The daughter of the Cullen's and one of the two queen of the Volturi. What would happen when we add a Bella Swan to this thin peace? With other words, there is more than a person can see wih his eyes.
Link here
How would you meet?
With your Volturi mate
Link:
With the mesters: Click here
With the guards: Here
If reader is a true crime fan
With your Volturi mate
Headcannon
Link:
Part 1: Here
Part 2: Here
When they found out about your toxic family situation
With your Volturi mate
Hc
Link:
Part 1 Here
Part 2
See you at the thousand lake's country (R)
What if the almost war with the Volturi woke another girl's wolf out. A girl's who hate cages but freedom was scary too, but has her fate tied to one of the witch twin whose against she is supposedly has to fight.
Romantic partner: Alec Volturi
Status: Complete
Warning: not really, just enemy to lovers, fluff, opinion difference between other characters.
Addams Universe
Sister Panic
The vampire heir has to face a new reality as her sister fights out the chance to learn in Nevermore. Especially when there is a bit of secret that she is dating with an Addams?
Kinda good ending
Link:
Read here
The full fanfiction go to my Ao3 site.
Magnificent Century universe
Medicine
A young girl journey as she became a slave in Suleiman sultan's harem to be free and find her brother. Could her talent in healing and medicine help her?
Will the fates help her or have they have different plan?
Romantic Partner: Sehzade Mehmet
Link: Soon...
And more other is coming soon... So... Be ready. If you have an idea.
Vikings
Balm for you
A little Vikings fluff story. An attacked and raided village gave certain people a new chance, including a parentless, disowned child. Was the strange response the work of the gods, or should they attribute the situation to a child's bare will to live? They can no longer know this, but it is quite certain that Floki recognized and took advantage of the situation to give his wife the opportunity to become a mother, and with it, for a little girl to grow up to be a fighter. The sons of the ruler of Kattegat also helped a lot in the latter. Each of them is a Ragnarson boy, in different styles, one with a gentler way and some... not so much.
Romantic partner: - its fluff
Link: Here
The Golden Tablet Universe ( Night at the museum)
Price of Gold
Love interest: Ahkmenrah
finished
New beginings means we have to close some doors to explore others. But those doors were always remain there, and sometimes we return to them if they were good ones. Sometimes this steps were with intent sometimes it were not. Sometimes with accidently losing sense of time.
A young girl stayed up late, not expecting anything but got pulled into the biggest secret of the museum of the city.
First, the need and intention to get out of the situation slowly dissapear as she was learning about her own mistakes and old memories come to her mind.
TW: death and lose of youngers mentioned a bit.
Link
House of the dragon universe
Air and Water
Cold makes you go numb, so it kills. The sea makes the world forget about you, with pulling you under itself, hiding your body, your thoughts and your soul. But for Aenma Velaryon, they can help you grow and lift you to the air. . Lucerys's protected and pampered twin sister had a life what some people wanted. Her childhood, her relationships to her family, and her life.
Slight Aegon x Aenma and Jacaerys x Aenma.
( Info: Sorry for the late timing. I am arriving with the new part of the How would you : Twilight Volturi series. About the names, please feel free to imagine your name into the story, i only found names for them because to me its strange to me to call them Y/N. Also, i have important question to ask you. Should i add a they/them pov for the stories where the story allows it? )
Aro Volterra
For Penelope, who was accustomed to freedom, fresh air, and the freedom of the hunt, a single split second became a turning point. The sea, the smog and noise of the big cities, and the scent of rain were replaced by echoing halls, dust, and military order and discipline.
As a vampire, Penelope couldn’t say she was frightened by the echoes, but a sense of unease reigned in her hardened heart. Every time she was allowed to step out of the confines of her quarters for a short time even with Aro’s permission, into the Volturi’s inner garden.
If she was lucky, she could safely enjoy the warmth of the sun there. Since her transformation, the sun had always filled her with fear, but now, thanks to Aro, her former joy of life had returned. With this, Penelope received permission not to spend her days and weeks locked away in the tower.
Although the situation was negative for Penelope, her instincts, which kept her by Aro’s side, wouldn’t let her even consider planning an escape.
Penelope’s entire being feared loneliness more than the strict, and perhaps even the word “ruthless” would be too weak to describe the vampire royalty and police, the Volturi.
Penelope was no longer a newborn, but her skin was still just as sensitive. She had long since given up on her hair, but the wind reached her Volturi-style clothing as well, ruffling it. The young vampire held the book in her hand, but she could only read a few lines from it during the hour. Snippets of conversation coming from the other side of the high castle wall distracted her several times.
The young people’s conversation opened up a whole new dimension for her, where survival was not a reality.
She learned many new stories, including details about how the local pubs, concerts , about popular performers, some big some small. Thes mentioned the group’s daily life,.
She liked the information curiously. and with excitement. As far as Penelope was concerned, it wasn’t just a few thick walls that separated them. If her heart could beat, it would soften and grew a bit jealous too.
Despite all Penelope efforts, she couldn’t remember much about her life before the bite. All her memories have faded from in her head. Only leaving only emotions burned into her bones, feelings she can build upon. but never support her.
Penelope already noticed the arrival of another person just in time, as the wind ruffled his black shirt and raven hair. However, Penelope did not lift her gaze to Aro until the man was already close to her. Her lips was trembling, causing her to press her mouth shut, yet she still accepted the man’s outstretched hand.
Moments later, she felt the cold, probing fingers in her mind. It was slowly becoming a routine for Aro to carefully scan her thoughts from time to time. At first, Penelope was afraid of this now-habitual event, but afterward, the man’s mood always improved.
The time she spent in the fresh air also increased, and, unusually, Aro was talking more and more about various topics, even dates, opening up. . Which stood in sharp contrast to her confinement in the tower.
– You were gone a long time…– He whispers in her ear as he leans close to her. The rings were already on his hands, and the Volturi ruby necklace was already hanging around his neck.
Penelope had a feeling that the courtroom doors would soon be shut.
The towers were far from the great hall, so Penelope could barely hear anything. The clan had built the castle with security as the masters were top priority. On the other hand, to ensure that escape would be impossible, even for vampires.
– It’s a sin to miss out on a weather like this. – Penelope replied, finally raising her gaze to Aro’s face. Like her own, Aro’s eyes burned with a dark red shade. Thanks to the previous day’s feast, hunger did not fill their bodies. His much paler skin created a much greater contrast than hers.
Contrary to her words, Penelope stood up anyway. Aro’s hand slid over her back, but he was not applying any pressure.
– Back to the cell?– Penelope asked, her voice barely audible. She didn’t need to look back over her shoulder to know that her words hadn’t brought a smile onto the faces of her guards.
– That is the safest place for the queen. – Aro’s patience hadn’t waned; only the corner of his mouth trembled. – You’re not ready. – He added as he escorted her back to the tower room. They didn’t walk past the great hall, but the heightened security was noticeable even in the distant corridors.
Penelope’s throat was tightened at the sight of the preparations.
– What if I were?– She asked back, but her gaze did not meet the pair of red eyes. The renewed curiosity in her voice was to Aro’s liking.
– As my queen, there’s no question about it.– Aro ended the conversation. Penelope had known for a long time that Aro wanted her to be safe and hidden away.
Hidden from the world, if not entirely in secret, then at least in the shadows. As she walked through one of the main hallways, a faint sound caught Penelope’s attention, making her to lift her head toward the desk pushed into the corner and slow her walk.
Contrary to Aro’s words, the secretary had not yet retreated to the safe room for the duration of the judge..
The another suprise, that instead of the older blonde woman, a young woman with black hair stands behind the computer. A few days earlier, the blonde secretary was the one who had delivered the paint and charcoal set to Penelope, but now not even a trace of her scent reaches Penelope’s nose.
The woman stood with her back straight and stiff, as one would expect of a human, and greeted them with a nervous smile. Aside from Penelope, none of them gave any sign that they had paid her even a shred of attention.
The pity building in her dark brown eyes reinforced Penelope’s own position in her mind. She had learned that people often approached vampires with a painful confidence.
– There’s no need for you to learn her name. – Aro was noticing Penelope’s hesitation as they walk up the spiral staircase. His palm didn’t touch her skin directly, so Penelope couldn’t tell if he had truly figured her out.
The bodyguards had fallen behind them in the process, slowly leaving only the two of them. Penelope opened the heavy wooden door, but Aro closed it behind him. Several packages were lay scattered across both the bed and the desk.
Penelope opened just one package and tossed the cardboard box into the trash after taking out the special decorated books.
The spacious bedroom lacked nothing, and as Penelope ran her fingers over an unopened jewelry box, Aro pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
– I won’t keep you waiting. – He murmured into her hair. His old Italian accent sent a shiver down Penelope’s spine, she had to took a deep breath. For a moment, she watched as the door closed and his bodyguards took their places in front of it, but she didn’t give the thought any more time. Being a vampire had taken countless things from her.
Her human memories, aging, changing, and carefree fun, but it had given her time and pain. . Time she could spend counting the unevenness of the ceiling or actively filling her hours. Instead of studying languages and art, she now surrounded herself with books in the armchair, enough to keep her occupied for a few hours. It was already too late to go out.
Marcus
Italy
Marcus spent days away from Leana. If his self-control had held out, this period could have been much longer. Not even his thousand years of experience and his memories of Didyme were enough to make him selflessly allow the mortal to live her short yet almost limitless life.
His first step was to find out where Leana was staying after a full day of surveillance.
Since Leana enjoyed visiting various historical sites, it wasn’t hard to find her, which both simplified his plans and filled him with a different kind of excitement.
The travel journal left at the hotel filled in the remaining gaps. Now Marcus could make his plans. They met again at the foot of the historic library’s ruins, after Marcus had taken care to prepare himself properly for the hours spent among people.
Whether intentionally or not, Leana took the final step by making a louder remark at the scene. This gave the most aloof of the Volturi the opportunity to approach, which later developed into a deeper conversation.
Marcus was careful to keep the topics within safe limits. Like most people, he didn’t find this unusual. Most of the conversation was about history, so it was almost inevitable that they would discuss Leana’s next stops, which Marcus had already committed to memory earlier. So he offered to take her on another sightseeing tour.
At first, Marcus had only planned a few occasions to spend time near his singer. He tried to convince himself that a few breaths of fresh air were enough for his cursed existence. The plan evolved as their relationship grew stronger, until there was no other option for Marcus.
Marcus Volturi wasn’t as human-friendly as the Olympian clan, nor as pure as Didyme. Nor was he driven by curiosity like Aro.
– I hope you’ll forgive me.– The man whispered, clutching the engagement ring in his hand. His red gaze darted to the painting on the wall before he closed the door behind him. He took the black cloak and Santiago waiting in the hallway.
– Find Dimitri. I’m heading out.– Marcus gave the order before setting off. The tracker will be a valuable asset to Marcus in keeping his plans secret and reinforcing his intentions regarding the girl and their future.
He didn’t rush, but only slowing his pace to match the tracker’s when he reached the Volturi’s gates. Marcus was preparing for a long journey, but to avoid arousing suspicion, he couldn’t go alone. Partly for their safety, and partly because Aro felt much safer that way. And in the Volturi’s existence, that was the most important thing.
Leana’s diary revealed where she would be staying, which gave the thousand-year-old vampire a few steps forward and minutes to hunt before her. In an instant, he completely drained his victim of blood and disposed of the body.
His eyes was burning red as he snapped the door lock off with a single motion. Marcus merely glanced at Demetri out of the corner of his eye.
– Stay. – His voice was softer as he addressed the younger vampire in Italian. He has to do the next part yourself. He successfully kept the beast locked deep within his soul behind bars, a beast that could not bear to have anyone else near him.
A growl and the monster would erupt from his chest if he sensed Demetri near his singer. It also added to his mood that Leana would remain a mortal for a short while longer, then become a newborn and bound to him.
Even the size of the hotel room offended Marcus’s good taste. It was like a kick to his eyes. it stood in stark contrast to the beauty values of the Volturi clan, built up over centuries. Soon, Leana wouldn’t have to see any of this either. The room was empty and small enough that the sound of running water filled the entire space.
The man could hear Leana’s every move from the bathroom, even the slight mumbling too. His imagination had been dry for decades, but now Marcus was feeling its effects, what, for once, weren’t tied to blood. Ever since Marcus had met Leana, he’d started noticing all sorts of little things. Even things that hadn’t even crossed his mind before. Freedom and life outside the Volturi, too.
His thoughts strayed down the wrong path several times, but everything stopped when Leana finally stepped out of the bathroom. Steam poured out the door immediately, even swirling around Leana’s body.
Marcus couldn’t wait for Leana to notice him in the dark, and he used his speed as an advantage.. While covering her eyes and mouth with one hand, he used the other to stop her tentative struggles until his teeth sank completely into her neck. Her blood was sweet, tempting, and his venom flowed easily into her soft flesh.
His instincts formed a high, impenetrable wall.
In a split second, Leana’s defiance vanished as she went limp in Marcus’s arms like a rag doll. He kept his mouth pressed against her neck for a few more seconds to ensure enough poison spread through her veins, to her heart.
It didn’t take long for Leana’s legs to give way and for her to collapse forward. The combined effects of fear and poison were too much for Leana.
Caius
For the college student, the day of the attack was the one that wiped out all her plans and visions for the future. Pinched against the wall, Trissa tried to make herself invisible in the blond man’s eyes, holding her breath, but those red eyes found her. She know that she should have scream, to be lod or something, even run the her feet was heavy.
She saw how the blond man had finished off her attacker, who now lay on the ground like a rag doll. And now, in the darker part of the city, the man approached her, then his fingers clamped onto Trissa’s forearm, pulling her to her feet and beginning to drag her along. A growl escaped his mouth, but Trissa didn’t understand. Her mind couldn’t process the next few moments as well as her face turned pale..
Her phone and bag remained on the ground as Trissa was dragged through the dark areas. Somehow fully in darkness. Her gaze fell on the figures walking behind them, also wrapped in cloaks, but their faces were hidden by the fabric.
– Move!– He snapped at Trissa. His voice betrayed his irritation that Trissa had stumbled several times and couldn’t move fast enough. So much so that the next time she stumbled, instead of catching her by the feet, the red eyed man scooped her up into his arms. The movement was so fast it blurred in her eyes.
Trissa’s stomach churned. A muffled little sound was all Trissa could manage. Her stomach churned, and her hands automatically clung to the man’s shirt and his upper arm. Her fingertips turned completely white, but that didn’t bother the blond man.
Shadows played across his face as Trissa’s eyes took in nothing, or very little, of their surroundings.
The man paid no mind to the whimpering sounds escaping from Trissa’s throat. Nor was he particularly shaken when he threw Trissa straight onto the bed what was covered in red silk. The mortal’s eyes still did not open, but the sight of her lying on her back in a softly lit room had a powerful effect on him.
– No! – It burst from Trissa throat as she managed to find her voice when the red-eyed man grabbed her by the arm and used a piece of silk as a makeshift restraint to bind her hands. Her blood circulation was barely enough to keep her hands from turning white.
At first, Trissa’s entire range of movement was limited to the bed and the bathroom. Caius, the man, initially forced her to change the sheets every single day, sometimes every two day. During her first shower, Trissa had to press herself against the wall of the stall, using a towel she could get her hands on to cover herself. Her face flushed, and she was sure her heartbeat was fast to.
The vampire didn’t let it bother him, because he simply walked in, with the clothes in hand and tossing it into the corner of the bathroom, getting her own ones..
Trissa was sure she would never see those clothes again, even though a quick wash would have been all it needed.
She had to look away when she saw what Caius had laid out. The dress fit much better into the man’s wardrobe than into hers in question of style.
There was embroidery at the bottom of the fabric that was hard to make out, but the whole thing was made of black silk.
Trissa also found a tiny ruby that could be attached to her dress neckline. The mortal’s eyes didn’t notice the tiny paint stain on the dress, which Caius might have caused. With no other option, she had to put on the only dress left in the room.
As soon as Trissa picked up the fabric, she was expecting it to smell like dust. She didn't expected that it didn’t detect anything causing Trissa was particularly pleased about. She had to bite her lip as the fabric clung to her body a few moments later.. It was a bit more uncomfortable because her body wasn’t completely dry yet.
The heavy, thick metal on her wrist made it much harder to move. But nothing compared to sleeping problems while a man was watching every breath she took, and a metal on her wrist too.
Caius had only returned hours later, but instead of his usual black cloak and fancy shirt, he was wearing only a simple silk shirt. The contrast between the black clothing and his vivid red gaze further enhanced the effect. Trissa, who had been preparing to sleep, felt her breath catch in her throat as a cold sweat ran down her spine.
– Come. – The blond man stated, without so much as a greeting. He didn’t wait for Trissa to respond, instead, grabbing the chain, he pulled her closer. Trissa could have gotten used to not receiving answers or explicit information regarding certain matters, but even after days, she hadn’t learned much about her captor or the entire system that delivered food to the desk twice a day.
A shiver ran through her body as she let her eyes fall on the iron shackles binding her wrists. The tug was not happened without a pain..
With a single movement, the blond vampire snapped the metal shackle holding his wrist. Then, for a moment, he looked down into Trissa’s eyes.
– You wouldn’t stand a chance if you tried to run. – The oldest man said, referring to escape attempts.
– You don’t need to worry about that. – Trissa replied, perhaps a little more sharply than necessary. Her eyebrows shot up when she found a shoe box in the corner of the bed.
A woman wearing flashy clothes often restocked her wardrobe, but the shoes were never included in the clothing packages. Before, Trissa wouldn’t have thought how comfortable it was to slip into a simple pair of black sneakers. It really annoyed her that Caius was tapping his nails on the door, waiting impatiently.
*****
Although it was still well into the day according to the clock, Trissa followed the man through dimly lit hallways as they left the room. Every time Trissa slowed down or their gaze lingered on something in the hallways, a barely audible, grumpy growl escaped their throat.
To her surprise, there were several sculptures and paintings along the way, some of which she found interesting. She didn’t notice when they reached their destination, only that an ice-cold hand slid down the middle of her back and pushed her forcefully into the already open room. Trissa’s feet nearly tripped over her own feet when her gaze shifted from the marble floor to the bookshelves reaching up to the ceiling.
Perhaps even the world’s largest library could rival the clan’s library. It wouldn’t surprise her if, after a brief search, she found even ancient books from Alexandra, in good condition.
Caius must have noticed her wide eyed gaze, because he simply was pushing her further inside. All resistance vanished from Trissa’s mind, along with the fear and depression caused by confinement, and even the pain in her wrist.
– There are a few things you need to get used to before your transformation. – Caius remarked, reminding Trissa of the most terrifying information.
She only found out after spending an entire day chained up in Caius’s sleeping quarters. The days she spent there, mostly alone, weren’t enough for Trissa to fully come to terms with the fact that her fate was no longer in her own hands.
Ever since that moment, her stomach had been in knots and she had to hold herself back from screaming at the top of her lungs or staring into the void, waiting for the end of the world.
– I have no choice.– She nodded with hesitation. The great hall was vast, but Trissa saw nothing that could help her get in touch with her friends or family, who must be searching for her by now. As her initial shock subsided, her head was filling up with thoughts.
Her best friend, and maybe others might know what she should do or say, but Trissa didn’t. Not even the best movies, manga, or books had ever depicted a similar situation.
She glanced back over her shoulder at the man, whose expression had softened, yet still suggested that if Trissa dared to speak up or object, she would regret it. And someone who even monitors the time spent in the bathroom, and feels no shame or guilt about walking in on a person in the middle of a bath without batting an eye, or killing people, Trissa cannot expect a positive outcome.
A startled gasp escaped his throat involuntarily when he saw the books Caius had placed on his desk.
