⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

𝔼𝕍𝔼ℝ𝕃𝕐ℕ'𝕊 breath came in short, panicked gasps as she stumbled backward, her heart hammering against her ribs. The dim candlelight of the old church flickered against the stone walls, casting eerie shadows that seemed to stretch and twist like living things. "How did I...?" she whispered, her voice barely carrying in the vast emptiness. She hadn't walked here, hadn't even thought of coming inside. And yet—here she was.

Her eyes darted around, her pulse thundering in her ears.

A noise—soft, barely there, like footsteps echoing from the far end of the church.

She swallowed hard.

"Nick? Jenny?" she called out, but no response came. The air was thick, suffocating, pressing in around her like unseen hands. Everlyn took a shaky step back, nearly tripping on the uneven floor as she made her way toward the door. "Okay, I'm fine," she muttered, willing herself to believe it. If she could just get out of here, if she could just—

A sudden shift in the air. A presence.

Then, something slammed into her.

Everlyn barely had time to scream before she was forced onto a cold, dust-covered altar, her wrists and ankles wrenched down by unseen hands. She gasped, thrashing, only to be met with a sight that turned her blood to ice.

Mummified figures.

Their decayed fingers clutched her limbs in an unbreakable grip, hollowed eyes staring at her with a hunger that was anything but human. She fought, twisting, struggling, her breath coming in frantic bursts. "Let me go!" she gasped, but the creatures held firm. A shadow loomed over her.

A dark figure, moving with an unnatural grace, stepped into the moonlight.

Ahmanis.

His dark eyes burned like dying embers as he studied her, his presence radiating something far beyond mortal comprehension. His face was sculpted with an ethereal beauty, but there was a sharpness to it—a hunger, a longing, something that made Everlyn's entire body go rigid.

She tried to speak, tried to move, but her breath caught in her throat as he reached for her.

His fingers, unnervingly warm, brushed her chin, tilting her head slightly as he studied her face. He said nothing, but there was an intensity in his gaze, an emotion so layered and complex that she couldn't decipher it.

A slow, knowing smile curved his lips.

His hand moved to her hair, tucking strands behind her ear with a gentleness that sent a shiver down her spine. It was as though he were memorizing every detail, as though he were searching for something—confirming something.

Then, his hand slipped lower.

Everlyn tensed as he lifted her shirt just enough to reveal a faint scar below her ribs.

She flinched, her breathing ragged.

Ahmanis' eyes darkened, his expression shifting into something unreadable. Slowly, his fingers traced the scar—that scar. The place where, centuries ago, a blade had stolen the life of his beloved.

A muscle in his jaw tightened.

Then, with aching slowness, he lowered his head.

Everlyn's breath caught in her throat as she felt it—the warmth of his lips pressing against the scar with reverence, with something that felt too intimate, too raw. A pang of something unfamiliar shot through her.

Not fear.

Something else.

His lips lingered, his exhale fanning across her skin. His hand rested just above her heart, feeling the rapid rhythm beneath her ribs. He closed his eyes. "My beloved. My burning sun." His voice was soft, reverent, full of an emotion that made her chest tighten. His lips brushed against her cheek, and Everlyn shivered. "How long I have waited for you to come back to me." Her mind spun wildly.

This wasn't happening.

This wasn't real.

But then—why did it feel so real?

Ahmanis pulled away slightly, his golden eyes searching hers, and for a moment, it was as if the entire world had vanished. There was only him. Only this moment.

"I give you the power of the God of Death."

Everlyn barely had time to process his words before his attention shifted. She gasped as she heard the sharp crack of stone breaking. Ahmanis had snapped the head off an angel statue, revealing something hidden within its hollow core.

A dagger.

Ancient. Deadly. The blade gleamed in the candlelight, its metal etched with symbols she couldn't understand. A sickening sense of realization settled in her stomach. "No, no, no—" she thrashed against the hands holding her, her voice rising in desperation. Ahmanis loomed over her, dagger poised. "Join me at last," he whispered. Everlyn squeezed her eyes shut, her breath coming in rapid gasps. This is it. This is how I die.

A second passed.

Then another.

Nothing.

Everlyn hesitantly cracked her eyes open, her breath shuddering.

Ahmanis' expression had shifted.

Confusion flickered across his face. His golden eyes fell to the dagger in his hand. Something was wrong. The red gem that should have been embedded in its hilt—was missing. Ahmanis stared at it, disbelief clouding his features, his grip tightening as if willing it to be whole again. Everlyn swallowed hard, her own heartbeat deafening in her ears.

Something had just saved her.

Footsteps echoed through the church, catching everyone's attention. Ahmanis turned his head sharply, his dark eyes narrowing as he spotted Jenny and Nick standing frozen in the doorway, their faces a mix of shock and horror.

