The Call of Destiny

Jade lay on her back, staring at the ceiling of the tent, her mind replaying the day's events. The air was still, carrying the faint scent of sand and oil from the campfires outside. Sleep eluded her, her thoughts too tangled, too restless.

She had eaten today. It wasn't much, but it was something. She had tried different foods—a savory spiced lentil stew and a strange but surprisingly delicious honeyed dish one of the servants had brought her for dessert.

She had forced herself to eat even when her stomach twisted with unease, knowing she needed the energy. The food was richer than she was used to, but she couldn't deny it was good.

More than that, she had attempted to mingle—or at least, observe. Some of the soldiers and servants didn't seem as frightening as she had first thought. There were men who laughed easily among themselves, teasing one another over their duties.

A few of the servants had been kind, though wary. They had watched her with cautious curiosity, their eyes flickering between suspicion and intrigue. She had smiled when they spoke to her, nodded when they explained things, trying her best to seem ordinary.

But she wasn't ordinary. And Hassan knew it.

Her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with him. He was still suspicious of her, too perceptive for her comfort. He played it off with charm, but she knew better.

He was watching her, calculating. He probably thought she was a spy, someone sent by Egypt's enemies. And could she blame him? A woman from a foreign land, found lurking in a military camp, carrying strange belongings?

If she were in his position, she wouldn't trust herself either.

She exhaled sharply, pressing a hand against her forehead. She had to be careful. She had to stay ahead of them. More than anything, she had to figure out how to get home. Whatever happened next, whatever the Pharaoh decided—none of it mattered as much as that.

She turned onto her side, closing her eyes, forcing herself to focus. One day at a time. That was all she could do.

But as she lay there, a deeper ache settled in her chest.

Home.

The thought hit her harder than she expected. She missed it—the familiarity, the comfort. The voices of her family, the laughter at the dinner table, the little things she had taken for granted.

And Angela… her best friend, her confidante. She could almost hear her voice, teasing and lighthearted, calling her dramatic for whatever mess she had gotten herself into.

Angela would have been the first to tell her to keep her head up, to stay sharp. What would she do if she knew Jade was gone?

How much time had passed in her world? Did they think she was dead?

A lump formed in her throat, and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing the emotions away. She couldn't afford to dwell on it, not now. But in the quiet of the night, as exhaustion finally pulled her into sleep, the longing remained, lingering like a shadow she couldn't escape.

But the uneasy feeling wouldn't leave her, not even as exhaustion finally pulled her into sleep.

***

Thebes, (Eastern Bank of the Nile River), Upper Egypt

The great temple of Amun in Thebes stood in solemn majesty, its towering columns casting long shadows as the midday sun filtered through the incense-laden air.

The Pharaoh entered with his usual measured steps, his golden pectoral gleaming under the temple's dim torchlight. The priests, clad in white linen, bowed deeply as he passed, their murmured prayers ceasing as he approached the sanctuary.

At the heart of the temple, beneath the towering statues of the gods, the High Priest stood waiting. He was an aged man, his presence commanding despite his frail frame. He raised his hands in reverence, lowering his head as the Pharaoh came before him.

"My Pharaoh," the High Priest intoned, his voice carrying across the sacred chamber. "The gods whisper, and their will unfolds before us."

The Pharaoh regarded him, unreadable as ever, his expression set like carved stone. But behind that facade, something stirred deep within him. A sensation he had felt since childhood, something distant yet unshakably familiar. He tightened his fingers around the scroll he had received from General Horus.

"You spoke of a presence in the air, something unseen but powerful. Now, a foreign woman has been found in my lands—a mystery with no past, no ties, and no reason to be here. And yet, she remains. This is no coincidence. I must know why."

The High Priest studied him closely, his lined face betraying no surprise. "The gods do not act without purpose. The air stirs when change is near. The woman… she is not ordinary, is she?"

The Pharaoh's breath was steady, yet the weight in his chest grew heavier. He had dreamed of her. Not once, not twice, but his entire life.

The woman who stood at the edge of his visions, her face always just beyond his reach. The one he had longed for, unknowingly, since boyhood.

He spoke carefully. "No. My general senses something unnatural about her. He hesitated to dispose of her outright—a hesitation I do not take lightly. I will see her myself. But tell me, High Priest, what is it you foresaw?"

The priest closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply as if listening for whispers beyond mortal reach. "A shift in the balance. A ripple in time itself. She does not belong, yet she is here. That is no accident."

The Pharaoh's gaze darkened. "Then what is she? A blessing or a curse?"

The High Priest exhaled slowly. "That, my Pharaoh, only the gods may decide. But if she is here, then she has a role to play. Whether that role serves Egypt or threatens it… that remains unknown."

A long silence settled between them. The Pharaoh's mind was sharp, unwavering, yet even he could not ignore the weight of these words. He did not believe in coincidences. He did not tolerate uncertainty.

But he knew. Somehow, in a way he could not explain, he had always been waiting for this. For her.

Finally, he straightened, his voice quiet but firm. "Then I will see for myself what fate has brought to my lands. I leave for the military encampment at first light."

The High Priest bowed once more. "May the gods guide your steps, my Pharaoh."

The Pharaoh turned, his flowing linen cloak, embroidered with gold and sacred symbols, sweeping the stone floor as he strode toward the temple's exit. He moved with the grace of a god among men, his presence alone enough to command awe.

The torches lining the hall flickered as he passed, casting long shadows over the towering columns. Priests and temple attendants bowed deeply, their foreheads nearly touching the ground, whispering prayers of devotion. To them, he was not merely a ruler—he was the earthly embodiment of divine will, the divine hand of the gods themselves.

Stepping into the golden light of the setting sun, his golden eyes gleamed like those of a predator, sharp and unwavering. He was met by his royal guard, their eyes fixed forward in rigid discipline. His chariot, adorned with gold and intricate carvings of his victories, awaited him.

The standard bearers stood at attention, the banners of Upper and Lower Egypt, bearing the sacred emblems of the lotus and papyrus, rippling in the wind. Every movement, every breath, reinforced the undeniable truth—he was Pharaoh, master of the Two Lands, the chosen of the gods.

But despite his outward composure, something inside him stirred. The call of destiny, an echo from a past he did not yet understand. He was no ordinary man, and she—whoever she was—was no ordinary woman.

For the first time in his reign, he felt as if he was not marching toward war or conquest, but toward something far greater.

Something fated. Outside, his royal guard stood ready, awaiting his command.

His mind was made up. He would travel to see her.

And for the first time in his life, he would face the woman who had haunted his dreams.

"Wait for me, my love, for this Pharaoh is coming for you"