– Your foolishness won’t lengthen your remaining days.– He brought Trissa back to her senses and pushed an old book toward her, its pages completely yellowed, though the cover was in perfect condition. – As a vampire, everything fades into the mist, but it’s common for a few things to remain. Even without a thirst for blood, you must learn your place. – Caius spoke up. It was clear from his entire being that he was bored with having to teach Trissa, yet his eyes still burned sharply into Trissa’s skin.
Trissa’s thoughts often wandered while reading the clan’s history and rules. As Caius had said just seconds earlier, she knew the clan had strict rules regarding newborns, and she really did need to pay attention.
Fortunately, someone had left a few pieces of paper on the desk, and while the blond man was fetching a book, Trissa was able to grab one, along with a pencil that was clearly just there for decoration. As she tried to keep most of it in her head, she doodled with her hand. Her movements froze only when she sensed the man’s presence. Her heartbeat quickened as she felt the vampire lean forward. She braced herself for a snide remark, and she didn’t have to wait long.
– Your pencil grip is terrible. – The man exhaled, but he reached out and adjusted the pencil in Trissa’s hand, more than once. Even this small movement helped.
The daughter of the Cullen's and one of the two queen of the Volturi. What would happen when we add a Bella Swan to this thin peace? With other words, there is more than a person can see wih his eyes.
Link here
How would you meet?
With your Volturi mate
Link:
With the mesters: Click here
With the guards: Here
If reader is a true crime fan
With your Volturi mate
Headcannon
Link:
Part 1: Here
Part 2: Here
When they found out about your toxic family situation
With your Volturi mate
Hc
Link:
Part 1 Here
Part 2
See you at the thousand lake's country (R)
What if the almost war with the Volturi woke another girl's wolf out. A girl's who hate cages but freedom was scary too, but has her fate tied to one of the witch twin whose against she is supposedly has to fight.
Romantic partner: Alec Volturi
Status: Complete
Warning: not really, just enemy to lovers, fluff, opinion difference between other characters.
Addams Universe
Sister Panic
The vampire heir has to face a new reality as her sister fights out the chance to learn in Nevermore. Especially when there is a bit of secret that she is dating with an Addams?
Kinda good ending
Link:
Read here
The full fanfiction go to my Ao3 site.
Magnificent Century universe
Medicine
A young girl journey as she became a slave in Suleiman sultan's harem to be free and find her brother. Could her talent in healing and medicine help her?
Will the fates help her or have they have different plan?
Romantic Partner: Sehzade Mehmet
Link: Soon...
And more other is coming soon... So... Be ready. If you have an idea.
Vikings
Balm for you
A little Vikings fluff story. An attacked and raided village gave certain people a new chance, including a parentless, disowned child. Was the strange response the work of the gods, or should they attribute the situation to a child's bare will to live? They can no longer know this, but it is quite certain that Floki recognized and took advantage of the situation to give his wife the opportunity to become a mother, and with it, for a little girl to grow up to be a fighter. The sons of the ruler of Kattegat also helped a lot in the latter. Each of them is a Ragnarson boy, in different styles, one with a gentler way and some... not so much.
Romantic partner: - its fluff
Link: Here
The Golden Tablet Universe ( Night at the museum)
Price of Gold
Love interest: Ahkmenrah
finished
New beginings means we have to close some doors to explore others. But those doors were always remain there, and sometimes we return to them if they were good ones. Sometimes this steps were with intent sometimes it were not. Sometimes with accidently losing sense of time.
A young girl stayed up late, not expecting anything but got pulled into the biggest secret of the museum of the city.
First, the need and intention to get out of the situation slowly dissapear as she was learning about her own mistakes and old memories come to her mind.
TW: death and lose of youngers mentioned a bit.
Link
House of the dragon universe
Air and Water
Cold makes you go numb, so it kills. The sea makes the world forget about you, with pulling you under itself, hiding your body, your thoughts and your soul. But for Aenma Velaryon, they can help you grow and lift you to the air. . Lucerys's protected and pampered twin sister had a life what some people wanted. Her childhood, her relationships to her family, and her life.
Slight Aegon x Aenma and Jacaerys x Aenma.
New beginings sometimes meant saying goodbyes. Sometimes it happens with intend, sometimes with accidently overstudy. A young girl stayed late, not expecting anything but got pulled into the secret life of the biggest museum in New York. Her need to get out and dissapear before trouble slowly turning her attention towards to memories than tryint to reach a stability before living. She had the perfect person who could help her, and the other way around too.
I was late again, but everything is there. I am thankful for you for the support you showed me before. So much. You probably would not beleive that i almost broke out giggling while sitting on the bus.
The fanfiction will be soon uploaded to ao3, if it is more comfortable to you, reading there.
New beginings sometimes meant saying goodbyes. Sometimes it happens with intend, sometimes with accidently overstudy. A young girl stayed late, not expecting anything but got pulled into the secret life of the biggest museum in New York. Her need to get out and dissapear before trouble slowly turning her attention towards to memories than tryint to reach a stability before living. She had the perfect person who could help her, and the other way around too.
The long hours and the crowded museum were making the girl increasingly uneasy. Her impatience and nervous agitation had already manifested as physical symptoms. The excessive sweating of her palms and the fluttering in her stomach painted a complete picture of her current state.
Her phone vibrated several times, displaying Rebecca’s name, but her throat tightened painfully. Larry had probably told her that Nissa had spent the night at the museum, which was why no one had come into the tiny room. It was a kind gesture, and Nissa knew she would have to thank him later. Right now, the only person she wanted to see was lying in a gilded sarcophagus, in the middle of the Egyptian Great Hall, surrounded by people.
The idea suddenly formed in her mind. Nissa didn’t allow herself to think it through any further. She took her final steps purposefully, smashed the fire alarm glass on the wall, and pulled the emergency alarm.
Larry and Rebecca would be very angry, and it might even cause a serious problem, but she was simply unable to spend several more hours in that tiny room.
The ear-piercing shriek was immediate, accompanied by human voices. The children’s surprised noises moved the girl as she leaned against the door, waiting for all the noise to subside. She waited in the room until even the firefighters’ shouts had died down, and only then did she hurry toward the staircase.
Nissa took the steps two at a time until she reached the meters-tall jackal statues.
It was clear from the stone statues that they had not been carved by Egyptian stonemasons, but they still reflected an interest in the culture.
Days ago, Nissa hadn’t been afraid, but she had been reluctant to touch them. Now, however, she ran her hand over them. The two animal-headed soldiers had guarded her husband’s nights, and that was what mattered most.
From the entrance, Nissa’s gaze returned to the tomb of the youngest pharaoh, standing in the center of the room.
And now, alone Nissa, like everyone else, could simply flow into the room. But as she crossed the threshold into the hall, a newfound sense of reverence awoke within her.
The magical power of the golden tablet had been powerful for a thousand years; Nissa wasn’t even surprised by it. Even now, she would have gladly taken it down from the wall and placed it in Ahkmenrah’s hands.
She ran her fingers over the Egyptian patterns covering the sarcophagus, each one unique because it told a story of Ahkmenrah’s reign. Her fingers slowly clenched into fists, yet she still refused to give up on seeing the young man again.
Every muscle in Nissa’s body tensed at once to remove the lid of the sarcophagus so that Netmeret’s spirit might have a glimpse at her love after thousands of years. As the lid shifted inch by inch, Nissa’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Not a single part of her fulfilled soul was frightened by the sight. She may have been the wife of Pharaoh Ahmenrah, but she occasionally flipped through priests' textbooks of deaths.
And while it’s true that Netmeret lived in a society where such burial customs were completely normal, her mind still treats those memories as dreamlike images rather than actual events. This made it harder for her to decide just how disrespectful her actions were or were not. She even had a hard time deciding how to address him.
Netmeret was his wife, but that woman had been reborn as Nissa. She doesn’t even know how to see herself. How could she expect the boy to do so? The only thing Nissa can say about herself is that she is so much more than she was just a day ago.
– Hi.– she whispers, kneeling beside the concrete block. Her gaze, in which a multitude of elusive emotions danced, softened as she looked at the motionless figure lying there. The bandages hung haphazardly over Ahkmenrah’s body, yet their purpose, to cover him, was fulfilled by the yellowed, dusty fabric.
Everything Nissa wanted to say burned in her throat—things she would find difficult to say face-to-face. Yet at the same time, she simply wanted to be present. She couldn’t be there when Ahkmenrah’s body was finally placed in the sarcophagus, but now she had time to both bid him farewell and welcome him the same time.
– I don’t know what happened…– he girl whispers, and even her voice falters as she speaks.
– The gods may not offer an explanation, but I don’t even want one. – he mutters.
Only her memories had returned, but the scar and the burn mark that made her unique in Ahkmenrah’s eyes were replaced by pain that seeped into her joints.
Nissa knew that life would return to him in few minutes, so she didn’t continue speaking, she simply savored the silence. The mummy’s hand beneath hers was cold, showing no sign of life. Nissa had to remind herself repeatedly and forcefully that she would soon see the beloved face again. She was a little afraid, but she also looked forward to the coming hours.
The young girl struggled to bring herself to stand up, but stopped herself at the last moment. A tiny object caught her attention next to Ahkmenrah. The small chain was hidden in the shadow of Ahkmenrah’s hand, but the girl noticed it anyway.
Beside the millennia-old, somewhat crumbling material, the shiny metal chain that Nissa used to attach to her phone stood out.
The tiny cat figurine simply hung from the chain, which still glinted brightly in the lamplight. She had found it months earlier at a street vendor’s stall, and instead of simply walking past it or throwing it away, she had kept it with her, attached to her phone then put it into his hand days ago. She had completely forgotten that Ahkmenrah had kept it.
She wouldn’t have minded if the boy, accustomed to gold, had simply gotten rid of it. The keychain figurine had been there for many events. Either in the girl’s pocket or her bag, but she wasn’t so attached to it that she would panic.
On top of that, Nissa had to grapple not only with her college requirements but also with the existence of magic and supernatural forces, which occupied whatever brain cells she had left from studying. Either she was too lazy, or she didn’t have the energy to even bother with the fact that a discarded keychain she’d found in a small shop what come loose from her phone.
And now, the figure of a reclining cat gave Nissa a new meaning. She wasn’t particularly attached to cats, but now the sight of the cat figure, suitable as a night light, filled her with a sense of security. She thinks Ahkmenrah might have felt something similar.
Instead of taking the object out, she simply puts the figure back gently. The sounds from outside were getting closer, but Nissa wasn’t worried. She folded back the veil with the utmost care, and after several attempts, she managed to slide the glass back onto the sarcophagus. Just in time, before a group of preschoolers arrived.
She knew from experience that the museum’s daytime security guards rarely stayed at their posts in front of the cameras, but for safety’s sake, she chose to blend into the crowd for a few laps until she could return to the only important section.
Although her mind and heart were elsewhere, Nissa’s hand moved of its own accord toward the staff room, where she had obtained permission and a key from the museum director with Rebecca’s help in the past.
Of course, as in many places around the world, Nissa had not only convinced the older man with her knowledge and reliability. Her fingers kept sliding over the pens, but it wasn’t until a few minutes later that she accepted the inevitable. She usually chose the most comfortable route, but now, biting her lip, she made her way up the steep staff staircase, just to be there on time with Ahkmenrah.
The college girl knew full well how hard it is for an hour and a half to pass, and that’s exactly what happened now. To pass the time, her hand was drifting toward the papers. There were no suitable pencils in the room, but Nissa could doodle with a pen as well.
When she sat down beside the pushed-back coffin, she had no plan or thought for the sheet of paper. She had grown up with the teaching that the meaning of art was the conveyance of emotion, not perfection, or conforming to strict frameworks. And she had done just that.
She drew the line without thinking, letting her hand move freely rather than trying to control it stiffly. This was one of Nissa’s struggles, and as Netmeret she had to learn it too, in the time between her tasks.
She stares blankly at the paper, and only later do the squiggles begin to form something. Even with her memories of the past, Nissa cannot say she has an artistic soul.
The scribbling created a strange-looking landscape. Starting from the edge of the paper, a pattern resembling the Eye of Horus began to take shape in various ways.
Nissa recalls the moment when Ahmenrah taught her how to draw the pattern accepted by Horus, so long ago. And now, just a few days ago, in one of the signs she saw in her dream, he had also explained the religion to her.
As soon as she came to her senses, she began to complete the drawing with the tiny stones and others. She tried to make something resembling the ancient jewelry that Ahkmenrah had been presented with by the servants during their first real meeting.
By then, the engagement had long been arranged between the ruling family and the girl’s father, and Netmeret had been raised to meet the expectations associated with the pharaoh’s first queen.
For the last half hour, the girl had been lying on her back next to the sarcophagus, noting every single imperfection in the ceiling. Her gaze shifted several times to the necklace next to the tablet, but the presence of the visitors held her back. The inner compulsion to touch it and reclaim a large piece of her past, using the necklace as a tool.
But before she could even think it through, her phone’s alarm caused several heads to turn in her direction, yet Nissa’s face no longer flushed. Until now she had hated the attention, but now her heartbeat simply quickened, ever so slightly.
Several unread or opened but unanswered messages greeted Nissa as she opened her inbox on her phone. Her classmates had asked her many questions or requested notes for exams, her roommates were asking where she’d been, and Rebecca had sent yet another link about the latest historical or campus news.
Every single message showed that the world hadn’t changed just because her own perception had shifted. Even the figures resurrected by the power of the golden tablet had adapted to their nocturnal existence, and in the past week, Nissa hadn’t once heard Ahkmenrah complain about losing the Empire. When she thought about it, she had never seen the boy so terribly self-important.
Even in the past, based on Netmeret’s memories, the boy had never abused his power or idled away his days in laziness, not even during his time as pharaoh.
Nissa struggled to recall some strong negative memory, but as Netmeret, she found nothing. As the country’s sole leader, and as a man whose bloodline had been chosen by the gods, was a heavy burden weighed on the boy’s shoulders, yet he never took out his stress on the servants or attendants. In Netmeret’s case, this depended on his mood, he was capable of shutting everyone out and sending people away if he needed to be alone.
She clearly remembered that Ahkmenrah’s grandfather had been the last to spend his entire reign at war due to the Hyksos’ repeated advances. The old man met his end there, and the girl’s grandparents had also taken part in that battle.
Pharaoh Merenkahre, Ahkmenrah’s father, the child king, was the first in the bloodline to reign over a peaceful kingdom, but his troubles began with internal conflicts.
Although modern ethics suggested that the girl should not leave anyone unread, she chose instead to listen to the devil perched on her right shoulder. After many years of gentleness and attentiveness, Nissa allows her to focus on herself for a while longer. Netmeret’s memories are gradually returning, and it is going to still take time for them to become clear. It may take days for most of her memories to return, and until then, Nissa would prefer silence and gathering her courage. She still has to figure out how to tell Ahkmenrah that she is Netmeret.
Or rather, that she was. She had replayed the incident in her head countless times, but as soon as she saw the movement coming from the sarcophagus, all coherent thought left her mind, and the blood froze in her veins.
Thanks to Larry’s intervention, there was no longer any need to put the heavy stone back in place at the museum, so the young Egyptian man had the opportunity to free himself.
The physical reaction was the strongest, after all, Nissa was able to hide her thoughts—those improper thoughts and more intimate memories—but the blushing and the pounding of her heart were beyond her control.
– Good morning…– The girl clears her throat as she watches Ahkmenrah sit up. Even the greeting sounded pitiful to Nissa’s ears. Quickly leaving the drawings behind, she closed the distance between them, making room for Ahkmenrah to step out.
The corner of her eye twitched, almost like the beginnings of a smile, as she watched the waxed strips of bandage slip apart, leaving the whole thing incomplete.
– Let me help…– She speaks up, fortunately between Ahkmenrah’s coughs he let her. She didn’t have to move much for the air to fill with dust again, which slowly settled on the marble beneath their feet. She kept quiet when Ahkmenrah’s bandage brushed against her fingertip.
The strong scent of the fabric, soaked in resin and oils, slowly was filling the room, as she helps him get off the bandage
Her gaze never wanders to the various crown jewels beside Ahkmenrah.
– Give it a spin.– The girl looks up at him, much more bravely now. As best she could, the girl tried to remove all the cloth, but she couldn’t. His shoulder trembled as he did what Nissa had asked of him. Meanwhile, the cloth at their feet only grew larger. Last came the linen cloth on Ahkmenrah’s head, which the girl had left for last. Last up was the linen cloth on Ahkmenrah’s head, which the girl had left for last.
– Did you miss people dancing you around? – Nissa asks, her eyebrows arching as a smile spreads across her face. With Netmeret’s memories, Nissa had become much more confident and was able to see into the brown, expressive eyes.
She had already begun to see the man behind the crown, but Netmeret’s consciousness gave her the full picture. She now knows how many times the boy had stayed up until sunrise so he could receive delegations with greater composure or learn a language important for politics. And on those occasions, Netmeret had often watched him from here.
– That’s not what this is about.– Ahkmenrah’s voice brought the girl back to the present. In an instant, the light illuminated his face as well. As he kept his eyes on Nissa’s hand and her face, she realized that the change had not escaped the notice of her husband, who had just awakened. What she hadn’t counted on, however, was that as he stepped away from her, she would feel his hand on the back of her neck. Nissa’s body tensed and she jumped.
– You look healthier. – He mumbles. The sentence reminded Nissa that Ahkmenrah had only wanted to check her heartbeat and temperature. The air caught in her lungs as Ahkmenrah’s hand slid down her back and his touch ceased.
Half a minute later, she already missed it and felt the heat rising to her neck. And now she had to bite her lip and remind herself of some mundane event before she saw the world through rose-colored glasses again.
– That’s exactly how I feel. – Nissa exhales as she looks back at him, watching him tuck the linen cloth back into the coffin. It was much better off there than on the marble floor, trampled by people. – I couldn’t run a marathon yet, though, really. It was the best sleep of my life.– Nissa adds, making a motion to tie her hair back. Her mood was contagious, and the tension caused by worry vanishes from Ahkmenrah’s face. In fact, he even smiles, revealing both of his dimples.
Nissa felt her heart racing, so she turned back to pick up her bag, which she had carelessly dropped on the white paper earlier.
– More precisely, my second-best rest. The first was falling into bed after a full day of afternoon swimming. – She speaks up nonetheless. A few hours couldn’t bring back twenty years of memories, but what had played over and over in Nissa’s mind had already etched itself into her brain. As if it had been there all along. She thought of those first days they spent as husband and wife, getting to know one another.
Even from the perspective of a thousand years, Nissa knew what oils her husband liked on his skin, what dishes she should prepare when she saw the tension in Ahkmenrah’s eyes.
Nissa hadn’t expected her words to have such a profound effect, but she felt that burning gaze upon her once again. After her words, she could see, as if in slow motion, a shadow pass across Ahkmenrah’s gaze.
The small smile never left his face, but he ran his hand over Nissa’s shoulders. Only then did Nissa notice that her words were too reminiscent of one of their anniversaries, when, as husband and wife, they had secretly left the palace walls together.
Officially, it was strictly forbidden for them to travel without an accompanying guard, but they had done it anyway.
Disguised as commoners, they made their way to the far bank of the Nile, where they spent hours. It was there when she got her first horse and dog. The dog had simply attached itself to them, and she had taken a liking to the horse, so Ahkmenrah later bought it for her as a gift. Ahkmenrah’s grip wasn’t strong, but he held Nissa’s gaze. The plan hadn’t even formed in Nissa’s mind yet, but something serious had already changed in the boy. Almost unexpectedly, he snatched the drawing out of Nissa’s bag.
