CHAPTER ONE — THE DOMINO EFFECT

"The end of the world is upon us and it will happen if we don't figure out how to stop it." — sekhmet

CAIRO,
1923

IT HAD BEEN YEARS SINCE SEKHMET RETURNED TO EARTH AND SHE HAD LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF IT. At first the amount of change frightened her, she didn't understand what was going on. But once she had time to adjust, everything seemed to fascinate her instead. This world was different from what she was used to and that meant there was so much out there to explore and so many things to experience.

But it was difficult for a woman in her position, a woman with a secret so powerful it could change the world.

She wanted to travel, to see what her beloved kingdom had become over the past three thousand years and maybe even journey further to lands she had never even set foot on before. But she couldn't. Before the Medjai found her, she was struggling to blend into an unfamiliar world and Sekhmet knew that if they hadn't respectfully taken her in when they did, someone else would have and they wouldn't have been so nice about it.

The Medjai were her guardians and friends, they made sure the Goddess stayed hidden amongst modern day society. Dr Terrence Bey was the man assigned to look out for Sekhmet and he was doing a great job at it. She liked him: he was kind, smart, a warrior and he always treated the Lioness as if she were his equal.

They were both currently sat in his office, sipping the steaming tea from their pristine porcelain cups. It was a ritual of theirs; at the same time each day they would sit down, have a cup of tea and talk about their day so far. Sekhmet liked talking to the Curator; he always let her in on what was happening amongst the Medjai as well the Museum circles he was a part of. He was also the person she could go to whenever she needed help, which was a rare occurrence.

The china clinked as the cups were replaced onto their saucers, the brown surface of the scalding liquid rippling before coming to a standstill. Small wisps of steam floated up from the rim before dissipating into the air and leaving the surroundings warm with a faint scent of their aromatic tea. Across from the goddess, Dr Bey carefully slid his bookmark into the pages and then placed the leather bound text down next to his beverage. He clasped his hands together and straightened his back, ready for the conversation they were about to have. The two had known each other for years now, so Terrence could tell whenever something was wrong. Like now.

Sekhmet fidgeted slightly under his concerned gaze, her eyes not meeting his for the floor seemed more interesting at the moment. Tap. Tap. Tap. Rhythmically went her sharp, cat-like fingernails on the arm of her chair in an attempt to distract her from what she knew was coming. It did not work.

"Sekhmet." Dr Bey started and at her name the lioness looked up to face him. Whenever they were alone, he would call her by her real name and not the fake one she had taken on. She liked that, it helped her to keep a grip on who she truly was — a Goddess of Ancient Egypt. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She replied, but he knew it wasn't the truth so he raised his eyebrow at her dubiously. Sighing, Sekhmet reached for the golden bangle hanging from her wrist, nervously shifting it up and down her arm. "I had a dream." Dr Bey still did not look convinced. "A nightmare." Corrected the Lioness.

Terrence unfolded his hands and slowly reached out to place one over Sekhmet's— an attempt to comfort her. The dreams of the Goddess were often infected with darkness and pain and he knew how much that affected her and how much she hated it. She had been meaning to talk to Tutu (the God of Sleep) for a while now about her nightmares, but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. In her time she had witnessed and waged wars, seen blood being sacrificed in her name and watched as the world turned to ruin before being built up again. The point was, she had seen a lot and because of that, her hours of rest were contaminated by terror.

But for once, it wasn't like that.

Sekhmet quickly tucked a piece of raven hair behind her ear and then gulped nervously. "I saw the end."

At the Lioness's words, the curator's eyes widened, his hand recoiling from hers as if he had been burnt. Typically, Goddesses such as Sekhmet didn't receive premonitions because they tended to inject themselves into the minds of the Gods and Goddesses who ruled the realms that housed sleep and fate. So, if Sekhmet received a vision of the future, then it must've been a powerful one. And that frightened him.

"What—What did you see?" He questioned, his voice stuttering fearfully.

Sekhmet closed her eyes and fought back the tears as flashes of her haunting vision returned in small, crashing waves. She had witnessed a lot in her long existence, but nothing compared to what she just saw and the feeling she got everytime the image appeared in her mind. It made her nauseous.

