They walked for hours.
At first, it was quiet walking, the kind born from exhaustion rather than tension. Sand crunched beneath their boots, the sun hanging lazily overhead, bright but no longer cruel. Somewhere along the way, Raul started complaining about the heat. Then Victor complained about Raul complaining. Arin just listened, faintly amused, letting their voices ground him.
When the village finally came into view, it almost felt unreal.
Low, clay-built houses rose from the sand as they belonged there, their walls sunbaked into warm shades of ochre and brown. Narrow paths wound between homes, marked by wooden poles and cloth banners faded by time. Wind chimes made from bone, metal scraps, and shells clinked softly in the breeze, producing a gentle, uneven melody.
Smoke curled lazily into the sky.
"Hey," Victor muttered, squinting. "Is that… a village?"
Raul stopped walking. "No way."
Arin exhaled. "Looks like one."
As they stepped closer, details emerged. People moved about freely, children running barefoot through the sand, laughing as they chased one another. Women sat outside their homes, weaving cloth or grinding grain, chatting without hurry. Elderly villagers rested beneath makeshift shade canopies, eyes half-closed, faces calm.
The village wasn't wealthy.
Clothes were patched. Tools were worn. Homes were small.
But there was something unmistakable in the air.
They looked… happy.
Not the forced kind. Not the desperate kind.
Just content.
A man tending a field near the village entrance straightened when he noticed them. His skin was darkened by the sun, his clothes loose and practical. The crops he worked on were strange, short, thick-stemmed plants with waxy leaves, clearly built to survive heat and scarce water.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Well, I'll be damned," he said cheerfully. "Are you kids travelers?"
Arin stepped forward. "We are. Though… not exactly by choice."
The farmer laughed, wiping sweat from his brow. "That explains it. No one's ever come here willingly."
Raul frowned. "Wait. Ever?"
The man nodded, scratching his head. "Hasn't happened in at least a hundred years. You kids must be real special, or real unlucky."
Victor glanced around. "So where are we exactly?"
"Ahem, let me introduce," the farmer said proudly. "Welcome to the Village Lost in Sand."
Arin hesitated. "We were… randomly teleported here. We're trying to find a way out. Do you know the way?"
The farmer's smile widened.
"Oh," he said. "That's the neat part."
"There isn't one."
"What?" Raul and Victor said in unison.
The farmer winced. "Well, not from the village, anyway."
Victor groaned. "You're kidding."
"Afraid not," the man said apologetically. "But hey, why don't you talk to the village head? He's smart. Real smart. Bet he can help."
Arin raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so?"
"Yep."
Raul stiffened slightly. Victor let out a low whistle.
"That… does help," Arin said. "Could you take us to him?"
The farmer nodded enthusiastically. "Sure thing. Follow me."
They walked deeper into the village, guided by the farmer, who introduced himself as Kel.
As they passed through, villagers paused to stare.
Not with fear. Not with suspicion.
Just curiosity.
Some waved. Others smiled. A little girl tugged on Arin's sleeve and offered him a dried fruit on a stick before darting away, giggling. Raul looked baffled. Victor accepted one and immediately started chewing.
"Hey," Raul hissed. "What if it's poisoned?"
Victor shrugged. "Worth it."
Arin hid a smile.
Despite the poverty, the village felt alive. Wind carried the scent of cooked grain and roasted roots. Laughter echoed freely. There was no sense of looming danger, no tension coiled beneath smiles.
It felt… normal.
They stopped before a slightly larger hut near the center of the village. Its walls were reinforced with stone slabs, and a carved wooden symbol, worn smooth by time, hung above the entrance.
Kel turned to them. "You wait here. I'll let him know."
They waited.
Raul crossed his arms. "You feel that?"
Victor nodded. "Yeah."
Arin felt it too.
A presence.
Not hostile, but heavy.
After a few minutes, Kel emerged. "He says you can come in."
The moment they stepped inside, pressure washed over them.
Not crushing.
But unmistakable.
Captain rank.
The interior was simple. A low table. A few stools. Shelves lined with scrolls, jars, and odd trinkets. Light filtered through narrow windows, casting warm patterns on the floor.
A man sat at the table.
He wasn't tall. Nor imposing. Just an ordinary-looking man in his early fifties, with graying hair and calm eyes that seemed to see far more than they showed.
"Welcome," he said pleasantly. "To the Village Lost in Sand."
Arin bowed slightly. "Are you the village head?"
The man smiled. "I am. You may call me Rasir. Please..sit."
They did.
Up close, the pressure was clearer. Rasir wasn't trying to intimidate them. His aura was relaxed, stable, honed.
This man was undeniably strong.
"I hear you were randomly teleported here," Rasir said. "Unfortunate, but not unheard of."
Raul blinked. "It's happened before?"
"Once," Rasir said. "Long ago. But I don't know if they survived the way out."
Victor winced. "That's reassuring."
Rasir chuckled.
Arin leaned forward. "Sir, you said there's a way out. What is it?"
"Well, there is a way out," Rasir replied calmly. "But you can't go through it, not yet."
"Why?" Arin asked.
Rasir folded his hands. "Because the only exit lies beyond the Scorched Pass."
Raul groaned. "Let me guess."
Rasir nodded. "Captain-rank monsters guard it. Several. Occasionally, a commander wanders through."
"…Shit," Raul muttered.
Victor laughed weakly. "Of course."
Rasir smiled at their reactions. "However, you are lucky."
"How so?" Arin asked.
"Because you arrived here first," Rasir said. "Not at the pass."
Raul frowned. "That's… lucky?"
"Yes," Rasir replied. "Because the village is safe. You may rest here, recover, and even train."
Victor straightened. "Train?"
Rasir's eyes gleamed. "Our people may be poor, but we are not helpless. Survival in this land teaches many things."
Arin felt something warm settle in his chest.
After everything they had endured
This felt like a pause.
A breath.
"You may stay as long as you wish," Rasir said. "When you are ready… we will talk about the path forward."
Outside, the village buzzed softly with life.