When he opened his eyes, there was no blinding light, no echoing explosion—just a strange silence... and the sound of birds. For the first time in what felt like ages, there were no roars of beasts or screams tearing through his ears. Instead, there was the distant trickle of water, and the gentle rustle of leaves playing with the wind.
He slowly pushed himself off the ground, his palm sinking into soft, dewy grass, his eyes wandering wearily and with wonder. Everything was green. Towering trees swayed as if breathing, their glossy leaves catching the gentle rays of sunlight, and the ground was blanketed with small plants and wildflowers. No sand. No suffocating heat. No desert horizon. Nothing resembled the desert.
"Where… is the desert?"
