Mirage

The desert stretched endlessly, a golden sea of shifting sands under the merciless sun. Rami stumbled forward, his throat parched, his vision blurred by heat. His caravan had been lost in a sudden sandstorm, leaving him alone with nothing but the wind’s whisper and the cruel laughter of the dunes.

Then, he saw it—a glimmer on the horizon. A small oasis, palm trees swaying gently, water shimmering in the distance. Hope flared in his chest as he staggered toward it. His feet burned against the hot sand, but he pushed on, desperate.

As he reached the edge, his hands stretched toward the cool water—only to grasp dry sand. The oasis wavered and vanished.

Rami fell to his knees, despair gripping him. But as he looked up, a shadow loomed over him. A real one. A traveler had stopped beside him, offering salvation.