Twirling the quill between my fingers and examining every pattern, I drifted into a trance. Memories surged over me like a crashing wave, and suddenly, I was no longer sitting in a remote hotel at the edge of the world. Instead, I found myself at a table draped with a cloth embroidered in golden, ornate patterns. The scorching desert wind drifted through the window, bare of glass or shutters, while the setting sun played with crimson rays in the glass of water.

  " ***, are you even listening to me?"

  I lifted my dazed gaze, struggling to make sense of the figure before me. I lifted my hazy gaze, struggling at first to recognize who or what I was seeing. But with each passing second, my vision cleared. Before me stood an older woman, dressed in a sand-colored abaya with deep burgundy accents. Her eyes were heavily lined with black kohl, their shape resembling that of a cat’s more than a human’s. A delicate headpiece of golden coins and chains adorned her brow, with one coin resting precisely at its center. That forehead, already lined with age, furrowed even deeper as she spoke again:

  " ***, I think that’s enough for today. Come, let’s eat. Your father and brother are likely waiting in the great hall."

  "Yes, Mentor, I must have grown tired. It’s the desert heat, I suppose. I stayed under the sun for too long today."

  I rose from the table, which was cluttered with books and ancient scrolls. Before following her, my eyes lingered for a moment on two inkwells—one filled with deep red ink, the other with blue. Then, as if spellbound, I trailed behind her. As we moved through the halls, men dressed in white tunics with gold embroidery opened the heavy doors before us. The moment we passed, the doors swung shut behind us with practiced precision. After several such doors, we finally reached a pair of grand, gilded gates, which parted to reveal a vast dining hall. A long table, lavishly laden with exotic dishes, stretched across the room. At the head of the table sat a tall man clad in robes of sand and crimson. His thick, curly hair, streaked with silver, cascaded past his shoulders, while an equally thick beard concealed the entirety of his neck. Power, authority, and unshakable resolve radiated from him. And yet, the moment the woman at my side approached, his eyes softened, filling with warmth and tenderness.

  She stepped closer, pressed a kiss to his cheek, and murmured:

  "My lord."

  Then she sat down to his right and gestured for me to take the empty seat beside her. There was no doubt—they were husband and wife. As I settled into my chair, my gaze landed on a boy across from me, no older than eighteen. His feline eyes mirrored those of his mother, but the rest of his face was a replica of his father’s. His head was shaved bald, save for a small tuft of hair at the crown, gathered into a tight knot. He sat with the same disciplined posture as his father, but his gaze flickered restlessly between me and his mother.

  "Hello," he said with a warm smile. "So, how was your day? Did Mother put you through too much? She's very strict, but she knows so much." His eyes, filled with endless love, turned to his mother.

  "Mentor held a lesson for me in the desert today. It was a little exhausting because of the scorching sun, but I think I managed everything well."

  "Yes, you learn incredibly fast. At this rate, we'll be done much sooner than I expected. And you, Baako, what did you and your father do today?"

  "Father and I went to the distant oasis, checked if everything was in order, and spoke with the people. He said that since I didn't inherit your abilities, I'll have to rule, just like he does."

  At that moment, Baako briefly transformed into a massive snow leopard before shifting back into human form.

  "Sorry, Mother," he muttered, embarrassed.

  "Does it still happen involuntarily?" the Mentor asked.

  "Not as often anymore, only when I get a little nervous. But I’m almost in full control now."

  This dinner conversation didn’t feel unusual to me. Being with them felt so natural, as if I truly belonged… The memories flowed on, sweet as honey.

  I saw the Mentor teaching me to read runes, to summon the spirits of the desert. I saw Baako and me racing across the dunes on black horses under a sky ablaze with stars. The wind tousled the horses' manes and brushed against my bare arms. We stopped by an oasis, let the horses graze, and lay down on the grass near the water, gazing up at the sky.

  "You know, Father wanted to throw you to the jackals when you suddenly fell out of the sky into our palace courtyard," Baako said, breaking the silence. "But Mother said the desert spirits sent you. Did they really send you?"

