When Mirek's vision cleared, he found himself standing at the edge of a barren landscape.
The ground stretched outward in uneven layers of hardened rock, broken into jagged plateaus that rose and fell without pattern. There was no vegetation, no water, no sign of life. Above him, the sun burned relentlessly, its light harsh and direct, pressing down on the land without mercy.
Heat radiated from every surface.
Mirek scanned his surroundings, his eyes moving across the empty expanse.
"Lavayla."
He called out but there was no response.
"Vai."
His voice carried forward but did not travel far. The air felt thick, heavy, as though it absorbed sound instead of carrying it.
His gaze hardened.
He stepped forward, placing his foot onto the scorched rock. The surface was hot, but he did not stop. When nothing changed, he took another step, then another, his pace gradually increasing as he moved deeper into the wasteland.