Taking a deep breath and ignoring the chill that rushed up her spine, Sekhmet then gulped again and prepared herself for what she was about to admit. Her sharp, almost cat-like, nails imbedded themselves into the fabric of the chair as if she were afraid. In her eyes was hidden fear, her terror suppressed to avoid unnecessary panic. But there was no avoiding it now.

"Death." Redirected to the floor, her gaze left the sight of her friend and guardian. "Endless Death."

"What?"

She clarified. "An apocalypse."

It took him a moment or two for her words to fully settle in and she couldn't blame him. What she was saying, correction: predicting, was the end of the world. It was something no one should take lightly.

"How?"

Sekhmet shook her head dolefully. "I don't know." She could see the images as clear as day, they continued to resurface in her mind, pushing themselves to the surface. "I just see the end result. Countless dead. A world running red. Smoke sailing up into Nut's territory." The Goddess felt a wetness on her cheek and then realised a single tear had fallen from her eye.

She raised her finger to wipe it away.

There was one more image that haunted her mind. One more horror she had yet to speak of. It was hard to let the words fall from her tongue, as if they were frozen on the spot in fear. The Goddess sighed nervously and then spoke. "There were two in the centre of it all, standing on top of the chaos and destruction. I couldn't tell who they were, but I could feel their power, their darkness."

Looking up, she was met with panic and terror Terrence had tried and failed to hide behind his eyes.

"The end of the world is upon us," Sekhmet continued, her gaze glued to her friend. "and it will happen if we don't figure out how to stop it."

They were some heavy and burdened words indeed. How was one meant to react to the news that the world as they knew it may be coming to an end? And that they were possibly a few of the only people who could stop it? Sekhmet wasn't sure how Terrence would respond to the news, but denial was certainly not what she had in mind.

She watched, rather offended, as he plastered a thick fake smile on his lips, the corners quivering ever so slightly. "I'm sure everything is fine, it was just a dream."

Just a dream?

Clearly Dr Bey had no idea of the scale of what she had seen, the terror it struck in her. Prophetic visions were not her area so receiving them must be of some importance. The fake comfort he was trying to give her was obviously an attempt to reassure himself that everything was going to be alright. Sekhmet couldn't blame him for that. If she was in his shoes, she was sure she would be doing something similar. Still the Goddess remained on edge.

But before Sekhmet could challenge her friend, a loud sound echoed down the hall.

THUMP!

Sekhmet and Terrence's eyes whipped around in the direction of the noise. Their whole bodies visibly jumped as they were startled by the unexpected sound that reverberated through the museum.

THUMP!

Jumping to her feet, the Goddess hurried to the door with Dr Bey at her heels. Their tea was quickly forgotten as they hurried towards the commotion. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. 

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

It was coming from the library. Sekhmet's eyes widened with concern as she realised who was in the library at that very moment: Evy. Evy had the sweetest soul of anyone she had met since her return, but the young woman did have a habit of causing accidents despite being one of the smartest people she had ever met. Evelyn Carnahan was her friend. So she wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her. Because what was the point of being a Goddess if you can't protect those you care about?

They were both sprinting at this point as the thumps continued to accelerate. Sekhmet's immortal heart leapt into her throat as she thought of the safety of her young friend. She prayed to her fellow Gods that Evelyn was alright. It seemed Dr Bey shared her concern as he hurried alongside his Godly friend. Sekhmet had no doubt that the aftermath of what they were listening to was going to be immense, but that wasn't what she was worried about. 

It wasn't long before they approached the large library doors just as the loud, echoing bangs ceased. She held her breath and tried to prepare herself for what they were going to find behind the oak door. But nothing could prepare the Goddess for the catastrophic mess she was greeted with as she pushed open the doors.

She had seen bloodshed, wars, sacrifices, but never a collection of knowledge in such disarray. The bookcases laid on top of each other in their circle, having fallen like dominoes in one disastrous swoop. Books were scattered every which way as they were cast from the toppling shelves. No words escaped the Goddess as her eyes took in the chaos around her. It certainly was a sight.