  "I don’t think so. I was just lost. I had to leave home, but now I don’t remember who I am or how to return."

  "But if you don’t remember who you are or where your home is, how can you be so sure that it wasn’t Mother’s spirits that sent you to us?"

  "I just feel it."

  "But the spirits respond to your call, just like they do to hers," Baako persisted. "And you’ve started to inherit her powers. And Father said he’ll teach you all the languages he knows because that’s what Mother wanted."

  "I don’t know what to tell you, Baako. But I’m grateful that your family took me in."

  "How could we not? I can’t inherit Mother’s powers, and she and Father can’t have any more children. Mother prayed to the desert spirits for a successor for years, and then one day, you just dropped straight into the fountain in the middle of our courtyard. I thought she and Father would have their first real fight over you. But despite all his sternness, he loves her more than anything—and he’d do anything for her."

  "Baako, can the Mentor turn into a snow leopard too?"

  Baako burst into ringing laughter but then suddenly fell silent. He remained quiet for a few minutes before speaking again.

  "No, Ma doesn't turn into a snow leopard. She's a puma. Pa is a tiger, and I’m a leopard. Ma says that our people are one with nature and that inside each of us lives a totem animal. When we turn twelve, during the ritual, Ma—just like her Ma before her, and her Ma before that—awakens this animal. Then we try to tame it and befriend it. If we succeed, the person and the animal become one, and the person can fully control the creature, shifting into it at will. My leopard is very stubborn. We're good friends, but sometimes he’s impatient and comes out without my permission. That never happens with Ma and Pa." He sighed heavily.

  "Don’t be discouraged. I think one day you'll fully connect with your leopard and become one with him."

  "Yeah," Baako murmured. "And you? Do you feel any animal inside you?"

  "No, Baako, I’m not from your people."

  "Then why do you carry so many feathers with you? They're beautiful. Maybe you're a hawk?"

  "I don’t think so."

  We watched the stars for a little longer before returning to the palace.

  Time flowed slowly and peacefully for me, and I felt as if I had found a lost family. The Lord, as he had promised his wife, taught me languages and how to wield weapons. The Mentor helped me master my inner energy and communicate with animals and spirits. With Baako, we would sneak out at night to feel the wind in our hair and the freedom of the open desert. Despite our age difference, I felt a brotherly warmth toward him, and he treated me the same way.

  Years passed like that.

  I was sitting under the palace walls, trying to tame a mischievous spirit, when suddenly a snow leopard pounced on me, knocking me to the ground.

  "Baako, get off me right now. You’re way too heavy," I shouted, realizing it was one of his pranks.

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  A growl rumbled from the leopard’s throat, gradually turning into human laughter.

  "Did I scare you?" Baako asked.

  "No," I rolled my eyes. "You caught me off guard. That’s not the same thing."

  "Seems the same to me." He grinned. "Anyway, I need to find Pa. I was at the outskirts of our lands, and something strange was happening there. He needs to come with me and see for himself."

  "What happened? Can I come with you?"

  "I don’t know. You're completely under Ma’s authority. Pa and I have no say over you," he teased, waving me off before disappearing into the cool shadows of the palace.

  Of course, the spirit I had been trying to tame took the opportunity to escape. Frustrated, I headed toward the Mentor. I found the whole family in her chambers. Baako, proud of his discovery, was telling his father and mother about what he had found. The Lord and the Mentor were puzzled and concerned. It was decided that in the morning, we would all go to see what Baako had discovered. Since I couldn’t transform into an animal, we set out on horseback with the first rays of the sun. The journey took three days. Baako was in high spirits, as he had finally fully bonded with his snow leopard, while the Mentor and the Lord whispered to each other the entire time. By the end of the third day, we arrived at the last oasis on the border of the Great Ocean of Sands. That was the name given to the uninhabited lands stretching into the unknown—no one had ever come from there, and those who left never returned.

