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**Chapter 2: The Hourglass Desert**

Scorching heat, shimmering sand, and a parched throat were the first things Ray noticed after opening his eyes.

*Mortal… your challenge for the Rites of the Gods begins now. Time is precious, chose wisely and ....Survive.*

The voice echoed in his mind, hollow and ancient, sending a chill down his spine despite the oppressive heat. Ray blinked, his vision adjusting to the blinding sunlight.

“Damnit… it’s never easy,” he muttered, his voice cracking from thirst. “Survive here, huh?”

He looked around, but the desert offered no answers. Endless dunes stretched in every direction, their golden peaks shimmering like liquid under the sun. The only landmarks were jagged rock formations jutting from the sand like broken teeth.

'This is my trial? A desert?'

Ray’s stomach churned. Survival meant water, shelter, food—things this barren wasteland seemed determined to deny him. He wiped the sweat from his brow and squinted at the sun, its position fixed unnaturally high in the sky.

Deciding to escape the relentless heat, Ray turned away from the sun and began walking. Each step was a struggle—the sand shifted beneath his feet, dragging him down, while the heat sapped his strength. By the time he reached a cluster of rocks, barely 500 meters away, he collapsed, his chest heaving.

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“This… isn’t normal,” he gasped, clutching his side. “I’m weak, but not this weak.”

He looked back at the path he’d taken, his brow furrowed. Something was wrong. His body felt heavier, his hands rougher. He held them up, squinting in the sunlight.

'My hands…'

The calluses from years of labor were still there, but his skin looked older, weathered. Lines etched his palms, and his veins stood out more prominently.

“I’m aging,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Aging faster than I should be.”

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. The desert wasn’t just stealing his strength—it was stealing his *time*.

Ray clenched his fists, his frustration boiling over. “Choose? What choice do I have? There’s nothing here but sand!”

But the voice didn’t answer.

Gritting his teeth, Ray forced himself to his feet. He couldn’t afford to waste time. The rocks offered some shade, but they wouldn’t save him. He needed to find something—anything—that could help him survive.

Climbing onto the tallest rock, he scanned the horizon. To his left, a faint shimmer caught his eye—an oasis, its waters sparkling like a mirage. His heart leapt, but he quickly dismissed it.

'It’s too far. And it might not even be real.'

To his right, however, something solid stood out against the golden dunes. A dark, blurry structure, barely visible but unmistakable. It was closer than the oasis, and it didn’t shimmer like a mirage.

'That’s my best bet.:

Ray hesitated. The structure was still several kilometers away, and every step would age him further. But the oasis was even farther, and its promise of water might be an illusion.

“I’ll never make it to the oasis,” he muttered. “But I might reach that structure.”

He climbed down from the rocks and began walking, his steps measured and deliberate. This time, he paid close attention to the changes in his body. With every step, his muscles ached a little more, his skin grew a little drier, and his breath came a little harder.

'Days… weeks… I’m losing time with every step.'

The thought terrified him, but he pushed it aside. Fear wouldn’t save him. He had to keep moving.

As he trudged through the sand, the sun remained fixed in the sky, its light unrelenting. The desert was eerily silent, save for the crunch of sand under his feet and the occasional whisper of the wind.

'How long have I been walking?'

Time blurred in the desert, its passage marked only by the changes in his body. His hair grew grayer, his hands more wrinkled. But he pressed on, his eyes fixed on the distant structure.

'I can make it. I have to.'

Just as he began to doubt himself, a low growl rumbled through the sand. Ray froze, his heart pounding.

'What was that?'

He scanned the dunes, but the desert was empty. The growl came again, closer this time, and he realized it wasn’t just the wind.

'Something’s out there.'

Ray’s grip tightened on a jagged rock he’d picked up earlier. He didn’t

know what was coming, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.

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