Story 1: Card Games in Ancient Egypt
Prologue: Card Games in Ancient Egypt
1352 BCE - Akhenaten POV
Light spilled through the latticed windows of the birthing room, dappling the floor like scattered gold coins. Akhenaten lingered in the shadows, his distinctive profile stark against the wall as he watched his wife labor. Sweet incense smoke coiled toward the ceiling while holy women's voices rose and fell in prayers to the goddess of childbirth.
The baby announced his arrival with a cry that pierced the air. At that moment, the universe shuddered. Akhenaten felt it like a blow to the gut—a cosmic shift that made his teeth ache and his soul tremble.
"A prince, divine one," a voice said, the words reaching him as if through water.
He moved toward the child in a trance. Being pharaoh meant straddling two worlds – one foot in the realm of gods, one in the land of mortals. But as he drew closer to his newborn son, those carefully drawn boundaries dissolved like wax in the sun.
The infant's eyes snapped open, and Akhenaten's heart faltered. These weren't a newborn's cloudy, unfocused eyes – they were ancient, knowing, as if they'd witnessed the birth of time itself.
"My love?" Kiya's voice quavered with exhaustion. "Is all well?"
"Better than well," he whispered, his hand hovering over the child's brow. "It's perfect."
The instant his skin met his son's, power surged through him like flood waters breaching a dam. It resonated with his divine connection, echoing tales of Atum – the first god, who sparked creation from nothing. This child radiated that same raw potential, like unformed clay awaiting the potter's touch.
"Atem," he declared, claiming the ancient god's name. "That's his name. Just as Atum rose from chaos to shape existence, this child will reshape our world."
Those unnerving eyes fixed on him again, and for a heartbeat, reality rippled around the infant like heat waves off summer sand. Then it vanished, swift as a cobra slipping into shadow.
"My heir," he proclaimed, lifting the baby toward Ra's light. "Born of my blood, blessed by heaven itself." He paused, centuries of tradition heavy on his tongue. "May you walk the path of truth and balance the realms, as all true pharaohs must."
But these ancient words felt hollow in his mouth, for nothing about this child followed tradition. The sunlight embraced him like a long-lost friend, and the sacred hieroglyphs etched into the walls thrummed with renewed life.
Akhenaten had devoted his life to understanding divine mysteries and had dared to revolutionize Egypt's entire belief system. Yet, cradling his son, he felt like a blind man trying to describe colors.
Whatever power coursed through those tiny veins, whatever destiny the gods had written, one truth remained crystal clear: Atem, namesake of the creator god, would leave his mark on history. Akhenaten might not grasp the full scope of his son's nature, but deep in his bones, he knew this child would transform Egypt forever.
Atem's POV
Sixteen winters had passed since my first cry echoed through the palace halls. Back then, I was just a babe swaddled in the finest linens, my existence heralded by trembling earth and ancient powers. Now I stood at the temple threshold, no longer the wide-eyed child who once chased sparrows through these corridors, but a prince on the cusp of his destiny.
My eighth year brought an awakening I never expected. Memories crashed over me like a tide—a different life, a modern world. I could still taste the remnants of 2025 on my tongue, my final moment there spent choosing paths in a story that somehow led me here. In this life, I opened my eyes as the heir to Pharaoh Akhenaten, a man whose religious revolution would shake the very foundations of Egypt.
I love my father, yet his choices haunt me. Behind his gentle smiles and tender care for our family lies an unwavering conviction that threatens everything we are. His devotion to Aten burns like the desert sun, scorching away thousands of years of tradition. He's banished our gods for the sake of his one deity. His actions seem like madness in a land where divine powers flow through every temple and home.
What troubles me most is the peculiar nature of our world—the Nasuverse, where gods still walk among mortals in this ancient age. Each day, I watch my father deny their existence while they observe from the shadows. Sometimes I lie awake wondering why they haven't struck him down, why the thunder remains silent.
The golden cartouche at my neck catches the light as I run my thumb across its surface. Each hieroglyph tells my story and defines my fate.
