Having discovered on arriving in the morning that Mathias had disappeared from his room and could not be found anywhere, Jonathan de Mirand had alerted the authorities and search notices with Mathias's photo had been put in place. The police had thoroughly searched the whole hospital, but nothing. It was as if Mathias had evaporated without leaving the slightest trace.

The images from the security camera which monitored the hallway where Mathias's room was had also been inspected, but around midnight, the image from the camera had become curiously blurred and it was impossible to recover what had been filmed. Jonathan, having an idea, had discreetly made a copy of the surveillance video on a USB key and had immediately downloaded the file to his personal computer once he returned to his hotel.

Sitting in front of the laptop, Jonathan had sent the video to his top computer and decryption specialists working for him. He absolutely wanted to know where Mathias had gone, or who had been able to break into the hospital and succeed in kidnapping him without anyone realizing anything. He still feared wrongdoing from the jihadists, but he was far from suspecting the truth. Finally, after endless hours of waiting, he ends up receiving the result of the decrypted video on his computer. However, a message from his team warned him that he was going to have a hard time believing what he was about to see. More than intrigued, Jonathan started playing the video.

The image showed the corridor as agreed, devoid of the slightest presence. Then, when midnight appears on the timer, the quality of the video seems to undergo some malfunctions, sizzling. Jonathan then notices that the neon lights on the hallway ceiling begin to dim more and more, jerking and the lights dying out one after another. Then, his eyes widened in an expression of incomprehension and a shudder of anguish when he saw this form, feminine and human, completely dark, emerging little by little from the darkness, walking with a slow and silent step and stopping just outside Mathias' bedroom door.

Jonathan remained frozen in front of the video, unable to tear his gaze away. The shadowy form then slowly lifted its attention to the lens of the surveillance camera, then began to move towards it and disappeared from sight for a moment. Jonathan then jumped back in fear as a pair of monstrous eyes popped up and covered the entire field of view of the camera and almost seemed to be glaring at Jonathan. Breathing could be heard, along with a ghostly, female voice speaking unfamiliar words, as if this thing was mumbling.

Then, the video stopped, the camera seeming to have broken down at that moment. Jonathan remained silent, shocked and completely confused by what he had just seen. It couldn't be a special effect or a trick... But then... What was that?!

*************

Since waking up and after regaining control of his body, Mathias had been locked up for hours in a room of modest size, without a window, lit by a simple candle placed on an old wooden table.

Seated on a simple patched bed which was the only piece of furniture in the room, Mathias remained silent, pensive but also moribund. He could have chosen to try to open his cell door, but it was locked. Moreover, Mathias could not move more than a meter away from the bed, because of iron chains around his wrists and fixed firmly to the wall next to it. He was indeed a prisoner, however, he wondered why he had not been killed by these monsters. What did Ahmanet want with him? He kept wondering this question without being able to find the answer and it frustrated him to the highest point. Having been stripped of his hospital gown, Mathias was surprised to wake up wearing his own civilian clothes that he wore during the expedition. He wondered why Ahmanet had made such a gesture towards him when she was keeping him like a common prisoner? Again, impossible to find an answer.

Another unpleasant feeling then appeared: that of hunger, Mathias' stomach gurgling slightly. His mouth and throat were dry too, he hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a while. Did Ahmanet intend to let him starve to death? No, that was completely stupid, she wouldn't have bothered to kidnap him if she wanted him dead. In that case, was she trying to break him mentally? Maybe.

As he was immersed in all these muddled thoughts, the opening of the door to the room surprised Mathias who looked up and with concern saw three of these undead Egyptian warriors enter, staring at him with their empty and rotten eye sockets. When one of them stepped forward, Mathias was about to struggle fiercely, but was surprised to see that the undead simply unhooked the shackles, freeing the young man who then rubbed his wrists, sore from the tight restraints. The creature then beckoned Mathias to follow it, and though hesitant, he chose to obey so as not to anger these things.

Remaining as calm as possible despite palpable nervousness, Mathias was escorted by the three guards through a series of corridors in this immense ruined Egyptian palace. Along the way, he saw many other undead, some dressed as guards, but others dressed in simple rags, like slaves. Some of these guards were accompanied by undead jackals, their bodies decomposed and dried up. The latter growled and bared their teeth as Mathias passed by, but the guards held their dogs firmly by their collars. A veritable little army that Ahmanet had begun to put in place, thought Mathias, even less reassured but forced himself to follow and keep a cool head.

The young man was finally led to a much warmer and better maintained room, large in size and proving to be a dining room. Majestic columns adorned with jade and gold supported the structure, and magnificent gold candlesticks in the shape of crisscrossing serpents lit the room. On the far wall was an ancient and splendid fresco, depicting the assassination of Osiris by his brother Set.

