Chapter 157 - Consequences(IV)

The room atop the Brooklyn House was bathed in the soft light of Egyptian lamps. The smell of burnt papyrus and incense hung in the air, giving the room a sense of calm… or at least it should have.

Ikki leaned against the window, watching the distant city lights, while Amos, seated behind his desk, looked at him with an expression that was hard to decipher.

"So, this is it?" Amos finally broke the silence, steepling his fingers on the desk.

Ikki looked away from the window, meeting his eyes.

"It's the best option."

Amos sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"You created a magical version of yourself, using your own blood, to rule the House of Life in your place."

"Correct."

"And he has your personality, your knowledge, your magic…"

"Exactly."

"But he's not you."

"Is that a problem?"

Amos was silent for a moment before shaking his head with a tired smile.

"No, the real problem is that you took on all the responsibility and are in charge of everything. But I should have known you would do something like this. Since we met, you've never chosen the easy path."

Amos observed him for a moment, his dark eyes assessing every detail of Ikki's face. He had learned to trust this boy in a way he never expected. Two years ago, Ikki not only saved him from Seth but also helped him recover from the god's influence. After that, he stood by his side in battles that shaped the fate of the world. And now…

Now he was leaving.

"Ikki…" Amos hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I know you already carry many responsibilities. I know you always do what you believe is right. But don't forget that you don't have to face everything alone."

Ikki blinked, surprised by the almost paternal tone.

"You sound like someone who's worried."

"And I am." Amos smiled slightly. "You may be a Pharaoh, but you're also a boy I've watched grow over the last year. One that, somehow, I've come to regard as a nephew."

Ikki looked away, unsure how to respond to that. Silence settled for a moment before he sighed, relaxing his shoulders slightly.

"I know."

Amos studied him once more before standing up and walking over to him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Just promise me one thing."

"Anything but giving up."

Amos laughed.

"Right, I should have expected that answer. Then just promise me you'll take care of yourself."

Ikki held his gaze for a moment before nodding.

"I promise."

Amos squeezed his shoulder one last time before letting go.

"Good. Because if you die, I'll bring you back just to give you a lecture."

Ikki smiled.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

After settling a few more details with Amos, Ikki left his office, the weight of the conversation still on his shoulders. Today was the fourth day of a week he would spend in this charade…

Pretending was so exhausting, but he had to. He had come to accept it as punishment for everything he had done, even though he had decided to move on, he was just trying…

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh before descending the first steps of the spiral staircase. The Brooklyn House was quiet at that time of night, which wasn't exactly common. Usually, there was some clumsy trainee dropping scrolls or a shabti running by to deliver urgent messages. But now… only the sound of his own footsteps filled the space.

Or at least that's what he thought until he felt a sudden tug on his arm.

"Come with me."

Before he could react, Sadie was dragging him down the hallway, her slender fingers gripping his wrist firmly. She led him with an air of mystery, the blond of her hair swaying with the movement. Ikki raised an eyebrow, but didn't try to break free.

"Can I at least know where we're going?"

"If I tell you, it spoils the surprise." She glanced over her shoulder, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes.

Ikki could have insisted, but instead he just sighed, letting her guide him. He already knew where this was going. Sadie had always been impulsive, but in the last few months (memories of that year created through magic), her attention towards him had become… different. More direct, more intense. He had already noticed the lingering looks, the hidden smiles, the excuses to be alone with him.

And, deep down, he knew this wasn't just a phase.

"Close your eyes."

Ikki frowned. "Seriously?"

Sadie crossed her arms. "Does the Pharaoh not trust me?"

Ikki rolled his eyes, but obeyed.

There was a murmur of magic, and in an instant the air around them seemed to change. The temperature fluctuated, and the smell of Egyptian incense was replaced by something fresher, with a subtle hint of spices and flowers. When Ikki opened his eyes, he realized they were in a completely different place.

A floating restaurant.

They were on a boat, gliding smoothly down a river under a starry sky. Lanterns hung from the beams of the vessel, casting a golden glow on the elegantly arranged tables. The soft sound of instrumental music filled the air, accompanied by the distant murmur of water against the hull.

Ikki blinked, surprised.

"This is…"

"Amazing?" Sadie smiled, leaning against the boat's railing. "I thought you deserved something different."

Ikki looked at her, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. Sadie was radiant in the lantern light, and there was a certain expectation in her eyes. He knew what it meant. He knew what she wanted.

And he knew it wasn't that simple.

He looked away at the river, his fingers clenching against the wooden railing. Guilt stirred in his chest. Sadie liked him, there was no doubt about that. But how much of that feeling was real? How much wasn't a result of the magic he had used?

