Mirage

As the sun filtered through the clear blue sky, the trio walked, sweat dripping from their brows under the oppressive desert heat. The sand scattered through the air like golden dust, but they were determined to press on. Lena, carrying her bow and arrows as though she were ready to face the world, Orion with his bag full of potions and salves, and Zoser, wrapped in a light cloak to protect himself from the scorching sun.

They continued their journey across the endless sea of sand, each step taking them toward a greater challenge. The heat burned their legs, and the dark horizon grew more and more foggy before their eyes.

---

As the desert winds howled around them, carrying with it the fine grains of sand that seemed to try and isolate them from the world, Orion suddenly stopped and bent down, picking something up between his fingers.

"Tracks of a wild camel," Orion said in a hushed voice, then raised his head and looked toward the horizon. "We're close to our goal. But we must be cautious."

Hope glimmered in Zoser's eyes as he rushed forward. "Does that mean we'll find it soon?"

Lena replied, pulling an old map from her bag and pointing to several locations on it. "If we follow this path, we'll reach it shortly. But we must be prepared for anything."

However, as they continued walking through the desolate desert, following the camel's tracks, they felt as though they had been walking without getting any closer to it, as if the desert itself were mocking them. Their hearts began to race, and the tension grew thick in the air.

Orion paused, his voice wary. "Something is not right here... There's something wrong."

Lena frowned and responded with concern, "A mirage?"

Zoser, curious, asked, "What's a mirage?"

Orion squinted, focusing intensely. "It's said that an ancient god placed a curse on the desert so it could reflect the desires of those who pass through it, trapping them in an illusion. If we don't uncover the truth, we'll be stuck here forever."

Zoser asked, worried, "But how do we break this illusion now?"

Orion's brows furrowed. "We don't know. No one we know has survived to tell the tale."

---

As their anxiety grew, Zoser suddenly remembered the power of the Eye of Horus. He felt he could succeed if he used it. It was a strange sensation, as if it was an instinct he was born with.

He said quietly, closing his eyes, "I have an idea... Let me see."

Lena asked quickly, as though she could no longer bear the silence of the moment, "What are you doing?"

Zoser answered, closing his eyes and focusing on the energy flowing through his body, "Let me focus for a moment... There's something I need to see."

He closed his eyes, concentrating, and directed the energy from his core to his left eye. Then, he suddenly opened his eyes, and his left eye glowed brightly, revealing the truth before them, as though the sky had split open, and the mirage vanished into the air.

"I did it!" Zoser exclaimed eagerly, but immediately felt dizzy. Using his energy had drained him completely, and he fell to his knees. His body felt heavy, as if the earth were spinning around him.

Lena rushed to his side, trying to support him. "Zoser! Are you alright?"

He answered weakly, "I'm fine, just need a few seconds."

Zoser sat there, meditating and drawing energy from the air. For some reason, his ability to absorb energy under the sun was heightened, and he quickly regained his strength.

"Alright, let's continue. I feel we're getting close," Orion said optimistically.

After two more hours, they arrived at a small oasis and found the camel drinking at a water spring.

They quickly devised a plan: Orion would engage the camel while Lena supported him from behind and prevented the camel from escaping.

Orion moved slowly and steadily toward the camel, but the camel sensed something wrong. As soon as it noticed, it charged at him. Orion attacked with his dagger, aiming for its chest, but the camel's thick fur blocked the strike. The camel then bolted from the oasis into the desert, with Orion and Lena chasing after it, followed by Zoser.

But as the camel entered the desert, it suddenly vanished.

Zoser was confused. "Where did it go? What happened?"

"A camouflage... This will be tough," Lena frowned.

"Camouflage!" Zoser grimaced.

Orion shouted, "Hurry, try using the Eye of Horus, Zoser, before it escapes!"

Zoser closed his eyes, then opened them, focusing. He saw it running behind the sand dunes and pointed, "It's behind those dunes!"

Lena quickly loaded an arrow and shot it in the direction Zoser indicated, but the arrow ricocheted off.

Zoser said, "Finish it quickly. I won't be able to keep going."

Lena drew a special arrow from her quiver and shot it with force. As it flew through the air, the camel reacted to the arrow, and a glowing light covered it, revealing its position. The intent was clear: "Now!" Orion shouted, charging at the camel to deliver a fatal blow. But the camel was strong and refused to fall easily.

Lena said, "Let's finish it quickly before the arrow's effect wears off."

---

The battle continued for a while, with the camel resisting valiantly, unwilling to fall. But with each strike, it was pushed back a little, and the bloodied marks on its body began to show. The camel had a frustrating ability to heal itself.

Orion injected his energy into his dagger, attacking the camel's neck and piercing through its thick fur.

"Our chance!" Orion shouted as he lunged toward the gap with all his remaining strength.

Lena immediately seized the opportunity, drawing aether-infused arrow and firing it with all her might. The arrow pierced through the gap and struck the camel. Suddenly, the camel staggered and collapsed to the ground, unable to resist.

"We did it!" Lena cheered, staring at the camel, which lay trembling on the sand.

---

After the camel was taken down, the trio realized that night had fallen over the desert. They decided to set up camp in the nearby oasis. The trio carefully prepared their camp, their hands weary, and their foreheads covered in sweat, but they felt the euphoria of victory. Orion was carefully cutting the meat, while Lena and Zoser prepared the space.

Orion placed the liver in his bag. "We need to store the liver well. We'll need it to complete the task."

As time passed, the fire lit up their camp, and the night air began to calm. They decided to stay where they were until dawn.

Lena smiled despite the exhaustion. "We succeeded. It was exhausting."

Zoser said quietly, looking at the fire, "Yes. We did well."

---

With the first light of dawn, the trio began to gather their things, preparing to depart. The sun was rising slowly, its light revealing the vast desert before them.

Orion, lifting his bag, said, "The return journey will be easy."

Lena smiled and said firmly, "We won't have time to rest until we reach our destination."

They headed toward the horizon, their goal ahead of them, ready to face whatever came their way.