The thoughts swirling in my head on my sixteenth birthday scatter like leaves when I hear footsteps behind me. Before I can turn, warm arms wrap around my waist. It's Mana—the Dark Magician Girl wearing her human disguise—greeting me with her usual boundless energy. Her laugh sparkles through the air, a sound that connects my two worlds like a bridge made of starlight. She's grown so comfortable in her human form now, but magic still dances in her eyes, bright and unmistakable.
"Remember the first time you summoned me?" she asks, her chin resting on my shoulder. "Eight years ago, almost to the day. Little you, standing in that wobbly circle you'd drawn, wielding powers you'd chosen through that CYOA."
I can't help but smile at the memory. "You nearly blasted me into the next dynasty when you saw my face."
"'By Ra's light, how dare you wear his face!'" she quotes herself, laughing. "In my defense, you try being summoned by someone who looks exactly like..." She trails off, then embraces me tighter. "But then you started babbling about 2026 and Choose Your Own Adventures and how you'd specifically chosen the Millennium Items. I'd never seen anyone look so panicked while trying to dodge magical blasts."
Mana's arms loosen around my waist, and I feel the familiar flutter of uncertainty that always comes with these moments of closeness. The Millennium Ring gleams at her throat.
"You're doing it again," she says softly, standing beside me. "That thing where you get lost in your own world."
I meet her gaze, finding the usual warmth there. It has taken years for that warmth to feel natural, to stop seeing the shadow of loss behind her eyes whenever she looks at me. "Council meeting with Father today," I say. "More demands for Aten's temples."
Her fingers trace the Ring absently. "Akhenaten and his reforms," she mutters, her voice sharp with disapproval.
I draw a deep breath, watching the sun cast long shadows across the temple courtyard. "Father's devotion to Aten has grown beyond mere faith, Mana. Today, in council, he spoke of destroying the remaining shrines to Osiris in Memphis." My hand moves to the Millennium Puzzle hanging at my chest – one of the powers I'd chosen in that fateful moment when the CYOA had offered me my path. Even now, eight years later, I sometimes marvel at how that single choice had shaped everything. "He can't see what's right in front of him – the very real power of the gods he denies."
Mana's expression darkens. "The priests whisper that he's gone mad with conviction. Even the common people see what he refuses to acknowledge." The Ring at her throat gleams as she speaks, its prongs shifting slightly with her agitation. She'd been surprised when I'd first revealed my knowledge of the Items, but understanding had quickly followed. After all, who better to wield such ancient magic than someone who had deliberately chosen it, knowing its true potential?
"That's just it," I say, lifting the Puzzle until it catches the dying sunlight. Of all the powers I could have selected that day in 2025, the Millennium Items had called to me most strongly. Something about their mix of divine authority and magical potential had seemed perfect for navigating this complex time. "Everyone sees except him. The nobles, priests, and people recognize the divine power flowing through these Items and the old temples."
"Divine Legitimacy," she breathes, understanding dawning in her eyes. "You mean to challenge him through the gods themselves." Her fingers trace the Ring's edge – the very Item I'd known she would be perfect to wield, thanks to my knowledge from my past life reading that she once wielded its powers.
"The whispers are already there," I continue, my voice low but firm. "When I revealed the Puzzle's power and lied that the Gods gifted it to me, the priests of Amun took it as a sign. They say I have the gods' favor and should be the one sitting on Egypt's throne."
"A choice made in another world, leading to this moment," Mana muses, her eyes sparkling with that magical gleam I've grown so fond of. "When you first told me about the CYOA, about choosing the Items specifically... I wondered what path you saw. Now I understand."
I nod, feeling the Puzzle's familiar warmth against my chest. "This isn't about ambition or power. It's about preserving balance. I chose these Items knowing they represented more than just magic – they're proof of the gods' continued presence in our world. Father's path will tear Egypt apart if we let it continue."
"And what of Akhenaten himself?" Mana asks softly. "He's still your father, still Pharaoh."
"He's also a man who loves Egypt," I reply, feeling the weight of my words. "If we can prove divine mandate beyond any doubt, show him that his path threatens not just tradition but the very stability of our kingdom... perhaps he'll listen. Not to his son, but to the will of powers greater than us."
The Ring chimes softly as Mana steps closer. "You know I'm with you in this. When you first appeared, knowing so much, choosing to trust me with the Ring... I thought it strange. But now?" She smiles warmly. "Now I see the wisdom in those choices from your other life."