He should deny it immediately. He should tell her he couldn't reciprocate.

But, for some reason, he couldn't.

Instead, he just sighed and turned to her.

"Alright. But if this is a trap, I swear I'll—"

Sadie laughed. "Relax, Pharaoh. Just enjoy it."

Ikki shook his head, but eventually gave in. He pulled out a chair and sat down, watching Sadie do the same across the table.

She seemed genuinely excited, which made him even more uneasy. He knew he should nip this in the bud, but… at the same time, he felt a strange comfort there.

The gentle sound of the water below them and the night breeze gave the moment an almost unreal air.

He laced his fingers together on the table and tilted his head slightly.

"So… should I consider this a dinner between friends, or do you have a secret agenda behind this?"

Sadie raised her eyes, blinking innocently. "What a horrible thing to ask, Pharaoh. What if I just wanted to give you a moment of rest?"

Ikki raised an eyebrow. "Sadie Kane, one of the most impulsive people I know, suddenly decides to plan a sophisticated dinner for me? All this without any ulterior motive?"

She smiled faintly. "Maybe I decided you deserved a nice night."

He crossed his arms. "And you chose a candlelit dinner on a floating boat in the sky?"

"It's a dramatic touch, I admit." Sadie rested her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "But you have to admit it's pretty stylish."

Ikki sighed, looking around again. The place really was impressive. From the soft glow of the lanterns to the gentle rocking of the boat, everything seemed incredibly well-done.

He looked back at her. "And how did you do this?"

Sadie sat up a little straighter, as if expecting the question.

"With magic, obviously." She smiled. "But the long answer? Since the Egyptian gods left, because of you, a lot has changed. Before, magic was like a series of ancient formulas and rigid rules. But now…"

She twirled her finger in the air, as if searching for the right word.

"Now it's more like a fusion between calculations and imagination."

Ikki found her point of view interesting; the Ma'at he created really had that basis; memories from one of the magicians he absorbed when he defeated Hercules helped him create and adjust it: "Explain."

Sadie picked up one of the pieces of cutlery and began to twirl it between her fingers. "Before, magic came from inscriptions, divine words, sacrifices, and a lot of limitations. Now, it seems more fluid. I still need to calculate the structure, but I can fill the spaces with creativity. I kind of…"

She pursed her lips, searching for the right analogy.

"Turned it into a math problem with multiple correct answers."

Ikki considered this. "So you're basically exploring the new possibilities."

Sadie smiled.

"Exactly. That's why this boat. There's no specific ancient spell to create a floating boat in the sky, but I put a few things together. I built the boat with magic, then fused it with a strong illusion to hide it from prying eyes, created water and made it flow like a river through the sky. And then, I applied a locomotion spell to make it actually move."

Ikki looked around once more, this time appreciating the details more carefully. It was, indeed, an impressive feat.

Sadie leaned back in her chair, a gleam of pride in her eyes. "So, what do you think? Am I doing well?"

Ikki held her gaze for a moment. He picked up the glass of juice in front of him and raised it slightly.

"I'd say you're doing very well. But…" He extended his hand casually, as if simply stretching his fingers in the air. But, in the next instant, the sky around them changed.

The clouds dissipated as if they were curtains being opened, revealing a vast expanse of stars that seemed to stretch forever. It wasn't just an ordinary starry sky, it was as if all of space had transformed into a deep, shimmering ocean, where constellations moved gently like waves and small comets passed in the distance, leaving luminous trails.

The feeling of floating in the cosmos took over the boat. The lanterns around them automatically dimmed, making the celestial light even more intense. Sadie's mouth opened slightly, her eyes wide as she took in the scene.

"How did you…?" Her voice was almost a whisper.

Ikki lowered his hand and shrugged. "You still have a few things to learn."

Sadie blinked, snapping out of her trance.

"Oh, please." She grumbled, crossing her arms. "I bring you to dinner on a floating boat and you decide to humiliate me by creating a sea of stars? Do you always have to be so over the top?"

Ikki chuckled. "Hey, you started it. I just followed your lead."

Sadie looked at him with a mixture of irritation and fascination. "That was pure showboating, Pharaoh."

"I prefer to call it enhancing the ambiance."

She snorted, but couldn't help but smile slightly. Her eyes returned to the sky around them. "Okay, I admit it. This is incredible."

Ikki leaned against the railing, watching her. "I liked that reaction better."

Sadie rolled her eyes, but her expression still held enchantment.

Silence fell between them.

Eventually, it was Sadie who broke the silence.

