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𝔸ℍ𝕄𝔸ℕ𝕀𝕊 let out a sharp breath—more a gasp than a sigh—as his eyes glazed over, golden irises flickering as a sudden vision gripped him.

In his mind's eye, he saw them—men in orange vests and dust-covered hard hats. Their boots crunched through centuries of forgotten sand and stone as their excavation equipment hummed around them. One of them shouted in awe, kneeling as he brushed away layers of earth to reveal something glinting under the desert sun.

A jewel.
The missing piece.
The heart meant to complete the sacred dagger.

Ahmanis' lips curled into a slow, small smile.

It was happening.

Before the warmth of triumph could settle in his chest, a voice pierced through the vision, tethering him back to the cold chamber.

Jenny.

He blinked, lifting his gaze to meet hers as she stepped closer, eyes sharp with knowledge, but cautious. She spoke in practiced, careful Ancient Egyptian, her accent clumsy, but her tone sincere.

"What you have seen... What you must know... I have studied the word of the Old Gods."

Ahmanis let out a low chuckle, amused by her effort. He tilted his head, voice shifting back to English, rich and full of bemusement.

"The old gods?"

Jenny looked startled by his shift in language. The smoothness of it caught her off guard—and Ahmanis saw it. He wore his smug smile like a crown. "Your language is... simple," he drawled, almost pitying. "What you truly wish to know is what lies beyond the veil of death. You seek to understand what I have seen."

Jenny held his gaze, then gave a firm nod. "Yes."

Ahmanis' eyes glittered with ancient amusement, his voice like velvet wrapping around a blade. "And you will," he promised, with unnerving calm, "when I kill you... and the man." Jenny's breath caught, but she said nothing. She turned, beginning to walk away—but his next words stopped her cold.

"They have found the stone."

The silence that followed was loud with tension. Jenny turned halfway, her brows creasing.

"You brought my beloved to me," he continued, the chains rattling slightly as he shifted against them. "What do you think they'll do with her now?" His voice dropped an octave—dangerous, raw. "And how many lives do you think I'll take... for her?"

Jenny's blood ran cold.

She turned fully now, heart racing as her eyes darted to the far wall.

There, in real time, a monitor displayed a security feed—construction workers gathered around a stone coffin, cameras capturing the moment they pried open the ancient seal. Within, resting atop a bed of linen and ash, shimmered a brilliant jewel the colour of blood and fire.

Her gaze snapped to the dagger on the scan table—its hilt empty, waiting.

Realization dawned like a storm on the horizon.

The stone had been found. The dagger would soon be whole. And Everlyn...

Jenny's throat tightened.

Ahmanis leaned forward just slightly, his voice a whisper carried on darkness.

"It has begun."

𓋹𓂀

Everlyn stood in Henry's office, her gaze fixed on the glass cabinet before her, where rows of ancient skulls sat like grim trophies—some human, some distinctly not. The quiet hum of the room was laced with an eerie energy, as if the air itself carried whispers of forgotten horrors.

"Welcome to a new world of gods and monsters, Ms. O'Conner."

Henry's voice cut through the silence, smooth yet heavy with weight. Everlyn turned, startled slightly, just as he extended a delicate glass of amber liquor toward her.

"Thanks," she murmured, accepting the drink. The burn of the liquid down her throat did little to steady her nerves.

Henry paced slowly beside the skull cabinet, hands behind his back. "Evil has many names," he began. "Take Set, for example—known to the ancient Egyptians as the god of death and chaos."

Everlyn nodded cautiously, the taste of the drink lingering. Henry continued, voice low, reverent.

"In the Older Testament... Satan. Lucifer."

Everlyn's voice was quiet but sure. "The Devil."

Henry smiled faintly. "Quite so."

She exhaled, trying to sound casual. "Yeah. Bad... badness. Got it."

He stopped pacing and turned toward her, his tone dropping to something darker. "Evil is the shadow that exists just beyond our world... always watching, always searching. Looking for a way in. For a way to become flesh and blood." He poured another drink with a quiet grunt, his hand visibly shaking as he gripped the bottle. Pain flickered across his face. Still, he didn't stop. "Either we wait for that day to come... or we fight it on our terms. Which brings me to you."

Everlyn's head snapped up. "Me?" she asked, her voice tightening. "What exactly are your plans, Henry?"

He moved toward her again, slowly, a new glass in hand.

"Ms. O'Conner... these things are complex."

She offered a dry laugh, eyes flicking toward the desk behind him. "Yeah, I'll bet."

He looked her dead in the eyes. "When one is dealing with the salvation of humanity, certain sacrifices... must be made." Her brow furrowed. "Sacrifices? What are you—?" Before she could finish, a man entered briskly through the door. "Sir," he said quickly. "They found it." Everlyn took a small step back, an icy chill crawling down her spine.

"Found what?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

But before Henry could respond, Jenny entered the room with Nick close behind, both moving fast, eyes wide with alarm.

"Henry!" Jenny snapped. "Are you planning on killing her?"

Nick's eyes narrowed, locking onto Henry. "Kill who?"

Everlyn spun toward him, a growing pit in her stomach. "Wait—kill? Kill who?" she demanded.

Henry turned slowly to Jenny. "Jennifer... Ms. O'Conner here essentially killed herself when she severed the barrier chain that kept Ahmanis's power imprisoned for five thousand years."

Everlyn's stomach dropped. Her breath caught.

"What?" she whispered.

Henry faced her now, his expression unreadable. "You died, Ms. O'Conner. You died once before. And frankly, you should have stayed dead."

Everlyn could barely process it before Jenny's voice rose in outrage.

"That's insane! You want to put the stone in the dagger and stab her with it?"

"No, no, no..." Everlyn murmured, her heart thundering as the pieces started falling into place. "You're not serious..." Panic rising, she turned, trying to make a break for it—to get back to Ahmanis—but the man who entered earlier moved fast, grabbing her tightly, locking her in place. She struggled, yelling.

"Let her go!" Nick roared, stepping forward, fists clenched.

Behind the desk, Henry's face contorted in pain as he leaned on it heavily. With a grunt, he slammed his fist down on the glass case, sending a shudder through the room.

"You know why I can't do that!" he barked.

Everlyn's face twisted in rage and desperation. She drew in a breath, sharp and defiant.

"AHMANIS!" she screamed with everything she had, voice echoing off the walls.

Everyone froze.

"AHMANIS!" she cried again, louder, more desperate.

The man holding her cursed under his breath and clamped a hand tightly over her mouth—but it was too late.

Far below the facility, locked behind layers of steel and spells, Ahmanis stiffened. His eyes, once dulled and heavy with sedation, snapped open. The cry rang through his mind like a thunderclap.

"Everlyn," he growled.

A strange, unnatural energy rippled through his body. The mercury containment system surrounding him vibrated violently. Pete, one of the attending workers nearby, staggered back, crying out as a strange, venomous spider bit deep into his neck—its red eyes glowing with unnatural intent.

The spider skittered away, vanishing into the shadows.

Ahmanis threw his head back and roared, the power bursting from his chest in a shockwave. Tubes and wires tore free from his body. Glass shattered. Alarms blared. The containment lights dimmed as the mercury boiled and the restraints exploded off his frame.

His eyes burned like golden fire as he glared upward—toward the place where her voice had come from.

"I'm coming, Everlyn."

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By: SilverMist707

I know it's a bit short but I hope it's okay. <3