– While you were sleeping, you spoke in your sleep. – The boy confesses, though something seemed to radiate from him—a gentleness, or what others might call calm. The college student’s eyes widened, but she didn’t interrupt him. She couldn’t have, her throat had tightened so much.
– Our language was difficult. What researchers know doesn’t cover the whole of it. The girl who said she knew nothing and needed help translating the simplest hieroglyphs is now speaking the high language so fluently? – He asks the rhetorical question, stepping closer to Nissa. Nissa tried to step back, but her back was soon pressed against the wall.
A flood of emotions washed over Nissa’s face. She had expected the boy to show anger or rage, but she saw neither. She opened her mouth several times to speak, but didn’t know where to begin. Apologize for keeping him waiting? She couldn’t do that, since she’d only remembered a few hours ago. Nissa’s lips was trembling as she tried to find the words.
– How could I possibly say something like that… Hey, do you remember your wife? Well, that’s me… I’d think I was an idiot myself.– Nissa turns her head away, but out of the corner of her eye she can still see Ahkmenrah’s chest rising and falling, and how that movement alone was soothing to her soul.
– Four years… Haven’t you learned anything in four years? – Ahkmenrah asks, reminding the girl that they spent four wonderful years together before his death. His hand slid onto her hair, then into it, to turn her gaze back toward him. He turned her head back by her hair, hard enough to make Nissa’s scalp tingle but not hurt.
Nissa wasn’t aware that tears were falling from her eyes. She only noticed them when they reached her lips.
– It’s so strange… I’m no longer Netmeret, but I’ve become so much more than yesterday’s Nissa. – The girl mutters. She had to admit it to him.
– You survived the millennia. That’s all that matters…– Ahkmenrah replies. Nissa’s mouth fell open as he brushed a strand of hair from her face, but she turned away shortly after.
Nissa’s eyes widened as she was watching Ahkmenrah disable the room’s security system.
– Larry? – Nissa asks, nodding toward the small wall-mounted panel. Her breathing was still ragged, but her tears have dried up.
“Yes, for if necessary. - Ahkmenrah replies as he enters the final numbers. Nissa didn't know how necessary the current situation seemed. Still trembling, she followed Ahkmenrah’s movements with her eyes.
The color drained from her face as she saw him take the necklace off the wall and walk towards her. The necklace no longer bore her blood, and now looked much more fragile and worn. By modern standards, it looked simple, but Nissa was always in awe of it. She was the girl who, as a child, loved rummaging through drawers among the little trinkets… something she could now understand.
– Ahkmenrah…– She warns him, her voice was rising slightly as she approaches him. She had to bite her tongue as she tried to stop him with her hand. However, Ahkmenrah’s fingers wrapped around her wrist, and he pulled Nissa’s hand down to her side. With that movement, the simple sheet of paper slid through the air and landed on the floor. Ahkmenrah could easily have stepped on it, but the drawing depicted a sacred symbol. No devout person would dare to do that.
The boy was determined to place the necklace he had given her around her neck, even if only for a moment.
– Nissa or Netmeret? – Ahkmenrah asks before putting it around Nissa’s neck. The thoughtfulness behind the question was a caress to Nissa’s soul. She heard Ahkmenrah lower his voice as he uttered her former name, yet he still asked which name she wanted to use.
– Nissa. – he girl replies after seconds. The thought crossed her mind that it would make the situation simpler, more superficial, but her deep chocolate eyes wouldn’t let her. The girl did not look like a queen. She did not look the way people imagined her, but standing before him was a pharaoh who saw her as his queen, and in whose gaze Nissa was seeing not her flaws, but the hundreds of shared memories and little moments they had lived through together.
– This belongs to you, Nissa. – He declares, and slips it around her neck, just as he did the very first time. Nissa’s skin itched where the gold touched her, but she also felt warmth alongside the weight.
– There are no scars anymore…– the girl remarks, implying the fact that she received the jewelry because of her insecurity by her scars.
To use the heavy necklace, similar to his, to make her see that her burnmark and birthmark is beautiful, and deserved to be loved by jewels.
– It doesn’t change the fact that it was made for you. – Ahkmenrah replies. He was not pushy, nor did he demand intimacy for which the girl was not prepared. He traced the tip of his finger along Nissa’s neck, then smiled when he felt her rapid heartbeat. And while one hand rests on the curve between her shoulder and neck, his other hand clasped tightly around Nissa’s. He buried his head in her hair, and in the quiet room, she could hear him inhaling her scent in deep breaths.
She hadn’t fully realized that Ahkmenrah had spent centuries, perhaps millennia, without her. Carried from one foreign place to another.
– Then it’ll be an annual museum pass. – The girl notes, finally relaxing. Every single one of her plans had been turned upside down in a matter of moments, but somehow she didn’t care. In Egyptian mythology, couples were beloved in the eyes of the gods, and true couples could be reunited in the afterlife.
When Netmeret took her own life, the afterlife had floated before her eyes, along with Ahkmenrah and their children, who had died so young. And now, this wasn’t the afterlife, but one of the most important aspects seemed to be coming true, in its own strange way.
Nissa didn’t succeed, because Ahkmenrah’s hand slid from her hair to her back, pulling her toward him. For a moment, his palm slid over her stomach, then back to her back. Nissa didn’t stand a chance of resisting. Ahkmenrah’s warmth relaxed even her tightest muscles.
They heard a loud monkey noise from the corridor, but before Ahkmenrah could look over, Nissa held him back. Her head was pressed against Ahkmenrah’s chest, but aside from the difficulty breathing, she was fine.
– Larry’s going to go bald from all the stress we’re causing him. The girl mutters with a smile. The girl who used to try to handle everything on her own has become someone who knows she’s not a superhero, she needs someone to help her relax and keep her motivated at the same time. And that’s Ahkmenrah.
The thoughts flooding Nissa’s mind were scattered across different levels of the spectrum. She would have needed time, a great deal of it, to sort things out in her mind and fill in the gaps in her understanding of these two different worlds. But the tiny voice just kept pushing her on.
She took only a moment to accept the light seeping through the glass and the fact that modern culture treated hers with such disrespect. The girl didn’t bother to look for her shoes or figure out how she’d ended up in the security guard’s small room, among the books and children’s toys. Her more realistic half, Nissa, knew that people could see her if she leaves, and how much difference was criminalized, but she had to see the sarcophagus.
Even if it were her last act, the whole soul of her wanted to see Ahkmenrah.
Her determination made her almost oblivious to her surroundings. Besides her, a group of children was looking around in the hallway, and these first-graders close helped her normalize the urgency to find her husband. The sight of the wide-eyed children was enough for her to realize she needed to behave more calmly.
Her mouth filled with the familiar taste of blood as she clenched her jaw and shut herself in the room. With the key in her hand, she didn’t even bother thinking about the visions of when Kahmurah had forced her there, where the gray walls compelled the young widow to think.
Seeing herself in the mirror had a similar effect on her.
Aside from her messy hair, she saw the same face she was used to, she hadn’t turned into an Egyptian woman. Her tiny pimples and second chin hadn’t disappeared, nor had she suddenly grown into a supermodel. Her figure hadn’t changed either, and Nissa traced her scars with her finger, but the shame she always felt because of her body’s imperfections had diminished to a minimum.
Memories cannot bring back her sun-kissed skin, her eyes filled with warmth, or her softer features, but she has straightened her back, and Nissa’s gaze no longer rests on the ground. Her regained memories have filled her with strength and confidence. It was not difficult for Netmeret to draw attention to herself.
As the wife of a prince, then a pharaoh, her duty was the social life of the palace and the kingdoms. She would have been the center of gossip and ridicule if she had kept her head down as she so often does now. While her tutors and teachers from distant lands drilled manners and now-forgotten languages into her mind. The knowledge that remains vivid in her mind even in the modern age. Her ladies-in-waiting, and above all Ahkmenrah, gave her inner strength and self-confidence. This is what kept her from making a scene. The horror was as old as her soul; only the concrete protecting the sarcophagus reassured her that her former husband was not completely exposed to prying eyes.
Even Ahkmenrah’s burial was a private affair. Aside from the high priests, only a handful of people attended Ahkmenrah’s burial, in order to avoid infection. Even as the young pharaoh’s wife, Netmeret was not allowed to see her husband before embalming.
The priests took diseases very seriously, a rule even the royal family could not defy.
And now, just because some time has passed between the two eras, people feel they can treat the dead for their own amusement. Netmeret, who the same as Nissa, would give the researchers everything she had without hesitation, as long as her husband’s grave remained undisturbed. She knows how much is possible with modern plastics.
Within minutes, she found her shoes leaning against the wall. In her tension, she picked at her nails while staring at her phone screen. The pop-up notifications meant nothing, only time mattered in her sparkling eyes.
It must have been the gods’s cruel game that made time seem endless to Nissa. She knew exactly when the tablet would begin to release its magic, but hours still separated her from that moment. The noise from the visitors pouring in from outside echoed in the exhausted girl’s ears. To her surprise, focusing on the fragments of conversation helped her, as it slightly diverted her train of thoughts.
The liquid in the cup in her hand began to ripple, caused by her trembling and the noise coming from outside. The sound wouldn’t come out of her throat, but she turned her head toward the only exit in the windowless room. The women, clad in beautiful veils, scrambled to push as many things as possible in front of the wooden door, but not even the heavy marble tub could muffle the soldiers’ shouts coming from outside.
Panic was rampant within the walls. Netmeret watched as one of her maids had to restrain a younger girl who was trying to whisper, but whose voice faltered repeatedly. Netmeret, however, simply turned her head back to the liquid into which her tears were gradually falling, further coloring the bitter drink.
She did not speak, but her legs carried her without a command to the chest where the jeweled ornaments had already been laid out. With every movement, she felt the soft, gray, simple fabric brush against her skin. The maids who were not watching the door helped the girl put on the heavy necklace and the crown. Her husband had placed the latest on her a year and a half earlier, and only he would have the right to remove them from her head, and soon Netmeret would do just that.
– Is everything ready?– The girl asks as the last piece of jewelry is fastened to her ankle. Her servants had to sneak each piece to her. Kahmunrah had forbidden Netmeret from leaving the room, and since the royal guard is under his command, there is a double guard at the door.
Netmeret smeared the ashes on her own face, and when the knife came into her hand, she cut off the biggest part of her own hair. Ahkmenrah loved to play with her hair, but her hair would make a perfect offering to the gods.
No adornment covered her eyes, only the dust brought from the palace gardens smudged Netmeret’s face. The girl had spent most of her life adorned in jewelry, and now, with only the crown and little jewels she felt almost naked.
– Yes, Your Majesty. – The elderly servant replies, standing behind Netmeret. Her voice was filled with helplessness, but she knew full well that the young woman had no choice and had already made her decision. No maid or lady-in-waiting was strong enough to influence the kingdom’s grieving queen. The wiser ones understood the girl, and the younger ones accepted her decision.
Netmeret slips easily out of her sandals and sits down on the cushion that has been laid out for her. A smile plays on her lips, but her heart remains cold. Her smile vanishes the moment she takes the tea laced with nerve poison and the scorpion wrapped in cloth into her hands. Netmeret fears that not enough poison will reach his heart or she hurt themselves.
They have only one chance, when the palace priests are not nearby and the palace is focused on Kahmunrah’s coronation.
At first, Netmeret’s hand trembled, but thinking of Ahkmenrah’s face was enough to steady her hand. Her stomach rebelled, but Netmeret still drained the cup to the last drop and handed it to the maidservant standing beside her.
– Anubis will lead me back to your pharaoh. – he whispers, ready. It takes a few moments for the poison to seep into her body, but Netmeret spent those few moments reaching into the scorpion’s basket and letting the two beautiful creatures press the venom into her hand. The tingling is immediate, and the crown on the girl’s head presses harder and harder against her neck as she lets her head fall onto headrest.
Under the influence of the scorpion venom, her vision grows blurry, and the tingling, slowly turning into a burning sensation, was spreading throughout her entire body and becomes a burning sensation.
Netmeret did not fear death, for she believed in the justice of the gods, and in the fact that she would soon be reunited with her beloved husband and the rest of her family. With the little boy she had held in her arms for only a few hours and the little girl who had never been born. Osiris’s realm is far more peaceful than the one Kahmunrah will create.
As soon as Ahkmenrah’s mourning period ends, Kahmunrah is going to take control of the kingdom, and Netmeret becomes his property. To maintain control over the northern territories, the man repeatedly expressed his intention to uphold the dignity of that region by taking her as his wife. It was natural for Netmeret to follow etiquette, and the rules flowed through her veins, yet she had lived her entire life as Ahkmenrah’s wife ever since their engagement was arranged in childhood. Kahmunrah had already put her in uncomfortable situations back then, but Ahkmenrah and his parents were there to deflect the situation.
Blood quickly filled her mouth and dripped down her nose, soaking her skin, while for Netmeret the outside world began to fade away, her thoughts growing dim until she could focus only on the pounding of her heart. The neurotoxin put Netmeret’s chest under strain, and even her breathing began to hurt. Until her lungs collapsed. The lack of air quickly sent her into a state of unconsciousness, so she was not conscious in her final moments.
The girl couldn’t wipe away the blood smearing her mouth and nose; instead, the oldest servant did it—the elderly woman who had arrived at the palace alongside Netmeret when she was a child. She was the one who had been present during the girl’s failed pregnancies, and now she would be the one to deliver the news of her death. They had already planned the procedure in advance, including how to inform the soldiers of the news, once they were certain that Netmeret’s heart had stopped beating and her soul was already journeying alongside Anubis.
The women present stood motionless for minutes, watching their queen’s death throes as her body tried to cling to life, but none of them moved. The oldest woman, who had served the girl for years, exhaled the air she had been holding in with trembling lungs.
She was using her own garment to wipe the blood-stained tears from the girl’s eyes and cover her face with the white silk.
The seasoned woman’s hand trembled as she pressed it against Netmeret’s neck, to check the pulse, smearing the blood further across her throat.
She had to verify that not even the most powerful priest could bring the captive girl back to the living. Netmeret’s skin was still warm and soft to the touch, but the gray-haired woman could feel no heartbeat or breath.
In place of Queen Netmeret’s mother, the woman drew the call of the gods on the girl’s arm. The girl made her promise that she would not let Kahmunrah have the right to the last words in the absence of a family. In the absence of a family, Kahmunrah would have the right to the last words by law.
Netmeret chose death because she was unwilling to live her life in Kahmunrah’s cage. In that man who so casually brought the news that Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, Netmeret’s husband, had caught the plague spreading there during his southern tour. Energy just poured out of him, Netmeret saw no sign that he was mourning his younger brother. And with no restraint, the man blasphemed the gods as best he could. Rumors also spread through the palace that he had burned an opponent so that he would not reach the underworld. And this terrified her, enough that her fear of death became minimal.
Everyone in the palace knew of Kahmunrah’s tempestuous nature.
----------
Nissa’s eyes fluttered open, unfocused, and she groped desperately around her. The room was pitch-black, with no source of light. Her hands felt heavier than she was used to, and even her own ice-cold skin felt unfamiliar to Nissa.
Her brain was splitting; every thought and memory was splitting into two as Nissa tried to piece the picture together. It was complicated because all the information she had learned was at war with each other, and it was up to Nissa alone to decide which to believe. After the dream, even her own body felt weak. Her brain throbbed with a force that seemed to be tearing her skull apart.
Ahkmenrah had not offer anything; he simply stood by her side until Nissa’s anxiety finally settled down. It was unusual that he didn’t try to give her water or immediately suspect she was feeling ill. Akhmenrah simply began to calm her anxiety with his presence. In case of an emergency, Nissa always kept a small item on hand to help with low blood sugar or blood pressure.
– Give me your hand! – Ahkmenrah held out his hand toward Nissa. She hesitated slightly but, her breathing already shallow, extended her hand, the palm of which was already marked with countless red crescent-shaped nail marks.
Nissa’s eyes widened and she flinched as Akhmenrah finally took her hand and pulled her sweater up from her wrist. He was applying gentle pressure to her clenched fingers, easing the tension. Next, using the pad of his thumb, he applied a straight line of pressure from her wrist upward, all the way to the tips of her fingers a few times.
Nissa’s eyes gradually closed as the boy’s calmness rubbed off on her and the massage pushed back her fear caused by the uncertainty of the future.
– What are you doing?– Nissa asks, her voice a whisper, but she doesn’t open her eyes. If Akhmenrah were to look into her eyes, he would see just how well his method is working, and Nissa hasn’t yet learned how to show weakness in every situation.
– Some of our priests were able to help this way…– He recalls the ancient customs to the girl. A hint of a smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth, which added weight to his words.
After a lot of typing or writing, Nissa tried to relax her muscles with similar movements, but Ahkmenrah’s idea was much more effective.
Nissa’s eyebrows shot up and her lips trembled as her breathing calmed down.
– Every day?– Nissa’s question was much lighter, and her eyes widened with interest. She could have pulled her hand out of Ahkmenrah’s, because his grip was almost nonexistent.
A chuckle escaped the boy’s throat, but it was cut short. It was enough to look into his dark eyes to see that he was recalling something. The liveliness in his eyes dimmed slightly.
– My parents did everything they could to keep me from getting sick. – Ahkmenrah nods. For a moment, his necklace slipped from his shoulder, and Nissa noticed a skin rash resembling a purplish hive, a few centimeters in size; however, Nissa didn’t see that it bothered the boy in the least.
Ahkmenrah’s answer helped her understand why the boy had such a strong scent when he was near her.
– Have you been sick often?– Nissa asks, with genuine curiosity. Her mind has managed to shift into a state where, no matter what the boy says, she will remember it—and every one of his movements as well.
Few people can say that an Egyptian pharaoh helped them through a panic attack before it could fully take hold. The thought of leaving faded into the background of her mind. The girl hadn’t realized her question had had such a negative effect, but Ahkmenrah’s finger froze in midair, and his lips tightened.
– Mostly in the last period of time. – Ahkmenrah lets go of Nissa’s hand and stands up from the bench beside her. He nods toward the painting depicting World War II. It seems as though he surprised even himself by revealing this information, but he continued. – However, even their expertise didn’t help during the outbreak of the disease.– He reveals this, just as he has just revealed the cause of his death. The plaque placed next to the sarcophagus, where he often sat, is etched into Nissa’s mind.
“The researchers leading the Egyptian excavation spent years studying the final years of the fourth ruler of the United Kingdom of Egypt. The preserved body ruled out any external injury as the cause of death; however, the pharaoh was still in the prime of life at the moment of his death."
Nissa memorized the English text, having read it so many times and heard the families try to soften their children’s questions when they reached Ahkmenrah’s chamber. The children were known for their honesty and the painting displayed outside the chamber didn’t reveal much about the boy. Her throat began to burn, but without further hesitation and despite the tingling in her skin, Nissa simply squeezed Ahkmenrah’s hand.
– Can one get used to it? – Nissa asks. She didn’t elaborate. She wouldn’t have been able to explain it anyway.
– Completely? No. – Ahkmenrah replies, his eyes now scanning their surroundings. – You need water. – Ahkmenrah states a few seconds later.. Nissa’s stomach did a little flip, and she had to grip the hem of her shirt.
– I can drink as soon as I get back…– the girl mumbles, straightening her back. Nissa didn’t understand why she was mumbling, because she usually spoke quite clearly. The young man didn’t mind that Nissa didn’t start following him right away.
– And where will you collapse next? In the snow-covered park?– He asks back. And with that, he successfully made Nissa’s lips press into a thin line. The girl who had learned to do everything on her own had caught up to him.
Ahkmenrah’s gaze and attention roamed the corridors until they finally reached the section of the museum where water was provided for visitors. Nissa felt it was pointless to insist that she was fine. The simple explanation was that her body was poorly built, but Nissa wasn’t naive enough to think Ahkmenrah would accept that explanation. The boy was used to being in control, and the girl could try to leave, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to get the scene out of her head.
