him.
He was surrounded by mountains upon mountains of sand. The wind howled. And in front of him—!
A much larger mountain of sand towered ahead.
He decided to climb it and take a wider look.
Without taking another moment to rest, he climbed down the dune he stood on.
The sand buried his legs with each step, as if trying to slowly devour him.
At the foot of the enormous dune, he craned his neck up. The monstrous sand mountain loomed over him. Steep—monstrously steep! He wasn't sure if he could make it up there, not with the sand practically swallowing his feet.
But he had no choice.
He started climbing.
…
It was a grueling journey.
Anyone could sense the determination in his every step. With every ounce of strength he had, he pushed upward, refusing to crawl like a snake.
He climbed the dune, hoping it was the tallest in the area. Maybe from the top, he could spot a settlement.
Finally, after reaching the peak, His gaze went upwards, the sight before him almost made him shudder.
Like a behemoth!
There were even bigger sand mountains in the distance. Perhaps beyond them lay even greater ones.
Yet he did not give in to despair. He did not fall to his knees. He did not cry.
It was shocking, yes. But he knew it was his own mind that had momentarily shut down from relief earlier.
He started thinking—
First, that bleached space. Now this desert.
He was witnessing many incomprehensible things… and many more were likely to come.
He calmed himself, slowly regaining his normal breathing rhythm. The heat was unbearable, gnawing at him from the inside. His thoughts blurred.
He could roam this desert for as long as he wanted, searching for answers. But without food or water, it was impossible.
Maybe ahead, there might be an oasis.
But he couldn't bet on it.
Suddenly, a dark thought surfaced.
What if this was an illusion? A dream?
He quickly crossed out the idea of it being a dream.
It was too vivid. Too real.
Because! Every fiber of his body screamed in pain.
Then, if it was an illusion…
If he wanted to wake up, he had to get out of here himself.
Maybe even if someone was outside, they couldn't help him.
As if these were facts he had long accepted, he thought through every possibility.
I'll have to do it.
He began searching himself, patting down his coat.
His fingers brushed against a bulge in his coats pocket.
Reaching inside, he pulled it out.
His expression barely changed, but he stared at it for a moment.
"…"
This… I remember using it once. And it's the same one Taliah uses.
Did she put it here?
In his hand was a black pen, engraved with silver imprints. A twist-to-write pen.
On its clip, a diamond-like stone gleamed.
He was clearly surprised.
He didn't want to think anymore.
"…"
Bracing himself, he took a deep breath.
And—
Stab!
…