Beside her, Dr Bey stared at the mess, utterly flabbergasted at what he was seeing.  His poor library in shambles. They both stumbled over piles of books, scrolls and papers to try and head to where Evelyn Carnahan was standing, completely unharmed. Oh thank the Gods for that. "What... How..." Came in incomplete whispers as Terrence took in the state his library was in. At the sound of his familiar voice, Evy quickly turned around to face him, hand clamped over her mouth in shock. Anger, confusion and shock contorted on the curator's face so the Goddess hid her surprise and instead tried to send her friend the comforting glance she knew she would need. "Oh, look at this! Sons of the Pharaohs! Give me frogs! Flies! Locusts! Anything but you! Compared to you, the other plagues were a joy!"

The Goddess shot the curator a disapproving look at his words. Sure it was a mess, but it wasn't like Evelyn intended for it to happen. And she was their friend.

"I—I am so very sorry." Evy quickly tried to apologise. Slowly the Goddess walked over to stand at her friend's side as Terrence came at a stop in front of the young woman who was still bewildered as to what had just happened. "It was an accident."

"Darling girl, when Rameses destroyed Syria that was an accident." Yelled Dr Bey, caught in a fury. Sensing Evy's discomfort, Sekhmet — or as Evelyn knew her: Cleo — reached out for the human girl's hand and squeezed it gently. "You are a catastrophe! Look at my library! Why do I put up with you?!"

There was a small quiver in Evelyn's voice but she stood her ground nonetheless. "W—Well, you—you put up with me because, um, because I can—I can read and write Ancient Egyptian." Which was very impressive in this time, as Sekhmet had discovered. "And I can—I can decipher hieroglyphics and hieratic." A proud smile appeared on the lioness' face as her friend gathered her confidence. Evy Carnahan really was one talented young woman. "an—and well, I am the only person within a thousand miles who knows how to properly code and catalogue this library. That's why." 

Cleo Ayad knew a thing or two about hieroglyphics and Ancient Egyptian, but even she couldn't organise the vast library Evy had under her care. Sure, the library was now a devasting mess, an accident caused by her, but this was her library. So at least she knew how to fix her mess. Evy tried to show her once, how she organised her library, but it didn't end well for either of them. Then they both decided that Cleo's abilities were best utilised elsewhere. After all, she was more of a warrior than an academic.

Dr Bey just shook his head with a heavy sigh. "I put up with you because your mother and father were our finest patrons, that's why! Allah rest their souls." At the mention of her late parents, the Carnahan girl's face fell. 

Cleo hadn't been around when Evy's parents were still alive so she never got to meet them, but from what both the Carnahans and Dr Bey had told her, they sounded wonderful. Sekhmet didn't have a Mother, just a Father — Ra — who was still alive somewhere in the heavens. Gods were immortal, so they spent millennia watching as the mortals they cared for turned to dust. And although the demi-god children had longer lifespans than ordinary humans, they too died at one point or another. All gods knew was loss.

After she reached out and squeezed her friend's hand comfortingly, Dr Bey carried on in his anger. "Now, I don't care how you do it. I don't care how long it takes. Straighten up this mess!" 

Then the curator stormed out the room, taking his dark cloud of anger with him, leaving the two friends surrounded by the literary mess. It seemed they weren't going to continue their conversation after all, not that Sekhmet minded. It was as if Terrence didn't want to know about her visions that she knew weren't just a dream. He was afraid and his precious library had just been destroyed, so Sekhmet knew he needed some time to calm himself. She would scold him later on the way he talked to Evy because that lecture could wait.

Turning to her friend, Sekhmet looked at her with her focused eyes before offering a small smile. Evelyn smiled back. The Goddess then tucked a loose, onyx strand of hair behind her ear before she spoke up. "I apologise for him, Evy. He hasn't been himself this morning."

"Well I just destroyed his library, so I don't blame him." Evelyn sighed as she nervously adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose.

Sekhmet shook her head. "It wasn't your fault." Even if she hadn't seen what had happened, she was adamant that it was an accident. Evy adored this library, she wouldn't make such a mess on purpose. 

