The 20th to the 22nd were the Days of the Departed, when souls of the dead returned to the world of the living to visit those they had left behind. The cities were calm during those days. People left food by windowsills, lit candles in their gardens, and spoke softly, as if their words could reach the veil.
Though the souls could not be captured in pictures or recordings, those who waited by the flicker of their candles swore they felt gentle touches, heard familiar laughter, or caught fleeting glimpses of outlines in the air. Mothers felt the weight of a child against their lap again. Lovers swore they heard the voices of those they'd lost whispering their names. Others saw them too and talked to them.
And then, on the night of the 22nd, when the final hours of reunion dwindled, the Goddess of Death came. No one ever saw her. It is said she rode a chariot of black horses, each one cloaked in smoke and shadow, their hooves making no sound as they crossed the realm between life and death. A massive cauldron hung behind her, shimmering with ghostly light, and as she passed unseen through the world, the souls felt her call. They turned toward it instinctively, drawn not by fear but by peace. To the living, it was as if the air had sighed and released something. And then, the candles flickered once and went out.
By morning, only silence remained.
And so, when the 23rd dawned, the world woke slowly, feeling lighter but emptier. The living returned to their routines, to work and the rhythm of life that death itself could never quite stop.
That afternoon, Phaser walked on the hallways of the Great Pyramid, looking at the Egyptian murals drawn in the walls. He had just returned from Antarctica after spending time with his family. Several servants turned to look his way as he walked.
He noticed their stares almost immediately. It wasn't that they were being rude. It was just that he was hard to miss now. Standing at a staggering 210 centimeters, Phaser's sheer presence filled the space around him. His shadow stretched longer than most men's height. His shoulders had broadened since his training and his frame carried the calm assurance of someone who had faced hell and returned with composure.
He caught one of the servants staring a little too long and gave a half-smile. The poor woman instantly looked away, flustered. Phaser chuckled quietly.
"I'm starting to scare people without meaning to."
Then, from the corner of his eye, he spotted her.
"Vilythe!"
He recognized the dark-haired woman leaning against one of the pillars with a tablet. She looked up, eyes widening slightly. She then tilted her head and stepped closer, craning her neck a little.
"Phaser? By the Goddesses, you're… really tall."
"Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot lately."
"No, seriously. You used to be tall, but this is ridiculous. You look like someone stretched you."
"Maybe they did. Training tends to do weird things to your body."
"Apparently."
"Speaking of weird things, where's Hinesia? She was supposed to be here."
Vilythe blinked, her amused smile fading into something curious.
"Did you… do something to her?"
Phaser frowned. "What? No. Why?"
"Because, after you finished your nine-month training, she immediately went to our father and begged him to send her into the domain for the same amount of time. Said if you got that much stronger, she couldn't let you outshine her."
"She what?"
"She trained for nine months. Except for her, it only took nine hours in real time. Father and Mother had to burn through a ridiculous amount of Xana just to make the temporal relic work that long. It drains energy like shit. But, she made it. Came out yesterday."
"So she's been training in there this whole time… because of me?"
"Looks like it. She said she couldn't stand being weaker than you. It's insanely impressive. She's literally the third strongest in the family now. Only Mother and Father surpass her."
"She passed Asmarion?"
"By a lot. He's pretending not to be salty about it, but he definitely is."
Phaser chuckled. "I can imagine. So… she's in her room?"
"Yeah. You'll find her there. And before you ask, yes, it's fine if you go. Everyone in the Rameses bloodline knows she's engaged to you, so you're not breaking any sacred boundaries or anything."
Phaser paused. "Right. Still feels strange to just walk in unannounced."
Vilythe began walking away, a sly smile forming on her lips.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that."
"Why's that?"
"Because, you might want to brace yourself. She's… changed too."
Phaser blinked, uncertain what that meant.
"Changed?"
"You'll see. Don't faint."
He watched her go, frowning slightly.
"Changed how?"
°°°°°
Phaser stood in front of the door for a good ten seconds before lifting his hand to knock. He hesitated not because he was nervous exactly, but because Vilythe's tone had left him with a gnawing curiosity that was starting to feel like a warning. Finally, he knocked twice. There was a pause, then a familiar voice drifted through the door.
"Come in."
He exhaled, turned the handle, and stepped inside. And then he froze. Her smile bloomed immediately when she saw him, bright and open.
"Phaser!"
She crossed the room in a few quick steps and threw her arms around him. The impact nearly knocked him back.
"You're back! It's been nine months! I missed you so much!"
He blinked, his arms hanging in the air like he didn't know what to do with them. She squeezed him tighter, laughing softly against his chest.
He finally found his voice, the words slipping out in a low, half-stunned mumble.
"Wait. Wait. Hinesia?"
She looked up at him, confused, still smiling. "Yes? Who else would it be?"
He gently pushed her back just enough to get a proper look at her.
"Have you... have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?"
She tilted her head, her curls brushing against her shoulders.
"Yeah, of course I have. Why?"
"You're… not you."
"I'm... sorry, what?"
"I mean, you are you, but—"
He gestured helplessly, as though the words themselves had to catch up with what his eyes were taking in. Hinesia Rameses had been about 164 cm, with soft curves and a warm brown tone to her skin. But now, standing before him, she looked like she'd been sculpted anew by some ancient goddess with far too much time and creativity.
She was a lot taller, around 186 cm now. She was a bit more muscular now, but it was her eyes that truly amazed him. They weren't the deep brown he remembered. They were hazel with delicate white crescent shapes that curved just beneath the pupils. Her dark hair was still long and curly and the Ankh symbol was still on the side of her neck. But everything else…
Phaser's eyes trailed down without meaning to, and then froze again.
Hinesia was wearing a black tank top that hugged her perfectly — too perfectly in fact— and he could see the faint definition of her abs beneath. Her waist was slim, her arms strong, and on her stomach, the black lines of an intricate serpent tattoo wound down from her ribs to vanish beneath her waistband. Phaser stared. Then, wordlessly, he turned, placed his forehead against the wall, and hit his forehead against it.
"Phaser?"
"..."
"Are you okay?"
He turned around finally, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead and exhaling.
"You're really hot right now, and I hate that I have to process that out loud."
Hinesia blinked, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"What? You hit your head for that?"
"You— you got abs. You're taller. You have crescent eyes. You look like someone drew you from a dream."
She smirked, amused by his flustered state. Then, with a playful flick of her hair, she cupped her breasts and gave them a little lift.
"At least these survived boot camp. I still got them."
Phaser made a strangled noise that might have been a laugh, or a plea
"Hinesia, please—"
"What? You're the one staring."
"I'm not staring," he said automatically, then immediately realized that, yes, he was, in fact, staring.
"You're bad at lying now."
He sighed dramatically, looking up at the ceiling as if seeking forgiveness from some higher force.
"You have no shame."
"I've been told," she said sweetly, then held up a hair tie. "Now stop gawking and make yourself useful. Tie my hair for me?"
Phaser blinked, thrown off by the casualness of it.
"You—you want me to what?"
"Tie my hair," she repeated, turning her back toward him and handing over the elastic.
"Okay."
She stood before the mirror as he reached out, gathering her hair carefully into his hands. It was heavier than he remembered. As he looped the tie around, he caught their reflections. Her face was staring at the mirror and his taller frame was behind her. He couldn't see his own face from that angle because of his height, but he saw hers.
"You've gotten tall."
He smiled faintly back. "You've gotten… a lot more beautiful."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Because it is? What else would it be?"
"Do your job, errand boy."
"Yes, My Lady."