  We were led to a small house nestled within a palm grove. It was simple but well-kept and tidy. In every oasis, there was such a house, prepared for the Lord and his family; the locals maintained it and kept it ready at all times. In the morning, we hurried to meet the local leader. His wife was one of the Sisters of the Oasis, just like my Mentor. She told us that about a month ago, people had started noticing a black mist rising from the direction of the Ocean of Sands, something that hadn’t happened in the past five generations. She also mentioned that she had found records of the last time such an event occurred and offered to show them to the Mentor. The Mentor gestured for me to follow her while the Lord and Baako stayed behind to discuss urgent matters and food supplies with the local leader.

  The women walked ahead, talking animatedly, while I trailed behind, wishing I could stay with Baako and the Lord. But my duty was to follow the Mentor. We stopped in front of a door. The woman standing before us looked at the Mentor and said:

  "He cannot go any further; he is a man. He is not one of the Sisters of the Oasis."

  "Yes, Hepri, he is a man, but he was sent to us by the desert spirits themselves, and he can speak with them. That is why he, like you and me, may enter this hall."

  "Never before has a man stepped across this threshold. But you know best, Mentor." The woman opened the door and stepped inside.

  "Do not be afraid. This hall, like all of us, is protected by the spirits. Show strength and remember all that you have learned, and they will not harm you," the Mentor said before disappearing beyond the threshold.

  I hesitated for a few moments. It was not fear that held me back—I did not know what awaited me inside. Gathering all my inner strength and steadying my breath, I stepped forward. The moment I crossed the threshold, something scorching struck me like a cloud of sand in a desert storm. It engulfed me, and for an instant, I thought I would suffocate from the searing heat pressing in from all sides. But in the next moment, it was gone, and I found myself standing in a cool chamber filled with towering shelves, each overflowing with books. The Mentor and Hepri stood by a table with an open tome. The Mentor looked pleased, while Hepri was both frightened and astonished. As I approached, she lowered her head before me and said:

  "Young master."

  The book lying on the table was very old, and it had not been opened in a long time — it even smelled of age. It spoke of a creature whose appearance no one knew, but it came from the west, from the Great Ocean of Sands, bringing death to the oases and all living things. This was how the Great Ocean of Sands had come into being, for once, wherever you went, there were oases. For five generations, the oases had grown and prospered, and nothing threatened their peace. But a month ago, the black mist began to reappear on the horizon.

  "Plague," the Mentor whispered.

  Hepri nodded.

  From then on, events unfolded at an incredible speed, and images flashed before me one after another.

  We were back at the palace, and the Mentor said that dark times lay ahead—that the Lord and Baako must protect their people and gather warriors while she would call upon the Sisters of the Oasis and speak with the spirits.

  The next scene: the nearest oasis was engulfed in flames. Black smoke choked the sky, and the fire raged so high it seemed ready to reach the sun. The four of us stood in the inner courtyard of the palace. The Lord kissed the Mentor, then, in a single leap, transformed into a tiger and disappeared into the night. Baako kissed her as well, then turned to me and said:

  "Promise me you'll protect Ma! Promise me, brother!"

  "Baako, I would give my life for the Mentor, rest assured."

  "Take care of yourself, brother," he said before the snow leopard sprinted away.

  "And you, take care of yourself, Baako. Take care, my brother," I called after him, but he was already out of earshot.

  The Mentor grabbed my hand, and we fled through the back entrance. Five more women were waiting for us there. We headed east, away from the fires raging in the west. Traveling through the desert during the day was not just foolish—it was dangerous. The sun scorched the sand like a frying pan, and if you didn't want to turn into a piece of meat sizzling on it, you had to wait out the worst of the heat in an oasis. But we had no such option. One of the women running with us began making fluid yet deliberate motions with her hands. Her abaya started extending behind her, rising until it covered us all like a tent. The woman stood at the farthest end, arms raised as if holding it up. The others sat in the shade it provided.

  "What will happen to Baako and the Luler?" I asked the Mentor.