I manage a small smile in return. "Knowledge from 2025 suggests a peaceful solution – who would have thought? I doubt any historical record mentioned a Divine Legitimacy challenge backed by the Millennium Items chosen through a CYOA."
"Then we'll write our history," she says firmly. "One where Egypt's future is decided by divine wisdom rather than civil war." Her expression grows serious. "When do we begin?"
The Puzzle warms against my chest, as if answering her question. Below us, the last rays of the sun paint the city in gold and shadow, touching both the old temples and Aten's new shrines. Somewhere out there, the gods of Egypt watch and wait, their power flowing through the very Items I had chosen to help guide Egypt's destiny.
"Soon," I say, my voice steady. "The next great festival approaches – when the veil between divine and mortal realms grows thin. If we're to prove the gods' will to all of Egypt, that will be our moment."
"I'll tell Mahad," Mana says, her expression hardening. "He's been waiting for this since you summoned him seven years ago."
I nod. "I'll gather the Tomb Keepers. They were summoned to this land and time to protect Egypt in its hour of need."
Mana's eyes flash with determination. "Then we have preparations to make, allies to gather." The Ring glows softly as she speaks. "And perhaps a few gods might be interested in demonstrating their continued existence to a skeptical Pharaoh."
As twilight deepens around us, I feel the weight of destiny settling on my shoulders – not a destiny thrust upon me, but one I had chosen that day in 2025, when I selected the Millennium Items as my path forward. The future of Egypt hangs in the balance, waiting for the moment when divine power will prove stronger than mortal conviction.
The sacred procession of the Opet Festival wound through Amarna , a mockery of its former glory. Where once the celebration honored Amun and Mut's divine marriage, now only Aten's symbols gleamed beneath the scorching sun. I stood at the temple's edge, the Millennium Puzzle heavy against my chest, watching my father ascend the steps like a living god.
To my right, Mana shifted in her human guise, the Millennium Ring at her throat humming with barely contained power. Her fingers traced its edge – a nervous habit she'd developed since I'd entrusted her with it. Our eyes met briefly, and I saw the same determination that had sparked when I first summoned her eight years ago, babbling explanations about future knowledge and magical items.
"Ready?" she mouthed silently.
On my left, Mahad holding the Millennium Scales gleamed in his hands, their golden balance swaying slightly, though no wind stirred the air. When I'd given Mana the Ring – knowing from my future memories how naturally she'd take to its power – Mahad had been the clear choice for the Scales. His unwavering sense of justice and balance made him perfect for an Item that weighed truth against falsehood, justice against chaos.
My gaze drifted first to where Queen Nefertiti sat in her elevated pavilion, surrounded by her daughters. Her face remained impassive, every inch the Great Royal Wife, though I caught the slight narrowing of her eyes as she watched the proceedings. Then I looked to the smaller pavilion where my mother, Kiya, sat with my sisters. Though only a royal consort, mother held herself with quiet dignity. Her eyes met mine, a mix of worry and pride in her expression. She knew what was coming – I'd confided in her weeks ago. My sisters, Meritaten and Ankhesenpaaten, seemed to sense the tension in the air. Meritaten's hand gripped the armrest of her chair while Ankhesenpaaten whispered something in our mother's ear.
Throughout the crowd, I spotted the carefully positioned Tomb Keepers, their tattoos hidden beneath everyday clothes. They had answered my call when I revealed my knowledge of their ancient order, brought to this time and place by the same powers that had given me my memories of 2025. Their leader, Odion, caught my eye and gave an almost imperceptible nod. His men were ready, scattered strategically through the throng, waiting for my signal to reveal themselves and demonstrate that the old ways still held power.
"The old ways will not die so easily," Mahad murmured, his voice carrying to me on a magical wind. The Scales shifted in his grip, as if weighing the words themselves. "The gods watch, my prince. They await your signal."
I nodded, feeling the weight of both my lives pressing down on me. Above, Father stood tall, his elongated crown catching the sun's rays. He looked every inch the pharaoh who had dared reshape Egypt's faith yet remained blind to the real magic that pulsed through the land—the same magic that now gathered around us like an approaching storm.
