chapter 3

We stood together on the edge of the rock formation, eyes fixed on the colossal sandworm looming before us. It was an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight, larger than any golem we had ever faced. At first, it seemed like a vast, gaping sinkhole in the ground, as though the earth itself had been torn apart, a swirling vortex waiting to swallow anything that ventured too close. But this was no mere hole—it was alive. The sandworm's massive, undulating body writhed beneath the surface, and we knew that anything that fell into its maw would be consumed without a trace. The legends said these creatures were capable of devouring entire cities, reducing them to rubble and dust in mere hours.

"Don't be scared, Valk. The guild master will find a way to get us out of here," Emily said, her voice attempting to sound reassuring, but the fear in her eyes betrayed her words. Her smile was fragile, almost forced, as though she was trying to comfort both me and herself at the same time. The unease in her voice was palpable.

"Yeah, kid, don't worry," Ryker added with a grin, his voice laced with the usual bravado that hid his own anxiety. "We'll find a way."

But the guild master, standing at the forefront, was silent. His gaze was locked onto the sandworm, studying it with a depth of focus that we all knew too well. He wasn't just looking at the creature; he was calculating our survival, weighing our options. And as much as we wished we could outrun this beast, we knew it was impossible. No matter which direction we took, we couldn't escape its reach. Our only choice was to face it head-on. The problem was that even the guild master's strength might not be enough to take it down. We all knew the truth—surviving this encounter would take a miracle.

Then, suddenly, the guild master spoke, his voice filled with a newfound determination.

"I got it!" he shouted, snapping us out of our fearful reverie. We all turned to him, waiting for whatever plan he had in mind.

"Emily!" The guild master's voice was sharp, commanding. His eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her stiffen, knowing what was coming. "I know you won't like this, but—"

Before he could finish, we all knew what he was about to suggest. The realization hit us like a punch to the gut.

"No!" Emily's voice was filled with anger and disbelief. Her eyes flashed with defiance, and she stepped forward, her body tense with refusal. "I won't do it."

"I agree," Ryker chimed in immediately, his face set in a hard frown. "That's insane, guild master. You can't ask her to do that. It's too dangerous."

"Yeah, me too," I added, my voice firm despite the panic gnawing at me. "We can't let you sacrifice yourself for us."

The guild master remained calm, his expression softening just slightly as he regarded us all with a knowing smile.

"Everyone," he said, his voice steady, "Listen. I don't plan to die here. I just need Emily to use her skill to enhance my abilities. Once that's done, I'll throw everything I have at that sandworm—just enough to slow it down, to give us a chance to escape."

His words were a balm to our anxieties. It wasn't the reckless sacrifice we had feared. Relief washed over me, and I could see the same sense of comfort spread among the others. It wasn't a death sentence—it was a plan. A plan to survive.

"You should've said that from the start!" Ryker laughed, but there was genuine relief in his tone as he lightly punched the guild master on the shoulder. "Don't scare us like that, guild master!"

"Whew," Emily exhaled sharply, the tension easing from her shoulders. She couldn't help but smile at the guild master's calm demeanor. "You really had us worried there."

With a deep breath, Emily closed her eyes and began gathering her power. Her hands crackled with energy as she focused, and the air around us seemed to hum with anticipation. Slowly, the delicate streams of Manu began to coalesce, shifting from water-type into fire-type. The temperature around us soared, and the ground beneath our feet trembled as the fire energy swirled around her.

"Thanks, Emily," the guild master said, his voice filled with gratitude. "With this, I can create an opening for us to escape. Everyone, get back!"

We didn't need to be told twice. We all took several steps back, giving the guild master the space he needed. He stood alone now, his body surrounded by a roiling inferno of fire. His figure glowed with an ethereal light, and the fire that enveloped him built into four enormous fireballs, each one pulsating with destructive force. The air around them shimmered, rippling with heat, as they hovered, ready to be unleashed.

"Here goes!" the guild master shouted, his voice filled with resolve.

Without another word, he launched the four fireballs toward the sandworm. Time seemed to slow as the blazing spheres of fire streaked across the desert, cutting through the air with blistering speed. For a heartbeat, there was nothing but silence—the calm before the storm.

Then, the world erupted.

BOOOOM!

The explosion was deafening, the shockwave rippling outward with the force of a thousand storms. The sandworm let out a terrible, agonized shriek as the fireballs collided with its massive form. The very earth trembled beneath our feet, and a brilliant flare of light filled the sky, drowning out everything in its path. The explosion was so intense that it sent a wave of heat crashing over us, the air thick with the acrid scent of burning sand.

The ground beneath our feet cracked, the earth itself shaking violently as the sky seemed to crack and shudder. The force of the blast sent us stumbling, barely able to keep our footing as the very fabric of the world around us seemed to tear apart.

The Manu in the air was disrupted in a violent storm, spreading out for miles in every direction. The desert itself seemed to collapse inward as the shockwave of the explosion expanded, the earth rumbling and cracking under the sheer power of the blast.

"Everyone, run now!" the guild master shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. His words snapped me into motion. There was no time to waste. We turned and ran, pushing our bodies beyond their limits, our feet pounding against the ground as we raced away from the carnage we had just unleashed.

Behind us, the sandworm let out a roar of pain, its massive form thrashing in the wake of the explosion. The sound of its cry echoed in my ears, but we didn't dare look back. We ran faster, harder, driven by the instinct to survive.

Kaaaaaaasargh!

The sandworm's cry continued to reverberate, but we kept running. Our breath came in ragged gasps, our muscles burning from the exertion, but there was no time to slow down. We had to get as far away from the creature as possible, to put as much distance between us and its wrath.

But then, everything went black.