In the center of the room, a large oval carved stone table, on which was a single plate and cutlery, and in front, a dish containing exotic fruits, such as dates, watermelon or grapes, but also other dishes containing bread, cooked lentils, and also a fish, a cooked Nile perch, and an earthenware jug filled with water.

The smell of cooked food floating in the air immediately touched Mathias' nostrils, who then felt his stomach cry out for hunger once again.

_"Leave." then ordered the firm and calm voice of Ahmanet which resonated in the room.

Without hesitation, the three guards left the room and closed the doors, leaving Mathias alone, but not for long. From the top of large stone steps, descending with a nonchalant but sure step, Ahmanet showed herself. Immediately, her gaze met Mathias's, but the young man remained at a safe distance, wary and his eyes still defiant. Ahmanet walked along the table, then pointed to the place where the plate and the still hot dishes were.

_"Sit down and eat." she said, like an order.

Mathias hesitated, not moving from his position, which made Ahmanet smile slightly, as if she were mocking without laughing.

_"You're thinking of poison, aren't you?" she said, rightly. "Don't worry. If I wanted you dead, you would have joined my army a long time ago."

Charming, thought Mathias ironically, who would still rather die of poisoning than be transformed into a dried-up zombie. He was really hungry and thirsty, he couldn't deny it and even if the idea of poisoned food ran through his head, once again, Ahmanet was not wrong and would have already killed him if that was her goal, which was not the case. She needed him, but why? He was tempted to ask her the question, but told himself that she wouldn't reveal anything.

While keeping a wary eye towards the undead Egyptian princess, Mathias came and sat down on the chair. Ahmanet then clapped her hands firmly, and immediately, two undead slaves arrived, one of them starting to serve the meal while the other poured water into a golden goblet and humbly gave it to Mathias, who at first hesitantly took it. As a survival reflex, he first sniffed the water, but no strange odor. He then decided to take the risk of drinking a sip. The cool liquid flowed down his throat and gave him the impression of coming back to life as it felt good.

Meanwhile, the other creature had served a slice of the grilled Nile perch, with cooked lentils, on the plate and the smell, Mathias had to admit, was very enticing. A slice of watermelon was also served to him, as well as bread. Once their task was accomplished, the two slaves stepped back respectfully and came to stand in a corner, motionless and waiting for the next order to be given to them. Ahmanet, standing a few meters away, did not move and continued to observe.

Hunger gripping his stomach, Mathias bit into the watermelon, then into a piece of bread, and savored the taste and delicious consistency of the food. Taking the wooden spoon next to the plate, he tasted the lentils, which turned out to be delicious too. But as he began to eat and finally satisfy his hunger, Mathias couldn't help but glance at Ahmanet, as if to watch him and see if he was going to try something. But the princess remained perfectly calm, neutral, then walked around the table, until she came behind the chair, the back of which she touched with the tips of her sharp nails.

_"I can feel it in you..." she said grimly. "This mix of curiosity, fear, these thousands of questions swarming in your mind... And also, this anger against me that you try to conceal in vain."

_"What did you expect to have kidnapped me? That I would jump for joy?" Mathias replied.

This ironic and almost defiant tone from the young mortal made the princess smile cynically, who found herself almost amused to see that despite his power, he was not pleading and trembling in front of her. She liked that, she recognized it and knew that she hadn't been mistaken after having tasted his blood.

_"Such a young and courageous soul..." said Ahmanet. "It's a change from all the cowards I've killed since I woke up. Their souls were worthless, insipid, driven only by primal instincts. It seems that values like strength and willpower have become rare at this time."

Mathias listened, then out of the corner of his eye he saw Ahmanet lean over and bring her face closer to his head, feeling her warm breath on his neck and her mouth close to his ear. He didn't dare move, seeing then the princess's pale hand coming to gently touch the top of his chest.

_"You know it, like me. You can't escape." she breathed deeply. "You wonder why I'm doing this? Why are you here, in my hands? I feel it, you want to know, you would do anything to find out the truth... To know who I really am and why I'm doing all this."

_"I know who you are." replied Mathias coldly. "You killed your own family and made a deal with a demon to gain power. That's why your people wanted to erase your name from history."

Ahmanet's face suddenly grew darker, losing her smile, and suddenly her hand closed abruptly on Mathias's throat, pinning him against the chair and almost threatening to strangle him. He could feel this superhuman force gripping him, and knew that she could crush his windpipe with a simple pressure.

_"You don't know anything at all." the princess retorted darkly, her voice becoming angry. "You don't know what I had to endure, how much I had to sacrifice. But if you really want to know..."

With that, she released Mathias from her grip and he coughed softly, catching his breath and rubbing his sore throat. Ahmanet then walked away in the direction of the large steps and before going up again, looked over his shoulder.

_"When you've finished eating, come join me in the outer courtyard of the temple... You wanted the truth? You'll get it." She said grimly, then walked up the steps before disappearing from sight.

