Karry stared at the girl riding ahead of him, the endless sea of golden sand stretching to the horizon.
"I don't know why you saved me," he said quietly. "But... thanks."
The girl glanced over her shoulder.
"It's nothing," she replied. "A master is supposed to save their servant."
Karry frowned.
"But you're not my master."
The sand rider screeched to a halt.
Before Karry could react, a force slammed into his chest.
*Thud!*
He tumbled into the burning sand.
The girl looked down at him with narrowed eyes.
"So you want to die?"
"...What?"
"If you stay on the sand without a sand technique or a sand rider, you'll die." Her voice was calm, almost indifferent. "And you're an outsider. You're probably already suffering from radiation poisoning."
She pointed toward the horizon.
"Wait an hour and you'll be dead either way."
Karry followed her gaze.
His eyes widened.
A colossal sand wave was rushing toward them.
The monstrous wall of sand swallowed the sky itself.
The girl crossed her arms.
"So? What will you do?"
She smiled.
"I'll give you any reward you want. Any reward."
Her smile somehow felt dangerous.
"But you'll obey my orders."
She extended a hand.
"And I'll teach you how to survive in the sand."
Her eyes sparkled.
"All you have to do..."
"...is become my slave."
Karry stared at the approaching sand wave.
Then he looked at her.
"Okay."
The answer came instantly.
"I'll come with you."
The girl grinned.
Without warning, she grabbed him and pulled him onto her sand rider.
"I finally got myself a slave!"
Karry's eyebrow twitched.
*How can she say that right in front of me?*
---
Hours later...
A massive temple emerged from the endless desert.
The girl jumped off her rider and walked toward it.
She brushed aside a layer of sand and pressed a hidden switch.
*Rumble...*
The earth trembled.
A gigantic pathway opened beneath the temple.
"This way."
Karry followed her underground.
His eyes widened.
A city.
An entire city hidden beneath the desert.
People moved through the streets as though this underground world had existed for centuries.
An old man noticed the girl and waved.
"You finally got a slave, Jikki!"
The old man's laughter echoed through the street.
"I'm so proud of you!"
His expression suddenly became serious.
"Was he infected?"
"Yes."
The smile vanished from his face.
"You actually did it."
The old man sighed.
"You're insane."
He pointed at Karry.
"He might not survive."
Jikki remained silent.
The old man shook his head.
"Taking an infected outsider as your slave is the worst choice possible."
Jikki lowered her gaze.
"I had to."
Her voice was barely audible.
"He's the only one..."
She paused.
"The only one I felt was right."
The old man closed his eyes.
After several moments, he spoke.
"I'll give you three days."
His gaze settled on Karry.
"If he doesn't make it..."
"...bury him in the sand."
A chill ran down Karry's spine.
For the first time, he realized something.
*If I fail... I die.*
---
"Boy."
The old man stepped forward.
"I know you don't like being called a slave."
Karry remained silent.
"But that's your fate."
The old man pointed at Karry's arm.
A strange seal glowed faintly beneath his skin.
"If you want freedom, then prove yourself."
"Accomplish something worthy."
"Become a true Sand Warrior."
Karry stared at the mark.
*When did that appear...?*
"The slave seal?"
Louis nodded.
"Proof that you belong to your master."
The words felt like a blade stabbing into Karry's chest.
He clenched his fists.
"There has to be a way to remove it."
Jikki lowered her head.
Louis remained silent for a moment.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"If you wish to gain freedom, you must first prove yourself."
His voice carried the weight of countless years.
"Accomplish something worthy."
"Become a true Sand Warrior."
"Show the Sand that you deserve more than the fate you've been given."
Hope flickered inside Karry's eyes.
"So if I become stronger..."
"If I accomplish enough..."
"...the seal can be broken?"
Louis stared at him.
Then he laughed.
Not a cheerful laugh.
Not a mocking laugh.
A sad laugh.
The laugh of someone who had seen too much.
"Boy..."
He pointed at the mark.
"Do you know what that seal is called?"
Karry remained silent.
"The Sand's Hold."
