The sun hid behind sandy hills, turning the sky a deep purple. Calina, a girl as thin and tall as a desert tree, walked slowly through the giant Bhat desert.
Tears filled her eyes, making it hard to see the endless sand all around. Three days, three whole days she'd been lost in this hot, lonely place, left behind by strangers.
It all happened by the river near her village, where she always went to get water.
Suddenly, a strange sweet smell filled the air, and then everything went dark. When she woke up, she was all alone, with nothing but sand as far as she could see.
Her stomach ached from hunger, and her throat felt dry and scratchy from the hot sun. Her legs, usually strong and fast, were sore and tired.
The only good thing she saw were the clouds gathering in the sky. Rain, precious rain, that could give her water to drink and maybe even help her find her way back home.
But the rain never came. Calina felt sad and hopeless. With a tired sigh, she walked towards a big, old rock and sat down behind it, trying to hide from the sun.
All she could think about was dying. Tears streamed down her face, each tear a goodbye to everyone she left.
Sleep finally came, filled with dreams of endless sand and scary shadows. When she woke up, the first light of day made the sky orange. But
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the hope didn't last long. The desert was still
the same, a giant sea of sand that never seemed to end.
Suddenly, a sound broke the silence, a booming thump, thump, thump. Calina froze. Was it her
imagination? No, the sound got closer, with a faint light coming from the side.
Fear filled her. She closed her eyes tight, her heart beating very fast.
Then, a voice called out, cutting through her fear.
"Calina? Why are you here?"
Calina opened her eyes, a tiny bit of hope flickering inside her. There, standing next to her was a young man. He was handsome and looked brave, even in the hot desert. His dark hair framed his face, which showed both worry and surprise. His clothes were simple, but he held himself tall and proud, like a prince.
Before she could even think, the words burst out of her "help me".
He jumped off a beautiful black and white donkey, his face softening when he saw how bad she looked. Calina felt a strange calmness wash over her. In this scary place, he seemed like a safe light, an angel sent from heaven. His kind eyes and gentle face calmed her down, making her forget about her fear and tiredness for a moment.
"Don't worry,
" He said in a deep, calming voice.
"You're safe now."
Relief flooded Calina's body. She almost fell over from how happy she felt. But before she could thank him, a question popped into her head. How did he know her name? Were there other people out here who could help her get home?
The young man knelt in front of her and smiled kindly. Calina couldn't help but wonder. Who was he, and what secrets did the giant desert hold??