  Deep down, I knew we would never see them again, but I desperately wanted her to convince me otherwise. I wanted her spirits to save them, for us to return to the palace, for Baako to keep playing tricks on me in his snow leopard form.

  "You must not think about that right now or ask me about it. We need to find another place. Do you remember what Hepri called you? You are the young master now. You are my successor. You speak to the spirits, and you must bring peace and knowledge, multiply it, and pass it on."

  "But—"

  "No 'buts.' Right now—" She never finished. The woman holding up the tent let out a terrible scream and collapsed to her knees. Then, struggling to stand, she turned to the Mentor:

  "This is my limit."

  The Mentor rose from the sand and approached her. By then, the woman had the head of a cow, and tears streamed from her eyes.

  "You have done well, Kamila," the Mentor said, stroking her head before kissing her forehead and removing the medallion from her neck.

  "We are leaving," she told the others.

  The four remaining women immediately stepped out from under the tent. The Mentor grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

  "Wait, what about her? Are we just leaving her behind?"

  "She will return to the ancestors. She will return to the oasis. We cannot help her."

  Behind us, I heard the desperate wail of a cow, which was abruptly cut off. I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by pain and understanding. We continued east. After several hours, we reached a clearing with tall reeds.

  "Here," the Mentor said. "Find the house. Prepare."

  "Yes, Mentor," the women responded in unison before splitting off in three directions. The Mentor and I remained standing.

  "Listen to me, ***," she said. "I know this is hard for you. I didn’t have time to tell you many things, which is why your life is so important now. Everyone... everyone is sacrificing themselves for me, which means they are sacrificing themselves for you. If our world is to die, it must not be in vain. We must protect the others from the Plague. We came here from another world, but the Plague does not care who it devours. That is why we are leaving—we will lead them away." She gestured in the direction the women had gone. "And you will continue learning from me and protect everyone so that Baako’s sacrifice is not in vain. Do you understand me?" She jerked my hand sharply. "Do you understand me?"

  "Yes, Mentor," I answered mournfully.

  Within minutes, the women returned, one of them carrying what the Mentor had requested. We approached the house at sunset. One of the women transformed into a sand cat, another into a crane.

  "Keep watch over the house," the Mentor instructed them.

  The crane-woman spread her wings and soared into the sky while the sand cat cautiously began inspecting the house and its surroundings.

  "You will stay with him and enter the house with the last ray of sunlight," she told the third woman. The woman nodded.

  The Mentor entered the house with the fourth woman. I did not know what was happening inside, so I simply waited in silence. The sun was nearly gone, casting its final golden light before surrendering to the night. The crane returned, circling overhead before landing and resuming her human form without saying a word. The sand cat emerged from the shadows, her eyes gleaming in the dark. We moved toward the house. Opening the door, I saw the Mentor sitting on the floor. In her arms lay the woman who had entered with her. The woman was unnaturally pale, her body growing more transparent with each passing second—until she became as clear as water itself. Then, suddenly, her form shattered, and a cascade of water slipped through the Mentor’s fingers, spilling onto the wooden floor.

  "Hurry! The portal won’t hold for long!" the Mentor shouted.

  I rushed forward with the three remaining women. As I lifted the Mentor from the floor, we were immediately pulled into a vortex. We arrived in a completely unfamiliar place. A vast green meadow stretched before us, dotted with countless flowers. Above us shone unfamiliar stars, and in the distance, a coniferous forest loomed.

  This was how I first arrived in the Borderlands. There, alongside the Mentor and the Sisters of the Oasis, we built the home that would shelter all Warden. The very first books were written by the Mentor and her Sisters, and later, I and the other Warden continued their work. The Mentor passed down all her knowledge and skills to me. She told me everything she knew about the Plague—the force that had destroyed her world and had come from others. Yet, no matter how much time passed, I could not stop thinking about Baako, the Lord, and all those we had left behind. Their faces flickered through my mind as the whispers of the wind lulled me to rest. How I miss you now, my first teacher, I thought, stopping the motion of the feather in my hands and emerging from a state that resembled a dream or trance.