Entering a small room in a shabby hotel in a sensitive area in the city of Cairo, a person, dressed entirely in black from head to toe, with a hood pulled up and hiding his face, closed the door, turning on no light in the room, as if afraid of being seen from outside, and even checked through the curtain that no one had followed him.

Once he was completely certain that he was alone and not being heard, the mysterious individual sat down on the bedroom bed, picked up a black cell phone from the pocket of his jacket and dialed a number.

_"Sir? As you demanded, I was able to make a copy of the video that Jonathan de Mirand had asked to decrypt."

_"Perfect." answered a doctored voice. "Does he suspect something?"

_"No, don't worry." asserted the hooded man. "As for the content of the video...what do you think? It's her, isn't it? It's the forgotten princess."

_"We cannot neglect any possibility." replied the voice. "That's why we need to locate Mathias Parrish. He's the key. If we find him, we'll find her. We still have a chance to stop this. Continue according to the plan."

_"Understood, doctor."

With those words, the hooded man ended the call, his phone screen showing only one word on his touchscreen: Prodigium.

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

After facing an enraged leopard to prove himself, Mathias was carried to his cell. He who expected to be handed over to the undead, what was his astonishment to see Princess Ahmanet herself taking care of him. She had carried the young man in her arms, laid him on the patched bed and ordered servants to bring water.

Sitting on the bed, Mathias gritted his teeth in pain as Ahmanet stood behind him and applied water to the wound on his back. The coolness of the water was pungent like needles but necessary in order to disinfect the wound to avoid the risk of bacteria. Mathias was also surprised to feel how soft her skin was and how gentle Ahmanet was in cleaning the wounds, which contrasted with the coldness and sometimes brutality she had shown. Clearly, he had difficulty understanding her. She was a monster, and yet there were signs in her that still showed humanity. After the water, she had applied some sort of strange, honey-like ointment to the wounds and although it hurt like medicinal alcohol, it would be beneficial for healing. After the treatment, bandages were applied.

_"T...Thank you." said the young man, reserved but nevertheless grateful.

Ahmanet looked at him without saying anything, the glow of the candle flames reflecting on his pale face. Mathias didn't show it but he blushed a little. Even though she was no longer human, she was still a beauty that was both dark and angelic, and her long, wavy, night-black hair was very beautiful too. Her silence left Mathias perplexed, as if she continued to analyze him with her gaze. Then she came closer, sat down beside him on the patched blanket of the bed, and showed something in her hands, an object that Mathias recognized at once.

_"This belongs to you." said Ahmanet.

His notebook! He thought he had lost it in the tomb. Mathias was relieved to see it and to be able to retrieve it. He thanked the Egyptian princess once again.

_"I read its contents..." admitted Ahmanet without shame. "I was able to find out a little about who you were, Mathias Parrish. You describe yourself as a... writer. What is that? Is it like some sort of scribe?"

_"Um... well, not really. I write books, stories, which I sell to people. My specialty is fantasy because I have always been passionate about it and I wanted to share this passion with others and allow them to dream and escape a little from reality."

Hearing this, Ahmanet looked perplexed, tilting her head slightly to one side.

_"Why make them escape from reality? For what purpose?" she asked.

_"It's quite complicated to explain..." explained Mathias, pensive. "To tell the truth, I myself have always felt detached from society, as if I lived permanently between the borders of two worlds. The supernatural, legendary creatures and myths have always fascinated me and all my life I have sought to prove their existence, to... who knows, to show that this world is not as ordinary as many want to believe. In a sense, by pushing my readers to travel into imaginary worlds, I hope to open their minds and hearts to accept what they consider unacceptable."

Ahmanet had listened, and did not hide her expression, both intrigued but also fascinated by this response from Mathias. She didn't expect such an explanation, she had to admit. Truly, this young mortal never ceased to surprise her, not only by his strength, his will to survive but also his way of seeing the world, in a society that was unknown to her but which seemed superficial and devoid of any value that she had been able to know in her time. She smiled softly at the corners of her lips, as if accepting this answer. Yes, he is worthy, she thought. Mathias raised an eyebrow, but blushed a little again, finding her almost adorable when she smiled. Ahmanet got up from the bed and walked to the door, and before going out, looked over her shoulder at Mathias.

_"Come with me." she asked, but this time not as an order.

Really noticing that she had not put the shackles on his wrists, Mathias got up and followed her out of the cell, not without maintaining a certain caution in himself, not forgetting that she had previously trapped him with a leopard to test him. Without trying to discuss the princess's request, Mathias followed her through the corridors of the temple, once again coming across several of these undead creatures, but the latter did nothing, having received orders from their mistress not to do anything. do towards humans.

