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GTS Syndrome Vol 2 Ch 13: The Golden Desert!
🕑 Added 2025-09-11 22:12:28 +0000 UTC(Penelope)
The sun had barely crested over the jagged ridges of the rocks when I pushed forward, my boots crushing shale and stone beneath them. The terrain wasn't kind—not to me, not to Braden. But I couldn't stop. Not now. Not with the full moon so close, humming like a drumbeat just behind my ribs.
My strides were longer than usual, more urgent, barely giving myself a moment to rest between steps. I kept my eyes forward, scanning the ridgelines, but in truth, my thoughts were somewhere else—anchored on my shoulder.
I could feel him up there, clinging to a thick strand of my hair like his life depended on it. Which, in a way, it kind of did. I tried to keep the ride steady, to mind the sudden dips and rises in the earth, but this land wasn't forgiving. Jagged outcrops, loose pebbles, uneven ground—it all made for one hell of a trek. I felt his tiny hand tighten every time my step jostled him.
I hated it.
I hated the way I couldn't slow down. Hated the way I had to keep pushing while he bounced around like a leaf in a storm. But I needed to make it to the golden sands of Zeratal before... before it happened. Before I happened.
"We're almost there," I murmured, not knowing if it was for him or for me. Maybe both. My voice came out softer than I expected, and I gently reached up with my right hand, cradling him against my shoulder to steady him. His little body pressed against my skin through the fabric, warm, breathing. Still trusting me.
After everything.
After what I did.
He believed in me. Still.
And that scared me more than the Wanting ever could.
I clenched my jaw and kept walking, letting the rhythm of my steps drown out the thoughts screaming in my head. Two and a half days. That's all that stood between me and the gates of my homeland. Between Braden and whatever I might become under the full moon's gaze.
The Wanting.
I've felt it before—its pulse, its hunger, the way it crawls through your limbs like wildfire. But this time... this time it's different. He's different. Braden means something. And the Wanting feeds off that.
That was the terrifying truth of it.
The Wanting doesn't just amplify your rage—it digs its claws into the very thing you desire the most. For some it's revenge. For others, power. For me?
It's him.
That realization burned low in my stomach like coals refusing to die out. Every step forward reminded me that I was marching toward a battlefield inside my own soul. And he was going to be right there with me—unarmed, fragile, believing.
And gods help me, I didn't know if that would be enough to stop what might come next.
I glanced at the sky.
The moon was still a sliver, but not for long.
The night of the full moon was coming. The night when I'd lose myself.
And if I couldn't hold on...
What would she do to him?
I swallowed, trying to keep my breathing even. For now, I walked. I held him close. I prayed to gods I stopped believing in that my strength, my will, my heart would be enough.
Because if it wasn't...
I don't know if I'd ever forgive myself.
***
(Braden)
The wind was relentless, whipping past my face like icy needles as I clung to a thick strand of Penelope's hair. I'd wedged myself between a couple locks near the base of her neck where it was just secure enough to hold me, but every step she took sent a fresh jolt up through my bones. Her pace was brutal—like she was trying to outwalk fate itself—and it was all I could do to hang on without being flung off like a leaf in a storm.
My fingers were sore. My muscles screamed. But even worse was watching her.
Penelope wasn't slowing down. At all.
Her jaw was tight. Her breath was sharp. Every motion of her enormous body was efficient, purposeful... desperate. I could feel the strain in the air, like a taut wire pulled too far. She was forcing herself through the exhaustion, pretending she didn't feel it—but I saw the tension in her shoulders, the way her movements weren't as smooth anymore, the stutter in her step every few minutes. I was small, yeah, but I wasn't blind.
She was terrified. Not just of the Wanting... but of herself.
And that made two of us.
I didn't want to be afraid of her. I hated the way my heart still jumped when I thought back to those red eyes and that twisted smile. The memory felt carved into me. But somehow, she looked even more scared than I was now.
And that's when it hit me.
"Wait a minute," I breathed, my eyes going wide.
The wind almost stole my voice, but I shouted anyway. "Penelope! Stop! You need to stop!"
She didn't even flinch.
"Stop now!" I yelled louder, gripping her hair tighter as I fought against the gusts. "Just stop!"
"We're almost there!" she barked back, voice cracking like thunder. "I can't stop now!"
I gritted my teeth. "Then you give me no choice."
I let go.
The moment my fingers slipped free, I regretted everything.
The world spun into a chaotic blur as the wind yanked me away. I was weightless, tumbling end over end through the air. My heart lodged itself in my throat. I couldn't see anything—just flashes of blue sky and Penelope's blurring silhouette receding fast.
And then—
BOOM!
My back hit something soft and firm all at once, like slamming into a wall made of warm leather. It took me a few seconds to catch my breath, and when I looked up—
Yeah, she was pissed.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Penelope's voice was a roar. "Have you lost your damn mind?! If I didn't catch you, you'd be nothing but brisket smeared across the rocks!"
I covered my ears with both hands. Her voice echoed in my skull like a war drum. I could feel the heat of her anger—and fear—rolling off her skin like steam.
But I didn't flinch. I met her eyes, even as her massive face hovered over me like a thundercloud.
"I know what you're doing," I said.
She blinked, stunned for a second. "What?"
"You're running yourself into the ground," I said, louder this time. "You're not even thinking about how much you're pushing your body. You're trying to wear yourself out before the full moon, aren't you?"
Her lips parted, but no words came. Just silence.
"That's your plan," I continued, sitting up in the cradle of her palm. "To be too exhausted to lose control. To protect me. And yeah... I get it. I do. But Penelope—this is gonna kill you. You're strong, but you're not invincible."
She looked away. Her brows furrowed like she didn't want to admit it, but she didn't argue either.
"I'm scared too," I said. "I am. I don't know what the hell is gonna happen when the moon comes up tomorrow. But I do know this... when you were in that state, and you were about to break me—you stopped. When I called out to you, you came back."
Her eyes snapped back to mine.
"You snapped out of it," I said. "Because deep down, even in that messed-up state... you didn't want to hurt me."
I reached up, brushing my hand against her cheek. Her skin was warm, trembling slightly.
"You have to believe in yourself the way I believe in you. We'll get through this," I said. "Together. I promise."
Her lips quivered. Her eyes wobbled with moisture. And then the tears came—silent, fat drops that trembled before falling down her cheeks like rain off a mountainside.
I gave her a small, crooked smile.
She sniffed, exhaled hard through her nose, and blinked a few times to clear her vision.
"Look at that," I said, glancing off into the distance.
Penelope turned to follow my gaze.
The golden sands shimmered on the horizon, glittering like spilled treasure. Dunes rolled gently under the sun's glow, and beyond them, would stand the distant walls—Zeratal.
Penelope's lips parted in a breathy smile. Her chest rose and fell with a deep, long sigh.
"Welcome," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Welcome to the Golden Oasis."
