Patch of Druid-Chapter 23 – Escape Through the Desert

The next morning looked almost identical to the last. After a quick meal, Alex and Lyra left the cave, heading toward the next, more distant point on the map. Behind them, the rocky wall that had sheltered them through the night grew smaller and smaller until it vanished into the shimmering heat of the desert air. Now, the hardest challenge awaited them — the dunes.

The sun rose quickly, and its rays immediately began scorching everything around them. The sand beneath their feet was hot, soft, and kept pouring into their shoes, making every step more difficult. The searing heat from above once again began to wear them down.

The last water flask they had was emptied several hours ago. Alex felt his mouth grow so dry he couldn't even swallow. Each breath felt like inhaling fire, and his throat was raw from the ever-present dust. His lips had started to crack and bleed from the hot, dry wind lashing at them without mercy.

Lyra said nothing, but her face told everything — exhaustion and dehydration. Every step through the desert sand felt heavier, and every breath shallower. Still, they kept moving toward the marked point on the map. But there was nothing on the horizon — only an endless sea of sand.

Time passed slowly, and the sky began to shift in color. The orange sun drew closer to the horizon, casting long shadows over the dunes. With each passing minute, the air grew colder, but it brought no relief. On the contrary — the tension grew.

When the sun finally dipped below the line of dunes, Alex felt a strange chill run down his spine. But it wasn't just the desert's usual nighttime cold. It was something else, something ominous. The air around them thickened, filled with an invisible weight. An unnatural darkness seemed to close in, sinking into the skin, pressing into the lungs, awakening a primal fear.

And then he saw them.

In the shaded places where the sun's final rays had no reach, shadows began to take shape — unsettling, irregular forms. At first, they were barely visible, like heat shimmers or blurred reflections that shouldn't exist. But with every second, they gained mass, took form, materializing into something... alive. Something that shouldn't be.

From the void emerged smaller, shadowy figures, their bodies rippling like smoke, as if they didn't quite belong to this world. Black, elongated silhouettes trembled until they were real enough for Alex to see their shifting jaws and sharp, gleaming eyes.

Demons.

There was no time to think. No time for fear. They had to run.

They couldn't stop. They couldn't afford a single mistake. They had to run, find any shelter, reach a place where they might be safe — even if only for a moment.

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And then... he saw the glimmer.

At the top of a tall dune in the distance, something flashed — a sharp, pulsing light. It was a rune. A protective symbol. A barrier — their only hope.

"THERE!" he shouted, pointing toward the magical mark.

Lyra immediately changed course and ran toward the hill, her silhouette vanishing into the twilight as she desperately fought against the soft, shifting sand beneath her feet. She was faster, lighter — she had a chance to get there first.

Alex didn't look back. But he could hear.

He heard the rustling of bodies in motion, the long, guttural roars filled with hatred. He heard the sharp, ragged breathing of creatures hunting him through the nighttime desert.

Lyra was close. Just a few more steps, one last push. She reached the dune and... passed through the runic barrier.

And then the demons lunged at her.

One of them leapt forward with claws outstretched, but the moment its body touched the invisible boundary, a thunderous crack split the air. The demon screamed, recoiling violently as glowing red fractures appeared across its black body.

Lyra, breathing heavily, turned and saw more creatures pressing against the barrier.

Their claws struck the unseen wall, leaving behind streaks of black energy that vanished quickly, absorbed by the magical rune. They tried to break through the protection again and again, letting out deep, furious howls.

Meanwhile, Alex fought for every step forward.

One of the demons drew close enough to strike. A black shadow raised its arm in a flash and slashed with razor-sharp claws.

Alex managed to dive into a roll at the last moment, dodging the deadly blow. The claws sliced through the air, and the demon let out a low, frustrated growl.

But it wasn't over.

Another foe was already waiting behind Alex.

Fifteen meters left.

Every step cost him more strength. His muscles burned, and his lungs felt like they were on fire from lack of air.

And then — a strike.

The demon swung again — this time, the claws were aimed straight at his back.