_"About this, I didn't dare ask before but... Where are we here? What is this place?" asked the young man while walking behind Ahmanet.

_"We are here in the Gods's Shrine." she replied. "This is where my people came to pray. It was a sacred place, where prayers were heard... and sometimes granted."

Mathias already suspected it but he wanted confirmation, he was indeed somewhere in Egypt and no longer in Iraq. Seeing that the princess did not seem angry by these questions, he wanted to know more.

_"And... have the gods ever answered one of your prayers?" Mathias then asked, curious.

Ahmanet remained silent at first, somber, then looked at her pale, clawed hand.

_"Yes." she said in a strange mixture of satisfaction and gloom.

Mathias guessed from the timbre of her voice that it was a very sensitive subject and did not insist further so as not to attract the wrath of the mummy. A few minutes of walking later, Ahmanet brought Mathias to the large room with the altar and statues of the gods, where he had to face the undead guards. The atmosphere in this room was as heavy as ever, both overwhelming yet peaceful, almost like a cathedral. Ahmanet climbed the steps, then turning towards Mathias, pointed to the stone altar.

_"Lie on it." she asked.

Mathias looked at her at first, raising an eyebrow and a little suspicious, but she quickly made him understand with her look that she was not at all planning to kill him by sacrificing him, because she would have already done it if that was her goal. Knowing that she had just healed him, Mathias wanted to trust her and came to lie down on the flat, cold stone of the altar, under the fixed and omnipotent gaze of the statues of the Egyptian gods around him. With a simple gesture of her hand and with her dark magic, Ahmanet set the great braziers of the room ablaze, roaring flames rising and making the shadows dance on the walls. Lying on the altar, Mathias observed this, not without hiding a certain anxiety but breathed and managed not to let fear dominate him.

Ahmanet then turned her attention to an undead creature, dressed as a sort of Egyptian priest, who humbly approached her and knelt, handing her an ancient Egyptian dagger, with a silver blade and gold handle. Ahmanet took it, the flames reflecting in the steel of the blade as the servant retreated. Ahmanet then climbed onto the altar, and placed himself above Mathias, sitting astride him. Mathias blushed softly seeing her do that. Ahmanet saw that he was nervous and anxious, but wanted to reassure him by delicately touching his chest to feel his heart beat. She then brandished the dagger above her head, chanting words in ancient Egyptian that Mathias could not understand, although he recognized the name of a god: Set.

Following this mystical incantation, Ahmanet cut her palm with the tip of the blade, letting a thin trickle of black blood flow like ink, then she grabbed one of Mathias's hands and also made a slight cut in his hand's palm. Mathias, surprised, made a small grimace of pain but let it happen. Ahmanet then joined their palms, thus mingling their bloods, as if to become one.

At the same time, Ahmanet speaks new words, calling on her magic again. She leans towards Mathias, placing her other hand on his forehead and whispering words in his ear.

_"Stay calm. Free from this ocean of questions and clear your mind. Blood is our memory, it defines who we are. Feel mine, and contemplate the truth."

Feeling the influence of the princess's mystical powers on him, Mathias cannot resist and does not try to do so, closing his eyes and entering this trance in which his mind finds itself catapulted through space and time. Mathias feels as if he is floating, as light as a feather, through the absolute darkness, for a time that seems interminable to him.

Then, panting and finally opening his eyes, Mathias discovers that he is again in the middle of the sand dunes, under a lit sky free of any cloud. Further on, large pyramids rise majestically, and even further, a large Egyptian city. Even though he's aware that he's not really there, it feels so real because he can feel the air around him, the sand under his shoes, and the heat. Really very strange.

_"Come on, Ahmanet. You have to do it." then said an unknown and very authoritative male voice.

Intrigued, Mathias climbs one of the dunes to see what is happening on the other side. He sees several people. An escort of armored and armed Egyptian soldiers, standing aside and observing what is happening. A man, with a firm, hard face, black eyes and wearing the very recognizable headdress of the pharaohs, stands with his arms crossed. Not far from him, there is a young girl, about 7-8 years old, with semi-long black hair, barefoot and dressed in a simple white toga.

Ahmanet. Mathias remains silent, stunned to see that he is contemplating this very distant past before his eyes, even if they obviously do not seem to be aware of his presence, as if he were not there. The young Ahmanet shows a frightened expression, full of doubt, as she faces a very nervous Egyptian cobra, in a defensive position and hissing aggressively towards the young girl whom it perceives as a threat.

_"But father... I can't." Ahmanet said, her throat tight.

