Whispers of Egypt

The moment Jade stepped out of the taxi in front of the iconic Egyptian Museum in Cairo, she felt a mix of awe and unease.

The grand pink-hued building stood as a gateway to Egypt's rich history, its domed roof and arched windows framed by lush gardens and towering palm trees.

The air buzzed with the chatter of tourists and the click of cameras, but beneath the surface, an inexplicable tension hung in the air.

Jade looked up at the towering museum in front of her, a shiver ran down her spine. The energy she had been feeling since arriving in Egypt surged back, more potent and unsettling than ever.

Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead as an invisible force seemed to pulse through her veins.

Something wasn't right.

Her intuition screamed at her not to go inside, but her feet moved as if guided by an unseen hand. Step by step, she approached the grand entrance, each movement deliberate and yet entirely out of her control.

W-why? Why am I moving toward the building? What is going on?!

Panic swelled in her chest, but beneath it lay a strange yearning—a pull toward something, or someone, waiting within those ancient walls. Her heart ached with an emptiness she couldn't understand.

"Jade! Are you coming? Or are you just gonna stand there looking all pretty?" Angela's voice snapped her out of the daze.

She stood at the top of the stairs, a camera resting against her chest, its strap looped around her neck as she stood with her hands on her hips, surveying the grand entrance of the museum.

Jade blinked, realizing she was still at the base of the wide stone staircase while Angela waited at the top.

Jade's gaze swept over the lush landscape surrounding the museum. Exotic plants created a tapestry of greens and vibrant blooms, and a massive stone statue guarded the entrance with an imposing stance.

The scenery was beautiful, but unease coiled in her stomach. Her instincts were sharp, honed by years of survival, and they were screaming at her now.

"I'm coming," she called back, her feet continuing forward as if drawn by a magnetic pull.

She had no control over her movements, each step a strange blend of resistance and surrender.

Each step felt heavy, as if she were pushing through a dense fog, but she forced herself to move forward, closing the distance to Angela at the top of the staircase.

As they stepped inside, both women's jaws dropped. The museum's grand hall was filled with treasures from an ancient world—priceless artifacts, statues, and relics that whispered of dynasties long past. Intricately carved walls, gilded displays, and delicate pottery spoke of lives lived thousands of years ago.

"Wow, amazing! Are you seeing all these beautiful bricks with ancient writing, Jade?" Angela darted from display to display, her excitement palpable.

"And look at this wig! What do you think I'd look like wearing it?"

Jade barely heard her. Her focus had locked onto a towering stone wall covered in ancient script.

She moved closer, her breath hitching. The symbols etched into the stone seemed to dance before her eyes, each mark familiar.

The dreams.

She had seen these very markings before, in the hazy moments between sleep and waking.

How had she not realized it until now?

Her hand rose, brushing against the glass barrier that separated her from the ancient relic. Her fingers hovered over the script, tracing the symbols in the air as if they might reveal their secrets to her.

"How strange," she murmured.

"Jade! I just asked a guide about this writing," Angela said, popping up beside her.

"It's called hieroglyphics. It's how the Ancient Egyptians communicated. Crazy, right? I can't even imagine how they decipher this stuff."

"Yes," Jade whispered, her eyes never leaving the wall. "It's... beautiful."

Angela tugged on her arm. "Come on! There's so much more to see. Look, they even have mummified Pharaohs!"

Jade allowed herself to be led through the winding corridors of history. Every turn revealed new wonders—golden sarcophagi, ornate jewelry, weapons still sharp after millennia.

But nothing captivated her quite like the sight before her now.

A grand display, separated from the rest, showcased a stone coffin adorned in gold. The name etched into the plaque read: King Rameses II, Pharaoh of Egypt, 1325 BC.

Angela read aloud, "They say he was one of the greatest Pharaohs, but he died young. Can you imagine what it must have been like to live back then?"

Jade's blue eyes traced every curve and line of the coffin. It was a masterpiece, adorned with vibrant colors and intricate designs. The mask alone was a marvel, capturing the regal features of a man who had once ruled with power and fear.

He looks so familiar.

Her gaze drifted to the mummified remains displayed beside the coffin. She could tell from the height and the broadness of the shoulders that he had been tall—a rare feat in those times.

His body, preserved by the desert sands and ancient rituals, seemed to hold onto a strength that defied the grave.

What kind of life did you live? What kind of man were you?

Her eyes caught on something unusual. Resting on the Pharaoh's sternum was a round, golden amulet.

The centerpiece was an eye with a vivid blue iris surrounded by black kohl, the shape slightly slanted, almost feline.

A ring of engraved symbols wrapped around it, and though Jade had never studied hieroglyphics, a shiver of recognition crawled up her spine.

"So beautiful," she breathed. "What does it mean?"

Her hand reached out again, instinctively drawn to the amulet. An invisible force seemed to hum between her fingertips and the ancient relic, a vibration that echoed in her bones.

She didn't notice Angela's chatter fading into the background, nor the whispers of other tourists as they moved through the room. All she could see was the eye, watching her, calling to her.

A soft murmur brushed against her ear, so quiet she almost missed it.

"Come to me."

Jade's breath caught in her throat, her hand still hovering against the glass. The room around her blurred, and for a moment, it felt as though time itself had stretched thin. A veil between past and present, between reality and dreams.

Her vision swayed, and she blinked hard, pulling herself back. She forced her hand down, clenching it into a fist to stop its trembling.

"Jade? You okay?" Angela's voice snapped her back.

Jade turned, her expression carefully composed. "Yeah. I'm fine. Let's keep going."

But as they moved on, Jade couldn't shake the feeling that she had just awoken something ancient.

Something powerful. And deep within, beneath layers of logic and denial, a voice whispered that her dreams were not dreams at all.

They were memories.