As the sun dipped below the horizon, Dune stood at the highest dune in the district, his sharp golden eyes scanning the vast desert before him. His soldiers stood behind him, waiting for orders, but his mind was elsewhere focused on the why of it all.
One of his most trusted warriors, a broad-shouldered man named Razan, stepped forward. "Lord Dune, we were close to capturing them. Why did you call for a retreat?"
Dune didn't answer right away. He simply crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. Then, after a long silence, he spoke.
"Because I miscalculated."
The soldiers exchanged confused glances.
Dune continued, his tone steady. "I expected Kairo to fight recklessly—to drown everything in his path without hesitation. But he didn't. Despite overwhelming us, despite having the power to wipe us out, he held back."
Razan furrowed his brows. "But he still flooded the district."
"Yes." Dune's gaze darkened. "But he made sure no one died. That was not the action of a ruthless warlord—it was the action of a man who wasn't sure anymore."
The men behind him murmured in surprise.
Another soldier spoke. "Then why are we chasing him? If he's uncertain, shouldn't we let him go?"
Dune clenched his fists. "Because hesitation does not absolve him of his crimes." His voice hardened. "He stole Yuki. He defied our laws. He interfered where he had no right. And worst of all..." His eyes narrowed.
"...he made her believe she mattered outside of her place."
The soldiers fell silent.
Dune's jaw tightened. "She was already an undesirable. A failure in the eyes of the tribe. But she accepted that fate—until he came." He turned sharply to his men. "We are not just capturing Kairo. We are correcting a mistake."
Razan hesitated. "Lord Dune... do you hate Yuki?"
Dune's expression flickered, just for a moment.
"No." His voice was quiet but firm. "I do not hate her. But the tribe's laws exist for a reason. If we bend them now, if we allow one exception, then others will follow. And then what?" His gaze swept over the men. "Chaos. Disobedience. A broken system."
He turned back to the desert. "That is why we must bring them back. No matter the cost."
His voice was final.
"Prepare the troops. We march at dawn."
The hunt was back on.
Meanwhile...
The desert night stretched endlessly, a blanket of stars above, yet the air was far from calm. Each grain of sand beneath Kairo's feet seemed to whisper danger, a reminder that they were fugitives in the Sand tribe's territory — a place where both his name and Yuki's existence were condemned.
Kairo moved swiftly, his strong arms carrying Yuki effortlessly. The black hood he wore shrouded his vibrant blue hair, while Yuki's delicate form was hidden beneath a white hood. The fabric clung to her face, but her hands clutched tightly at Kairo's cloak, her silent trust anchoring him as they crossed the dunes.
The wind howled, but Yuki's soft voice broke through the sound. "Kairo... where are we going?"
Kairo's jaw tightened. "Away. As far as we can from the Sand districts." His voice, though calm, was firm — a quiet promise not only to her but to himself.
He knew the truth. They could never return to the Sand tribe's land — not after what happened. He and Yuki were now wanted criminals. Posters bearing their faces were likely already scattered across every corner of the Sand territory, and Dune's relentless pursuit would only push them further into exile.
But the Aqua tribe wasn't an option either.
Kairo's mind flickered to his sister — the Queen of the Aqua tribe, a beacon of peace and diplomacy. She led the peaceful faction of their people, maintaining a delicate alliance with Dune and the Sand tribe. If Kairo brought Yuki to their territory, it would be a spark in a dry forest — an excuse for Dune to march his soldiers into Aqua lands, shattering the peace his sister worked so hard to build.
He couldn't let that happen.
His sister may have always viewed him as a reckless prince who did whatever he pleased, but there were lines Kairo refused to cross. No matter how defiant he was, he wouldn't drag her into a war — not when it was his battle to fight.
Yuki's grip on his cloak tightened, as though she sensed the storm in his mind. "Kairo... you're worried about your sister, aren't you?"
He blinked, surprised at her accuracy. "How did you—"
"I may not see," she whispered softly, "but I can feel what you're feeling. Your hand... it's shaking."
Kairo let out a quiet sigh, his pace slowing for a moment. "Yeah," he admitted. "I'm worried. If we go back to the Aqua tribe, Dune will come for us... and my sister will have no choice but to fight him."
Yuki's expression softened beneath the shadow of her hood. "You care about her."
"Of course I do," Kairo replied without hesitation. "She's my sister. Even if we don't agree on everything... I know she only wants what's best for our tribe."
Yuki smiled faintly. "Then... where will we go?"
Kairo's gaze drifted toward the endless desert ahead. He had already mapped out a plan in his head — the only solution.
"We'll go somewhere neither Aqua nor Sand tribes can touch us," he said firmly. "A neutral territory — maybe the Nature tribe's land or the Fairy tribe's. Somewhere we can live without looking over our shoulders every second."
Yuki's heart pounded at his words. "A peaceful life... with me?"
Kairo's grip on her shifted slightly — not out of discomfort, but a quiet sense of certainty. "Yes. With you."
He wasn't sure when it happened — when this blind girl became more than just someone he wanted to protect.
But now, she was at the center of his every thought — the reason he was abandoning his conquest, the reason he was running from both his homeland and his enemies.
Kairo glanced down at Yuki, her serene face turned toward him despite her inability to see.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," he said softly. "Not Dune. Not the Sand tribes. No one."
Yuki's voice trembled, but it wasn't fear — it was something else. "Kairo... thank you."
He only nodded, pulling his hood lower as the wind picked up again.
And as the desert stretched on endlessly before them, Kairo vowed — this wasn't just an escape.
It was a new beginning.