The Wandering Empath

I can't touch anyone.

I was born with a curse. Hearts tell me everything about a person's emotional state. Physical touch amplifies those emotions.

I only ever wanted to be normal, but I'm not. I hurt the people I love. Now I'm paying for it.

A power-hungry slaver learned about my ability and took me to his fortress in a vast desert. I won't give him what he wants, but I'm trapped. I can't escape on my own.

All I want to do is reach the place I can atone for my sins: the Cloud, the city in the sky. Then, as if to answer my pleas, a desert dweller infiltrates my prison and gives me the chance to escape.