_"I didn't bring you here to hear you moan and tremble in fear." the pharaoh replied dryly, showing no compassion. "Your mother died to give you life and you must atone for this sin, by proving to me that her sacrifice was not in vain. Convince me and perhaps I will agree to give you a chance to live."

The little princess was trembling, not only in fear of the cobra, but also of her father. With moist eyes, she seemed not to understand what made him do this to her. Mathias, for his part, felt his heart tighten in his chest. How could she be considered responsible for her mother's death during birth? She had to atone for a sin for a crime she didn't even commit? The old beliefs were like this but this revolted Mathias inside. The young Ahmanet then tried to approach the cobra to try to seize it, but the snake, with a quick gesture, tried to bite her but she backed away in time, jumping in fright, all this under the judgmental gaze of the pharaoh.

_"It's too difficult. He's too fast, I'm not going to make it." said the little princess.

_"Is this the spirit of a member of the royal family?" retorted the pharaoh. "Weakness cannot be tolerated in my blood. Fight, Ahmanet. Be victorious...or die."

His way of speaking was so macabre, so devoid of feeling that Mathias felt a shiver of contempt for him. Win or die? He remembered that Ahmanet had told him that too. So, it was from her father that she got these words.

Ahmanet, swallowing and unsure of herself, then tried to come towards the cobra, more lively than ever. Ahmanet cleared her head, getting rid of the doubt that was holding her back and thinking of nothing other than the snake in front of her. The moment was frozen in time, then, as the cobra leapt to bite her, the young princess moved sideways to avoid it and managed to grab it by the neck, and broke it, killing it. Mathias had looked and could see that at that precise moment, something had changed in the princess's eyes. No more doubt, no more fear, but an inner strength that had just awakened. Holding the cobra she had just killed by the throat, Ahmanet then met the gaze of her father, who then gave a dark, crooked smile.

The memory then evaporated like a smokescreen to make way for others. Thus, Mathias was able to contemplate several stages of Ahmanet's difficult life, seeing her forced to complete trials in order to strengthen her body, her mind, but also to endure the pain. In one of these memories, Mathias was once again in the desert, outside the walls of the royal city, observing Ahmanet, who had become a beautiful young adult woman, armed with a large staff and training to fight against several men at the same time. Thanks to her years of intensive training, the princess, with agile, fast and strong gestures and attacks, managed to put them all down in a short time. Her gaze was hard, full of strength, determination and confidence as she stood up and walked towards her father the pharaoh, who from atop his horse looked at her with a certain pride then dismounted. The princess knelt, head bowed, before her father.

_"Come with me." he said.

Mathias continued to gaze and followed them to the top of a large sand dune, offering a splendid and unobstructed view of the valley, the pyramids and the great royal city, all under a twilight sky and a gradually descending red sun. behind the horizon.

_"You filled my heart with pride, Ahmanet." said the pharaoh. "You have gotten rid of the doubt, the fear and the weakness that have no place in our blood. Do you see this? Here lies the mightiest realm in the world, and one day it will belong to you. The people will love you and fear you, and they will worship you."

While the pharaoh flattered Ahmanet, she said nothing, contemplating with pride and strength this world which would soon be under her domination. Mathias did not smile, showing no joy and even being sorry to see that this pharaoh had managed to transform his daughter exactly like him, making her a being devoid of compassion and empathy.

However, the other memories in which Mathias was transported revealed how everything had changed. The pharaoh had finally fallen in love with another woman, one of his servants, and made her his new queen, and so she bore him a male child. From that moment, the pharaoh lost all interest in Ahmanet, devoting himself only to the protection and education of his son in order to one day train him to become the new pharaoh.

In another memory where Mathias was present without anyone seeing him, this time he was in the large throne room of the royal palace. Ahmanet, dressed in a long white silk robe, stood in the center, surrounded by several richly dressed men as well as her father the pharaoh, seated on his throne. Ahmanet was desperate, trying to make herself heard.

_"How can you dismiss me like this, father?!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the room. "I did everything to satisfy you, to prove to you that I was worthy of living and being able to lead the people!"

_"All this was before the gods finally granted me the blessing of a son." the pharaoh retorted firmly. "I recognize your strength, Ahmanet, but the law is the law! Never can a single woman reign on the throne of Egypt!"

Ahmanet gasped, shocked and outraged to hear these words, but the other men in the room agreed with their pharaoh, all looking at the princess with disdain. Mathias felt his fists clench, also shocked to see this and felt bad seeing Ahmanet like this. But very quickly, shock gave way to anger and with her darkened and sad gaze, Ahmanet extended an accusing finger towards her own father.