"Jenny! Nick! Run. Run. Run!" Everlyn shouted at the top of her lungs.

Nick didn't need to be told twice. "Yep! Okay! Leaving!" He spun on his heel, grabbing Jenny's arm as they bolted. Ahmanis growled in irritation and stabbed the dagger next to Everlyn's head, the blade sinking into the wooden altar with a thud. Everlyn winced, her breath hitching, but before she could react, Ahmanis leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. Before he leapt off her and just as he touched the ground he went straight for Nick. Everlyn, meanwhile, was still very much pinned down by the mummies. She let out a frustrated groan, throwing her head back against the table.

The first mummy made the mistake of loosening its grip for half a second. Everlyn took the opening and headbutted it. Hard. The brittle skull cracked like an old ceramic plate before the entire head snapped clean off and rolled across the table like a grotesque bowling ball. The second mummy tried to adjust its grip, but Everlyn twisted her arms, yanked it forward, and kicked it straight in the chest. The ancient wrappings unravelled in midair as it staggered backward, knocking into another mummy, which made both of them topple like dominoes.

Everlyn grabbed a piece of broken wood from the altar and whacked the last mummy square in the face. Its skull caved in like a stale loaf of bread. She exhaled sharply, shaking dust out of her hair. Meanwhile, across the church, Nick barely had time to react before Ahmanis appeared in front of him, moving faster than humanly possible. A cold hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him clean off the ground. Nick choked, clawing at the unyielding grip. "H-Hey, man—choking is so not necessary—"

Before Ahmanis could start draining his life force, a loud THWACK echoed through the church.

Jenny had grabbed a torch stand and smashed it over Ahmanis' head.

Ahmanis didn't flinch.

Jenny blinked. "Oh, come on!"

Annoyed, he turned to her—and threw Nick at her like a ragdoll. Jenny barely had time to yelp before both of them crashed into a wooden bench, knocking it over with a loud bang. Ahmanis strode toward them, eyes glowing with power. He grabbed Nick once more, lifting him by the collar, his fingers starting to drain the life from him. Nick's skin greyed slightly as his energy was sucked away. "Nick!" Jenny shouted, her eyes darting around in desperation. Then—her gaze landed on the dagger, now lying beside Everlyn.

Everlyn, still shaking off mummy dust, noticed her staring and kicked the dagger toward her.

Jenny snatched it up, gritting her teeth.

With a determined breath, she plunged the dagger into Ahmanis' back.

A horrible scream ripped through the air.

Ahmanis lurched forward, his grip on Nick loosening as dark, inky tendrils of energy crackled around him. Nick gasped as he dropped to the floor, coughing hard. Ahmanis spun toward Jenny, fury twisting his features. He raised a hand to strike her, but before he could—

Nick shoved him hard.

The shove itself didn't do much damage, but it was enough to throw Ahmanis off balance. "Run!" Nick yelled, grabbing Everlyn's hand. The three of them bolted out of the church, stumbling over broken pews and shattered stone. Everlyn barely registered Nick and Jenny calling after her as she sprinted in the direction of the abandoned ambulance parked just outside the graveyard.

"Everlyn! Where the hell are you going?!" Nick shouted.

Everlyn yanked open the driver's side door and climbed in. "Get in!" she yelled.

Jenny and Nick didn't hesitate. The second they were inside, Everlyn slammed her foot down on the pedal, tires screeching as the vehicle lurched forward. As they sped away, silence hung in the air for a moment—until Nick, still panting, finally spoke.

"You saw it, right?"

Everlyn's grip on the wheel tightened. "You saw it, right?" Jenny exhaled, still holding the dagger in her hands. "I can't unsee it." Everlyn nodded firmly. "Good." Then, without warning, she punched Nick in the arm. "Ow!" Nick clutched his arm, glaring at her. "What the hell was that for?!"

"I told you I wasn't crazy!" Everlyn shot back.

Nick threw his hands in the air. "I didn't say anything!"

"You thought it!"

Jenny, ignoring their bickering, stared at the dagger in her hands, turning it over carefully.

"Oh my God," she muttered. "Do you realize what this is?"

Eyes still on the road, Everlyn answered, "The Dagger of Set. He was gonna drive that thing right through me."

Jenny's fingers brushed over the hilt—then froze. "The stone," she murmured, turning it slightly. "It's missing." Everlyn smirked slightly, finally catching her breath. "Yeah, that seemed to really piss him off." Jenny's grip tightened around the dagger, a stunned smile playing on her lips. "It's real," she whispered. Nick, still wedged between them, frowned. "Wait—how was it inside a statue?" Jenny barely glanced at him before answering, "That statue was a reliquary. Crusaders would use them to hide holy relics." She paused, expression darkening. "But he knew it was there." The realization sent a shiver through the group as Everlyn pressed harder on the gas, speeding away into the night.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

By: SilverMist707

<3