"Either way, I now have all of this to clear up." The woman frowned at the utter mayhem before them. "It's going to take forever." Groaned the librarian as she sunk her head into her hands. 

It truly was a mess, but Sekhmet knew it wouldn't take forever, especially if she helped. Even if she was meant to be pretending to be human — to blend in — it didn't mean she couldn't use a bit of godly power where it was needed. And it certainly was amongst this mess. 

To try and comfort her despaired friend, Sekhmet reached out and carefully took the woman by her arms before glancing at her straight in the eye. "It'll be okay, Evy. I'm here to help you." She told the librarian who was on the verge of tears. For so long she had tried to get into a high-standard University, only to be rejected again and again. So Evelyn took pride in what work she had. This domino effect of chaos, it really took its toll on her. "We'll fix this."

Immediately, the young woman whipped up her head and began shaking it at her friend's proposal. "No, Cleo. This is my mess. So I have to be the one to fix it." She insisted.

"You can't possibly do all of this on your own, Evy."

"I'm going to have to."

Oh how the librarian was stubborn. But that was actually something Sekhmet admired about her; how she was able to stand her ground. It was nice to be around other female warriors even if the warrior was more of a spiritual nature. Evelyn Carnahan had always been a fighter, even in her past life. 

Sekhmet knew Nefertiri back in the days of old, so when she first met Evelyn Carnahan she was shocked to say the least. The young woman that stood before her was the spitting image of the late Princess, long lost to time and practically forgotten. Her fate was a tragic one, caused by the death of her Father — Seti the first — and the heinous lovers that stole his life. For the past few years Sekhmet had contemplated telling Evy the truth but she wasn't sure if the young woman would believe her. Yet she also didn't think meeting the reincarnation of a lost royal was just a coincidence. And now Sekhmet was receiving visions? It seemed one hell of a sand storm was brewing on the horizon.

But before Sekhmet could argue with her determined friend, a sudden loud noise echoed from the adjacent room. 

Not again. 

It was coming from the gallery where artifacts were kept shielded from the outside world. They were remnants of a world long gone, just memories and keepsakes from a time long forgotten. But not for Sekhmet. To her they all carried memories and stories that historians could never figure out. She knew the truth. She was there after all. 

Both the womans' heads spun around in the direction of the sound, suddenly alert to their surroundings. "Cleo, did you hear that?"

"Yes."

"We should probably go and see if anything's wrong." Suggested Evelyn uneasily.

Nodding in agreement, Sekhmet then added. "We should. But you go ahead, there's something I have to do here first." She informed her friend as she cast her eyes across the disarrayed library before them. 

Evy frowned slightly, but accepted the words of her friend and headed towards the gallery without her. And once the librarian was out of sight, Sekhmet headed straight for the nearest bookcase.

She knew that pulling all these bookcases back upright would take the workers ages and that was without Evy sorting all the fallen books back into their rightful places. So, Sekhmet decided that she needed to do something to help. With no one around to witness her miraculous feat, Sekhmet reached down and grasped the edge of one bookcase. 

She felt the power inside her rise as she pulled it out from within. Her cat-like eyes flashed a powerful gold as Sekhmet summoned her godly strength. It flowed through her limbs like blood until her entire form was consumed by it. She channelled it into her limbs, focusing on her power onto the bookcase in her grasp. Then, with one strong push, the bookcase was launched up into the air.

Even with the others weighing it down, Sekhmet's strength was enough to force it up. And as one bookcase was lifted, the others followed suit. She had reversed the domino effect.

Case by case, they were all being pushed back up the previous one, going round until it would reach the start. Sekhmet readied herself. And as the final case was lifted up into the air, she turned and caught it before it could fall and begin the process all over again. 

Now all that was left to do was to sort and replace the books on the shelves but that was a job she could help Evy with. Sekhmet stood back and admired her work, the godly surge within her calming to baseline. With the power she had at her disposal, Sekhmet felt wrong when she could not do more to help. Because she was a god, for the Gods' sake. She used to be a warrior, a Goddess of healing, drawn to the battlefield. But now... she was nothing more than an assistant at a place which stored relics of her era.

