After he disappears, everyone feels the world twist and warp around them—light bending, air collapsing inward like a vacuum swallowing sound. For a heartbeat, there's nothing but white—weightless and still. Then, Alix feels gravity slam back into him.
He lands lightly on his feet, boots sinking an inch into scorching sand. A wave of dry heat slams into him, and the air itself ripples beneath a relentless sun. Even with his resistance, the temperature presses against his skin like a furnace. He shields his eyes and takes in the sight.
The horizon stretches endlessly in every direction—a barren desert of gold and ash. No mountains, no ruins, no sound. Just wind and heat. The only sign of life is the faint shimmer of air distortion far, far away, like a mirage that refuses to stay still.
Alix exhales slowly, his voice calm despite the desolation.
"So, we got teleported separately."