"Have you ever wondered what would have happened if things were different?"

Ikki looked at her, curious. "Different how?"

She swirled her glass slowly between her fingers. "If the gods hadn't interfered so much. If you hadn't become what you are now. If I'd had a normal life in London, without magic, without prophecies, without trying to save the world every week. And you, your life in Manhattan…"

Ikki was silent for a moment before answering.

"Yes." He turned slightly to face her. "But I always arrive at the same answer. I don't know if it would have been better."

Sadie frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ikki took a deep breath. "I wonder if it would have been easier. Probably. But better? I'm not sure. Because, in the end, the people I've met, the things I've experienced… all of that made me who I am."

Sadie was quiet, absorbing his words.

"Sometimes, I think it would have been better." She admitted. "Not losing my parents. Not having to be a magician before I even understood how life works. But then… I think about the people I've met because of it. Carter, Zia, you. And then I don't know what I would prefer anymore."

Ikki watched her expression, softly illuminated by the stars.

"I understand." He said. "And I don't think there's a right answer."

Sadie sighed and leaned over the table, resting her chin on her hand. "Okay, Mr. Pharaoh. Tell me something then. If you could choose a single moment to relive, any moment from your life, what would it be?"

Ikki tilted his head, considering the question.

Sadie waited patiently.

For a moment, he thought about answering something casual about his life, but then he decided to use one of the memories he had seen in the year he created with his magic; her version of it seemed at peace….

"That night on the Brooklyn rooftop." He finally said.

Sadie blinked, surprised. "Really? With all the epic things that have happened in your life?"

Ikki shrugged. "It was a quiet moment. Just me, you, and Carter, looking at the city."

Sadie was silent for a moment, and then smiled. A genuine smile, not her usual sarcastic one.

"It's a good memory." She admitted.

"And you?" Ikki asked.

She tilted her head to the side, thinking.

"Tonight."

Ikki raised an eyebrow.

Sadie laughed softly.

"Don't look at me like that. But… it's one of those moments you know you'll remember later, you know? The starry night, the boat, the fact that for a moment, nothing else matters."

Ikki watched her, surprised by her honesty.

"Yes." He said softly. "I know."

They were both silent for a while.

Sadie twirled her glass between her fingers, watching the juice sway gently inside it.

"So, Pharaoh," she began with a half-smile, "tell me something completely random about yourself. Something no one else knows."

Ikki raised an eyebrow. "Be more specific?"

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes. "Like… I don't know, your favorite food, a weird hobby, anything."

Ikki took a moment to think, tilting his head slightly.

"Okay," he said. "I'm really good at origami."

Sadie blinked. "Origami?"

He shrugged. "Learned it when I was a kid. I used to get bored, so I started folding paper until something decent came out of it. Now, if you give me a piece of paper, I can make pretty much anything with it."

Sadie stared at him for a moment before leaning forward, intrigued. "Seriously? Like what?"

Ikki smiled slightly. "Birds, dragons, flowers, even a boat."

"A boat?" She narrowed her eyes. "I bet it doesn't float."

"Well, maybe not. But it would look nice," Ikki said, rolling his eyes, remembering the time when he had nothing to do as a baby and had to distract his mind with this kind of thing.

Sadie shook her head, laughing too. "Okay, that was unexpected. Now it's your turn. Ask anything."

Ikki rested his chin on his hand, studying her for a moment before asking,

"If you could instantly learn any skill in the world, what would it be?"

Sadie grinned. "Easy. Play the piano."

Ikki raised an eyebrow. "Piano?"

"Yeah," she said, excitedly. "I've always thought it was amazing. That whole thing of playing without even looking, like your fingers know exactly what to do. Plus, it seems like one of those talents that make anyone look effortlessly elegant."

Ikki chuckled. "I never thought about it that way, but it makes sense."

Sadie nodded. "And you? Besides origami."

Ikki thought for a moment, then gave a small smile.

"Actually, I've already learned pretty much everything I wanted to."

Sadie narrowed her eyes at him. "Really? Everything?"

He shrugged. "If something interested me, I learned it. Some things were easier, others took longer, but… yeah, I don't think there's anything I look at and think, 'I wish I knew how to do that.'"

Sadie crossed her arms, suspicious. "That sounds a bit unfair."

Ikki grinned. "Or efficient."

She huffed. "Okay, genius. Next question: if you had to choose one place to live for the rest of your life, and never leave, where would it be?"

Ikki considered for a moment.

"Somewhere with mountains. Not too cold, but with fresh air. Something peaceful, away from big cities."

