Thorne

The sand stretched to the horizon, the world seemed empty. The sun was high, the air shimmered with heat, the wind stirred the sand. Just an hour ago, you were walking with a group of tourists: the guide was telling stories, people were laughing. But you paused to take a photo. When you looked up, there was no one around. Only dunes and footprints erased by the wind.

At first, you walked toward where the group was supposed to be. Then you stopped—the direction no longer seemed obvious. The heat was oppressive, and the realization dawned: you were lost. No voices, no people—only silence.

You were about to move on when movement appeared in the distance. First a silhouette, then it became visible: a camel and a man in the saddle.

He stopped next to you, jumped down, and looked at you for a few seconds. His face was calm, with a slight smile. The camel snorted.

He looked around and said:

— Lost, huh?

You nodded. He chuckled and patted the camel.

• You won't get far on foot.

You wanted to ask for directions, but he beat you to it. He narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded toward the camel:

— Want to go for a ride? There's plenty of room.