The sandworm loomed.
its eyeless head twisting, tasting the air. A guttural hiss rumbled from deep within its cavernous throat. Wind howled through the valley, carrying the thick stench of blood and something older—something foul.
Kael hovered above, his breath shallow, flames writhing around his body like living serpents. Heat shimmered off his skin, but the cold bit deep. His hands trembled. His fire dimmed.
Ash staggered to his feet, sand sticking to the blood smeared across his arms. His head throbbed, his pulse a hammer against his skull. He sucked in a breath, lungs burning.
The other worms had vanished, burrowing back into the abyss below. But this one remained. Waiting. Watching.
Ash's gaze swept the ground where max had disappeared to.
"Max…"
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
A heartbeat later.
"[Activating skill: Phantom's Stride]"
He vanished.
The world snapped forward. A gust of wind trailed in his wake.