Not that Sekhmet disliked working at the Museum — because it was the opposite in fact — but it sometimes felt so small compared to who she used to be.

Deciding her work was acceptable, Sekhmet quickly left the scene behind and hurried after Evelyn so they could investigate the disturbance together. Although raising the bookcases wasn't as loud as them falling, they still made quite a bit of noise and Sekhmet had to hope Evy didn't question it. And when the lioness approached the librarian beside the gallery entrance, there were no signs on the latter's face to indicate she knew anything about what Sekhmet had just done for her. Sekhmet let out a small breath of relief.

Beside her, Evy pulled out a torch from the wall and brandished it out on front of them as they stepped over the threshold. The protective Goddess, despite the flame, pushed herself in front of Evelyn just in case they were dealing with intruders or anything dangerous. Sekhmet would never let any harm come to Evelyn Carnahan. Not while she lived anyway.

"Abdul?" A cautious Evy called out.

There was no answer so Sekhmet tried. "Mohammed?"

Still no answer. "Bob?"

Together the girls made their way to where the majority of the collection resided. Sekhmet's enhanced senses could pick up someone else in the room with them, but she couldn't quite make out who. Her feline eyes took in their surroundings, scanning the artifacts in the collection until she settled on one thing in particular. There was an open sarcophagus. 

That wasn't right.

Sekhmet gently nudged her friend, directing her attention to the open sarcophagus. When she saw Evy nod in understanding, the two girls slowly made their way to where it laid. There was definitely no magic in the air — Sekhmet knew that for a fact — so there was currently no need to expose her secret to her best friend. Still, she kept herself in front of Evelyn to protect the girl from anything that could come at them. 

Their feet made no sound against the slabs beneath as they crept to the rim of the open sarcophagus. The girls exchanged a look and then together, they peered inside. 

But a mummy shot upright from within.

Evelyn let out a huge scream as Sekhmet narrowed her focus, ready to attack. The girl stumbled back in fright. She would have tripped to the ground if Sekhmet not had caught her by the arm as she went by. As it turned out, they did not need to be alarmed as a second later, hearty laughter echoed from inside the sarcophagus.

Sekhmet rolled her eyes as she instantly knew who had just messed with them: Johnathon Carnahan, Evy's brother. That man was a handle, that much was certain. He tossed up his legs as he pushed himself upright in a sitting position, sitting beside the mummy he had scared them with. Oh she should have known.

"Have you no respect for the dead?!" Snapped Evy as she put down the torch and reached over for her brother.

The Goddess frowned when she stared at the mummy beside Jonathon. A long time ago, she had known this person. They were friends millennia ago and now her old friend was reduced to a shrivelled corpse being used for amusement. Sekhmet was certainly not amused.

"Of course I do." Jonathan responded with a beaming grin, rather amused by the prank he played on his sister and his friend. Then he slung an arm around the mummy and said. "But sometimes, I'd rather like to join them."

Not pleased with her brother, Evelyn huffed in annoyance. "Well, I wish you would do it before you ruin my career the way you've ruined yours."

"And, get your hands off the deceased." Added Sekhmet with a stern look as she wrestled the body of an incredibly old friend from the arms of Jonathan. Once she had control over the body, she peacefully laid him back to rest, whispering an ancient prayer as she returned him to his eternal home. 

The next thing Sekhmet heard was the sound of Jonathan getting a well deserved slap from his sister. A small smile appeared on her face as she turned to see the man grasp his cheek as he was demanded to exit the sarcophagus. Glancing to his friend, Jonathon found Sekhmet with a matching look to his sister so decided not to argue.

She could smell the drink on him; an intoxicating waft meeting her nostrils as he drunkenly clambered out of the sarcophagus. He reached out for Evelyn. "My dear, sweet, baby sister." He spared a glance towards the lioness. "My dear, wonderful, friend Cleo." Once Jonathan managed to escape the confines of the sarcophagus, he managed to find his footing — even if it was a bit shaky. "I'll have you know that, at this precise moment, my career is on a high note."

