Inside the tent, Brandon sat with his back against one of the tent poles, legs stretched out in front of him.

He had pulled a spare blanket over his shoulders against the chill.

His gaze rested on Rheanne.

She was sleeping peacefully on the other side of the tent, curled on her side with her long white hair spilling across the blanket.

Her white eyelashes fluttered gently with each slow, even breath.

The faint glow of the lantern highlighted the delicate curve of her cheek and the peaceful slackness of her lips.

A soft sigh escaped his lips.

He reached for the metal cup beside him and took a slow sip of water.

’I wonder how Elize, Florence and the others are doing,’ he thought, as their familiar faces rose in his mind like a warm memory. ’I miss them so much.’

’...Charlotte must be blaming herself for losing me.’

He took another sip of water, then set the cup down and leaned back against the tent pole.

He glanced at Rheanne again ’I can’t tell her the truth yet,’ he thought.

’So I’ll play my part. I’ll be the companion she needs right now. And when the time comes... I’ll find my way back to Florence and to everyone waiting for me.’

The cold was starting to seep deeper into the tent. He pulled the blanket a little tighter around his shoulders.

---

BOOOOOOMMM

Sand exploded upward in a deafening eruption, sending a massive cloud of golden dust billowing into the sky.

An enormous sand dragon burst from the dunes with its body made of densely packed, swirling golden sand that shifted and reformed constantly.

Massive wings of compressed sand unfurled with a thunderous crack, sending shockwaves of dust rolling across the desert.

The dragon roared, shaking the very air around Brandon as he looked up at it.

His grip on the sword tightened, knuckles turning white ’With my ether skills, this should be a piece of cake... but using the ether only to enhance my body...’

A deep breath escaped his lips ’I need to find a way to replenish my ether soon. Anyway, let’s finish this first.’

The dragon lunged.

Its massive head snapped forward with terrifying speed, with its jaws wide enough to swallow him whole.

Brandon exploded into motion.

He enhanced his body with a controlled surge of ether, making it faster and stronger.

He leaped sideways at the last moment.

The dragon’s jaws slammed shut where he had been standing, crushing the sand with a deafening crunch.

Brandon twisted mid-air, using the momentum to launch himself onto the creature’s shoulder.

He landed lightly and drove the sword downward with all his enhanced strength.

The blade sank deep into the dragon’s neck.

SHUNK!

Sand exploded outward in a violent spray.

The dragon roared in fury and bucked wildly, trying to throw him off.

Brandon held on, twisting the sword deeper, then yanked it free and leaped off the shoulder just as the dragon’s massive tail whipped around like a battering ram.

He rolled across the sand, came up in a crouch, and immediately charged again.

The dragon swung its head toward him.

Brandon dropped low, sliding beneath the snapping teeth, and slashed upward with the sword in a powerful rising cut.

The blade carved a deep gash along the underside of the dragon’s jaw.

More sand erupted.

But the wound began closing almost instantly ’I have to hit the core before it reforms.’

He dodged another swipe of the dragon’s claws, then used the enhanced power in his legs to launch himself high into the air.

Mid-air, he twisted his body and brought the sword down in a devastating overhead strike, aiming for the center of the dragon’s head.

CRACK!

The dragon’s head partially shattered as the sand exploded outward in a massive burst.

For a moment, the creature staggered.

But it didn’t fall.

The sand began reforming almost immediately, and Brandon landed heavily.

Biting on the hilt of the sword, Brandon tore off his shirt, which was already ripped.

He was conserving ether as much as possible, but the constant enhancement was draining him faster than he liked.

The dragon roared again and charged, its massive body thundering across the dunes.

Brandon met it head-on.

He dashed forward, using short, explosive bursts of enhanced speed to weave between its attacks.

He ducked under a snapping jaw, rolled between its front legs, and came up swinging.

The sword slashed across the dragon’s underbelly in a wide arc.

Sand exploded.

But again, it started reforming.

He leaped onto the dragon’s back, running up its spine.

When he reached the shoulders, he drove the sword down with all his strength, aiming for where he hoped the core might be.

The blade sank deep.

The dragon convulsed violently.

Brandon was thrown off, tumbling through the air before landing on the sand.

He stood up slowly and tightened his grip on the sword before charging again.

He leaped high, twisting his body in mid-air, and brought the sword down in a powerful, two-handed overhead slash.

SHIIIIING-

The blade connected with the dragon’s head with all the force he could muster.

*THHOOOOMM*

The dragon’s head shattered completely as sand exploded outward in a massive, golden cloud.

Then its entire body collapsed, disintegrating into a colossal wave of inert sand that rained down across the dunes, leaving behind a massive crater where it had stood.

Brandon shook his hands, shaking the sand off him "That’s it, I guess..."

"With the two doors down, that one must be the exit."

As he muttered under his breath, he turned his gaze to look at the blue energy swirling around the enormous door in the distance.

At this time, Rheanne dashed through the sky and landed in front of him.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she froze.

Her sky-blue eyes widened slightly as they landed on Brandon.

He was standing there without a shirt.

His chest and abs were glistening with sweat, marked with faint red lines from cuts that were still in the process of healing.

The muscles were defined, rising and falling with each heavy breath.

Rheanne’s gaze unconsciously flickered over his torso, the broad shoulders, the defined chest, and the ridges of his abs before she realized what she was doing.

A faint blush crept up her neck and across her cheeks.

She quickly lowered her head, her white hair falling forward to partially hide her face.

’What am I doing...?’ she thought, internally scolding herself.

Brandon, still catching his breath, turned to her and asked casually, "Are you done on your side?"

Rheanne gave a small, quick nod, trying to regain her composure.

"Yeah... Also, where are your clothes?"

With a dry, tired smile, Brandon replied "They were tattered already and were getting in my way. So I tore it off."

"Hopefully, this gate is the exit."

She turned her attention firmly to the glowing archway, forcing her voice to stay steady.

"Yeah... let’s go."

The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the massive, swirling blue gate.

Rheanne took a slow breath "This is either the exit or maybe the entrance to the heart of the dungeon."

Brandon gave a nod, and they stepped in together.

---

"Haa... Haa..."

Brandon leaned heavily against the cold wall as his chest rose and fell in painful gasps.

Sweat mixed with blood streamed down his face, stinging his eyes.

drip... drip... drip...

Thick drops of blood fell steadily from the stump of his left arm, splattering onto the stone floor with soft, wet sounds.

Brandon’s vision swam, but he forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath, trying to push through the shock and dizziness.

’Charlotte was right...’ he thought bitterly, gritting his teeth against the pain. ’Towers are indeed strange and on a different level compared to dungeons or ruptures.’

His gaze flickered to his left arm lying on the side.

’Fuck this...’