"Hmm... Is this all that remains of my grandeur?" muttered Alpha as his feet sank into the burning sand, the heavy rasp of his breath harmonizing with the howling wind. He looked around—a boundless desert, a horizon melting under the scorching glow of the sun.
"A legendary dragon, lord of the skies and the mountains… destined to end up as a thirsty wanderer amid the sands," he said with biting sarcasm, as he raised his tattered cloak to shield his face from the abrasive shards of sand.
He had no idea how long he had been swept away by that vortex, but he felt as if he were trapped between two times—or perhaps between two realities. The sands concealed more than just heat and slow death. They concealed his memories.
Hours passed—or maybe days? Nothing here tells you the time.
Suddenly, amid the dancing waves of the mirage, he caught sight of the ruins of an ancient city, its edges charred, emanating a grim aura.
"A mirage? Or… a beginning?" he whispered, as he moved toward it, his eyes wary for danger.
The closer he got, the more details became clear: crumbling towers, walls inscribed with a script that was disturbingly familiar.
Alpha stood before a broken wall, his fingers tracing the carved symbols.
"These... these are not mere engravings. They are incantations. Signatures, temporal sigils?" he murmured, then, in a low voice, added, "...the chains of time? That's impossible."
In one of the inscriptions, he found a circular symbol surrounded by thread-like chains, and in the center a gateway of light, sealed with seals.
"So, here the story begins. Or ends..." he thought.
But his silence was short-lived.
The sands began trembling around him, and fine cracks appeared among the rocks. Suddenly, the ground burst open beneath his feet, unleashing strange creatures: bodies made of sand, grotesque features, and hollow eyes.
They did not speak a word; they attacked immediately.
Alpha leaped backward, then said under his breath, "Excellent, no warnings, no dialogue. Just pure death? Splendid."
He struck one of the creatures with his foot, scattering it, yet its body reformed in the blink of an eye.
"Marvelous… creatures of restoration."
Extending his right hand, he let some of his energy explode from his palm. A small but focused fireball fell amid them.
The sand erupted and turned to ash, and some bodies dissipated.
"Fire. Yes, that's what you need. But I cannot continue like this... my energy is starting to run dry."
He fought with precision—burning only what was necessary—and fell back whenever his energy neared depletion.
When it was over, nothing remained but flying ash.
He barely had time to catch his breath when he heard a voice behind him:
"You still excel at dancing with monsters, Alpha."
He turned immediately.
A masked man, tall, his cloak casting strange shadows upon the sand. No face—only a mask shining with the darkness of night.
The Mysterious Man:
"I did not expect you to survive the chains' embrace... It seems you still retain some measure of stubbornness, Alpha."
Alpha (coolly):
"You seem to know me well... Who are you? And why do you care whether I live or not?"
The Mysterious Man (in a calm tone):
"I am but a shadow of something ancient... something that witnessed the birth and collapse of worlds. It matters not who I am, but what I have come to warn you about."
Alpha (with a touch of sarcasm):
"Warn me? You're not the first to appear in black robes and cryptic phrases... In short, what is that vortex that appeared in the sky?"
The Mysterious Man (gazing toward the horizon):
"That is not merely a celestial phenomenon, but a wound in the fabric of time. It is an unstable opening leading to an incomplete dimension… where nightmares are woven and monsters are resurrected. It is not an entrance… but a trap."
Alpha (pensively):
"And these monsters? They are not of this world, are they?"
The Mysterious Man:
"Nor of any known world. They are remnants of dead thoughts... born from the screams of those drawn into the void. And you are not alone, Alpha. Hundreds… perhaps thousands have vanished without a trace. Kings, warriors, scholars… all swallowed by that vortex."
Alpha (with increasing gravity):
"If it is so dangerous, why was it left open? Who opened it?"
The Mysterious Man (sighing):
"No one opened it… the barrier tore itself apart. There is some sin, something broken in the laws of existence—something that drove time into madness."
Alpha:
"Are you implying that I am the cause?"
The Mysterious Man (studying him intently):
"Let's just say you are among the few who have toyed with time… and been used as instruments… or keys. You are special, Alpha, and this is not a compliment… but a curse."
Alpha (stepping forward):
"And what is required of me?"
The Mysterious Man (stepping back slightly):
"Do not die—not yet... If you remain alive, you might grasp the truth. And if you perish here… you will become one of them."
Alpha (whispering):
"The true nightmare has yet to begin… hasn't it?"
The Mysterious Man (vanishing into the sands):
"No… it has already begun, and you are at its heart."
Alpha did not understand. Or perhaps he was recalling something he wished to forget.
He moved with heavy steps toward a wall and placed his hand upon it.
A surge of memories—like an electric shock—swept over his body.
Visions... explosions. Battles in the skies. A contract signed with a colossal being... red eyes. A voice whispering: "Everything comes with a price."
He fell to the ground, struggling to breathe.
"My memory... why is it hidden from me? What have I done? And who am I really?"
But the masked figure had disappeared, as if he had never been there.
Alpha lay on his side, sifting through the sand with his hand.
"Well... no answers. As usual."
Then, suddenly, he felt something hard beneath the sands.
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he began to slowly brush the sand away.
A dark metallic surface emerged, resembling a square panel.
"What is this...?"