“Welcome to your execution.” D’ evril announced wickedly, his arms spread wide, “This is
the transportation lab where you will be teleported to the Gobi Desert. Nobody will know you are
there, your death will be anonymous.”
The guards forced her into one of the tubes. Inside, Clare was beating wildly.
“Let me out!” she screamed.
She kicked and flailed and pushed without success; she screamed until her throat was soar.
They’d never let her out.
Zzzz… there was a faint humming of machinery from the top. Glancing up, she saw a giant
ball of energy gathering itself to swallow up the whole area. In less than a second, the ball of
energy burst out and devoured all the things in its way.
There was a blinding flash of white light as Clare welcomed the light to swallow her, bringing
her into a completely different world.
A world of sand blinked into existence.
The bright red sun was shining fiercely onto the never-ending desert. Today was no
difference from any other day for Clare, who had been lost in the Gobi Desert for days, treading
its soft sandy grounds, trying to find a way out. With no food and no water, she was extremely
exhausted, tired and thirsty. The intense sunlight scorched her skin; hours of walking burned her
muscles. Her throat was dry as sandpaper; her clothes were torn and ragged; her once pale face
was scratched, tanned, and dirty; her long dark hair was a messy mop.
She had lost count of the days of stumbling in the desert, and was gradually losing hope of
ever leaving it alive. Day by day, her energy was draining away, and she was clearly worn out.
She could barely open her eyes to look upon the blazing sun, or the miles upon miles of sand. The
weather was unbearable and merciless, slowly tormenting her with extreme heat. Her legs finally
gave way and she fell face first onto baking sand, which singed away her eyebrows and peeled
part of her skin. The pain was excruciating and was itching at her consciousness, which was
gradually slipping away.
I am dying. I am never going to escape the desert, she thought weakly as her vision started
to blur, I guess I’m just another victim of the evil society. This is the punishment of being who I
am…this is the end—
Her vision went black as she lost consciousness. Her body went limp, her head lolled to one
side as she lay there motionless, lifeless.
Hey…
She could hear distant voices speaking in hushed tones as she flickered in between consciousness.
Clare…
Out of these voices, she could hear one specifically clear.
Clare! Wake up!
Her eyes fluttered open weakly, they were heavy as lead. She was lying on the rough sandy
earth where she had just passed out. The bright golden sunlight was still gleaming wickedly on
the clear blue sky. Nothing had changed. She closed her eyes again, shielding off the brilliant
brightness. Her mind cleared.
She felt different.
A wave of energy surged over her. For the first time in days, she felt truly alive, restored, revived.
My powers must be developing, she thought absently.
Yes indeed, replied the voice in her head, you are one of us, Clare. Listen, if you want to get
