Graveyard Desert—just as its name suggests, this place is shrouded in secrets. People from the Ghostrealm rarely pass through here. I remember that female wraith mentioned by Ghost Rakshasa saying: once a ghost enters, they never come out. It's been that way for centuries. Only one exception exists—Lee Four, who returned alive from the Graveyard Desert to Halfstep Town.
The vehicle sped wildly across the desert. Everyone looked grim—no matter how far we drove, all we saw was endless ochre, not a single other color.
Justin Huang and my cousin seemed to have been swallowed whole by the Graveyard Desert.
Bang! The screech of brakes echoed as the car spun in place. We were thrown about, crashing into each other inside the vehicle, cries of pain filling the air.
Another bang—the glass shattered. The car finally came to a halt. Hugh Thompson gripped the steering wheel, stunned.
"We just hit a rock. Are you all alright?"
We all got out of the car. Dalton Fang had shards of broken glass stuck in his hair and face, while the other two were mostly fine. Rufina Howard rummaged through the medical kit, found a pair of tweezers, and began picking glass out of Dalton Fang’s face inside the car.
Hugh Thompson held a compass, repeatedly checking our direction.
"The route is correct."
"Is there any way to pinpoint my cousin and Justin Huang’s location?"
Rufina Howard turned her head and shook it.
"There's nothing we can do. Even though they're carrying Locator Charms, in conditions like this, my powers aren't enough."
The sandstorm raged. Fierce winds battered us relentlessly, whipping across our backs. We could only huddle behind the car as pebbles pelted the metal, each impact echoing through the oppressive gloom.
I understood, too—Rufina Howard's Locator Charm would be useless in this gale; the moment it was exposed, the wind would snatch it away.
With a loud bang, a section of the window shattered. The two left windows were already completely broken, and the car groaned under the strain, feeling as if it could be swept away at any moment.
"Get in the car." Hugh Thompson struggled to reach the driver's seat, brushing away shards of glass.
"Hugh, what about Dalton Fang and Justin Huang...?"
"Ethan, we can't stop now. When we reach a place where the wind and sand ease up, we'll figure something out."
"Hey, Hugh, don't be so heartless, alright? They might be in trouble—can we slow down a little...?"
"See for yourself." Without another word, Hugh Thompson started the car. We braced ourselves against the wind and sand, moved to the left side, and saw the door riddled with dents, the car shuddering and lifting under the force of the storm.