The carriage kept moving until the sun finally dipped below the horizon.
" We're stopping," Gabriel said.
The carriage slowed and came to a halt in the middle of the desert.
I glanced around—nothing but endless sand stretching into the dark, and the moon hanging silently above us.
I stepped down and sat across from Gabriel. A small campfire crackled between us, its warmth cutting through the cold desert night.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
I stole a glance at him, trying to gather my thoughts… and courage.
"So, uh—"
My throat tightened. I swallowed it down.
"You said I haven't awakened yet, right?"
Gabriel slowly turned his gaze toward me and let out a quiet sigh.
"Most likely, yes…"
He leaned back slightly, eyes calm but sharp.
"Have you felt uncontrollable emotions? Desires? If not, then you haven't awakened."
His voice was firm—final. It left no room for argument.
I glanced away, still intimidated by his presence.
The Legendary King of Gold, sitting right in front of me…? Who wouldn't be nervous?
"Question… so, uh…"
I hesitated, scratching for the right words.
"You're the same person from that history book, right?"
Gabriel sighed, then finally smiled.
"Guess there's no point in hiding it… yes. I am."
My eyes lit up.
"So the book isn't just a legend… You're— you're real!"
Gabriel let out a quiet laugh.
"Kiddo… not everything written in that book was real."
"What do you mean?"
I asked, feeling the air around us grow colder.
He smiled at me.
"Only those who survived—and have the power—get to tell the truth."
"I… I don't get it."
"You'll know soon…"
He leaned back, as if the topic had already been closed.
"Anyways, are you hungry? I heard sandworms taste good. We could hunt one."
"Sandworms?"
Before I could even react, the ground beneath us began to tremble.
I quickly stood up in panic.
From the shifting sand, a massive sandworm erupted right where we had been sitting.
But Gabriel moved instantly.
He pulled me aside and, in a single clean motion, cut off the sandworm's head.
"Jackpot… we've got a month's worth of meals!"
He laughed as the giant body crashed down behind him.
Minutes passed, and I found myself staring at the sandworm meat roasting over the campfire.
Greenish juices sizzled out of it, thick and oily as they dripped into the flames.
"Who would eat this?! No one would even try something like this!"
"Just eat, kiddo."
Gabriel laughed and quickly shoved a cooked piece into my mouth before I could resist.
I froze.
The taste surprised me—sweet and salty at the same time. The meat was tender, almost like the wild boars I used to eat back home.
"So, how was it?"
Gabriel asked with a smug expression.
I glanced at him, then quickly went back to eating.
"…It's my favorite now."
Gabriel laughed again.
The heavy atmosphere from earlier had completely faded, as if it had never existed.
But I couldn't shake the feeling—
Someone was watching us from afar.
…To be continued.