Lyrien and Toma spent the entire day crossing the vast, sun-baked desert on camelback, stopping only once for lunch before pressing on. The hours passed in easy conversation—most of it about the academy, their classes, and the strange twists of student life under the scorching sun. With every word, they grew a little closer, their laughter mixing with the dry whisper of desert winds.

  By late afternoon, the sky was still ablaze with sunlight, the horizon shimmering with waves of heat. Dusk had yet to fall when the camel beneath them suddenly stiffened, let out a low grunt, and began to back away in alarm.

  Lyrien’s voice trembled with panic as she gripped the saddle. “What on earth is that?!”

  “I think I might know,” Toma said, sliding down from the camel in one smooth motion. He stepped carefully through the sand, eyes narrowing at the faint movement ahead.

  Half-buried in the dunes, a rattlesnake lay coiled and tense, its tail shaking with a sharp, dry rattle. Toma crouched, locking eyes with the creature. For a few long seconds, neither of them moved—just two hunters sizing each other up beneath the blazing desert sun. Then, with a flash of motion, the snake lunged straight for his face.

  It never reached him. Toma’s hand shot out faster than the strike itself, catching the snake midair. His grip was firm but calm. “Got you now, you nasty little snake,” he muttered with a smirk before standing and hurling it far across the sand. The creature vanished into the dunes with a hiss.

  When he climbed back onto the camel, Lyrien was staring wide-eyed. “Whoa… how did you do that?”

  “I’ve got quick reflexes,” Toma said casually, brushing sand off his hands. “Faster than the snake’s. I’ve spent a lot of time training them.”

  “But weren’t you scared?” she asked. “Their bite’s poisonous, isn’t it?”

  “I wasn’t scared,” he replied, meeting her gaze with calm confidence. “I’ve seen snake charmers before and tried to learn from them. I can’t charm snakes myself, but if you look into their eyes, you can always tell when they’re about to strike.” He gave a small grin. “Anyway, hold on tight—we should keep moving. We need to find a place to camp before nightfall.”

  “Okay,” Lyrien nodded, her voice steadier now.

  They set the camel moving again, its hooves sinking softly into the golden sands. The world around them slowly faded to shadow as the last light bled from the sky, and soon the desert was swallowed by the deep stillness of night.

  “Damn it… it’s getting dark, and we still haven’t found a single oasis,” Toma muttered under his breath, scanning the endless dunes around them.

  Lyrien looked worriedly at the fading horizon. “So what do we do now? It’s getting darker by the minute. If we haven’t found one yet, we definitely won’t in the dark.”

  Toma sighed, his voice steady but resigned. “Then we’ll camp here. There’s no other choice—and the camel’s exhausted. We can’t push it any farther.”

  “Alright,” Lyrien nodded. “At least we’ve still got enough food and water for now.”

  They dismounted, and the camel obediently knelt down, folding its legs beneath its body. The air had cooled slightly, and the wind carried a faint chill across the sand. While Lyrien unpacked their supplies, Toma began gathering dry grass and thin twigs scattered around the area.

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  He took out two sticks—one with a small carved hollow in the center. Setting it flat on the ground, he placed the other stick upright into the hole and rubbed it quickly between his palms. Smoke began to curl up from the dry grass beneath. He leaned in and blew gently until a small, steady flame flickered to life.

  Lyrien’s eyes widened. “Wow, where did you learn to do that?”

  Toma smiled, feeding more twigs into the flame. “A friend of mine showed me last night when we were camping together. That’s why I packed some dry grass and sticks at the bottom of my bag—just in case. One of the sticks had a hollowed-out center, so I rubbed another one into it until it sparked. It’s simple once you get the hang of it.”

  “And what happened to that friend of yours?” Lyrien asked curiously as she sat down beside the fire.

  “We decided not to help each other anymore,” Toma explained. “We agreed to reach the destination on our own, so we split up this morning.”

  “So… it’s kind of a competition between you two?”

  “You could say that,” Toma replied with a grin. “Anyway, let’s eat—I’m starving.”

  “You’re right, I’m hungry too!” Lyrien said with a small laugh.

  “Let me guess—wild fruits for dinner?” Toma asked.

  “Yes,” she admitted. “That’s all I managed to bring from the oasis.”

  “Same here,” Toma said. “But it’ll do for now.”

  As they ate in silence, the fire crackled softly, casting warm light across their faces. The camel rested nearby, its large eyes half-closed.

  “Do you think I should give it something to eat or drink?” Lyrien asked after a while.

  Toma shook his head. “No. Camels can go much longer without food or water than we can. We need to save what’s left for breakfast—and even then, we won’t have much after that.”

  “Then tomorrow we have to find an oasis, no matter what,” Lyrien said firmly, determination glinting in her eyes.

  “Exactly,” Toma agreed. “We’ll keep moving forward—but finding an oasis comes first.”

  As they talked, Toma and Lyrien finished their simple dinner, the faint crackle of the fire filling the quiet desert night. When they were done eating, they leaned back against the camel’s warm flank, gazing into the flickering flames for comfort.

  “It was really important to make a fire,” Toma said, stretching his legs toward the warmth. “At night, the desert gets cold—we’d be freezing without it.”

  “You were right, Toma. It’s so warm and cozy now,” Lyrien said with a gentle smile, her face glowing in the firelight.

  “I didn’t bring much firewood, though,” Toma admitted. “The fire won’t last all night, even after I tossed in the fruit peels and every burnable thing I could find. But for now, it’s burning nicely. When the flames die out, the embers will keep smoking for a while, and that’ll help keep us warm. The ground soaks up the heat, too, so we won’t freeze.”

  “Especially if we sleep leaning against the camel!” Lyrien giggled, her laugh light and sweet in the cool air.

  After a moment of quiet, Toma turned to her. “By the way, Lyrien… I heard you’re part of one of the biggest noble families.”

  “Yes,” she admitted softly. “I’m from the Elarith family—but I don’t like to make a big deal out of it. I don’t want people to think I’m better than them, or that I only got here because of my name. I want people to see me for who I am. I really do train hard every day.”

  “I get that,” Toma said with a nod. “One of my closest childhood friends, Arvian, is a noble too. It’s not easy for him either.”

  Lyrien looked down, her voice quieter. “It’s hard sometimes. My title feels like a weight I have to live up to… like people expect perfection just because of where I come from. But I’m learning not to let it pressure me so much.”

  “By the way,” Toma asked, curious, “how come you didn’t sign up to go on a real mission with one of the professional fighters?”

  She sighed softly. “My older brother joined the water unit on missions every year. Since he’s graduating this year, I didn’t want to get in the way. I’ll go next year.”

  Disappointment flickered across her face, but Toma smiled reassuringly. “A gorgeous and strong girl like you wouldn’t be in anyone’s way.”

  “R-Really?” she stammered, her cheeks flushing a bright shade of red.

  “Of course,” he said warmly. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

  Before Lyrien could respond, a bright streak of light shot across the clear night sky above them.

  “Wow—look! A shooting star!” Toma shouted, pointing upward.

  “Damn, I missed it!” she laughed.

  “No worries—if we keep watching, we’ll probably see more!”

  The desert was silent around them, the stars stretching endlessly across the sky. The fire’s glow flickered gently on their faces as they lay side by side, their camel resting quietly beside them. Warmed by the embers and lulled by the vast stillness, they watched the heavens together until their eyes grew heavy—and without realizing it, they both drifted off to sleep.