Sadie raised an eyebrow. "That sounds… isolated."

"It's not really isolation," Ikki explained. "It's more about having space, you know? Being able to breathe without the feeling that the whole world is watching."

Sadie was silent for a moment, as if absorbing this. Then, she smiled softly.

"I like that," she said. "But I'd choose London."

Ikki looked at her, surprised. "Even after everything?"

She nodded. "I know I haven't spent as much time there as I'd like, but when I think of a place that makes me feel at home… it's still London. The smell of rain, the noise of the streets, the bakeries selling tea and biscuits. Even with all the chaos, it's *my* chaos."

Ikki smiled slightly. "Makes sense."

They were quiet for a moment, just listening to the sound of the water below the boat and the distant murmur of the ambient music.

Sadie fidgeted with the napkin on the table, as if hesitant to continue.

"Sometimes, I forget that we're still young," she admitted. "Like… most of the time we're so busy dealing with big things that it's easy to forget we should be talking about nonsense, laughing at stupid things, living."

Ikki was silent for a moment before answering.

"I think that depends on what 'living' means to each person."

Sadie tilted her head. "Explain."

He gave a small smile. "Some people think living is having a quiet routine, a stable job, a family. Some people think living is exploring the world, seeking challenges. And some people don't even know what they want, they just go with the flow."

Sadie watched him intently. "And you? What does living mean to you?"

Ikki sighed, as if pondering the million-dollar question. Then, he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, and looked into Sadie's eyes.

"For me, living is feeling."

Sadie frowned, curious, but he continued.

"It's feeling the chill of the early morning when you walk aimlessly, lost in your own thoughts. It's feeling the adrenaline burning in your veins when you face an impossible challenge. It's feeling the laughter escaping uncontrollably when someone says something so stupid you can't help yourself. It's feeling the pain when you lose something important, because it means that one day it was worth it… Even when it destroys you and you see it as punishment for not being able to save or do something for that person. Living is all of that. The good, the bad, the chaotic. If one day I stop feeling… then I'll know I'm not really alive anymore."

For the first time in a long time, Ikki answered sincerely, a vision he was having after everything he had been through in the last few days. He was scared that he was losing those human emotions as he became a God…

Sadie was silent, absorbing his words. Then, with a small smile on her lips, she teased:

"That was pretty deep. Have you been reading poetry in secret?"

Ikki chuckled softly, shrugging. "Maybe. Or maybe I've just been thinking about it too much."

Silence settled again. Sadie broke it with a theatrical sigh.

"Well, I guess I can't beat your ocean of stars trick," she admitted. "So I'll just have to settle for impressing you with food."

She snapped her fingers, and in an instant, the table before them was filled with exquisite dishes. The food looked delicious, but Ikki noticed something curious:

"You made all of this with magic?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sadie grinned mischievously. "Technically, yes. But the recipe is real."

Ikki picked up one of the dishes and observed the details. The presentation was impeccable, but…

"Have you actually cooked before?"

Sadie hesitated. "…Technically, no."

Ikki shook his head, laughing. "So, basically, you conjured food that may or may not taste good."

"Look, I did my best!" Sadie defended herself, picking up a fork. "But if you're so experienced, why don't you show me how it's done, chef?"

Ikki crossed his arms, thinking. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the table cleared, and before them appeared a small makeshift kitchen—complete with fresh ingredients and real utensils.

Sadie's eyes widened. "Hey! I spent hours setting up that magic!"

"Time for an upgrade." Ikki grinned. "Come on. If you want to impress me, you'll have to do it right."

Sadie huffed, but there was a playful glint in her eyes.

"Alright, Pharaoh. But if I burn everything, it's your fault."

Ikki grabbed an apron and tossed one to Sadie.

"We'll see," he said casually, his mind already having learned and adjusted.

Sadie didn't know exactly what to expect when she agreed to cook with Ikki, but it certainly wasn't this. As soon as they started, it became clear that Ikki took the matter very seriously. He moved around the makeshift kitchen with an almost supernatural grace, picking up ingredients and spices with surgical precision. Each cut of the knife was swift and sure, and every movement seemed imbued with an irritatingly natural confidence.

Sadie tried to keep up, but… well, she was a magician, not a chef.

"How do you make this look so easy?" She grumbled, watching Ikki brown pieces of meat in a pan with absurd perfection. The rich, savory smell was already making her dizzy.

Ikki simply shrugged, tossing a handful of herbs into the simmering sauce. "Practice. And a good instinct for flavors."

