Chapter 6: Fire in the Sand
The desert evening air in the Sahara Desert was colder than anyone expected.
The buses had left.
The instructors were already walking away toward a distant jeep.
And in front of twenty-five confused students… there was nothing.
Just sand. Endless sand.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Then the shouting began.
---
"Are you serious right now?!" JJ snapped, throwing her bag down.
Rakhi crossed her arms.
"They said educational camp. This looks like survival TV show nonsense."
Cin kicked the sand.
"Where are the tents?!"
Freya scanned the horizon nervously.
"It's getting dark…"
---
Across the clearing, Gorya stood with her group, staring at the empty land.
Thyme looked irritated.
"Unbelievable."
MJ shrugged.
"Well… technically they did say outdoor field training."
Kavin laughed softly.
"They definitely forgot the part where we build civilization ourselves."
Ren, quiet as always, watched the sun sinking toward the dunes.
---
Meanwhile, Care crouched in the sand, brushing it aside.
Observing the wind pattern.
Observing the dunes.
Cole was already doing the same thing a few meters away.
Both of them looked up at the same time.
Then immediately glared.
---
Behind Care, Lyra dropped her backpack.
"I swear if we have to sleep directly on sand I'm suing somebody."
Alex pulled out a folded tarp.
"Relax. We can improvise."
Ash looked between them.
"You're optimistic for someone who might get eaten by desert animals tonight."
---
From another direction came calm voices.
Ace was kneeling beside a bag, pulling out compact tent rods.
Matt looked around the area carefully.
"Wind direction is west."
Mia nodded.
"Sand drift will increase after midnight."
Allison raised an eyebrow.
"So we shouldn't put tents facing that direction."
Zein simply said,
"Help them."
No one questioned him.
---
Back in the center of the clearing—
Arguments were spreading.
---
JJ shouted toward the instructors walking away.
"HEY! We're supposed to sleep where?!"
The instructor didn't even turn.
"Build your own camp."
Then the jeep started.
Sand kicked up.
And they were gone.
---
Silence.
Absolute disbelief.
Then chaos again.
---
"THIS IS RIDICULOUS." Thyme
"They should've told us beforehand." Rakhi
"Do we even have enough food?" Freya
"We do." Percy, opening a supply crate.
"Enough for three days if rationed."
---
Meanwhile—
Care stood up.
She pointed toward a small dune ridge.
"That area."
Everyone turned.
"Why?" Alex asked.
Before Care could answer—
Cole spoke at the same time.
"That ridge."
The exact same place.
Both of them paused.
Then slowly turned toward each other.
---
"Excuse me?" Care said.
"I already picked that location." Cole replied.
Care raised an eyebrow.
"You picked it wrong."
Cole laughed once.
"Oh really?"
---
Behind them—
Lyra groaned.
"Oh great."
Ash whispered to Alex.
"Genius fight incoming."
---
Care pointed toward the horizon.
"Wind shield from that dune."
Cole shook his head.
"Wrong angle. The sand will shift overnight."
Care crossed her arms.
"The stars say the wind changes after midnight."
Cole smirked.
"I checked the weather data before the flight."
---
Now everyone was watching.
Literally everyone.
---
JJ whispered to Keifer,
"Should we stop them?"
Keifer shrugged.
"This is entertaining."
---
Care stepped closer.
"So you're saying my calculations are wrong?"
Cole stepped forward too.
"They are."
"Prove it."
"Gladly."
---
Now they were basically arguing in the middle of the desert like rival scientists.
Hands moving in the air.
Drawing imaginary wind patterns.
Pointing at dunes.
Pointing at stars.
---
Alex
"…are they flirting or fighting?"
Lyra
"I think both."
---
Meanwhile—
The quiet group had already started working.
---
Ace hammered a tent stake into the ground.
Matt tied the rope tighter.
Mia passed equipment.
Allison handed tools to Ash.
"Use this."
Ash blinked.
"…thanks?"
Zein adjusted the tent frame calmly.
"Stabilize the corners."
---
Across the camp—
Gorya clapped once.
"Enough complaining."
Everyone in her group turned.
"We build the shelters before dark."
MJ nodded immediately.
"I'll gather wood."
Kavin opened a supply bag.
"I have portable fire starters."
Thyme cracked his knuckles.
"Finally something useful."
---
Meanwhile—
Percy knelt beside a metal container.
He struck a flint.
Once.
Twice.
Spark.
Nothing.
Freya crouched beside him.
"You sure about that?"
Percy tried again.
This time—
A small flame appeared.
---
The first fire of the camp.
---
Everyone turned.
A warm orange glow flickered in the cold desert air.
Cin grinned.
"YES!"
Rakhi sat down immediately near the heat.
"Finally something good."
---
Back in the center—
Care and Cole were still arguing.
---
Cole pointed toward the ridge again.
"Tent doors should face east."
Care shook her head.
"South-east."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
---
JJ walked between them suddenly.
"OH MY GOD JUST PICK ONE."
Both of them stopped.
---
Keifer laughed.
"Honestly, just build two tents and see who survives the night."
---
Care and Cole stared at each other one last time.
Then both turned away.
At the same time.
Walking toward the ridge.
Still arguing.
---
Behind them—
Everyone slowly returned to work.
Some laughing.
Some annoyed.
Some nervous about the night ahead.
---
Above them the desert sky darkened.
Stars began appearing.
And in the cold silence of the Sahara Desert,
twenty-five strangers started building the camp that would soon change all their lives.