The moon continued to enlarge and brighten, at a pace that the four could not see whilst staring at it, but could definitely notice as they continued to walk on and on. Thirst and hunger were becoming a real problem now, the lack of calories and hydration increasing the perceived weight on their limbs. Fatigue grew stronger, like iron shackles attached to large stones, and the effect of that was most prominent on the older member of the group, Leander. Was he to die in this white desert, not at the hands of a powerful monster, but at his own physical inadequacies? The white ash, too, appeared to be getting less and less sturdy, the travellers' feet sinking or sliding over the surface. And whilst progress had been made in reaching the tower in the distance, it was an arduous, inglorious task.

But the most astute member of the group would notice a single thing.

Though Sarah body was growing heavy with exhaustion, she felt that her mass was decreasing.