Whoosh!
The wind swept past, sending a ball of grass rolling endlessly along.
The sky was a deep leaden gray, as if covered by thick dust that sunlight could not penetrate.
In the distance, rolling hills lay like sleeping giant beasts. Draped in withered yellow grass, they looked ancient and weathered.
From time to time, a cold wind blew past, whipping up clouds of sand and dust. This forced the man inside an SUV to put on sand goggles.
He kept one hand on the steering wheel and rested the other on the window, a cigarette pinched between his fingers.
Every so often, he brought it to his mouth for a drag.
The man had fair skin and slightly curled flaxen hair.
His features were deep-set, and his eyes were a vivid blue.
He clearly did not belong to this land.
Yet there was also a hint of Eastern charm in the shape of his face. He seemed to be of mixed blood.
He took a drag and looked at the sparse, withered vegetation across the distant land. Only a few tenacious plants still struggled to survive.
Occasionally, he could also see some dead trees, their branches twisted as if they might snap at any moment.
On this desolate land, life seemed so fragile, yet it was also filled with resilience and tenacity.
Just then, the car came to a stop.
The door opened, and the mixed-race man leaped out of the car, gazing in all directions.
Here, the air was filled with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
In the silence, only the occasional howl of a beast or mournful cry of a bird broke the stillness.
Those sounds echoed across the open land, making him feel an indescribable loneliness and desolation.
Amid such an atmosphere, time seemed to grow slow