The yawn barely caught her as she took the plastic cup filled with water from Ahkmenrah’s hand, but instead of air, a burning sensation filled her mouth and throat. Her eyes became useless and heavy.
The museum setting vanished completely, and instead she stared into a wooden cup.
The sound disappeared from Nissa’s throat, and she couldn’t even move.
The girl had to walk through the entire museum because, of course, Ahmenrah wasn’t in the rooms she had expected. As she walked down a darker side corridor, she didn’t hear the footsteps in time. Her attention was only snapped back by the light of a powerful flashlight.
– Nissa?– A deep male voice calls out. The tone resembled that of Nissa’s childhood teacher, and as soon as the blinding light faded, Nissa could see Larry standing right in front of her. Over the past few days, the wrinkles on the man’s face had deepened.
Caught off guard, Nissa tried to smile, but the smile looked more like a grimace. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she exchanged glances with the middle-aged man. She knew full well that she hadn’t been given permission to stay inside.
She also knew she couldn’t offer an explanation for her actions, because she certainly wasn’t going to say she’d come because of Ahkmenrah. The tips of her ears flushed slightly at the realization that she’d been caught after all. Her teeth dug into her lips as she tried to avoid eye contact, lifting the fast-food bag and her backpack full of books.
– I promised. – She adds. She’d gone over it in her mind several times and played out the event in her imagination earlier.
Nissa had expected to be caught and had imagined and replayed several scenarios in her head as she traveled toward the museum. She hadn’t expected Larry to sigh and nod toward the staircase in her mind.
– In my office. He reveals to Nissa. He doesn’t seem particularly bothered by the younger college student’s presence in the current situation. Their past dramatic encounters don’t mean they’ve grown much closer, but they’re certainly no longer complete strangers to each other. Prompted by Larry, Nissa’s attention shifts to the staircase.
A quiet “thank you” escapes her throat, and she sets off to find Ahkmenrah. She didn’t want to cause trouble for Larry, nor did she want to appear like a foolish person clinging to Ahkmenrah. Nissa didn’t bother that the sound of her boots was drowned out by the shouting and commotion pouring out of the separate rooms. The girl bit her lip as she heard Ahkmenrah’s voice faintly later.
The door to the night watchman’s office was only slightly ajar, and there she hears Ahkmenrah muttering to himself. The crown was no longer on his head, so Nissa could get a better look at how thick and dark the young pharaoh’s hair was.
The pharaoh, who was currently reading and had surrounded himself with various books. Books lay scattered all around him.
Before she even realized it, Nissa raised her hand to knock, and only stepped inside after the pharaoh's eyes turned toward the door, closing the book he had been reading behind him. The air was knocked out of the girl’s lungs as their gazes met.
The girl expected Ahmenrah to place the crown back on his head or adjust his jewelry, but Ahmenrah only adjusted the jewelry he was already wearing. His hand did not move toward the double crown lying on the pillow beside him.
No sound escaped the boy’s lips, but as he looked up, his eyes gave him away.
– You’re late. – He remarks, setting his books down beside him. He barely touched the sweets and salty snacks he’d bought earlier. Nissa felt that perhaps it hadn’t been such a perfect idea to bring even more food.
She wasn’t one to waste food, but she hadn’t considered that the eating habits of the boy, resurrected by magic, might not resemble those of humans. After all, as far as she knew, one of the important steps in the Egyptian death ceremony was the removal of the internal organs.
At Ahkmenrah’s soft words, however, Nissa’s lips trembled slightly. She found the remark cute, though she might be slightly mistaken in thinking the boy had been waiting for her arrival. In a different situation, involving someone else, Nissa would view the situation much more positively, but it’s hard for her to apply that to herself.
– I’m sorry. – Nissa struggles to suppress the trembling of her lips and a giggle. Ahmenrah hadn’t done anything, nor had he injected a liter of coffee intravenously into her veins, but her fatigue was countered by excitement and energy that seemed to be winning out.
After taking two steps closer, it only then dawns on her that Ahmenrah has made room for her and is keeping his gaze fixed on her. She bites her lip as she takes a seat beside Ahmenrah.
The scene felt somewhat intimate. Only Ahkmenrah’s attire indicated that the distance between them was not merely a matter of a few tiny, easily bridged centimeters. The girl’s gaze swept over the towering stacks of books surrounding them. Nissa was afraid to move or pull her legs under her, because the slightest movement would be enough to send the books tumbling like dominoes and bury the ancient Egyptian pharaoh.
– It’s best eaten warm. – Mumbles Nissa, but her train of thoughts were interrupted when Ahmenrah looks up from the books and stops writing. Only his eyes peek out from behind the book for a moment. As the dark brown eyes first sweep across Nissa’s face, they also notice the bag in her hand.
The college girl exhales the breath that had somehow gotten stuck in her chest as she watched the serious expression relax even further and even spotted a cheeky smile on Ahkmenrah’s face. She watched with interest as Ahmenrah set down the history books.
She expected that she would simply wait until he was finished, but her expectations were dashed when Ahmenrah held out one of the wrapped sandwiches toward her.
At first, the girl tried to refuse it with her hands raised, but then Ahmenrah raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side, and she ended up accepting the wrapped sandwich.
Nissa ate with her hand covering her mouth, carefully hiding her own mouth. The difference in rank wasn’t among the reasons, it didn’t feel that awkward. Perhaps her upbringing, or perhaps some inner reason, prompted Nissa to pay closer attention to her eating.
– In my court, it was considered rude to eat the way you are doing now.– The young pharaoh remarked a few minutes later, his eyes fixed on Nissa’s hands, then looking back into her eyes. He spoke with a seriousness inappropriate to the subject, causing the girl to stop chewing. With a slight hesitation and a deep breath, the girl lowered her hand. Ahmenrah only turned back to his own food when Nissa’s arm was already resting completely in her lap.
Her gaze was drawn to how carefully Ahmenrah took a bite of his sandwich. He did all this elegantly. He didn’t eat with a fork and knife, yet Ahmenrah didn’t get a single drop of sauce on his lips or hands. In contrast, Nissa had to lick the sauce off her lips several times and wipe the sauce that had dripped onto her fingers.
Nissa’s appetite quickly faded into the background, replaced by curiosity. She wrapped up her half-eaten sandwich with minimal attention, her gaze drawn instead to the book Ahkmenrah was holding.
– Why are you reading Kafka? – The girl asks, having managed to make out the title of the book held upside down. Although the man and some of the writers who, like him, used profound language had been mentioned in her education, Nissa would have had a hard time naming even a single book. Only one or two passages come to mind.
– He has an interesting perspective.– The boy replies briefly. Then, moments later, he speaks again. – Doesn’t every writer write about the truth of the times? – The question shouldn’t even occur to the young boy. At first, Nissa didn’t really understand the question, but then she managed to figure it out.
– He wrote honestly. – Nissa agrees as soon as she finds the words. – Few writers use words to touch the souls of their readers.– She adds, agreeing with the boy. Her agreement was enough for Ahmenrah to start bombarding her with works by various writers. The girl felt uncomfortable that she could answer only a very few questions. Apparently, Ahmenrah wasn’t bothered by it. “Weren’t there any deep thinkers in ancient times?” The thought suddenly popped into Nissa’s head and then spilled out into the open air.
– People were free to speak and think, but without writing, none of the most beautiful words could reach anyone’s ears.– Ahkmenrah explains. He could see the question mark flash in Nissa’s eyes, so he added.
– Writing was a gift. – He reminds Nissa that ancient society, with few similarities, was much harsher and more rigid. Her teachers often reminded her and her classmates of this.
Her next question had been on the tip of her tongue for minutes, but as she looked around, she saw more than just a single volume. In the pile of books, she noticed a much more colorful, vividly illustrated work of entertainment literature.
– Why do you need children’s fantasy for this? – She asks finding the situation strange.. Nissa tried to keep her voice at its normal pitch. It was difficult for her to speak at a normal volume without lowering her voice. No matter how equal they were at the moment, one of them once had blood of gold flowing through their veins, while the other had to bite their lip at every family dinner.
– Larry bought those, but Nick hasn’t taken them with him yet. – He replies. There was nothing visible on the books; they showed no signs of having been read, yet they lay beside Ahmenrah, and Nissa had also noticed Ahmenrah’s hand often running over the tops of the books.
– These will surely be of great help as well.– Nissa adds. Then she suddenly began to think about the books. She kept her gaze fixed on Ahkmenrah and the books lying in his hands.
She assumed a more comfortable position.
– How fast do you read?– Nissa asks, noticing how intently the boy is reading. Ahkmenrah’s eyebrows arched in some places and remained lowered in others. Nissa’s gaze quickly shifted away from the boy and instead focused on the calendar stuck to the wall, as if it were far more interesting than Ahkmenrah’s expression.
– There were not many other options.– He tells her. Ahmenrah was lost in thought for a moment, but quickly continued. – At the university exhibitions, I only had access to essays and research papers.– Ahmenrah adds. Nissa couldn’t tell if the boy had deliberately revealed the information or if it had simply slipped out. Perhaps she even saw a hint of regret on his face.
Nissa couldn’t help but think about his situation. Waking up in strange places at night, in a foreign language. A chill ran through her and sent shivers down her spine. The college girl didn’t see it, but Ahmenrah stopped reading for a moment at her movements.
Thinking of the distant future, she considered it a bad idea from every angle to speak up, but the words were already in her throat. The similarity lay in the fact that Nissa, too, had often felt adrift in the world, with no gravity holding her where she was.
She could only deal with this later, resolving it through various activities and hobbies, with the help of her new acquaintances and friends.
– If you’d like… I can bring you a couple of more serious books.– The words slips out of Nissa’s mouth as she hands over the two books she promised. This pushes back the number of all-nighters she’ll have to pull by at least one more day. She shouldn’t be worrying about these things because of her exams, since one of them was of utmost importance for her future.
If she didn’t want to worry every single month about how she was going to make ends meet, then she needed these exams to be perfect as well.
– What?– Ahkmenrah’s full attention shifts toward Nissa. His face, without the crown and with a book in his hand, softened, yet he still maintained that straight posture Nissa often saw in movies or among modern royal families.
–Some fantasy. A few more famous and modern dramas. – Nissa replies. Her mind begins to fill with various book titles that might somehow help Ahkmenrah’s newly awakened desire to read. If Ahmenrah wants to understand the world, the books gathering dust in the basement aren’t the only ones that can help. The world changes for many people even within a single generation.
War can break out in a single day, and hatred between people can emerge as well.
Nissa herself remembers how many changes took place around her as a child and how they shaped her personality.
Ahmenrah studied the girl’s face intently, waiting for the moment when Nissa would change her mind, laugh, and shake her head. Even Nissa could feel the doubt weighing on her.
– I can bring a few tomorrow or the day after. – Her brain only kicked in a little later. – That is, if my college work doesn’t suck the life out of me. – She adds. Basically, there are no classes during exam season, but there’s a ton of studying Nissa has to get through.
– Thank you. – Ahmenrah replies, completely taking the other by surprise. People around her often use “thank you” as a filler word, but the boy’s words felt sincere. That’s why the girl’s breath caught and her lips trembled as she held back a silly smile. She should have slapped herself then and there.
– What made you suddenly start reading so much? –The girl asks, her body turns toward him. The question that’s been on her mind for a few hours now.
– I’m millennia behind.– Ahmenrah replies, unwittingly revealing the shadows in his eyes and tense in his smile. His answer, though it meant no harm, caused a knot to form in Nissa’s stomach. If the assassination attempt hadn’t happened, perhaps Egypt would have had a few more happy years. Looking out at the world through her own glass wall, Nissa felt a twinge of envy.
Her throat began to burn, and she could only nod at the depth of his words. Nissa didn’t realize her gaze had fixed on the boy’s face, and only caught herself moments later. Her anxiety crept up her spine unnoticed, and she looked down. Nissa’s mind didn’t register that she had already begun to crack her knuckles quite forcefully.
– It’s… It’s pretty late. I should go…– The girl stands up, not wanting to disturb Ahkmenrah with her heavy chest. She flinched slightly as Ahmenrah closes the book he’s holding and sets it down on the table. As a book lover, he closed and placed the book down a little too forcefully.
The girl’s anxiety stemmed from her helplessness, which the ice-cold air might help but does not cure. Nissa had already learned to live with it, and she didn’t want to burden him with the difficult information.
Nissa hadn’t expected Akhmenrah to stand up at the same time as her and take the following steps. At first, Nissa thought it was pure coincidence that he’d decided to take a break at the same time she had.
The question stuck in her throat as she saw that breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. Step by step, she just watched as the boy walked beside her, all the while hearing the ringing in her ears grow louder.
A sweat broke out on Nissa’s skin, caused by her racing heartbeat, and a single moment was enough for her to miss a step and have her ankle catch on the edge of the stair.
Her hand had already moved to grab the railing, but instead of the railing, she grabbed Ahkmenrah’s forearm to steady herself. The boy’s reflexes turned out to be faster, because before the girl could even realize she was falling, he held her back by clutching the fabric of her sweater against her back.
Nissa belonged to the group that hated their own weakness with all their hearts, and she lowered her gaze as she took the remaining steps, with Ahkmenrah’s hand on her back.
– Sorry… but I need a moment. – She mumbles, finding it hard to speak. She can’t even look Ahkmenrah in the eye. Her illness has returned to her bloodstream.
– Nissa.– The deep breath and the tone radiated a calm that Nissa’s body desperately needed. She let him lead her away without protest until they found a bench where she could sit down.
The college student gives the pharaoh a moment to think, but she’s already taken a few steps toward the exit; the guards, however, were slower. If she remembered correctly, the museum’s only drink and snack vending machine was located at the entrance. Eating and drinking were only allowed there due to the risk of vandalism.
– Jackals! Back to your posts!– Akhmenrah made his decision, and as soon as the two stone guard statues cleared the way, he followed the girl. Nissa could already feel the difference of just a few meters on her skin. It wasn’t as hot as it had been moments earlier near the ancient jewel. Because of the mumia, the museum administration cannot raise the room’s temperature, even if they wanted to present a simulation.
The boy’s face lit up like a flash of lightning as he fully noticed the illuminated food and drinks. Without the crown and the Egyptian jewelry and clothes, Akhmenrah felt more approachable, not like a figure who shouldn’t speak or breathe.
– This… What is it? – Ahkmenrah asked, pointing to several bags. Now it was Nissa’s turn to be patient and tell him everything she knew about the drinks he found interesting. In the end, Nissa bought Akhmenrah a handful of soft drinks and snacks.
Partly to cheer him up, and partly to thank him for his help. She should have mentioned that they should take one at a time, and there would be time for the rest later, but instead, they both walked toward Larry’s booth with their hands full.
Even Akhmenrah accepted that he couldn’t drink or eat it all at once by himself. So Larry’s little booth turned out to be the best solution.
Perhaps Akhmenrah could find everything there the following nights. They walked back to the Egyptian exhibition, carrying two snacks and a soft drink. Through the windows of the hallway and the staircase, dawn was already breaking.
In the past, the early morning light and the chirping of birds had filled the girl with a sense of freshness, but now it only meant wasted hours to Nissa. She didn’t want to stay until the moment that would transform Akhmenrah back into his original form.
– Do you want me to help you put on the bandages?– She asks anyway. Uncertainty tightened in Nissa’s throat, and her voice trembled at the end of the question. The boy was completely absorbed in enjoying and experiencing the processed foods of the modern world, so after only a few seconds of hesitation, he simply nodded.
The materials, bundled into bundles, lay piled on top of each other at the very bottom of the tomb. More precisely, most of them did; a few showed that Ahmenrah didn’t like to bother with them and had left them where he’d set them down. She lifts one, feeling the material was rougher than Nissa had imagined. The already hardened material felt like sandpaper against her soft palms in places.
– Just tie it up… – Ahkmenrah says after placing his crown inside the sarcophagus. An entire cushion had been prepared for the composite crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. Nissa suddenly shakes her head. She couldn’t even explain to herself why.
– I don’t know when I’ll have another chance to do this…– Nissa replies with a small smile, with an explanation that isn’t entirely true. She knew that the afterlife played a major role in their culture, which was why they preserved the bodies so meticulously. It was as if she’d seen a shadow flicker across those brown eyes.
– Do they teach you things like this in college?– Ahkmenrah asks, turning slightly away from her. A audible gasp echoes through the room. – Just do what I say. – The boy adds, then as Nissa was trying to help him to the best of her ability. She had to stop several times because the scrolls were all extremely dusty, and with every breath her lungs protested fiercely.
She was trying to follow Ahkmenrah’s instructions, but Nissa was sure that the experts would shake their heads, because the wrapping, though it only covered the pharaoh’s hands and upper body—looked easy, but it wasn’t. Even Ahkmenrah’s lips twitched for a moment, but he didn’t stop her; instead, he quietly stopped her hand and corrected her mistakes.
Nissa didn’t want to watch life leave Ahkmenrah’s body, yet she didn’t leave the room. Her eyes were fixed on the boy as Ahmenrah, clinging to the edges of the sarcophagus, climbed into the recess. The fabric completely covered his face and head; she couldn’t even see his eyes, which had held her gaze so firmly.
– Nissa. – Ahmenrah warns her.. His voice had grown quieter. For a moment, the girl, filled with curiosity, jerked her head away and turned, but her curiosity drew her back.Her breath caught in her throat and she choked on her own saliva as she watched Ahmenrah’s chest rise and fall before her eyes, then his body began to stop and slump.
Nissa couldn’t bear to watch the process as bile rose into her throat and began to burn. Even as she walked past the museum, her throat wouldn’t settle. Her guilt was overwhelming as she walked in the freezing cold. She knew that it didn't matter to the young pharaoh whether she stayed until the very end and waited for the stone block to be put back in place, or left the building sooner.
And the more sensible part of her knows that she shouldn't have even shown up, or even thought about the museum at all, because of a silly dream.
She found the morning hours much easier to handle while sitting in front of her laptop. It was as if her brain absorbed the information better that way. This didn’t necessarily mean she’d definitely remember the answers while hunched over her exam paper, but it could mean that, out of nowhere, a detail would pop into Nissa’s mind just as she was trying to focus on something else.
----
Hours later, the girl walked into the exam room with trembling hands. The trembling in her hands could have been caused by fatigue and her heavy coffee consumption. Her first glance at the questions eased her tension, but at the same time, she was overcome by the fear that all the information she had learned would slip from her mind by the time she got to the questions, so she started with the one that seemed the hardest.
Nissa did what she could. As she so often did, she put her notes away five minutes before the exam.
In many cases, one last read-through would only confuse her, which would be a disaster at a time like this.
As always, she worked through the problems in three parts, and perhaps looked up from her papers twice to glance around and give her fingers a little break so they wouldn’t cramp up. The girl waited until the others were finished, and only then handed her paper to the professor.
There was no point in sitting there any longer, all she even wanted to sleep. The shivering associated with lack of sleep had taken hold of the girl. It was no use pulling her coat and hat tighter around herself. It wasn’t the big-city cold that was causing this chill.
Nissa had only bought some baked goods on her way back. She hadn’t cooked or prepared anything else as she crossed the threshold of her room, in fact, she headed straight for the shower and then aimed for the bed as her next goal.
Already clean and trembling barely noticeably, she crawled under the thick blanket. Sleep fell upon Nissa almost immediately, unnoticed. Her sleep problems rarely occurred, and even her current nightmare was a rarity. Due to her exhaustion, she didn’t startle awake even once when others, her roommates moved, nor even when sounds broke in from the street. And even if she did wake up to her alarm, she turned it off while still half-asleep. Nissa needed this afternoon nap, and when she woke up and felt the layer of sweat on her skin and the dizziness, a drop of salt water quickly helped with the discomfort.
