The Dead March stretched before them like a living mirage — a vast sea of pale sand that seemed to breathe under the sun. Each dune shimmered faintly, whispering as the wind passed, carrying voices that were not entirely human.
Eiji squinted against the glare. "It doesn't look that bad," he said, though his tone lacked conviction.
Lyra gave a dry laugh. "That's what they always say before the screaming starts."
Kael adjusted his sword strap and looked over the horizon. "Let's move. The faster we cross, the better."
Selene nodded and murmured a protection spell. Faint light shimmered around them like a heat haze. "The Dead March feeds on fear. Stay calm, stay close, and don't listen to the voices."
They stepped forward, the sand crunching beneath their boots. At first, the desert was silent, save for the soft sigh of the wind. But as the sun climbed higher, the whispers began — faint, almost too soft to hear.
Lyra stopped. "Did anyone else hear that?"
Kael frowned. "Hear what?"
"The voices," she said, her face paling. "They said my name."
Eiji glanced around. The dunes stretched endlessly, no figures in sight. "It's a trick," he said. "Ignore it."
But then he heard it too. A familiar voice, distant and broken.
"Eiji… help me…"
His heart stopped. It was his mother's voice — or at least, it sounded like her.
He turned sharply, scanning the dunes. "Mom?"
Selene grabbed his arm. "Don't," she said firmly. "That's not her. The desert remembers every sorrow it swallows. It uses them."
He swallowed hard and nodded. But the voice kept calling, growing fainter, sadder.
Hours passed. The heat grew unbearable, and the air shimmered with strange distortions. Sometimes they saw movement in the distance — faint shapes walking alongside them, only to fade when they turned to look.
By nightfall, the temperature dropped suddenly. The air became sharp and cold. They set up a small camp on a flat stretch of sand, the fire barely holding against the chill.
Kael sat quietly, sharpening his blade. Lyra poked the fire and muttered, "Next time we pick a route, I'm voting for the one that doesn't whisper my childhood secrets."
Eiji didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, where a faint glow pulsed in the distance.
Selene followed his gaze. "The next seal."
He nodded slowly. "It feels… wrong."
She nodded. "It should. That light isn't pure. It's twisted — corrupted by something ancient."
Lyra groaned. "Perfect. Corrupted light. My favorite bedtime story."
Kael looked up suddenly. "Wait. Do you hear that?"
At first, it sounded like the wind again. But then the sound grew louder — a rhythmic pulse, like footsteps beneath the sand.
Eiji stood. "Something's coming."
The ground trembled. A wave of sand erupted upward, and from it rose figures cloaked in tattered robes. Their faces were hidden, their eyes glowing faint blue beneath their hoods.
"The lost," Selene whispered. "Souls who tried to reach the seal but never returned."
The creatures moved closer, their whispering voices merging into a single echo. "Join us… join us…"
Kael drew his sword. "I'll pass, thanks."
They charged. The first creature lunged at Eiji, and he reacted instinctively — the mark on his hand flared, and a wave of light burst out, scattering the sand around him.
The creatures screamed, their forms distorting like smoke. But as one vanished, another rose in its place.
Lyra unleashed a flash spell, blinding several at once. Kael's blade carved through another. Selene's runes flared, sealing a few in shimmering barriers of light.
But for every one they defeated, more emerged. The sand seemed endless, birthing shadow after shadow.
Eiji gritted his teeth. "We can't fight them all!"
Selene pointed toward the distant glow. "The seal's power is drawing them. If we reach it, we can dispel their connection."
Kael nodded. "Then move!"
They ran. The creatures shrieked and followed, crawling out of the dunes like a black tide.
Eiji could feel the medallion pulling him forward. The closer he got, the heavier the air became — until finally they reached a massive stone monolith half-buried in the sand.
Runes glowed faintly across its surface, forming a circle around a single mark — the fourth seal.
Selene raised her staff. "Eiji, now!"
He pressed his glowing hand against the stone. The mark responded instantly, bursting with light that tore through the night.
The lost screamed as the light touched them. One by one, they dissolved into motes of ash that scattered into the wind.
When it was over, the desert was silent again.
Lyra collapsed onto the sand. "I hate magic deserts."
Kael sheathed his sword, still scanning the horizon. "They're gone. For now."
Selene looked at Eiji. His hand was still glowing, but faint cracks had formed across his skin where the light burned through.
"Eiji," she said softly. "You need to rest. That seal took a part of you."
He nodded weakly, breathing hard. "Yeah… but it gave me something too."
Lyra looked up. "Like what?"
He hesitated. "A memory. Not mine… his."
Selene frowned. "The Echo's?"
Eiji nodded slowly. "He wasn't always my enemy. He was trying to save someone. But he failed."
Silence hung between them. The fire crackled softly, the desert wind whispering around them.
Kael finally spoke. "Who was he trying to save?"
Eiji looked down at his glowing hand, his voice barely a whisper.
"The world."