_"I gave you everything..." she breathed. "Who filled my head with dreams of greatness? Who constantly tested me? Who forced me to endure intolerable pain? Who trained me to the point of breaking my bones?! YOU, father! I have done everything you wanted, to make you proud, to bring strength and glory to our blood! I have the right to claim what is rightfully mine!"

_"ENOUGH!" roared the pharaoh, banging his fist on his throne. "Guards! Take the princess to her chambers and don't let her come out until tonight!"

Immediately, two guards appeared in the room and suddenly grabbed Ahmanet by the arms and dragged her towards the exit, under everyone's gaze. Mathias, perplexed by so many revelations, watched Ahmanet struggle in vain and scream as she was taken away.

_"You have no right to do this to me!" she screamed. "You're going to regret it!"

The heavy doors of the throne room slammed shut, muffling the princess's screams of protest. Mathias was finally transported to the royal apartments of Ahmanet, where she had been locked up. Outside, night was beginning to fall and the princess was pacing back and forth, prey to black anger and devouring sadness. Mathias wanted to go see her so he could comfort her, but he knew he couldn't intervene in a memory, only observe.

Ahmanet had broken a lot of things in her room, debris lying all over the floor. Then, falling onto the sheets of her bed, she buried her face in the pillow and began to cry. Mathias approached, sorry and feeling bad for her. This feeling of being rejected, underestimated and humiliated, he understood it very well, knowing that from his own past. Raising his head from the pillow, his eyes tearful but angry, Ahmanet gazed at the dancing flames of the small fireplace in the middle of the room.

_"I hate them all..." she whispered with hatred. "I only wanted to find my place and they rejected me. I'm going to make them pay for this betrayal."

The princess' hatred was as palpable as the air around her. Then suddenly, the flames of the fireplace crackled and then began to dwindle unnaturally. The atmosphere became heavy, macabre and tainted with an aura of death and desolation. The darkness invaded the room more and more and Ahmanet, surprised and terrified, sat up to look around her, as if sensing an abnormal presence.

_"Who... who is there?" she asked.

Mathias was also watching, wondering what was going on. Then, as with Ahmanet, he saw this shadow, emaciated, humanoid and gigantic, take shape little by little, as if emerging from the darkness and sliding along the wall. Mathias opened stunned eyes as Ahmanet gasped in fear, stepping back but falling backwards onto his bed.

_"I know you, young Ahmanet." the monstrous shadow then spoke in a cavernous, ghostly and overwhelming voice. "I've been watching you since you were born."

Every word this thing spoke shook the bones and felt like stabs to the eardrums, as if human ears were not made to hear this voice.

_"Who are you?" asked Ahmanet, still afraid.

_"Oh, you know me too, princess." the shadowy entity replied mischievously as it approached her. "All here in this realm know and fear my name. I am Set."

The god of darkness and chaos! Ahmanet panted, eyes wide and heart pounding. Mathias, standing back, had the same expression. So it was he, the trickster god of Egyptian mythology. The floating, misshapen shadow began to float slowly around Ahmanet.

_"I felt your anger, your hatred, so great, so attractive. Such unique potential cannot remain hidden forever." Set said. "I can help you get your revenge, princess. That's what you want, isn't it? To get what's rightfully yours. After all... you know better than anyone: power cannot be given, it must be taken!"

_"Ahmanet, don't listen to him!" Mathias shouted, but in vain, he was in a memory, everything had already happened.

Her spirit broken by grief, loneliness and anger, Ahmanet drank the god's words and accepted his proposal with a nod.

_"Give me the power to take back my destiny, and I will serve you forever." said the princess.

_"Good." Set sneered. "In that case, I will tell you what needs to be done."

At that moment, everything became blurry and evaporated and Mathias's mind traveled through space and time again. Panting, he opened his eyes and awoke from his trance into the present moment, in the altar room. Still in the shock of this astral journey, the young man tried to get up but, unbalanced, almost fell, but was held by Ahmanet who supported him.

_"Take a breath and calm your mind." she suggested, making him sit down and calm down.

Mathias followed the advice and gradually resumed normal breathing, exhaling and calming his mind. All the images, all these memories, remained inside him, scrolling like a reel of film. He knew everything now. Ahmanet had only been a spare wheel for her father, until he got a son. Set had taken advantage of her sadness to manipulate her and make her his monster. Mathias, looking sorry, looked towards Ahmanet.

_"I..." he wanted to say, but she raised her hand, asking him not to say more.

_"What is done, is done and nothing can change it." was the answer she gave.