Worthy of Magic - New World - Part 1

New World - Part 1

When Daphne awoke, her body felt heavy and drained. 

She blinked her eyes, squinting against the bright light which turned into the sun beating down in the desert she had become accustomed to calling home. 

She groaned and closed her eyes and rolled to her side.

“Fucck,” she breathed. “I’m alive.” The last minutes before she lost consciousness flashed before her eyes. An ethereal Harry, A world collapsing, Her emotions out of control.

“I’m alive,” she repeated. Trying to make sense of it. Her body felt sore but unhurt. She pushed herself up, every movement slow and labored, and sat on the soft sand, her palms sinking into the hot sand as she held herself up to get her bearings.

The Desert stretched on in every direction, the harsh sun beating down on her, the heat seeping into her bones. Her eyes scanned the endless expanse, a sea of shifting sands, looking for any sign of life. But there was nothing except the sounds of wind breaking the oppressive silence. As she rose, shaky and disoriented, she realized her world had shifted irrevocably. She was back in this deserted landscape, emotionally and mentally exhausted. A survivor, alone in a world that had known an apocalypse.

She stumbled forward, her steps unsteady and faltering, her body weighed down by exhaustion. Each breath felt like a struggle, her throat parched and dry.

Her world spun in dizzying circles as she wandered aimlessly, her energy drained to the brink of collapse. She began to wonder, had everything been a dream? Had she been wandering in the desert all this time? Hallucinating everything that had happened?

Just as delirium began to take over, she heard a sound in the distance. Out of place over the faint breeze flowing over the sands. A distinct chopping of rotors, growing louder with each passing second. Her heart leaped with a flicker of hope, and she forced herself to move faster, stumbling towards the source of the noise.

Suddenly the machine came into view from over the horizon, its blades slicing through the air with a relentless rhythm. It headed straight towards her, as if it knew where she was and hovered above the ground, kicking up a whirlwind of sand, as it settled on the soft ground a little distance away from her. Daphne waved her arms frantically, her voice barely a whisper as she called out for help.

The chopper's doors were flung open and a couple of men jumped out, clad in warfare gear. Strong arms reached out to her, pulling her into the safety of the aircraft. She collapsed into the seat, grateful for the respite from the brutal desert heat.

As the chopper lifted off, carrying her away from the vast expanse of sand, Daphne's eyes fluttered shut. Amid her exhaustion, a glimmer of hope flickered within her. She didn't know where she was going or what lay ahead, but in that moment, she knew that she had survived annihilation and the world was still intact. 

Through the hot wind, they flew, as the landscape below gradually shifted from endless dunes to a makeshift settlement dotted with tents and makeshift structures. 

As they descended, the chopper landed in the heart of the refugee camp, kicking up a cloud of dust. Daphne stepped out onto solid ground, her legs wobbly from exhaustion. She looked around, taking in the scene before her.

Large pale white tents were pitched haphazardly, forming a maze of homes between which hung tarps protecting against the desert heat. The air was filled with the scent of meals being prepared, a comforting aroma that mingled with the breeze. Children ran across, through the gaps between the tents as they played tag, their laughter echoing through the camp.

The men from the chopper, clad in uniform coloured to blend with the desert, strapped with weapons, faces clad with sunshades, balaclavas and helmets were saying something to her but it was all an incoherent buzz to her. 

As she felt herself being guided through the camp, probably to the medical center, she assumed, a realization washed over her. The world was still intact. And more importantly, that distinct pressure of magic that had saturated the atmosphere was gone. Apart from the familiarity of the desert, the sadistic game they had been trapped in was over. Humanity had survived and the apocalypse had ended. 

Daphne giggled. 

Harry had won his battle. And it was left to her to deal with the aftermath… Again. 

Only, this time… she was alone.