Both women scoffed at the idea.

Evy shook her head at her brother then said. "Jonathan, please, I'm really not in the mood for you. I've just made a bit of a mess in the library. And the Bembridge scholars have rejected my application form again. They say I don't have enough experience in the field."

Sekhmet clenched her jaw at the mention of those men. Sure, Evelyn didn't exactly have much experience in the field, but she had so many other skills that could easily make up for that. Those men just wanted a reason not to allow a woman in their midst. Back in her time, Sekhmet selected and trained groups of women in combat and healing — they bore her mark. Even if the men of the time weren't thrilled with women fighting, they knew they could not go against a Goddess. But it seemed despite the time that had gone by, not much had changed for the female sex. It angered her beyond belief. All she wanted was for Evy to be treated with the respect and admiration she deserved.

Collapsing down to perch on the foot of a statue, Evy hung her head in her hands. Instantly, Sekhmet and Jonathan sat down either side of her, placing comforting arms on her shoulders. "You'll always have us, old mum."

"We've always got your back, Evy." Sekhmet said as she ran her hand up and down her friend's back. "We know you're amazing, even if those 'Bembridge scholars' can't see it."

The woman glanced between her brother and her friend, offering them grateful looks.

Then, Jonathan smiled at her with a wide grin and then announced. "Besides, I have just the thing to cheer you up." He went to his pockets and started to rummage within. Sekhmet raised a sceptical brow at the man as he continued to search through his things. 

"Oh, no, Jonathan, not another worthless trinket." Evy shook her head as she sighed. Sekhmet kept an eye on each friend as the elder of the two continued to search for the item he promised. "If I have to take one more piece of junk to the curator to try and sell for you—"

But then Jonathan pulled out a gold box. A hexagonal box with a strange pattern on the top. It seemed... familiar somehow.

Pursed lips and brows, the lioness focused in on the box as Evy seized the intriguing item from her brother's grasp and held it up to look at. "Where did you get this?"

Jonathan shrugged casually and there was a look in his eyes that made Sekhmet feel she should doubt whatever was going to come out of his mouth next. "On a dig down in Thebes." He informed them and then turned to his sister excitedly. "My whole life, I've never found anything, Evy. Please tell me I've found something."

With skilled hands, Evy skimmed the box and then twisted it so the middle folded back revealing key-like pieces pointing outwards. And there was an old piece of papyrus — most likely a map — folded up tightly inside. As Sekhmet scanned her eyes over the box, they suddenly widened in realisation. She knew exactly where she had seen this box before. And that wasn't good. First Evy's reincarnation situation, then the visions and NOW the key to the sarcophagus of Imhotep himself. It couldn't be a coincidence. Things weren't looking good at all.

"Jonathan?"

"Yes?" An eager Jonathan questioned.

Evy smiled at her brother. "I think you've found something."

Sekhmet gulped nervously as she observed the key in her friend's hands. Evy turned to Sekhmet, wanting to see her curiosity and excitement so the woman quickly forced a grin upon her face, hiding the fear inside. She knew the Carnahan siblings well. She knew they wouldn't give up. 

The secrets and dangers of Hamunaptra were begging to be dug up. And it seemed Sekhmet was the only one standing between her friends and the fate of the world.

Chapter one!!! Finally!!! Sorry for the delay!

In love with the way Sekhmet cares for the Carnahans. And she has such a nice relationship with Dr Bey. I love them sitting for tea and gossiping together. He's there is she needs to talk about anything godly which is very important as no one else knows. She wants to tell the Carnahans, of course she does, but she's also afraid of how they'd react.

I made some memes!

It's been a few thousand years so forgive the Goddess if she doesn't instantly remember the key to a doomed tomb.

Also, when you're a kid you tend to obsess over a mythology. So many of my friends loved Greek mythology - probably due to Percy Jackson - but I was also more of an Egyptian mythology person. That was before I read the Kane Chronicles as I was an archaeology nerd as a kid. So I'm gonna love adding references to the mythology in this fic. 

Thank you for reading!

Sincerely Rosie aka Winter326