The girl thought long and hard about returning to the museum. She hadn’t received any comment from Larry, but she hadn’t specifically asked for or received permission either. The man hadn’t commented on his own, but the more sensible, problem-avoiding part of her won out. For years now, Nissa’s soul had been lacking the childlike naivety that would allow her to see the world clearly. The world is bound together by various power dynamics, yet instead of the necessary silk threads, these connections function as razor-sharp, taut cords. They could cut an ordinary person’s hand instantly, and perhaps they are already covered in the blood of thousands or millions of people.
Perhaps that is why the time spent with Ahkmenrah felt like a breath of fresh air. During those brief hours, though his superiority was evident, his humanity remained intact. Perhaps it was simply because he died too young and had no chance to be corrupted by power, or perhaps his soul was simply so pure that he would truly have been a good Egyptian pharaoh.
Nissa's earlier decision, however, changed on a sudden impulse. It was enough to look in the mirror while showering. For a single moment, it was as if Ahkmenrah’s spirit were hovering behind her. Nissa’s skin broke out in goosebumps at the thought, especially when she felt the warmth of palms on the middle of her back and her sides.
– Damn.– She let out a breath, turned off the water, and, wrapped in a towel, yanked fresh clothes out of the closet and then onto herself. As she went, she tossed her papers and phone into her bag. She could only hope her phone would last through the night.
She had always made it a rule to go everywhere with a fully charged phone, just in case of an emergency, this was the only exception.
The girl walked with her eyes fixed on the ground the whole time, and only lifted her head when she neared the fast-food restaurant she’d mentioned a few days earlier.
Ahkmenrah’s words flashed before her eyes, and after giving the idea some serious thought, she opened the heavy door, which signaled its opening with a bell. Nissa left the building with two separate bags and walked toward the museum’s rear entrance. At first, she was met by a closed door, but then, accompanied by a slight noise from inside, the door opened.
The college girl had to look closer and squint a little to notice the monkey perched on the windowsill, holding out its hand for a treat.
– Of course. – The girl replied, taking one of the bags of french fries out of her paper bag and handing it to the animal. In real life, she would never do anything like this, but a few nights earlier she had witnessed the lions ransacking a doughnut stand. Nissa had bought enough, so she knew she wouldn’t run out until she found Ahkmenrah in the building.
The food steaming in the bag was a kind of thank-you. Nissa can also assume that she didn’t really know anything about what part of the menu the thousands-of-years-old man, raised on gold bars, would prefer, so she brought plenty of options. Her credit card would probably scream if it could, but once in a while, it’s okay to invite thousand-year-old mummies to dinner.
And maybe after all this, Nissa could finally move on. She should focus on her studies and a more normal social life, not on this. Even looking back days later, she still doesn’t know what to call the incidents that happened at the museum.
Nissa let the sugar monkey jump onto her shoulder and accompany her all the way up to the upper floor. From there, however, she had to walk around the building alone. She had to bite her lip to keep from trying to speak up and calling the pharaoh. All eyes would immediately turn to her, but in Nissa’s case, that attention is what makes her shift from one foot to the other, her mind racing so fast that in the end she can’t even speak. She had enough of that to deal with at work or at the university.
– Ahkmenrah?– She calls out to the boy, leaving the Egyptian and ancient history sections behind her. She had unwittingly walked into the American president’s romantic evening. She jumped back behind the door just in time to avoid putting all three of them in an awkward situation.
It was just a simple, intimate conversation, yet Nissa felt like an outsider.
Sunset made the girl feel restless. Instead of joining her roommates on a spur-of-the-moment trip to the movie theater and fast-food restaurant, Nissa stayed behind. The silent, darkened room did nothing to help her relax. One half of her soul told her to stay and finish her task, while the other urged her to visit the museum and seek the meaning of her dreams.
Moon-shaped marks had already formed on her palms from her fingernails by the time the girl finally set off and closed the dormitory door behind her.
If nothing else, Ahkmenrah might help her understand why she remembers an Egyptian wall painting and certain images burned into her memory so vividly. It might be sentimental, but Nissa puts her trust in this dream.
She was still in the park when she noticed the cavemen playing in the snow and discovered the smallest monkey in the place. At the sight, the boot-clad feet quickened their pace until she finally opened the museum’s back entrance. It was just a hunch, but it was useful information to Nissa that Larry had forgotten to lock the door.
– Hello…– he walks up the stairs, but didn’t see anyone she knew. Crossing her arms, she dodged the Huns and walked on. Her first destination was the Egyptian section, but only the several-meter-tall guard statues were in the hall.
Both of them shifted and stood up straight as Nissa crossed the threshold, but they did nothing else. The meter-tall stone statues didn’t move even when the girl’s eyes were fixed on the gold jewelry displayed on the opposite wall.
She hadn’t given it a second thought before, but the piece of jewelry from her nightmare, which hadn’t been displayed properly, was gnawing at her. Her fingers turned white as she clutched the folder in her hand.
– I was hoping you’d come back. – The voice from behind her makes the girl jump out of her skin. Nissa leaped forward, her ankle boots slipping on the wet stone pavement. It was pure luck that she didn’t wipe the marble floor with her body and her five-year-old hand-me-down coat and managed to stay on her feet.
Nissa’s face was burning with shame and emberassment. . She didn’t turn around, just took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Her stomach churned as she turned back toward Ahkmenrah.
– Do you know where Larry is?– The girl asks hastily, avoiding his chocolate-brown gaze. The local library couldn’t help, but there are people at the museum who might be able to. She could count on the books and documents being in the museum’s basement or one of the offices.
She knows well that the young pharaoh could be a great help, but as a first step, she wanted to look through the books. Although Ahkmenrah knew a great deal, the era spanned several thousand years.
– He’s stepped out for a bit. – Ahmenrah replies. Both his voice and his expression betrayed curiosity and surprise. He couldn’t understand how the quiet, aloof girl from the night before had turned into someone shifting from one foot to the other and practically trembling with excitement.
The sparkle that had appeared in his eyes since Nissa's return faded in an instant as he noticed that Nissa was staring intently at the keys in his hand.
– Can you open a door for me?– Nissa asks suddenly. A voice in the back of his mind hopes that Ahmenrah won’t think Nissa is planning to steal or vandalize something. Hearing her own words, alarm bells went off even in her own head. The college student knows how dubious her words sounded.
Otherwise, Nissa would have said no to herself without hesitation, but Ahmenrah remained silent, only his eyebrows raised. Instead of saying no, Ahkmenrah simply turned toward the hallway, which the younger woman took as a positive sign.
– I still have a ton of documents to go through. College…– Her adrenaline starts to kick in when Ahkmenrah noded.
Without another word, Nissa was walking next to him. He was taking much longer strides, so she had to walk quickly to keep up with him as they headed toward the archives. As soon as Ahkmenrah opened the door the girl had chosen first, the musty air and dust practically hit them in the face. Nissa’s sneezing echoed off the walls several times before she managed to find a tissue. It also helped a lot that Ahmenrah stepped back from the door so they wouldn’t have to breathe in all the stale air.
The room wasn’t large, in a space of perhaps no more than ten square meters, there were seven cabinets, boxes full of documents, and an old computer pushed up against the wall along with a desk.
Nissa wanted to ignore the coughing caused by Ahkmenrah’s dust allergy. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it, so she waited for the pharaoh’s lungs to fill with fresh air and for him to calm down.
– Come on…– Nissa gathers her courage, propped open the door, and stepped into the room. First, she turned on the computer, and during the wait she started with the nearest bookshelf. Like her, Ahmenrah was amazed by the vast number of books, documents, and other objects.
– What are you looking for? – Ahmenrah voices his curiosity, brushing a few millimeters of dust off his hand. Nissa glanced back at him over her shoulder, then turned back so she could handle the delicate papers with the necessary care.
– The ancient section. - Nissa answers, but she can’t add much else without telling him her hipotesis. She had only one sheet of paper, containing everything she remembers and finds important. In the room, Nissa even tried to sketch and label the various hieroglyphs. Only after going through the umpteenth sheet of paper did the pharaoh speak; until then, he had been silent, fiddling with things.
The girl’s eyes suddenly darted to the pharaoh standing beside her, who began to leaf through the materials Nissa had already reviewed with intense focus, then started looking at the contents of another cabinet. His gaze burned into her skin in seconds.
Her lips tightened, and she felt a tightness in her chest and stomach as she looked at the World War II artifacts.
Because of her own family’s history, Nissa is particularly sensitive to that era. She has heard some pretty horrific stories, and the museum likely holds the stories of countless other families as well. And now, she notices Ahkmenrah is looking at a drawer where the museum’s management stores artifacts from the 1930s dictatorship. Little books, certificates of origin, flags and medals, and a few family photos that must have been donated to the museum.
– What’s this?– Ahkmenrah lifts the red-bound book that chronicled the events of that era. The girl’s breath catches in her lungs as her attention narrows.
– Don’t touch it, you might catch something.– The girl calls out quickly, turning around in the office chair. She tried to snatch the German book discussing the sick worldview from Ahkmenrah’s hand, but it was too far away, and only her fingertips touched it.
– What is this?– Ahkmenrah’s voice was filled with curiosity, his face showed none of the burden found in the eyes of anyone who knows history.
The girl couldn’t snatch the book from his hand in time, and Ahmenrah managed to read one or two sentence or two from it.
The girl considered whether to let him keep reading or to intervene, but the moment she saw that he had reached a more sensitive topic, she pulled the book from between his fingers.
Her skin prickles as Ahkmenrah’s gaze fixes on her. His chocolate-brown eyes are likely filled with questions, but Nissa isn’t a history teacher; she’d be unable to keep her composure and emotions in check just to answer them.
– What you’ve read…They shift the blame onto minorities and dehumanize them to make the punishment they deem appropriate seem acceptable to more people. – Nissa says, almost gritting her teeth, then notices that the pair of deep brown eyes are glued to the book again as she puts it back in its place. A moment later, she realized she’s left something out-the very thing that caught the boy’s eye.
– Yes, denying those people their humanity, calling them animals, cockroaches- that was considered normal. – Nissa slides the drawer shut next to Ahmenrah, hoping it stays closed for a long time. Countless books have been written that describe the events extremely well.
– I’ll lend you a few books; *Anne Frank* and *Fatelessness* are my favorites.– Nissa brings the conversation to an end as she sits back down at the computer. The teenage girl and Imre Kertész are better teachers than Nissa or many others could.
– I’ve never… you know. Have you ever been taken to Germany? – Nissa asks, but Nissa is horrified by herself and by the question, by how she phrased it. Her choice of words alone would rob the precocious boy of the fact that he once lived. She did not expected him to answer.
– I was with nobles in France, at universities, and from there they sent me to America.– Ahkmenrah explains, turning his attention back to other historical documents.
Given this information, it’s no wonder he missed out on a few major historical events. He may have studied English and various other languages, but if there were no books nearby in those subjects, he couldn’t have known.
Even now, there isn’t much on display regarding the subject, and aside from the similarities, there are many unimaginable parts there as well.
The girl continues searching, simultaneously on the museum’s computer and in the cabinets. It’s a multi-story museum, but there are only minimal materials. As the papers dwindled, Nissa’s stomach tightened more and more.
She hadn't noticed that Ahkmenrah had moved from the far corner of the room and was now behind her. Nissa could have blamed her own inattention. She had heard the footsteps, but her mind hadn't processed that information.
Her hand shot out to strike his, but Ahmenrah was faster. The girl raised her eyebrows and her lips trembled as she watched Ahmenrah read the figures and notes drawn on the sheet. Asking the boy for help had been her last resort.
– I saw these symbols in my dream, and I feel they’re important…– The girl explains, flustered, her voice faltering. She wasn’t used to being caught or to people paying so much attention to her that she had to explain herself.
The dark eyes were fixed only on the papers, which in Nissa’s eyes lasted an eternity, but according to the wall clock, only moments had passed.
The tense atmosphere was broken by Ahkmenrah’s trembling shoulders, and then a laugh rang out from him within the walls.
His fingers turned white as his hands gripped the edge of the table, and the trembling spread from his shoulders all the way down to his hands. Ahkmenrah’s head fell forward, his chin touching the jewelry that brushed against and covered his chest, and then, as Ahkmenrah noticed the girl’s startled face, he covered his mouth with his hand and quieted down.
It proved easier for the young pharaoh to let go of the past quarter-hour, but Nissa could not handle the situation with such composure. She was troubled by her dream and by how afraid the people-driven by their humanity must have been even back then.
Even during World War II, there were people like that; only the actions and the numbers were different. While in one instance college students stepped in front of tanks, in the other, death was inevitable. The only question was whether it would come for speaking out or for unpaid bills of the rich.
– Forgive me for saying this, but you wouldn’t have been a scribe in my kingdom. – Ahkmenrah says, gasping for air. His face flushes slightly. – If I help you, can you point out on the board what you were thinking? – Ahmenrah asks with an encouraging smile, but his eyes are still laughing at the girl.
Nissa nearly sank into her seat. If she could, she’d slap him on the shoulder, but his pharaonic stature creates a gap of several meters between them.
She let Ahkmenrah took a pencil from her bag and use the blank pages of her notebook to try to decipher the girl’s barely legible writing. Nissa’s eyes followed Ahkmenrah’s hand for a long time. An hour might have passed like this, with Nissa sitting and shifting on the creaking chair, watching Ahkmenrah work. His writing bore only a slight resemblance to the images usually shown on TV and the internet, but it was more realistic.
Ahmenrah had sketched out a simpler set of characters so that the college student could easily distinguish them. And whatever remains, the pharaoh will fill in.
– Let’s start at the beginning…– He slid the papers toward Nissa. His crown bumped against the computer, making it rattle, but neither of them paid it any mind. They began with the first symbol Nissa had sketched, then proceeded from there. Ahkmenrah leaned on the table and underlined the current section with his pencil.
– This… show me what it looked like…– Ahkmenrah asks her after the umpteenth time. She immediately scans the papers and points to the one that looks most like it.
– But the stem was completely bent down, and it had a little tail too…– Nissa adds, hesitantly at first, then more confidently at the end of the sentence. She watches as Ahkmenrah, based on what he’s seen and his knowledge, sketches an exact replica of the wall symbol the college student saw, placing it next to the others.
They had only managed to go through a handful of sections when Nissa rubbed her eyes for the hundredth time. The dimly lit room and the flickering monitor were straining her eyes, so they had to take a break. Nissa had completely forgotten about the eye drops in the dorm, so all that was left was an eye massage. After a while, without warning Ahkmenrah simply picked up the papers and stepped back.
– There are a couple of spots with better lighting…– Ahkmenrah says, nodding toward the door. Seeing Nissa’s hesitation, he doesn’t back down. – Come on!– He repeats once more. Nissa didn’t want to involve anyone else in the plan.
It already feels silly enough to spend so much time on a dream, but the boy was right, and she shouldn’t keep straining her eyes any longer. With a slight hesitation, Nissa shuts down the computer and follows Ahkmenrah.
Starting from the hallway, her gaze darts back and forth, but no one approaches them until they both return to Ahkmenrah’s chamber. At Ahkmenrah’s command, the two stone statues knelt down by the entrance, making sure no one came in. Ahmenrah had no reason to do this, but perhaps he had noticed Nissa’s unease.
The girl had to force herself to tear her gaze away from the wall.
Crouching against the opposite wall, they set about continuing their search. Ahmenrah was patient the whole time; not once did he grow weary of the long task. If the internet is to be believed, he’s missed a great number of symbol, but in his mind, those details are there as well.
They were making good progress when suddenly Ahkmenrah’s hand froze in midair, and then, beyond his hand, his entire body stiffened. Neither of them continued working. Nissa noticed his hand trembling, then, after taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak. It took several attempts before he could speak.
– It tells the story of the Kingdom’s fourth queen…– Ahkmenrah spoke after a few minutes. By then, the worst-case scenarios were flooding Nissa’s mind. – About how she arrived…– He mumbles, but the girl doesn’t understand much of what follows.
It’s likely that she unconsciously read or saw something related to the subject in her life, and the events of the previous evening brought the memory to the surface. The latter would be the logical explanation, but Nissa is talking to a resurrected Egyptian mummy who should have been dead for thousands of years.
Silence settled over the previous atmosphere, even as Larry’s shouting could be heard from a distant section of the museum.
– Was the necklace hers? – Nissa asks. Her mouth is drying up. The pharaoh could only nod. His cloak rustled softly on the ground as he stood up.
– They haven’t found her yet…– Ahmenrah adds, the way he say it is squeezing the girl’s heart even tighter. She hadn’t heard or read anything about another mummy being found either. Every single time, it’s huge news but now... nothing.
– How…– Nissa begins, but she has to wet her lips, take a sip from her water bottle, and rephrase the question. – The inscription what does it mean? – The girl has become curious, but she wants to show respect.
– She visited the capital from a distant province.– Ahkmenrah touches the necklace. Nissa wants to stand up, but she has to force herself to stay seated and just pay attention. Instead, she simply stretched her legs out in front of her and focused on the papers. Nissa didn’t expect him to continue, but he did. Unintentionally, an imagined scene fills her mind too.
– My father summoned the Council several times, and that day Netmeret also visited with her father and enjoyed my mother’s company, who later introduced us.– He reveals, catching Nissa’s attention. The girl, who herself had never really been involved in romantic relationships, listened with sparkling eyes, but raised her eyebrows when Ahmenrah didn’t continue.
She rarely felt the need to continue. – And? – She tried to coax him into continuing. At her question, a faint smile touched Ahkmenrah’s lips. Nissa’s face showed raw curiosity, and her heart was beating wildly.
She had always been fascinated by human stories, as evidenced by the pages stored on her phone. Nissa didn’t flinch even under Ahkmenrah’s gaze. Her underlying unease was overshadowed by strong curiosity.
– She was one of the women my parents had chosen for me, but instead of trying to draw attention to herself and keep it, she remained silent. Yet she looked me in the eye whenever something didn’t please her. – He finishes the topic, tapping Nissa on the head to signal the end of the story.
Perhaps a bit childish, but the child within Nissa’s soul had awakened; she didn’t even feel the gentle tap as a signal. A ticklish sensation filled the girl’s stomach, it wasn’t like nausea, but it wasn’t entirely pleasant either.
The tablet or the necklace deemed it important for the girl to see the dream. She just stares blankly for minutes, then, taking a deep breath, leans against the wall and stands up.
– Thanks for the help…– She changes the subject, watching as Ahkmenrah uses his own sarcophagus as a support. Thinking it over, he is the only one who can touch it without disrespect. Her phone already showed it was dawn, meaning Nissa Akhmenrah had taken up her entire evening. – Um… How about I treat you to a few things from the vending machine?– Nissa asks, simply stuffing the papers into her bag. They barely fit, but she couldn’t leave them here. Chaos is only allowed in her closet, where no one but her can see it.
Ten minutes later, Nissa had finished her phone call with Rebecca, and they were already waiting for her to arrive and for the last few people to show up. The list was almost complete, after which they could focus on tidying up, as much as could be done in half an hour. Even Nick is helping out by escorting the lost ones to their places. According to Larry, the boy had only been to the museum once, but he had already memorized quite thoroughly where everything was.
– Larry…– Nissa was the first to spot Rebecca at the main entrance and took the paper from Larry’s hand with a smile. The woman looks so lost too. She handles the commotion and the live museum exhibit much better than Nissa did hours ago.
– We’ve got it. Go. – The young girl nods toward Sacagawea and Rebecca, and Nissa steps up beside Ahkmenrah. A slight hesitation appears on the man’s face. Should he finish his work or deal with the woman who forced Nissa to resort to her poor acting skills and invite her into the museum?