Mathias remained silent and quite shocked, he who almost expected her to break his neck for daring to speak to her like that. He could feel this black anger in her voice and gaze, but he also thought he could guess something else? Sorrow? He wasn't sure.

A few moments later, after finishing this meal and satisfying his hunger, Mathias left the table and headed, as agreed, up the stairs or at the top were two large doors open and leading outside. He then arrived under a magnificent night sky, studded with stars and an almost full moon. He was walking now in a courtyard made of stone, half in ruins and covered with sand, with a fountain in its center that had been empty for centuries and decorated with an obelisk almost twenty meters high. All around he could see the desert, both menacing and magnificent, stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction. Ahmanet was there, standing at the foot of the ancient monument and waiting in silence.

But as he was heading towards her, Mathias was suddenly hit violently and knocked to the ground by a massive and fast shape which jumped at him from the side. Lying on his back, Mathias opened his eyes wide with surprise and fright as he saw a roaring, berserk leopard leaning over him, opening a jaw full of sharp, salivating fangs. The feline's claws slightly lacerated Mathias's ribs, who emitted a heavy groan of pain, then in a survival reflex, picked up a large stone not far from him and used it to hit the leopard in the head, managing to make it stepping back. Bleeding slightly above the eye, the feline didn't show any pain, however, he growled, his teeth clenched, his eyes filled with fury.

_"What is this madness?!" then said Mathias, holding his bleeding ribs and speaking to Ahmanet. "I thought you wanted to show me the truth."

_"To discover it, you will have to deserve it!" Ahmanet retorted ruthlessly. "And this time, no matter the outcome, know that I will not interfere. This time, it will be victory... or death."

Her gaze had become cold, devoid of the slightest compassion. Mathias had to quickly focus his attention on the leopard, this one being driven more and more mad by the smell of blood flowing from Mathias' wound. The young man knew well that with a simple stone as a weapon he could not beat a feline like that in hand-to-hand combat, and if he tried to run, he would be caught for sure. Heart pounding, forehead sweating and gritting his teeth against the pain, Mathias tried to think of how to get out of this mess, watching closely the leopard that prowled around him and waiting for the right moment to attack.

Mathias then noticed something. One of the decorative columns which adorned the dried-up fountain had become very fragile in terms of its structure, and this gave Mathias an idea, very risky, but which would perhaps be his only chance to escape. However, the leopard roared and jumped nimbly, blocking its prey on the ground. Mathias howled in pain as he felt the feline's jaws snap shut on his left shoulder, the fangs piercing his flesh, and the claws lacerating his t-shirt and part of his back.

The pain was great, to the point that he thought he would faint, but Mathias resisted with all his strength, not wanting to die like this. As he tried to crawl away but was held back by the leopard's strength, the young man's painful gaze met that of Ahmanet, who showed no emotion and did nothing to help him, as she had said. He couldn't be weak, he couldn't die without fighting back. He was not a prey anymore! Still holding the stone in his hand, Mathias delivered a flurry of blows to the leopard's face. One of the blows hit the eye of the feline which, in a roar of pain, let go and retreated, allowing Mathias to get up, with difficulty and suffering the martyrdom because of the bite and the scratches. Fortunately not being injured in his legs, but holding his damaged shoulder, Mathias ran as quickly as possible to the foot of the fragile column and remained in position, under the intrigued gaze of Ahmanet who, however, guessed what he intended to do.

Growling and more furious than ever, bleeding from one eye, the leopard turned and walked towards Mathias, who stood ready and knew he would only get one chance. One miscalculation and he would die shredded.

_"Come on! Come and get me!" Mathias yelled defiantly, exciting the predator's already heightened senses.

This attitude, courage or madness, did not fail to be noticed by Ahmanet who was more attentive to what was about to happen. Increasingly annoyed by the aggressive injunctions of its prey, the leopard lost patience and charged, leaping once again, all fangs and claws out, ready to finish off this human. But Mathias had foreseen this and jumped to the side in a successful dodge, letting the leopard hit head-on the base of the stone column, which already weakened, completely collapsed with a crash and crushed the leopard which was killed and buried under a pile of smoking rubble.

Calm and silence returned to the yard and Mathias got up, wounded but victorious, panting and sweating profusely, looking at his defeated adversary. Then he turned, staggering, towards Ahmanet, gave her a firm look, but ended up collapsing to the ground because of his injuries and the backlash of adrenaline. Lying on his back on the soft but cold sand, Mathias was almost unable to move, and then saw Ahmanet come and lean close to him, still looking at him without showing the slightest emotion.

_"I...I want to know...I have to know..." Mathias moaned weakly, struggling not to faint.

The princess remained silent at first, then gently placed her hand on Mathias' cheek and finally expressed a small smile.

_"You will." she replied.

Without adding another word, Ahmanet lifted Mathias without the slightest difficulty and carried him in her arms to bring him back inside the sanctuary and heal him, and finally revealed the truth to him. He had shown himself worthy of it.