The old man's voice became heavy.
"It binds your body."
"It binds your fate."
"It binds your future."
His finger traced the glowing symbol.
"For hundreds of years, countless slaves have carried this mark."
"Some became warriors."
"Some became heroes."
"Some became legends."
Karry listened carefully.
Then Louis delivered the final blow.
"And not one of them broke the seal."
Silence.
Karry's pupils shrank.
Louis continued.
"Not one."
His gaze hardened.
"Because no human can break it."
The world seemed to stop.
Karry felt his heartbeat thunder inside his ears.
Impossible.
Not difficult.
Not rare.
Impossible.
Louis turned away.
"If breaking the seal were possible, slavery would have disappeared long ago."
The old man's voice echoed through the underground city.
"But the Sand does not release what it claims."
Jikki looked away.
The crowd remained silent.
Everyone already knew the truth.
Everyone except Karry.
Louis took a step forward and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"For now, focus on surviving."
"You're infected."
"You have three days."
"If you cannot endure the trial..."
His eyes shifted toward the endless desert above them.
"...then the Sand will take you before the seal ever does."
Karry lowered his head and stared at the mark on his arm.
The symbol seemed darker than before.
Jikki suddenly spoke.
"I needed your acceptance to complete the seal."
Karry looked at her.
"The seal also guarantees that you'll receive the reward you expect from me."
The old man called Louis frowned.
Before anyone could continue—
"Ghhhhh!"
Karry collapsed.
Pain exploded throughout his body.
It felt as though molten metal had been poured into his veins.
Jikki's face turned pale.
"The radiation!"
She grabbed him.
"I have to hurry!"
---
Jikki's home was small.
A crude structure made of stone and wood.
Barely enough to be called a house.
She placed Karry on her bed.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
His breathing grew weaker.
Jikki searched through her pouch and pulled out a green liquid.
Without hesitation, she forced it into his mouth.
Karry couldn't even resist.
The agony was overwhelming.
Yet it wasn't enough.
Jikki's hands shook.
"I'm sorry."
Her voice trembled.
"Please forgive me."
She pulled out a crimson flask.
A precious liquid swirled inside.
Something she should never have wasted.
Yet she opened it without hesitation.
And made Karry drink every last drop.
---
Two days later...
A crowd gathered outside Jikki's house.
"He won't wake up."
"No one survives infection."
"He should already be dead."
An elder stepped forward.
"Only our greatest ancestors survived that poison."
His eyes darkened.
"And you think an outsider can inherit the Sand Eye?"
The crowd murmured in agreement.
"You wasted everything on him."
"You risked your life for a single flask."
"You could have sold it."
"You could have entered a higher temple."
Anger filled their voices.
"Instead, you wasted it on an infected outsider."
Jikki stood before the crowd.
Alone.
Old Man Louis sighed.
"I can't stop them."
Suddenly—
Someone shoved her.
Jikki fell to the ground.
The crowd advanced.
"OUTSIDER!"
She shouted desperately.
"Wake up!"
No response.
"OUTSIDER!"
Still nothing.
"Please... wake up."
---
Darkness.
An endless black beach.
A black sea.
A black moon.
A black sun.
Only the distant stars remained white.
Karry opened his eyes.
Everything was blurry.
Everything felt unreal.
Then he saw him.
A lone figure sitting upon a black rock.
The endless sea crashed around him.
A black sword rested in his hand.
A mask concealed his face.
The figure slowly raised his head.
"Karry."
His voice sounded distant.
Ghostly.
Ancient.
"Wake up."
---
Karry's eyes snapped open.
Reality returned.
A dagger hovered inches from his chest.
The blade trembled.
The one holding it was Old Man Louis.
The old man's eyes were wide with disbelief.
"It can't be..."
His voice shook.
"You..."
"A slave..."
"...cannot possess our treasure."
His gaze locked onto Karry's face.
Onto the crimson eyes staring back at him.
The legendary eyes of the desert.
The eyes that should never have belonged to an outsider.
** THE Eyes of the Sand.**
[End of chapter]