If he'd had all these utensils during the mission to save Artemis, he would have made a much better meal for the group before entering Telos, and he hadn't lied about the practice. When you travel for a year, lonely and obsessed, sometimes you find yourself wanting to feel human again, so he learned to cook, although he only did it a few times…

Sadie huffed and tried to mimic his movements, but ended up almost dropping an entire jar of red pepper flakes into the dish.

"Hey, easy there," Ikki caught her hand at the last second, laughing. "Unless you want to set your tongue on fire."

She rolled her eyes, but her heart skipped a beat when she realized how close they were. His hand was still holding hers, warm and firm, and for a moment, she felt her breath catch. But before she could react, Ikki returned his focus to the food as if nothing had happened.

After a few more minutes of work—or, in Sadie's case, a few more minutes of fumbling—Ikki finally plated the dishes and served them. Sadie looked at the meal before her and felt her mouth water instantly. It was a simple dish at first glance—perfectly seared meat, accompanied by a golden, aromatic sauce, with a touch of fresh herbs and a creamy puree on the side. But the smell…

The smell was divine.

She didn't even realize she had closed her eyes until she felt Ikki nudge her arm. "Are you going to stare at it or are you just going to smell it?"

Sadie took a piece of the meat, brought it to her mouth, and—

She made a sound. A sound she definitely didn't mean to make. A sound that, to her absolute mortification, sounded dangerously close to a moan.

Her eyes widened, and Ikki raised an eyebrow. "Was that a moan?"

"It was nothing…" she said quickly, shoving another piece into her mouth—and damn, it was even better on the second bite.

Ikki chuckled softly, resting his face on his hand as he watched her eat. "I think that answers whether it was good or not."

Sadie wanted to answer, wanted to deliver some sharp retort, but the food was too good.

"I hate you…" was all she could manage to murmur between bites.

Ikki just smiled. "No, you don't."

And, damn, he was right. Sadie continued eating as if her life depended on it, which, to be fair, might be true—because, honestly, this was too good. She could hardly believe Ikki had made this. This was a side of him she was completely unaware of. It was nothing like that soup he made for her once…

When they finished eating, Sadie leaned back in her chair, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Okay, I admit it," she said, poking her empty plate with her fork. "That was ridiculously good. Almost enough for me to ignore the fact that you basically humiliated my attempt to impress you."

Ikki smirked, propping his elbow on the table. "Almost?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't get carried away, Pharaoh."

The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. The boat floated gently through the starry sky, and Sadie found herself wishing that time could stop right there. Just for a little longer. Just long enough for her to find the right words.

Because that was it, wasn't it? The reason why she had gone to all this trouble. The reason why she wanted this night to be special.

Ikki was leaving in three days.

And she loved him.

Except saying it out loud… well, that was a problem.

For starters, she wasn't even sure *when* it had happened. Maybe it was when he saved her for the first time. Maybe it was when he smiled at her in that calm way, as if nothing in the world could shake his absurd confidence. Or maybe it was now, in this exact moment, when he was looking at her with infuriating patience, as if he knew something was going through her mind, but was willing to wait for her to decide to speak.

And, of course, there was the matter of Zia.

Zia, who also loved him.

Sadie didn't like to lose, but this seemed like one of those situations where, no matter what she did, someone would get hurt. And, honestly? The idea of being that person was… terrifying.

She took a deep breath.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ikki asked, and the casual way he said it made her heart skip a beat.

Sadie forced a smile.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking that, despite everything, maybe you're not a complete lost cause in the kitchen."

Ikki chuckled. "Was that a compliment?"

"Don't get used to it."

He was still looking at her, waiting for her to say something more. Sadie opened her mouth.

Then closed it again.

It wasn't fair. Not to Zia. Not to herself. Not to him.

"We should probably go," she said, standing up abruptly. "Since you're disappearing in three days, you probably have a busy schedule, right?"

Ikki raised an eyebrow, clearly aware that she was avoiding something. But, to her eternal frustration, he simply nodded.

"If that's what you want."

Sadie wanted to say it wasn't. She wanted to say she didn't want him to go. She wanted to say that maybe, just maybe, she was tired of losing things and people that meant the world to her.

But instead, she forced a smile and conjured the exit of the boat.

"Come on, chef," she said, ignoring the tightness in her chest. "Before I change my mind and ask for a rematch in the kitchen."

Ikki didn't answer immediately. He just watched her for a moment longer than necessary, as if trying to decipher something in her.

Then he smiled—that calm, confident smile that made her want to punch him and kiss him at the same time.

"I'll hold you to that promise," he said.

And with that, he moved on, leaving Sadie behind with her thoughts.