– Dad, we can handle this.– Nick reassures his dad too. Only Ahkmenrah remains silent, and it’s clear he’s processing the scene in his head.
– Just a few minutes. – The man relents and jogs after Rebecca for a brief conversation. They stop quite a distance away, but the smiles on both their faces can only mean something positive.
– What’s he doing? – Ahkmenrah asks a little later when he sees that Larry has said goodbye to the dark-haired woman and was starting to walk back toward them, pointing at his watch.
The girl didn’t know if Ahkmenrah had deliberately timed the question for when Nick wasn’t around, or if it had just occurred to him.
– He probably asked for her number. Her phone number. – Nissa looks back down at the paper and scanned the checkmarks on it several times. Nissa, however, knew exactly what Larry wanted. So when the man reached them, she immediately handed him the papers and started toward the stairs, but stopped after a few steps.
– Ahkmenrah? – She looks back over her shoulder, but by then the Egyptian has already started moving, realizing he has to go too. A brief hesitation flashed across his face, but he didn’t object.
Nissa tried to brace herself for the sight, but she was still amazed at the size of the stone slab they’d tossed into the hallway, which now lay on top of the sarcophagus.
– It won’t be in the way if they can tip it against the wall.– Nissa thinks aloud as, with Ahkmenrah’s help, she steps over the torn-out iron gate and the concrete block without twisting her ankle. Chances are high, that if she’d done this alone, her foot would have gotten caught in the grate.
The two jackal statues were helpful. On the pharaoh’s orders, they placed the meter-tall stone statues in their spots, or at least propped the heavy pieces into place.
No sooner had they done so than Nick brought in the only missing necklace. Larry’s son still had more jewelry to put in place, so he simply handed it to Nissa while Ahkmenrah prepared to return to his sarcophagus. The linen strips were left at last.
The crown of Egypt had already been removed from Ahkmenrah’s head when he heard Nissa gasp from the other side of the room. She had barely touched the gold, which felt so warm to the touch, when it was as if she’d been struck by lightning.
Her fingertip had barely brushed the jewel, but her nerves were on fire. The jewel that Nick had so easily brought and the thieves had so easily lifted from its holder burned the girl, and raced through her nerves like a cold fire.
The girl could already imagine what it felt like when an electric current struck a person, so much so that she couldn’t even let go. Fortunately, she grabbed the object by the hem of her coat just as Ahkmenrah arrived and took the necklace.
– No one told me this was imbued with magic either.– The college girl mutters, examining her palm, but there was no sign of injury. And no new scars had formed alongside the old ones.
– I don’t remember, but she didn’t like strangers touching her things…– Ahkmenrah mutters, putting it back in its place. He stood sideways to Nissa, but she could still see him hesitating and clutching the necklace tightly, only letting go later.
– The museum has some materials suitable for your research. – Ahkmenrah notes casually as he finishes the final touches and was starting to wraps himself in linen. – Next time. – He adds, much more quietly, but Nissa hears him anyway. She couldn’t answer and hesitated a little. With Christmas approaching, her days and opportunities for free time had become limited.
– You can be sure of that. We could even go to that café. – The girl nods as she walks over to the sarcophagus. The sun’s rays were already streaming into the hallway, but Ahkmenrah was already lying in his place. She had placed the scrolls properly on him; judging solely by his motionless chest and slumped body, she concluded that Ahkmenrah had also… gone back to sleep. The boy tried to help.
Originally, she would have simply returned to the dorm, but as her eyes met the sight of the sarcophagus lid, Nissa couldn’t resist leaving something there. Something Ahkmenrah could see immediately upon waking, so he wouldn’t have to wait in a cramped, dark place without comfort for Larry to get the lid back.
Five minutes later, when Larry reached Ahkmenrah’s tomb during his inspection rounds, Nissa had long since left the building. A small object caught the man’s eye, hidden under the mummy’s arm. He pushed the metal plate back absentmindedly; his thoughts were already completely focused on his plans outside the museum.
And Nissa’s plan was to sleep. As soon as she walked into the room, she barely had time to greet the others before changing into something comfortable and collapsing into bed.
She didn’t even unpack anything from her bag. Without a second thought, she decided she wouldn’t do anything. She even scrapped her grocery shopping plans for the day.
Even if she slept off the headache she was feeling now, it wouldn’t put her in the right mood to face the snaking lines and the people fretting over the holidays.
The dream came to the girl in several episodes. No matter how many times she woke up and went to the bathroom, as soon as she closed her eyes, the dream didn’t stop. Nissa relived the events as the same person. Though the details often changed, the essence remained the same. She was also experiencing the feelings as if they were her own.
The sun was still high in the sky when Nissa, flushed and sweaty, kicked the blanket off. Her breathing was ragged, even though she hadn’t run a marathon; she had merely tried to sleep, but had only experienced a nightmare.
The events of the night had left a deeper impression on her than she had previously thought. She was unable to forget them. The pajamas clinging to her back did nothing to improve the situation.
Instead of fading completely, the dream lingered and was burning itself into the girl’s mind, who could only use her phone’s search function as a starting point for dream interpretation. The panic and rage from the chase burned into her body and seared her throat. Even the sight of the wine on her dresser automatically made her body retreat, as if to hide the wine from her line of sight. Nissa hadn’t even gone through her morning wake-up routine, she hadn’t even finished her coffee as she prepared her notes and her presentation on her e-reader.
Since her roommates still looked quite sleepy, Nissa sat down to study fifteen minutes later, accompanied by a pair of earbuds and a cup of hot tea. The room wasn’t anywhere near the museum, but Nissa was too sleepy to go anywhere or to put on outdoor clothes.
Nissa paid no attention to the rumbling in her stomach that began later on, until the rumbling was accompanied by dizziness. Her hunger was telling her it was time to have lunch or at least get some food into her stomach, because coffee and tea weren’t the best idea. Feeling sick isn’t pleasant, even when a person was on a diet.
She only had two pages left, but due to typos and mental wanderings, she had made almost no progress. Right in the middle of the legal speeches, completely unrelated thoughts kept creeping in, all of them related to dreams.
Nissa’s high-heeled boots echoed down the entire hallway as she kept up with the others. Theit task was to find the last of the three robbers. There were many buildings larger than the museum, but they hadn’t nearly run through the whole place here.
The thought crossed Nissa’s mind a few times that she could simply let the situation slip away and fall behind, but being left alone in an enchanted museum still hadn’t seemed like a good idea.
The snow was already a few centimeters deep when they stepped outside, also there was no trace of the car.
– How are we supposed to find an old man in one of the biggest city in earth in just a few hours? Please tell me you had some sort of GPS with that guy…– Nissa jumped down the last steps and turned toward Larry. She had just turned her back on the man when his thoughts appeared on the night watchman’s face, and then, driven by a sudden idea, his expression became more positive.
– Stay here, I’ll be right back…– He turns on his heel and hurries back into the building. His footsteps quickly fade away due to the distance and the increasingly heavy snowfall. Nissa looks at Ahmenrah with question marks in her eyes. It seems they’ll have to wait for Larry, whatever he’s planning to do, thats more than they can do.
The college girl was used to the snow, but the person with her, not so much. The temperature difference caused Nissa’s glasses to fog up, so she had to take them off and wipe the lenses. As she did so, she shifted from one foot to the other as everybody's impatience grew.
It wasn’t Nissa who was robbed, and her life won’t change with the arrival of the first ray of sunshine, but as the minutes tick by, she sinks deeper and deeper into the chaos. It’s not something that can be told or written down in a diary, but if the girl truly wants to live through various experiences, this is quite a high hurdle.
The girl’s words only reached Ahmenrah later, as he was lost in his thoughts. The boy had to shake his head to return to the present. His gaze swept over his surroundings, and he opened his mouth twice, but couldn’t respond.
Meanwhile, Larry appeared as well, accompanied by two new figures who clearly looked like the ones who got to live because of the golden tablet.
– I brought the best… She is Sacagawea. – Larry blurted out, interrupting the flow of the conversation. He let the woman step forward and only then joined them. Behind her, at a respectful distance, stood the wax figure of Roosevelt.
Nissa felt a slight tug on her coat as she watched Sacagawea begin to examine the tracks. Ahmenrah also looked at the boy. Nick’s hand on her coat indicated that it was no accident.
– Why is Mr. Roosevelt standing there?– The young boy whispers, keeping her gaze fixed on the man with the moustache, who has indeed barely moved in the shadows.
– I don’t know…– Nissa exhales, biting her lip. Ahmenrah speaks up at the same time, his gaze unwavering on the events.
– He’s gathering his courage. – Ahkmenrah reveals. It’s possible that Nick couldn’t make out both answers since they spoke at the same time, but Nissa could.
Without thinking, Nissa reached out to stop him, to ask what he meant by that, but her hand froze in midair and she nervously let it drop back to her side.
– He went south, but didn’t get far…– The woman revealed after a few minutes, having only to walk a few meters from the door to spot the abandoned black car. – Then he turned back…– Sacagawea turned back toward the museum. Despite the continuous snowfall, she could make out the footprints covered in snow.
The university student is slowly beginning to understand why Rebecca chose her for her final paper for the uni.. The thought “We’re idiots” hadn’t even formed in Nissa’s mind when the sound of hooves clattering came from the other exit a few meters away.
Her breath caught in her throat as her feet rooted to the ground and she watched the horse-drawn carriage plow through the snow. She automatically closed her eyes, afraid she might see something horrible.
Nissa had no problem with blood, but other gory sights were too much even for her. Only moments later, forcing herself, she opened her eyes, and an audible sigh escaped her lips as her heartbeat and breathing calmed down the moment when she saw the man moving beside Sacagawea, who, along with Larry, had been among the first to arrive.
The girl’s head drooped back, and for a moment, shutting out the outside world, she watched the snowflakes drifting down. Nissa didn’t even notice that she was trembling, just as she wasn’t aware of the hand on her upper arm.
She just did not realize how scared she got to meet death. She has no problem with death. Nissa knows it is a natural process and she need not fear it. There had been many times when her life had hung by a thread, but now a strange, bittersweet feeling of parting had taken hold of her. Like when, as a child, she had been certain she would die before she turned twenty-two.
The snowflakes had covered her glasses by the time the girl snapped back to reality, and though she didn’t kneel, she stood beside Nick and joined the others. The young girl wrapped her arms around herself, trying to retain her body heat.
– You have to do something! Dawn is approaching. – The man who’d been hit leaned on his elbow, addressing Larry. – And half the museum is outside! – Teodore adds hurriedly. Nissa’s phone was still somewhere in the museum, in Ahkmenrah’s hall, so she has to rely on the others. But she, too, could see that the animals had escaped, which made her uneasy.
– And to get my Tablet. – Ahmenrah adds, with anticipation.
While Larry was thinking, Nissa pulls the lighter from the depths of her pocket and hands it to Sacagawea. The woman tried to start a fire, but there’s nothing usable in this part of the concrete jungle. The tiny object could come in handy in many situations, whether it’s lighting a candle or occasionally putting together a wax figure.
– I have an idea…. – Larry straightens up and beckons the T-rex closer with his finger. – Rexie, come here. – The man then takes the former president’s hand. – Teddy, I need your horse…– He says, receiving only a twinkle in the eye and a nod of agreement.
The plan has already taken shape in his mind; all that’s left is to share it and carry it out.
-------------------------------------
Minutes later, Nissa was galloping through the middle of the city on a wild horse, just to surround the speeding stagecoach. They do this from three sides, and although it’s an unusual sight in New York to see a girl galloping through the streets on a horse, but its next to a moving T-rex skeleton, it’s nothing. If the local police get involved, Nissa can explain the horse more easily than the rest. The gut-wrenching anxiety hoped that Nissa wouldn’t have to think about that.
Adrenaline floods her bloodstream as she was trying to keep up the pace, not letting the anxiety take hold and pull her back into the shadow of her coat, her notes, and the fear that her personality is too much for people to handle. Now the most important thing was to keep alive. Despite the snowfall, everyone knew their role and carried it out. Her childhood riding lessons have helped Nissa stay on the horse’s back.
Looking ahead, she saw Octavius and Jedediah stumble into a snowdrift or a tree trunk, and she noticed that Rexie and Larry had also stopped for a moment. Because of it, Nissa had to cut in front of the horses to make them slow down, despite the danger.
Nissa’s job was to escort the post carriage from the side and not let it veer out of Larry’s path in any way. The difference in size and bloodline between the horses was clear, but the bay mare did everything she could to keep pace with the money-carrying horses.
With a slight delay, Nissa managed to bring them to keep in the planned road, and Larry could finish the lat part if the plan.
A smug grin tried to break through the corners of Nissa’s mouth as she got assigned to led the horses back, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Larry was also enjoying himself and relieved that all three old men had been caught and the Golden Tablet, along with the rest of the treasure, had been recovered.
– I’ve got the horses. – She calls out to Larry as she steps down to the ground. Every fiber of her body is trembling from the combined effects of adrenaline and the cold. The night was drawing to a close, but the sense of victory hadn’t faded.
Nissa’s hand was already in the wild horse’s mane when her gaze met someone else’s, and for the first time that day, a smile spread across her face, one what was revealing her teeth. It was rare for the negative voices in her mind to fade enough for her to do this, but after all that pursuit and magic, she’d be a fool not to feel victory and joy.
Instead of turning his head, Ahmenrah simply gestures with his eyes for Nissa to join them. The long-haired girl takes a few steps forward, holding the reins in hand, but stopped to see the events.. Larry had just handed the gray-haired old man over to the Huns right in front of her, so she had heard every word.
– Did you really give the Huns permission to do whatever they want with him? – Nissa asks Ahmenrah as he steps toward her, pulling one rein from her hands. She understood what had been said in front of her. Nissa had to remind herself that Ahmenrah’s rules didn’t quite align with the current legal system.
– They stole my tablet. He could have gotten worse. – The boy replied, pointing out the difference between them. Up until now, he hadn’t shown any signs of stress, but now it was clear how much he’d relaxed now that everything was in order. For the first time, Nissa saw that Ahkmenrah's mouth wasn’t just two tight lines, and the wrinkles on his forehead weren’t permanent.
Part of Nissa wanted to object, but instead she just laughed. As soon as she realized it, she quickly brought her hand to her mouth and turned to lead the horses back. At least that was her plan, before Ahmenrah silently brushed her hand away from her mouth and held it by her side for a moment.
– Don’t… – Ahkmenrah asks her, then turned toward Larry as he approached. Even though he had been dead for hundreds or thousands of years, his touch was still warm. Perhaps much warmer than average body temperature.
Nissa was the first to notice the discoloration in the sky, seeping through the buildings. She had to nudge Larry a little to get him to look up. If what they said was true, they were in big trouble...
– Oh boy… I really have to get you guys back to the museum. – The man takes a deep breath, his gaze darting between the herd of animals filling the entire park and the sunrise.
– How? – Nick asks the question everybody thought.. If there were only a few animals out there, they might have a chance, but everyone who could get out is out there. Nissa was about to move to try, but Larry spoke up just in time.
– Ahkmenrah, I need your help. – He takes the golden tablet out of his bag. – It’s yours. You know the instructions…– He adds, hopefully.
Nissa’s breath catches in her lungs. She watches as Ahmenrah takes the tablet in his hand and begins to speak. She has never heard the language before, but its rhythm and power simultaneously soothe her heart and stir a sense of jealousy, even though, inexplicably, she feels she understands what is being said.
He didn’t have much time to think about it, because he felt a slight nudge on his back, forcing him to step aside. The wild horse that she had been leading so far nudged her, asking for space. Nissa had to let go of the animal.
The horse named Tintin was followed by the post carriage, alongside the mammoth and other animals, forming a neat, uniform line.
– Nissa, can you call someone? – Larry calls out to the girl, putting his arm around Nick and patting Attila on the back in a gesture of thanks. The girl tilts her head to the side, her gaze drifting to the cell phone slipped into Larry’s pocket, but she nods. That’s all she can do before the sun rises and she goes home and forgets the day.
The answer both reassured and excited the middle-aged man, who turned toward the sidewalk leading to the museum with renewed energy. A few meters behind, everyone set off toward the museum.
Nissa hadn’t expected Ahmenrah to deliberately slow his pace so they’d be roughly on the same pace..
The girl felt she should start a conversation, but she didn’t know which question would be acceptable and which would reveal her total cluelessness, and this uncertainty made the whole situation even more uncomfortable.
– You probably didn’t expect your evening to turn out like this. –
– I’m glad you didn’t fall off Rexie! –
They both spoke at the same time, repeating the earlier moment, but this time they were both relieved and able to laugh or smile. Tears welled up in Nissa’s eyes from the laughter, the absurdity of the situation and the adrenaline rush she’d experienced made her forget that her smile was one of her weaknesses.
Ahmenrah even raised his hand to his chest, and seeing this, Nissa felt an itch in her palm to mimic the gesture, perhaps disguising it as adjusting her coat.
– If I know my whole worldview is going to shatter into pieces, then I might as well just stay in bed.– Nissa admits honestly as they were walking. She’s already come to terms with the fact that she won’t even be able to watch *Toy Story* normally anymore. In fact, there’s a good chance she’ll never be able to walk into a big museum again and simply enjoy the exhibits...
– I believe you. When I first woke up, I didn’t understand much about the world either. – Ahkmenrah shares, keeping his head and gaze steady. His words were light, yet they squeezed Nissa’s heart and made it impossible for her to speak. Ahkmenrah had already accepted his life, while Nissa was still struggling with her own.
How could she possibly respond to the pharaoh’s words?
She was so preoccupied with her own situation that she hadn’t even considered how terrifying it must be to suddenly wake up in a new world where everything is unknown, not even the language, and where only a single object represents a familiar home. Most people would go crazy or handle it poorly, and Nissa isn’t exactly one of the more exceptional ones.
They were a few meters from the museum’s main entrance when Ahmenrah suddenly stopped, bringing Nissa to a halt as well.
It took Nissa a few seconds to realize he was looking at the pastry shop and ice cream parlor next to the museum, specifically at the Christmas lights.
Nissa turned to face him and saw the curious sparkle in his eyes under the glow of the lights.
– That’s where I usually get my coffee. They stay open late because of the college students, if you’re interested. Since you haven’t been out yet, I recommend you try it out sometime in the early evening. I think Larry will chip in a few dollars. – Nissa passes on the additional information, her clear eyes following his gaze. She doesn’t remember when the Egyptian section of the museum was built, but perhaps it was around the time she started college.
She thought Ahkmenrah had left the building countless times, but judging by his reactions, she couldn’t be sure of that either.
– There really wasn’t much of a chance for that. – She turns back and walks the last few meters until they disappear behind the revolving door. One by one, the animals walk past Nissa, but after a few moments’ hesitation, she hurries inside. Her mind is filled with Ahkmenrah’s words and the promise she made to Larry.
Frightened, she takes a step back when she sees the moving, several-meter-tall guardians, but summoning her courage, she rushes into the chamber.
At the base of the protective railing surrounding the sarcophagus, she finds the debris-covered device, picks it up, and hurries out with it. Nissa didn’t have time to look for every little thing, she had her keys, her phone, and her documents, and that was what mattered.
He was already at the guards’ feet when a sudden feeling compelled him to look back. The spot where the queen’s jewelry had been was still empty.
The three old men had taken it too, but no one had put it back in its place yet.
Nissa’s drawings were crammed together, and if it weren’t for the metal clip and the notebook holding them in place, they would have been crumpled to pieces long ago. They certainly wouldn’t have been safe among all those books and notebooks. Especially since Nissa had barely stopped by her dorm room for a quick bite before heading straight to the biggest museum of the city.
