The City of Shifting Sands by Kenji Tanaka In the heart of the desert lies Zephar, a city where reality bends, illusions whisper secrets, and the streets change shape with the shifting sands. It is a place of mystery, where nothing is ever quite as it seems. Detective Idris has spent years navigating Zephar's labyrinthine alleys, solving crimes in a city where truth and deception intertwine. But when a merchant named Darius Velron is found dead-his body surrounded by strange, shimmering sand-Idris is thrust into his most dangerous case yet. As he follows the trail of clues, Idris discovers a hidden war between forces far older than the city itself. An ancient entity known as the Keeper of the Sands is hunting for a lost fragment of the first illusion-the very magic that gave Zephar its shifting nature. If the Keeper restores it, the city will become an inescapable mirage. But if Idris destroys it, Zephar may unravel into nothingness. With time running out, Idris must decipher the city's forgotten history, confront the ghosts of its past, and make an impossible choice-one that will determine the fate of Zephar forever. A gripping mystery-fantasy noir, The City of Shifting Sands is a tale of illusions, secrets, and the price of truth in a world built on deception.