Fiery kiss of longing

 (Chapter 75:Mira's Pov)

 We leave the desert's oppressive heat behind, but I can still feel the weight of its energy on my skin as we approach the water's edge. The desert was just the beginning, a cruel prelude to what awaited us beneath the surface. The water, though peaceful on the outside, feels just as treacherous as the shifting sands we've escaped.

 My heart still pounds in my chest, the adrenaline from fighting the wraith only just starting to fade. But I can't afford to think about it for long. I can't even escape my own thoughts, the ones that linger on the Oracle's cryptic advice. Mira's brothers are out there somewhere, and the only way to find them is to keep moving forward.

 I glance at Caelyn, who's already scanning the horizon, his eyes narrowed. There's something in the air—something heavier than before, a feeling I can't quite explain. "How much farther?" I ask, my voice strained from the tension I'm still holding in my body.