The museum, which stayed open until evening, served as a place for her to prepare and catch up on notes she’d missed for her college classes, without her mumbling or movements disturbing anyone. After all, she often sat down by the wall of the Egyptian exhibition, which, if she was lucky, wouldn’t be visited during the later hours.
She gave the woman standing at the museum entrance a faint smile and hurried inside. She had already met her, Rebeca at the university, they knew each other from far.
Later, Nissa sat down at the base of the statue in the Egyptian grandhall and unpacks the materials she needs for studying. Her eyes had to adjust to the light surrounding the mummy’s sarcophagus, and then she could adjust her glasses and throw herself into studying for the exam period. She has barely any days left to learn all the material and assignments the professors have given the class, but she’s still better off than most.
The first few minutes passed peacefully. With the cold and Christmas approaching, people weren’t walking around much, so Nissa could hear her own thoughts. The only problem was the constant beeping and the bare presence of her phone, which often distracted her.
She was tempted to look at it, which led to her scrolling through social media for minutes on end and putting off her studying.
That’s how it ended up with the girl hiding her phone next to the sarcophagus. If she doesn’t see the device, she can study better, and this trick has worked in past semesters, so Nissa can only hope it holds up until the end of her studies.
– It’ll work…– Nissa mutters to herself as encouragement. She tucks her hair behind her ears so she can see her notes better then tied back the remaining. It often annoys her that her hair is always in the way, but she still can’t bring herself to cut it.
While studying, she glanced several times at the necklace next to the golden tablet, which theoretically belonged to the pharaoh's wife and had been found in the sarcophagus next to him.
Because her phone was on silent, it didn’t ring, so Nissa was unaware of how much time had slipped by. Because of the music in one ear she closed off fromthe events. The young girl practically rushed to pack up her books and notebooks as she noticed the changes in the lights.. The museum was undoubtedly closed by now, but since she had arrived with Rebecca before, she knew where the side exits were. The only problem left was how Nissa could get past the guards.
Even if she accidentally runs into the nightguard, it’s sure to turn into a police case. She can’t afford that—not for the sake of her studies, nor for her future. Fewer companies would hire her, and if she wanted to give her life meaning and try everything and gain experiences, her options must remain wide open.
She was still in the hallway of the ancient building when the sound of footsteps startled her. She managed to dash into the museum restroom just in time, where she could watch the events unfold from behind the door. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched, with wide-eyes, as three figures—three old men—simply smashed the nearest glass display case, snatched a gold chain from it, and walked past her holding a more distinctive gold tablet.
Nissa had seen the tablet many times in the Egyptian hall. Nissa remembers it clearly, as it often appeared in her drawings and she would sometimes touch it. Nissa had often imagined the people and historical events, the everyday lives and struggles of ordinary people in the past. She had to clench her lips to keep the emotion from leaving her body; fate had to choose this very day for museum artifacts to be stolen by pensioners. They were old, but did not move as old people.
If they find her, the girl hasn’t learned any self-defense, so she’s risking her life, not just a police report and a criminal record.
The young college student’s hand was already reaching for the cell phone in her back pocket, but frooze as the electric object wasn’t there. When she realized how late it was, she quickly gathered her papers and notes; she must have left her phone on the marble surface.
It wasn’t particularly cold inside the building, but Nissa’s body broke out in a cold sweat. As soon as the men disappeared down the hallway, she bit her tongue and opened the door just enough to squeeze through.
She moved cautiously, and perhaps that’s why her heart leapt in fright when a figure dressed as Roosevelt galloped toward her. The man on the red horse simply nodded at the girl standing there with her mouth open but didn't stop.
Her plan was to get out of there and call the police from outside.
Nissa was almost at her goal when the iron gate suddenly swung open, and falling almost giving her a heart attack. She was just a few steps away from being knocked over by it. The worst part is that the loud noise froze her in place, and she found it difficult to move, not even enough to run away or reach out.
Nissa had no chance of regaining her senses; three of them were already running out, stepping over or jumping over the debris.
– Thanks, guys! – The oldest man thanks somebody, turning back into the room, only then noticing the girl, pale as a sheet, who has already gone through countless “I’m pinching myself because I’m dreaming” and "I am going to die ,, moments. Since the man didn’t follow them, the little boy and the younger strangely dressed one also stopped.
– You’re not an exhibit…– The man with the light says in a suspicious tone. A range of emotions, from shame to embarrassment flashes through Nissa’s eyes, which her glasses can only soften but not diminish.
Just minutes earlier, Nissa would have been mortified, but now she’s still reeling from all the strange things that have happened. Before she can answer, a loudly chirping bird flies overhead, distracting her. Even with her limited knowledge of science, Nissa recognizes that the animal had gone extinct decades ago.
When Nissa turned back, two other pairs of eyes were already fixed on her, one of which made her bite her lip for a moment. The college student knows full well that she’s answering a rude question, but she does it anyway. Nothing makes sense in this museum anymore.
Snapping out of her stupor, Nissa raised her hand and pointed in that direction, where another, a more bigger bird walked out.
– Is… Is that bird a dodo? – She asks, raising her eyebrows. Nissa’s voice lifts. Her gaze was darting from person to person, but instead of getting an answer, the man simply waved and hurried back, turning on his heel.
– I’ll explain as we go! – The nameless says and hurries off and the other two does not fought about it.. The original plan was completely erased from Nissa’s mind as she followed them. She attributes her natural curiosity to the fact that she’s peeking into the ransacked Egypt hall.
Not even the best bodybuilders could toss that stone the way she saw them do, as if it weighed nothing and were fake.
Yet she’d already touched it before. She knew the stone was real to protect. Perhaps so people would show a little respect for the dead after all. After all, this is the country where there is no respect to the death. In most countries, the dead are treated with respect; here, most people would make a joke out of them.
The noise overwhelmed Nissa’s senses, so much so that she almost reached the point where her brain would completely shut out the sounds, and only the moving lips would remind her that she was supposed to be hearing them.
– I am Larry, and this is my son Nick.” – The man introduces himself later as they reached the upper floor, between breaths in their haste. – Pharaoh Ahmenrah. – He nods toward the costumed figure. The young girl’s eyebrows shoot up at this revelation.
– I am Anissa, but prefer Nissa. – She nods too.
– His golden tablet… it’s magical. It gives life. – The little boy whispers to Nissa, as if to explain the moving statues, which capture Nissa’s gaze until she looks away only after scanning them and looking down.
Her face grows paler as she sees the animals, the miniature figures, and the puppets… alive. Nissa’s mind was filled with questions, but she had no chance to ask them because of the group on the other side of the balcony.
– What is that?– Ahmenrah calls out, drawing attention to the group, who looked truly terrifying compared to the little puppets and moving statues. She takes a step or two back unnoticed by the others, causing the Egyptian to look at her. Nissa has never been good with names, not even common ones.
– He doesn’t seem very happy. – The girl remarks the well known and steps back more for safety. – Don’t you have some kind of ‘be happy’ spell– She whispers to Ahmenrah, her hands were clutching the strap of her bag, which she only lets go of when the other three started running and she rushed after them but not that fastly.
Her childhood taught her never to run into danger. Back then, one of those dangers was her irritable mother; now, it’s a couple of hairy ancient warriors. Or rather, a couple of Huns like the ones fighting down there.
Nissa’s mouth twists into a grimace as she listens to the shouting. Even with all those years of history lessons, she still couldn’t figure out why Larry was babbling with such confidence.
– Pardon me, Larry! I speak Hun.– The Egyptian steps forward, or rather, steps between the two quarreling parties.
– In which ancient Egypt time did you learn that language? – Nissa asks aloud. She was trying to get past the denial stage, to convince herself she hadn’t banged her head or breathed in too much museum air, which might be causing her to hallucinate.
– At New York University. – Ahkmenrah answered casually, but his attention was focused on making peace. Up until that point, he had been just a guy wearing an Egyptian crown and jewelry, but his face tensed and grew more serious as he translated the language between the two member. He no longer looked like the lost boy he had been when Nissa first saw him.
She had to force herself to look away and turn her attention to what was more important. In her confusion, she had to adjust her glasses.
Ahmenrah had translated only a few sentences during the two minutes Larry spoke with the Huns, but that was enough for Nissa to focus on him amid the distracting noise what had a chance to froze her hearing and brain.
As the Hun leader burst into tears, Ahmenrah’s gaze met hers for a moment. As confusion and her thoughts were written all over Nissa’s face, they made him smile too..
It was rare for anyone not to feel tense about him, but Nissa didn’t seem to mind at look.
– Is this always like this?– Nissa’s question seemingly helped remind Ahkmenrah of the magnitude of the problem.
– Not really.– He took a deep breath, but stepped forward as Larry tried to calm the crowd. A few moments later, Nissa took those same steps, but she stood strictly in the spot farthest from the Huns. A child and a half-armed boy couldn’t hurt her, but armed men one and a half times her size were a different story.
– Everybody! Listen! – Larry tried to get their attention, to no avail. Those below are caught up in the chaos. – Guys! Come on! – He tries to shout over the dozens of people. Even the Huns looked at each other, wondering how they could restore silence.
– Silence! – The deep voice burst forth from nowhere, its volume filling the entire building. Nissa nearly collided with Ahmenrah as she jumped, but at least Nissa couldn’t push him away, like a domino.
Her face flushed red, and she stepped away from him, apparently clenching her lips to keep from letting out a curse. Her body filled with tension, everything is a jumpscare for her. Following the others’ gaze, Nissa saw the motionless statue. Her fingers turned white from the pressure.
– My Damdam wants to talk.– The stone statue lowered its voice as everyone stopped and fell silent. A chill ran down Nissa’s spine at the thought that the tablet could even move a stone carving. She secretly hoped morning would come soon so she could sleep safely.
Larry looked gratefully to the side, then back down on the ones who just stopped and started paying attention.. The silence made Nissa feel a little uneasy, so she took a small step back, but instead Ahmenrah took advantage of the sudden opening, he kept it empty for her. While Larry was speaking, Ahkmenrah nodded toward the railing with his head, turning toward the girl, but Nissa chose to stay in the back.
She’d never been a fan of the spotlight so even now she was fine in the background. Nissa could still hear Larry even from a meter and a half away.
While the speech Nissa was trying to wrap her head about what she is seeing and about what to do. All she knew was that she’d gotten mixed up in this situation, and the three old men looked far more foolish—and perhaps even hostile. She had just seen Larry made one of the most fearsome leaders of ancient times, cry and the several-meter-tall carnivorous dinosaur had just laid its bone down in front of him.
– Nissa…– Larry calls out to the girl, who, though she had introduced herself only by her shortened name, after Larry, Ahmenrah repeated but used her full name. He didn’t even react to Nissa’s furrowed brow or her crossed arms. He didn’t even flinch when Nissa rewarded him with what she herself would describe as a piercing glare. The dark brown eyes stared at her questioningly, until finally, biting her tongue, Nissa took a big step forward until she was at level with Ahmenrah.
– Count me in…– Nissa breaths out, despite her reservations. The adrenaline rush as she utters these words sends a shiver down her spine and across her back, intensified by the museum’s chilly air. She almost jumped and had to remind herself not to overdo it, since that often backfires at her and embarrass herself.
Hello sweets. So nowi am writing a small fanfiction, for the winter holidays
It will be a suprise, hopefuly i can post it tonight. But as you started to realize, i am bad at naming the characters, so in this important question i want to ask for your ideas of names.
The character is the main female one, around 22-24 years old. (I don't know what to tell about the girl, to help you but keep the fanfiction biggest part in secret.) She reads a lot and tries to study a lot, but sometimes she have to study all in a week. She has weaknesses, like: talking to strangers, or loudness and other stimulus could overload her. Also, she has inheritage too from outside of US.
My maybe terrible names i got. Eliza, Kassandra, Sophia, Irini.
Please write names, here in the comment or to the messages. I will use an app to determine whitch name i will use.
Hello, i hope you are doing well. I finally had time to do this fanfiction. I tried to make it short, but the idea took me away from the usual shorter version.
Important notes: - The characters are aged up; No explicit 18+ content here; Reader (as team avatar requested) named Dylan.
Because i know that this fanfiction could be two perspective, i will try and post the other version, as i was not sure about many part of this request, but i hope it is good for you.
My requests are open but i do not do: Real person, oversexualized fanfiction, no many male version/ male reader
The music, even the songs that had been on Dylan's phone for almost years, had already been played several times. Before the sound of the train braking broke through the guitar and drums. Several members of Dylan's family were already waiting on the platform. The train had not yet come to a complete stop, but the girl's cousin had already jumped on board. Fortunately, there weren't many people on the train, so Paul's presence wasn't as big problem as it would be at another stop.
The sight of the eighteen-year-old boy stood in stark contrast to the travelers wrapped in clothes from head to toe. Dylan noticed the disapproving glances as Paul spun around in a thin, oily shirt and shorts, looking for her, and when he found her, he hurried toward her with springy steps. Although Dylan was only spending the summer with his father, he arrived with lots of bags and suitcases.
Even after five years, she still hadn't mastered the art of packing, even though clothes weren't really the majority of her belongings. The space in the bags were filled with shoes, books, and life-giving electronics, because although she loved spending time with her family and friends, solitude was also necessary for her sanity.
– I see you're dressed for the weather in Forks. – Paul greets her with a joyful laugh as he hugs the girl as she was trying to stand on her feet. The older Lahote's hand somehow manages to grab the handrail attached to the train seat in time to hold them steady when the train finally stops. He was right, Dylan had indeed put on the extra layers of clothing that always came in handy in humid Forks. Dylan learned her lesson.
– And I can see you're still haunted by viral pneumonia. – She was hinting at the boy's missing clothes as Paul finally let go of her. Instead of answering, Paul just ruffled her hair. Their lips didn't move, but their eyes and relaxed demeanor showed how close they were and how much they missed each other.
– Come on, Aunt Elise and Emily have been ready since this morning. – Paul picks up Dylan's suitcase and travel bag. Neither bag was light, but he didn't make a move to show that he found them heavy. Dylan followed her cousin, carrying only her laptop bag. Paul had been able to train much more during the summer, because he looked more muscular through Dylan's eyes.
On the platform, Dylan almost broke her laptop when her mom finally pulled her into her arms. Dylan was the spitting image of her mother, with minor differences from her white german father, what her grandmother repeated this during the car ride to the reservation.
During the summer they never lost touch or stopped communicating, with calls at least three times a week and even more frequent text messages. So Dylan never felt left out or like an outsider.
The calls sometimes came at inconvenient times, but they always tried to maintain the system. Dylan's close friends, her mother, and her family members always intended to keep in touch in some way while Dylan was in sunny Florida or at other parts of the world for the summer.
Although autumn had begun, and with it, the school on the reservation too. But Dylan only joined her very small high school class later in the fall due to various joint programs. Her school was very different from Forks High School, but Dylan didn't mind it much. It was much better that she knew her teachers, classmates, and fellow students, and the school programs were much more fun and the people were much more close-knit. Years earlier, Dylan's mother, Elise, had offered to enroll her in the city school, drive her there in the morning, and pick her up after school.
– Honey, can you take this to Emily? – Elise knocked on Dylan's door. She was carrying the largest yellow tray in the house, loaded with sliced fruit bread. Back in the spring, before Dylan boarded the train and plane, she had never had to make such trips.
The older woman was just a nice acquaintance, but in recent weeks, Dylan had had to walk along the shore or the edge of the forest several times to help her mother. This wouldn't be a problem if the girl weren't so terrified of wild boars, or more precisely, the kind of boars that attack humans.
She may have inherited her mother's brown eyes and Creole skin, but she also inherited her father's cowardice in certain situations, and this was one of them.
– I'll get dressed and go. – She replies, then points to her feet. She wore simple shorts and a T-shirt because, although the room was at a comfortable temperature and she wasn't cold, the warmth burning in her chest couldn't compete with the weather outside.
The girl had to force herself to stand up straight. She probably had overdone it in PE class a few days earlier because her muscles were stiff. As soon as Elise closed the door, Dylan restarted the podcast and started to get dressed. The focus was not on fashion, but on comfort.
Minutes later, Dylan, wearing a giant sweater she had received from Paul, was trying to avoid the wide puddles and muddy areas to protect her shoes.
Her hand was already on the door of the cabin of Emily when she heard laughter behind the house and recognized her cousin's voice too. After a few steps, the young girl noticed people running out of the woods, laughing joking and pushing each other in the mud. She recognized everyone, but... they had changed terribly. Dylan knew that Paul always hung out with Sam, but she also noticed a boy who was only a year older than her, and he had almost doubled in weight. It was already strange to see grown men hanging out with teenagers, but Dylan was even more shocked to see Jacob Black alongside Sam and Paul.
Dylan rarely saw Billy's son, and when she did, he was often with the police chief's daughter. This earned him a nickname among the older kids, and although Paul didn't hate him, he didn't like him either.
– Cookies!– Seth lifts his head and immediately starts running, but with two exceptions, almost everyone follows him. The force of momentum almost knocks the girl down as they start pushing each other inches away from her.
– Thanks, Sas...– Paul plants a smacking kiss on Dylan's cheek as he grabs several slices from the tray. The hands don't slow down for a moment, attacking the quickly mixed cake, but as soon as the terrace door opens, they calm down.
Emily's head appears from behind the door first.. The scarred woman looked puzzled at first, but as soon as she saw Dylan, she understood the situation and smiled and let out a chukle.
– She called me to send some help. Come in.– She invites Dylan into the house. The boys competing for food calmed down and behaved more politely towards the girl.
One of them even held the door open while Dylan balanced the tray into the room and set it down on the table.
It was still autumn, and the baby was due in the spring, but there were already several baby items taking up space in the room. Dylan had already learned from her mother that Sam and Emily had been trying for years to have a baby, but only recently had they succeeded.
– Elise deserves a big thank you. – Sam stepped through the doorway, drawing Dylan's attention. Ignoring everything else, the man walked quickly and purposefully towards his wife. The embrace and kiss that followed were enviable, leaving Emily no room to question how much Sam had missed her.
Even though Dylan considered herself too young for such gestures, a little longing crept into her heart.
– Mom loves to bake, but I'll pass the message. – The answer came out of Dylan's mouth at first thought. The answer sounded silly, but it only elicited a wave of smiles from the half-naked boys, who devoured the cake in a matter of minutes. Even Sam, who was known for his grumpiness and secrecy, smiled, his hand resting on Emily's growing belly.
Only one gaze lingered on Dylan's back, or rather, one that she noticed. The youngest Black boy didn't even acknowledge her greeting, but his eyes burned holes into Dylan's already sensitive skin. It shouldn't bother her, but she still found the situation unsettling. The feeling rarely came over Dylan, but its intensity frightened her, so she decided it would be best to leave the room.
– I still have a lot to learn... Paul will bring the tray back. – She excused herself as the warmth continued to grow in her chest. A lie. A huge lie. Dylan's schoolwork, notes, and homework lay ready on her desk, waiting for the next day when Dylan would pack them into her backpack.
– I have to stop by the convenience store, I'll give you a ride. – Paul also gets up from the table, offering her a ride, popping a piece of cake into his mouth. In his other hand, he's holding another slice, which he had to push Seth away from to get.
Then he walks beside Dylan toward the SUV. The man still has the food in his hand, mud stains on his clothes and hair.
The weather wasn't the worst, but the ride was still a nice gesture. Dylan will be in bed sooner, and maybe, if she's lucky, she'll find some fever reducers. Under normal circumstances, nothing would really bother her, but in the last few hours she's had to take several deep breaths to calm herself down. And irritability had always been a sign of his impending illness.
