Strangers

While Hana emerged from the crash with only a few minor bruises, Zander and Bale were not as fortunate. They suffered from cuts, bruises, and minor burns. As Hana surveyed the area, she spotted a figure dressed in a ritualistic uniform, donning a white mask with a red gem at its center. The figure was wielding an assault rifle.

Hana was puzzled by the strange figure that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Who were they and why were they wearing a mask and carrying a rifle? Her mind was racing with questions, but she knew that her priority was to help Lando.

She turned to Zander and Bale, who were trying their best to move towards the fire. "We need to find help for Lando," she said firmly. "We can't just wait for Azia to repair him. We need to find someone who can help him right now."

The three of them looked around, trying to figure out their next move. They were in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but sand and ruins as far as the eye could see. They couldn't just approach The Vultures for help, not after what they had just done to all those soldiers.

Suddenly, they heard a faint sound of footsteps, getting closer and closer. Hana aimed her rifle once again, ready to protect her friends. But to her surprise, it was the same figure from before. They were now walking slowly towards them, with their rifle hanging loosely by their side.

As they got closer, Hana could see that they were holding something in their hand. It was a small vial filled with a blue liquid. The figure held it out towards Hana, indicating that she should take it.

Hana hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether to trust this stranger. But then she remembered Lando and the urgency of his situation. She cautiously approached the figure and took the vial from their hand.

"What is this?" Hana asked, looking at the blue liquid.

"It will help your friend," the figure said in a low, muffled voice from behind the mask. "Trust me."

Hana nodded, and without another word, she rushed back to Lando. She gently opened his mouth and poured the blue liquid down his throat. To her amazement, Lando started to stir almost immediately.

She watched in awe as the wound on his head began to close up and the colour returned to his cheeks. It was as if the liquid had a miraculous healing power.

As Hana turned to thank the mysterious figure, the cloaked girl's attention turned to Zander and Bale. "You, too. Drink these." The girl produced two blue vials and handed them over to the injured men, who drank the liquid eagerly. Almost immediately, their wounds began to heal slowly.

"What is this power?" Hana inquired, gesturing towards the vials.

"It is an essence beyond the sand," the girl replied cryptically. "It is now power."

Before Hana could ask any more questions, the girl turned to face her. "Goodbye," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. With that, she wandered off into the distance.

"Wait!" Hana called after her. "What is your name?!"

She paused and stood there silently for a second and then spoke. "Kayla." Hana and her companions watched as Kayla disappeared into the ruins, leaving them standing there in silence. Hana couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this girl than met the eye. Who was she? What was she doing out here in the middle of nowhere?

As they stood there, puzzled, Bale noticed something glinting in the night sky. He walked over to where Kayla had been standing and saw that she had dropped something on the ground. Bale picked it up and examined it closely. It was a small, silver pendant in the shape of a crescent moon.

Bale turned to Zander and Hana, holding up the pendant. "She dropped this," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Zander and Hana looked at each other before turning back to Bale. "What do you think it means?" Zander asked.

Bale shook her head, unsure. "I don't know," he replied. "But something tells me we haven't seen the last of her."

Lando opened his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to focus. As his vision cleared, he saw Hana looking down at him with a smile on her face.

"Ugh," he groaned, his voice hoarse. "What happened?"

Hana's smile widened. "You were in a crash," she said. "But you're going to be okay."

Lando looked around and saw Zander and Bale standing nearby, looking relieved to see him awake.

"Thank god you guys are alive," Lando said, his voice still weak.

Hana nodded. "We all made it," she said. "But we have a story to tell you."

Lando's eyebrows raised. "Oh yeah?" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "What's it about?"

Hana grinned. "Let's just say we met a mysterious girl in the ruins," she said cryptically.

Lando sat up, wincing slightly at the pain in his side. "A mysterious girl?" he repeated.

Hana nodded. "She healed us with some kind of power," she said. "And then she disappeared into the ruins."

Lando looked intrigued. "That sounds like quite a story," he said.

Hana nodded. "It is," she said. "But first, we need to get out of here. We can tell you the rest on the way."

Bale breathed a sigh of relief as he looked over at Lando, who was lying on the ground after the crash. "Thank god you're okay," he said, patting his friend's shoulder. He reached into his pouch and pulled out the crescent moon, which he had managed to salvage from the wreckage.

Lando nodded weakly, still trying to regain his strength. He looked over at Hana, who was kneeling next to him with a concerned expression on her face. Despite the pain he was feeling, he couldn't help but admire her beauty: her brown hair was tousled from the crash, and her green eyes shone with a mix of worry and determination.

As he looked at her, he felt his cheeks flush with warmth. He quickly looked away, hoping that neither Hana nor Bale had noticed.

"I have a plan," he said, trying to distract himself. "But we need to wait until morning to execute it."

Hana nodded. "Okay," she said. "We'll rest here until then."