|| @hideousmentality ||
The air inside the temple isn’t as warm as it had been a few hours ago, and if the shadows moving across the wall were any indication, the sun must’ve had started setting already. Alo actually preferred working in the evening since it was much cooler, and he could usually get away with taking off his head scarf since there was no risk of burning. But it meant he had to work by firelight, and there had been times when Alo had accidentally recorded a carving the wrong way because of the flickering shadows, having to re-draw it when he revisited another day.
However there was always pros and cons working during either time, and more often then not—the sun rays of daylight won over the cool solitude of the evening. This means it’s time for Alo to start packing up—Korea even during this time period was a good seven hours ahead, which meant it’d already be pretty late when he jumped back. He didn’t have a watch with him so he couldn’t check the time; the jumping process fried anything electronic or battery operated, which was why he could only ever bring a pencil case and sketchbook with him. Watches, cameras, flashlights—phones, it all would’ve been useless as soon as he got there.
A familiar bookbag is slung over his shoulder and he quickly adjusts his head scarf so none of his hair, and as little of his pale skin as possible, is peeking out. He’d spent the day in the smaller chapel of Anubis, one of two chapels on the second level of the property that was dedicated to a God. He liked tackling all the smaller projects before he dedicated himself to something bigger, and the chapel to Hathor on the opposite side was much more significant. Stepping out of the small space, he glances over the reliefs and paintings on the walls one last time before he slowly slides out through the pillars towards the open terrace.
Usually the temple was completely empty now—people usually came with their offerings during the daytime when the light shone brightly in the chapel of Ra on the third level. But now it was quiet... or at least, it was supposed to be. Alo can hear some yelling and the sound of multiple sets of feet walking up the ramps, and he ducks behind the closest pillar, confused. It sounded like someone giving orders, but the voice was still too far away for him to translate clearly enough. Peeking around the stone, he spots a troupe of men and soldiers making their way up with two large wagons full of tools. Were those carving tools? Alo has to squint to see... dammit he didn’t have his glasses.
What were they doing? It couldn’t be restoration... this temple was only five years old. He keeps watching though, staying in the shadows cast by the sunset, he manages to follow the men as they all file towards the chapel dedicated to Hathor. The chapel was already complete (Alo had walked through here many times before), so his curiosity is piqued, and he has to summon every ounce of stealth he may or may not posses to creep his way closer. He can hear the sound of chisels working against stone, and the mutterings of men as they worked. He could hear the voice of an overseer… it sounded like they were describing what needed to be done. Listening closely, Alo is stunned when the phrases all come together.
They were building a tomb.
But that was impossible? There were no tombs in the temple of Hatshepsut other than the tomb of Senenmut.. and that had been discovered decades ago in a different spot. But… he listens again and it’s definitely the case. They were carving out the entrance to a tomb that must lead out from the temple of Hathor… a tomb that definitely was not publicly known. He’d walked through Hathor’s chapel even in modern times and there had been no tomb. His fingertips start to buzz with adrenaline as it starts to dawn on him, but it seems his luck had run out, and a sudden shout has him straightening up in alarm.
Shit—they’d seen him, and clearly he was not supposed to be there when two guards suddenly rush forward with their spears drawn. It takes Alo about two seconds to turn on his heel and make a break for it, quickly heading through the pillars to reach the open terrace. He can hear the guards shouting at him to stop running from behind but he wasn’t stupid. If any Egyptian saw him they’d think he was some sort of foreign alien. He looked nothing like them. So he keeps running, sliding around the last row of pillars when a third guard suddenly enters from his side. He yelps in surprise as the guard shoves his spear forward, dragging it across Alo’s side as he twists to get out of the way. A slice of pain shoots through his ribs but he knows he doesn’t have time to be shocked, finding footing again and running straight out across the terrace. He can see more guards coming up the ramp and he’s got no choice but to jump right away. He can’t stop.
Screwing his eyes shut he thinks of his apartment, and a pain shoots through him again that makes him wheeze out a groan. ‘Dojin’s gonna kill me when he sees this.’ He thinks. ‘How do I hide it? I bet I can’t. Fuck. I wonder if I should call him when I get back.’
He concentrates on the jump and he feels that familiar squeezing sensation all over, hands clenching into fists as he leaps forward.
‘Or maybe just go to his place? He might kill me.’
And when his foot lands on solid ground again it’s on a smoother surface than he was expecting, tumbling forward and rolling into something hard whilst bracing himself. It feels like a wall. Or maybe a cupboard? Was he in his kitchen? Alo groans out loudly, coughing through the cloud of dust and sand that had followed him. “Fuck my liiiife.”