•••••••••
Days later, it didn't matter how many fever-reducing pills Dylan had taken. They didn't help at all. Since Emily's visit, Dylan hadn't left the house because of it.. She slept most of the day, and even when her mother was able to wake her up, Dylan didn't feel energetic enough to go to school and be mentally present in class. Although Elise had always considered education important, as university too, she knew that Dylan wasn't sleeping out of laziness. Since childhood, increased sleep had always been a sign of illness, with no exceptions.
As Elise's work allowed, she checked on her daughter several times, but when she couldn't, family members took on the role of watching over the young girl. Relatives who for some reason often brought large amounts of food to the family home, most of which Dylan was able to consume in an hour or two. Snow had already covered the landscape with a centimeter-thick blanket when Elise had to rush in to replace her colleague, so the elderly head of the family sometimes looked out on Dylan. The young girl would sometimes startle when the older woman opened the door.
Sometimes she would wake up at dusk to the deeper, but muffled, male voices coming from outside her room. Basically, the presence of guests often brought positive events, such as gossip, special snacks, and hospitality, but now there was no excitement in Dylan's heart. Rather, there was a need for them to leave.
Dylan's head was throbbing with pain, but she sat up to ask the visitors to turn down the volume. Just then, Sam walked into her room without knocking.
– Come on...– Sam called out to the sitting Dylan. His voice had changed almost completely, becoming more powerful, but at least he was wearing a jacket now. The superiority in his eyes and voice awakened something in Dylan.
Sam's irritability served as a catalyst, but for some unknown reason, Asha followed him. Before Dylan could put on her coat, Sam's hand grabbed the thick fabric.
– It's unnecessary. – Sam said, and he didn't let go until Dylan lowered her arm.
They walked all the way to the forest, to a clearing where another girl from the reservation was waiting. It only took five minutes to reach the trees, but Dylan's movements were hampered by muscle soreness. She didn't know what was happening.
– Pay attention to your breathing. – Leah advises, but Dylan didn't understand what that meant until Sam started to undress.
A shocked sound, perhaps a curse, escaped Dylan's throat, and she turned away with a dizzying acceleration, but she caught the moment just in time when Sam's bones snapped almost simultaneously, and in an instant, an animal larger than a Direwolf stood before Dylan. Dylan's trembling doubled with fear, but instead of simply waiting for the man she had known all her life to kill her, she began to run.
The trembling that affected her whole body and the overwhelming amount of stimulation were frightening for the girl. No matter how fast she ran, the wolf was always on her heels, and slowly the trembling became so intense that Dylan could no longer run. Her legs couldn't hold her up due to the unwanted movements, and she finally fell onto the snowy leaves.
Her vision suddenly sharpened, then plunged back into darkness as the pain reached her bones. Most of her mind faded away, leaving only two emotions: obedience and survival instinct. Far away, a fragment of a thought reached Dylan's narrowed consciousness, Leah's voice reminding her to breathe.
With the council's help, Dylan's perception clears up. She notices the growling, the difference in height, and then the torn clothes. Dylan is shocked when she realizes that no one else is growling but her, and that she cannot escape because her two hands and feet have turned into four dark gray legs.
She wanted to scream, but only a growl came out of her throat, and her attempt to run failed when she couldn't figure out how to walk on four legs. Her legs kept getting in the way.
– Listen to me. – Sam's voice spoke in her head, and the frightened girl quickly looked up, but the black animal's head did not move. Legends had always held deep meaning in the reservation and her family, but Dylan still found it difficult to accept the information.
Much later, after she had somehow learned to move like a wolf and transformed back, she got dressed and Sue made her hot chocolate in the dining room at the edge of the reservation.
•••
In the weeks that followed, Dylan learned more and more from the shape-shifters. It was progress that Dylan was kinda able to block the pack members from her thoughts, but she was still far from her goal.
Thanks to Sam being there as her mentor and leader, she could call him with any questions and go to his house to grow. Leah, who had never been in Dylan's company and group, also began to open up to her more and more. When Leah was in La Push and not with the Cullens in the mountains.
Officially, Dylan was not a member of the pack because Elise was able to fight for Dylan to continue her schooling, and she and her grandmother threatened Sam not to even think about letting Dylan get a tattoo. Elise doesn't know anything about the wolf thing. Under the terms of the agreement, Dylan spends her afternoons after school with the pack, studying, but during school hours she concentrates on her studies.
With school exams approaching, Dylan was under more stress than she would have liked. It didn't help that her emotions were heightened due to her shape-shifting nature and she had less time for her friends. She couldn't even remember the last time she had gone on a real, full-day outing with them and had a conversation that didn't take place during the break between schools.
Perhaps that was why a few simple, innocent comments made her stomach churn and sent a shiver down her spine. The fear of being caught was so strong that he ran into the forest, ignoring his class and his duties.
Within minutes, she was running as a wolf along the riverbank.
Over the weeks, Dylan had grown accustomed to the strange smells, even the cold bloody scent of the Cullen family, but the wind brought a new bloody irony scent to her nose. She stopped automatically and a growl escaped her throat. The hair on his back bristled.
Jacob hadn't told Sam that vampires were coming to the small town. That could only mean one thing.
Dylan alerted the pack in an instant, but instead of staying put, she went after the source of the smell. Her steps slowed as she reached the edge of the agreement line, but there she didn't know whether to follow the scent or not. Finally, the faces of her family and friends flashed through her mind, and although Dylan was uncertain at first, she soon began running at full speed through the trees again.
She ran until she was only a few meters away from a figure in a black cloak. The smell changed, as the pair of red eyes stared at her, the world turned upside down. In her mind, she heard the curses and shouts of the pack as her ears constantly moved toward the sounds, but her attention was focused in only one direction.
It was a vampire, and judging by his eyes, he killed humans. Bad guy, but Dylan's feet were rooted to the ground. If the boy wanted to, he could easily kill her. The angel-faced boy steps closer, but Dylan doesn't move. Instead, she just keeps eye contact.
Dylan wasn't as tall as any of the other members of the pack, and in fact, there were noticeable differences due to her age, but even so, she was at eye level with the boy. This was quickly interrupted by the arrival of the Cullens, who appeared next to Dylan. More precisely, the larger one, Edward and Bella.
Somehow, it was their proximity that Dylan couldn't stand, and a soft growl escaped from her, causing the vampires to step away from her. Her reaction must have surprised the vampire boy, because he turned his head toward her, a smirk settling on the corner of his mouth.
– Alec, I think you've checked everything you needed to. – Edward said. Although the Cullen family had been living peacefully among humans for decades, they still smelled awful compared to Alec. The only smell she could live on is his. He has a perfect name… Dylan had to remind herself that Edward could read her mind. Even the younger one, Reneesme had a stench.
– Caius won't be happy that you've got another one. – The young man remarked, his voice too condescending for Dylan's liking. She was only a few feet away from Alec, but that didn't bother her. She bared her teeth and let out a growl, and for a moment, a shiver ran down her spine, but she didn't change back.
The worst part of being a shapeshifter is that they become naked when they change, and Dylan is not going to appear naked in front of her angel-faced imprint and the Cullens. Who apparently know each other.
If she were in human form, she would surely tell the boy to get off his high horse, but she has no chance because the boy is already turning away.
– The Volturi don't give chances. – The boy adds before disappearing from view. Part of Dylan wants to follow her, but another part stands still in shock. The others mentioned that her sudden and youthful transformation might have something to do with the fact that dozens of vampires had been in the area recently because of the Volturi.
Ignoring the thoughts of her pack mates, Dylan turned back and transformed in the garden of their house, immediately throwing herself into her room.
It's not fair that she had to imprint on a bloodsucker, and the worst kind at that. While the wolf in her soul would follow him, her common sense tells her that a mistake has been made. She didn't believe in the reality of imprinting, but now that she had experienced it just minutes ago, despair settled in Dylan's heart. If Leah could continue to fight the situation, so could she... she had to. No matter how much her heart was drawn to the arrogant bloodsucker, it wouldn't work.
Even if the guy wanted it, even if there was no werewolf-vampire conflict, even if studying wasn't the most important thing for Dylan. As she was not a vampire loving pick me.
•••••
Days have passed since Dylan met her imprint. And since then she started getting dirty looks from her packmates, and since Paul refused to talk to her. Embry had to accompany her on patrols before the school before and after classes in the evenings.
Elise, although not fully aware of the seriousness of the situation, took her daughter out of school for a day and took a vacation so they could get away from the small-town atmosphere and visit a few universities that might appeal to the girl.
They were on their feet from morning till night, so it was no surprise that Elise fell asleep as soon as she lay down, but Dylan was not so lucky. The frequent night patrols had taken their toll, or maybe it was the wolf part of her but she was not that tired.
Dylan tiptoed across the floor, not wanting to wake her mother, and went into the other room to keep herself busy. As she crossed the threshold, the minty scent of rain filled the room, causing her heart to beat faster and her breath to catch in her throat.
Over the days, Dylan tried to get over the fact that there would be no one in her life who would be the center of her soul, and that she could live a full life without that person, without Alec. His presence would only make it more difficult.
On top of her suitcase was a beautifully addressed letter. The writing, as if from a historical era, was written in ink.
There were only two things written on the paper: first, an excerpt from one of Dylan's favorite poems, and... a riddle. The squiggly decorations around the edges of the paper revealed that the words were not written on ordinary printer paper.
Where the earth is the sky, the poor are rich, I can be you, and you can be me.
Dylan wanted to drop the note, but she couldn't. Only the city lights shone through the window when Dylan gave in to her conscience and put on her shoes.
She couldn't know if her mother would be safe or not, but according to the internet, the state museum was nearby, and it was the only place she could think of.
For a few minutes, Dylan just watched her mother, then slipped out of the room with her hotel card and documents. She had never had to walk out in her life, but she couldn't tell her mother that a vampire who drank human blood was following them, and Dylan was determined to find out why.
The noises of the city overwhelmed her senses, but Dylan just bit her lip and continued on her way until she found what she was looking for.
State Museum
The museum was about to close, but Dylan made it in time. With its enormous ceilings and historical images on the walls, it made him feel very small in the world. The Earh globe hanging above her head didn't help either.
Since her transformation, she hadn't thought about such things, as she was one of the few groups in the world who existed to fight vampires. But the emptiness in her chest affected her negative thoughts.
– This isn't how I imagined you. – The comment came from beside him. Moments earlier, Dylan had been alone, and now Alec Volturi was standing next to him, watching a piece of the current exhibition.
His eyes were simply brown, but Dylan knew that his human appearance was only due to his contact lenses. Even with brown eyes, he was strikingly angelic. His voice was free of the mockery of days past, but not of superiority. It was as if the feeling had been burned into his soul throughout his life, if vampires even had one.
The young mortal could have been offended, but instead she just rolled her eyes. He certainly stood out from the crowd of pale faces.
– If it helps, I didn't imagine the boy I imprint with to be like this either.– Dylan rolled her eyes and glanced at Alec from the corner of her eye. He doesn’t know about the imprinting, but he feel something. That’s enough.
– Who were you expecting? The guy with glasses who appears in a lot of your pictures in your room?– Alec asks, turning his head toward Dylan. Cold sweat runs down her skin as the thought occurs to her that the figure standing next to her hurt her neighbor and her father's family. – Don't overthink it. – Alec exhales, and starts walking, with Dylan walking beside him.
– Mostly a living person, anyway. – Dylan retorts as they continue walking through the museum floor. From corner to corner, fewer and fewer people appeared, until finally it was just them in the area of the museum that was clearly off-limits to visitors.
– We disagree. – Alec concludes as they approach a huge charcoal painting depicting a medieval village.
Dylan can't pay much attention to the painting, so she looks at the exhibition elsewhere. She is most interested in the human life stories told through the letters and literature that remain. Alec's closeness calms her soul so much that Dylan can concentrate on what is happening.
– As children, many of us envied your kind. – Dylan confessed to the boy. The thought slipped out of her mouth without any caution. The unusual information caused a sparkle to flash across the vampire's eyes, which, fortunately or not, Dylan noticed.
It was clear that only his learned discipline was keeping the boy from snorting.
– Don't act like this... People fear death and envy strength and security. It's natural for them to desire things that don't exist. – Dylan whispers. Before she encountered the supernatural, she thought the same way.
– Unnecessarily. – Alec mumbles to himself, his voice now clearer than ever.
– Why, what did you do as a child? What did you imagine you are? – Dylan asks. Despite it being spring, it was still cool. If it weren't for the increased heat, she would freeze in the middle of the museum. Dylan unwittingly hit rock bottom, because for a moment, silence fills the museum's giant hall.
Back then, similar thoughts never crossed my mind. " Alec reveals a little later, lowering his voice.
– Back then... In the Dark Ages? – Dylan tilts her head jokingly. The wolf doesn't know much about the boy. She hasn't really had a chance to ask any of her packmates, and she wasn't close enough to the Cullens to simply ask about Alec Volturi. Her lingering guilt didn't help either.
– Are you from the Middle Ages?– Dylan adds the question, stopping in his tracks, almost coughing. Dylan knew that his imprint was old, his age radiating from his marble-hard body, but not this old. Alec lived at the same time as his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.
– You could call it that. – The vampire continues down the exhibition hall. The chain and letter V around his neck sometimes glint in the artificial light.
Several thoughts run through Dylan's mind, several questions that the history lover in her desperately wants answers to. Events and people that are not mentioned or have been altered in history books and websites. His attention was not originally on the museum exhibits, but now even less so. – My twin sister and I were born in an English village. It wasn't glamorous, but it was ours. – Alec recounts, looking over his shoulder at the girl and accidentally making eye contact. His brown contact lenses had already started to change color, so the girl could already see the scarlet hue. His body tensed even more than before, so the question never came up. Dylan senses this, and instinctively feels the urge to cheer Alec up.
– I guess you had bigger problems. Before I turned into a giant fur ball... Most of my life was spent moving around. I've lived in more cities and countries than I can remember. And now I'm probably stuck in one place and will grow old here. – Dylan's mouth twitched, her feelings written all over her face.
– Your smell... is much more bearable.– The vampire spoke up a few minutes later, as they rounded the corner of the museum's largest section. – Part of me wants to know. Why? – Dylan doesn't know if he asked the question out of sheer necessity or not, but the young mortal decides not to respond. Dylan simply shrugs, the forward-thinking thoughts making her smile, or perhaps... Alec's strange compliment helped too. She takes it.
– Your smell isn't... that bad either.– A little effort keeps Dylan from giggling. Maybe the sparkle in her eyes gave her away, but if she's lucky, Alec didn't notice. From what she understood of Sam's explanation, imprinting played a big role in this.
In this thing that is perhaps even more absurd than the existence of vampires and shape-shifters, and which draws Dylan to Alec, making her open to him and prompting her to protect him. – Even your terrible castle smell isn't that nauseating. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let your companions run rampant. – Dylan warns, lowering her voice. Even if her packmates had completely changed their attitude toward her, and perhaps if she weren't Paul Lahote's cousin, she might have already been kicked out of the pack.
Who is it that imprints on a vampire, the worst kind?
Although they were completely alone in the building, Dylan didn't want to take any chances. She didn't know how Alec had gotten the place, which was clearly closed, but something deep inside Dylan whispered that she shouldn't try to figure it out, that it would be easier on her soul that way.
They were already on the museum steps when Dylan gave in to the childish urge to jump off the second-to-last step.
However, the wolf's senses were not as sharp as when she was in wolf form, so when Dylan reached the bottom, she slipped on the rug placed in front of the stairs.
Dylan automatically reached for the railing and grabbed it, but not in such a way that she could hold himself up until she regained her balance. The impact wouldn't have been the worst thing, just a little bruise, but the expected outcome didn't follow.
Alec Volturi was several steps ahead of Dylan, but when he needed to be there, he was there. He held Dylan by her upper arm, just long enough. At least, that's what she hoped.
– Thanks...– Dylan thanked him shyly, wiping her palm on her pants and turning her head away from the centuries-old boy. In look and age, they seemed close, Alec stuck in the body of an undead creature, and Dylan a teenager, but the world separated them.
Nevertheless, Alec Volturi's hand was not like the dead fish Dylan had expected from the Cullens and the other cold ones. Except for the lack of calluses and the coldness, his grip was just as strong as the living ones. It dawned on Dylan that the boy was careful not to crush her hand unintentionally. Dylan had already seen how the Cullens could uproot trees or destroy rocks without batting an eyelid, so she had a picture of the vampire immense strength.
The boy let go before the situation became uncomfortable, even though Dylan doubts deep down that she would ever feel uncomfortable about the old boy touching her.
– Doesn't being a wolf come with skill? – Alec asks teasingly, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He kept his gaze fixed on Dylan.
– If so, then I missed it. – Dylan says, the corners of her mouth twitching. Her stomach chose that moment to make itself heard, causing Dylan to laugh nervously and turn her head away, breaking eye contact.
– Um... If we meet again... I mean, without killing... You'll have to get used to it. – The wolf changer girl warns the vampire, the corners of her mouth turning up. She is curious about his reaction, but Alec's calmness surprises her.
– I am aware of how humans function. – Alec tells her like she said something mean. But.. No don't even think about seeing each other again. This gave Dylan false hope. Until the moment Alec suddenly froze and a growl escaped his throat. Dylan stepped back as thick smoke rose from the hands of the boy, who was not much taller than her.
– You have to go. – Alec spoke in a tone that brooked no argument. Not in the mocking, condescending tone he used when speaking to the Cullen family.
– Do you need help? – Dylan asks. She sniffs the air but smells nothing; more precisely, the noises and smells of the big city are too jumbled for her to know what to look for, but determination and an ancient need are burned into her cells. If necessary, she could transform herself through concentration.
– My sister is nearby. – A growl escapes Alec's throat. His answer does not reassure Dylan. – Go back to the hotel! – He repeats to Dylan. Her red eyes have already melted her contact lenses, but that's not important now Dylan has to warn herself to get rid of unnecessary thoughts about the boy and concentrate.
Before she could do so, however, the boy was already gone. His scent was completely lost in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Someone else, Sam, Paul, or Jacob, would be able to focus and follow him, but Dylan has only been a wolf for a short amount of time.
The girl finally leaves the building, but spends half an hour circling the museum before returning to the hotel. Her mother, unaware of anything, slept on, but Dylan couldn't follow her example.
The trip was only made possible because of Dylan's further education, and there is no chance that the older woman will stay longer, so the chance of Dylan meeting Alec was zero.
As the moon rose higher and higher, the thought and idea formed in Dylan's mind. Fortunately, the receptionist was able to give her a pen and paper.
••••
The next day, before the sun had completely set, a figure wrapped in a black cloak and hood appeared in the alley next to the city hotel. It was empty and dirty, with trash piled up against the walls. But that's not what caught his attention.
A cream-colored sweater, which smelled of Dylan, was tucked into one of the low windows. As the figure lifts the fabric, a piece of paper falls out. However, before it can hit the wet concrete,
Several figures were drawn on the edges of the paper, starting with a sketch of Alec. Two sentences were written in the middle of the page.
We'll meet in the land of a thousand lakes in the middle of the year. Bring your running shoes because you won't be able to sit still.
Dylan's handwriting brought a smile to Alec's lips. It seemed that the girl had no intention of breaking off contact, and this perhaps aroused a little curiosity in the vampire. He had never hesitated in his life, nor did he need to, because his decisions were always clear, but now he didn't know what to do and couldn't ask his sister either. That would be a death sentence
Aro would certainly welcome the girl with interest, and even if Dylan were able to take that step and rise above the Volturi and her own differences of opinion, the situation was too sensitive. But in the meantime, the next step begins with Dylan's weak recommendation. The country is huge, and even if Alec is not Demetri, who can easily track the girl, there is a good chance that she will leave similar signs behind.
