Chapter ~ I Know Who I am

The days blurred together in Thebes. Time had become a cruel concept—every second stretched thin, every moment dragging in endless weight. The golden cuffs that bound his wrists were no longer a novelty. They were a constant reminder of his fall from grace, a humiliating symbol of his capture, his defeat. But what truly weighed on him was not the metal, not the shackles, not even the captivity.

It was Azech-I's presence, the way the Pharaoh had twisted the knife so slowly, so deliberately.

And now, Nofri-it waited.

He had learned long ago that in Azech-I's court, patience was a weapon, one that could either break a man or shape him. But Nofri-it had never been one to break.

The sounds of footsteps echoed down the corridor, sharp and precise. He didn't have to look to know who it was.

The doors creaked open, and there, standing in the threshold, was Azech-I.

His gaze was dark, calculating—familiar. He looked as if he had never left, as if it had been only days instead of the years they had spent apart.

Azech-I's eyes flickered over him, taking in every detail—the weariness in Nofri-it's form, the tightness in his jaw, the defiance that still lingered beneath the surface.

Nofri-it stood slowly, carefully, resisting the instinct to step back, to shrink away. He refused to let Azech-I see any trace of fear.

"Still fighting it, I see," Azech-I murmured, his voice smooth, almost too smooth.

Nofri-it met his gaze, unwavering. "What do you want, Pharaoh?"

Azech-I took a slow step forward, his boots clicking against the stone floor. "I want to remind you of something," he said quietly. "You forget who you were before you became my prisoner. Who you still are."

Nofri-it's breath caught, but he held his ground. "I know who I am."

Azech-I's lips curved into something that might have been a smile, but it held none of its former warmth. "Do you? Or is that just another lie you tell yourself?"

There was a flicker in his eyes, a hint of something—sadness, regret, longing—but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by cold, sharp authority.

Nofri-it clenched his fists at his sides, the golden cuffs biting into his flesh. "I'm no longer your toy to manipulate, Azech-I. You have no power over me."

Azech-I's gaze darkened, his voice lowering, dangerous. "You misunderstand. I have always had power over you, Nofri-it. It's not about what I can do to you—it's about what you will let me do."

Nofri-it stood still, his breath shallow, as Azech-I approached him, closing the distance with every step. His heart pounded in his chest, but he refused to let it show.

"You were my greatest weapon, Nofri-it," Azech-I continued, now standing just inches away, his presence overwhelming. "The moment you entered my life, you became a part of something much bigger than you ever realized. You were a means to an end. But now…"

Azech-I's hand reached out, grazing lightly over the edge of the golden cuff, his fingers brushing against the exposed skin of Nofri-it's wrist.

"You're something else entirely."

The touch was light, almost tender. But Nofri-it felt the sharp edge of it beneath the surface. He refused to let himself flinch.

"I'm nothing to you now," Nofri-it spat, but his voice betrayed him—he could hear the crack in it, the tremor of a longing he would not admit.

Azech-I chuckled softly, the sound low and dark. "You are mine, Nofri-it. You always have been. Whether you want to admit it or not, I will own you. And I will make you remember why you chose me."

Nofri-it felt a rush of anger flare within him, a blaze that threatened to swallow him whole. He struggled against the cuffs that bound him, a futile attempt to break free, to regain some semblance of control.

But Azech-I only watched him, an amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

The Pharaoh reached up and cupped Nofri-it's chin, forcing his face upwards, tilting it to meet his gaze. "Tell me, Nofri-it," he said softly, his voice turning almost intimate. "Do you remember what it was like before you were sent to kill me? Do you remember when you were my equal?"

A flash of memory—distant, fleeting—rushed through Nofri-it's mind. The heat of their bodies against each other, the pull of power that had once drawn them together, the stolen moments when they had shared something real. Something raw.

But those moments were dead. They were buried in the past, lost to the winds of betrayal and the sands of time.

"I remember," Nofri-it whispered, his voice barely audible. "But it doesn't matter anymore."

Azech-I's gaze sharpened. "You lie to yourself, just as you always have."

With a sudden motion, Azech-I pulled him closer, his grip firm on Nofri-it's chin. His lips brushed against Nofri-it's ear, warm and insistent. "I will break you," he murmured, his breath sending a shiver down Nofri-it's spine. "And when I do, you will remember who you were before the betrayal. Before you tried to kill me."

Nofri-it swallowed, fighting the flood of emotions that threatened to overtake him. The past, the pain, the love—they all collided within him, creating a storm he could not control.

Azech-I stepped back, his hand lingering for just a moment longer than necessary.

"You will come to me, Nofri-it," he said, his voice low and certain. "I will make you mine again, in ways you cannot even imagine. You will remember, and you will submit."

With that, he turned on his heel, walking toward the door, his regal cloak trailing behind him like a shadow.

As the doors closed behind him, Nofri-it sank back against the wall, his breath ragged. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind spinning with the intensity of their encounter.

But deep down, beneath the layers of defiance and anger, something within him stirred—something that felt like hope.

Not for escape. Not for freedom.

But for something darker. Something inevitable.

Azech-I had already won.

To Be Continued...