The road to the next shelter passed faster than they expected. The path they followed led through rocky terrain, bordered on one side by jagged, harsh mountains and on the other by vast desert dunes. Thanks to this natural cover, they were protected from the burning sun, which allowed them to make up several hours of travel.
Eventually, they reached the spot marked on the map. But instead of the expected structure or ruins, they found only emptiness. No trace of a shelter, no walls, no signs of human presence. Could they have misread the map? Or had the shelter been destroyed?
They wandered the area for two hours, searching every crevice, until they finally stumbled upon a cave. The entrance was well hidden, shielded from the main path by rocky outcrops, making it hard to notice at first glance. Near the narrow opening were sun-faded drawings and a few mysterious runes—identical to the ones they had seen before on the boulders.
Alex examined them closely, furrowing his brow.
"There were five on the previous stones… and here on the wall, there are five too…" he muttered under his breath. "Maybe the number of runes marks the boundaries of the protected area?"
The patterns were simple—just a few lines etched into the rock—but their repetition and placement might have held meaning. Knowing they still had a few hours until dusk, Alex decided to study them more carefully.
Lyra passed him with a sigh, throwing a quick,
"I'm going to look for water."
Alex only mumbled something indistinctly, too absorbed in examining the inscriptions to pay attention.
Her search for water ended in another failure. Around the cave, there were only a few stunted bushes and dry, lifeless stumps protruding from the sandy ground. Lyra gathered what she could, wandered around a bit longer, and then returned to their campsite.
There were about two hours left until sunset. She quickly built a small pile of kindling and lit a fire, careful not to draw any unwanted attention. Then she reached into her backpack and pulled out the viper that had attacked Alex earlier. With a practiced motion, she skinned it, cut it into pieces, skewered them on a stick, and began roasting it over the fire.
Meanwhile, Alex finished his research and turned toward her. The air was filled with the wonderful smell of roasting meat, instantly reminding him how hungry he was. He looked at Lyra with a gleam in his eye—like a starving wolf who had just spotted his prey.
The meat was delicious. Compared to the hard, bland dried rations they had brought, the warm and juicy snake pieces tasted almost like a delicacy. Lightly charred over the fire, they released an aromatic scent that filled the entire cave, giving them a moment of relief after a grueling journey.
Lyra broke the silence first.
"Where I come from, the runes look very similar—but there are many more of them," she said, glancing at the cave walls. "I never really thought about how they work… until now. Maybe their arrangement matters more than we realize."
Alex looked at her with interest but didn't reply immediately. He finished the last bite of meat and wiped his hands on the fabric of his trousers.
When they finished eating, they stomped out the dying fire, making sure to leave no trace behind. It was time to go deeper into the cave.
Inside, there was dim light. The only illumination came from the faint glow slipping through the narrow entrance. The walls were dry and cracked, covered in places with a layer of dust and sand that had drifted in over the years with the desert winds. The air was cooler than outside, giving them brief relief from the scorching heat.
They spread out their limited supplies and began checking the state of their provisions.
"This isn't good," Lyra muttered, counting the remaining water. "We've got enough food for three days, but water… only enough for one."
A heavy silence followed. The only sounds were their own breathing and the occasional rustle of sand falling somewhere deeper inside the cave.
"Tomorrow will be a challenge," she added after a moment, lifting her gaze to Alex. "To reach the next shelter, we'll need to cover at least twice the distance we did today."
Alex sighed, leaning back against the cool wall. He knew Lyra was right. The lack of water meant they'd have to move faster.
They laid out their bedding—thin, slightly worn fabrics that barely insulated them from the hard stone floor. It wasn't comfortable, but at least they could rest.
The night passed quickly, without any unpleasant surprises.
The only sounds that reached their ears were the occasional rustles and distant, low roars coming from outside. Whatever lurked in the desert hadn't found their hiding place. Even demons would've had a hard time discovering it.
As the first rays of sunlight began to lazily pour into the cave, Alex opened his eyes.