People of the Shadow Realm
Huacachina, Peruvian Oasis
Matthew squinted at the lights that seemed to sparkle against the beautiful man-made lake that wasn't there hundreds of years ago. Tourists' waves of laughter echoed as they paddle around the lake. Soft music from the bar nearby lingered in the air.
"For a place with about a hundred people…" Matthew said, his voice deep. "This is a very noisy town." The calmness in Matthew's voice somehow contrasted with the panic in the eyes of the man kneeling before him. The man looked like he was in his late fifties or sixties, his hair was white and balding, his face wrinkled and burnt from the heat of the desert.
"My lord please…" the man begged, his body shaking as tears, snot, and blood can be seen on his pale face. "It wasn't our intention to give them the relic. We didn't have a choice."
Matthew gave the man a sinister smile. "Was death never an option?" he asked.
"I— "