The air grew thick with incense and tension. I stepped forward, my shadow stretching long across the sun-baked courtyard. The time had come to prove that the old gods hadn't abandoned Egypt—they had simply been waiting for the right vessel, the right moment I had chosen in another life, understanding even then the weight of what was to come.
Behind me, I felt rather than saw Mana and Mahad take their positions. The Ring glowed in harmony with the Scales, both Items resonating with my Puzzle as power built like the surge of the Nile before the flood. Those ancient eyes that had so unsettled my father at my birth now fixed upon the man who had sought to reshape Egypt's divine order.
In the shadow of the great sandstone columns, destiny waited to unfold – a destiny chosen in another world but no less real for its unusual origins. The Puzzle flared with golden light, and I took my first step toward challenging a pharaoh and my father. With Mana's Ring to pierce through illusions and reveal truth, Mahad's Scales to weigh the justice of our cause, and the Tomb Keepers ready to demonstrate the enduring power of the old ways, we carried proof of divine will that even my father couldn't deny.
The drums of the festival thundered like Egypt's heartbeat, and somewhere in the distance, I swore I heard the old gods laugh.
My footsteps echoed across the suddenly hushed stone as I approached the temple steps. Each stride carried the weight of two lives, two destinies converging into this moment. The Millennium Puzzle pulsed against my chest, its rhythm matching the thunder of my heart.
"Divine Father." My voice carried across the courtyard, stronger than I'd expected. The formal address drew Father's attention, and he turned from his position before Aten's altar. "I challenge your vision for Egypt."
A ripple of gasps swept through the crowd. In my peripheral vision, I saw Nefertiti lean forward, her perfect composure cracking slightly. Mother's hands clasped together in her lap, knuckles white with tension. The Tomb Keepers shifted almost imperceptibly, ready to reveal themselves.
Father's elongated crown caught the sun as he looked down at me, his expression a mixture of surprise and something else – recognition.
"My son," he said, his voice carrying the authority of both pharaoh and prophet, "this is a sacred celebration of the one true god. Whatever concerns you have can be addressed in private counsel."
"No." The Puzzle flared brighter, and I felt Mana and Mahad move to flank me. "All must witness this. You speak of one true god, yet deny the power flowing through Egypt's veins. The magic that even now fills this courtyard."
As if in response to my words, the Ring at Mana's throat began to glow, its prongs pointing outward like a star. Mahad raised the Scales, which started to move of their own accord, one side dipping as if heavy with unseen truth.
"These trinkets prove nothing," Father declared, but I caught the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "The Aten—"
"Is but one aspect of divine truth," I interrupted, ascending the first step. "Watch, Divine Father. Watch and deny the evidence of your own eyes if you can."
I raised my hand, and the Tomb Keepers threw back their robes throughout the crowd. Ancient hieroglyphs carved into their skin began to glow with the same golden light as our Items.
"My son," he said, softer now, "what have you done?"
"What I must," I replied, taking the final step that brought us face to face. "For Egypt. For balance." The Puzzle blazed between us like a captured sun. I raised my right arm, the DiaDhank gleaming in the harsh light. The ancient device, chosen in that other life and brought forth through divine will, hummed with power against my skin. "The question now, Divine Father, is what will you do?"
The festival drums had fallen silent. Amarna seemed to hold its breath as I called out, my voice ringing with earned and chosen authority: "Father, this ends here! Gods of Egypt, hear me!"
Three massive stone tablets burst from the ground, their ancient surfaces covered in hieroglyphs blazed with golden light. The leftmost tablet began to pulse, its glow intensifying until it shot a massive beam of divine radiance into the sky. The very air crackled with power as I continued, each word carrying the weight of prophecy:
"Behold The Celestial Dragon of Osiris!"
The light took shape, coalescing into a serpentine form that dwarfed the temple. Golden lightning crackled around its elongated body, each bolt illuminating scales that shimmered between deep crimson and brilliant gold. Massive bat-like wings unfurled against the sky, their dark crimson membranes blocking the sun as they spread wide enough to cast shadows across half of Amarna.
The dragon's fierce face turned toward the temple, its wide maw opening to reveal rows of gleaming teeth sharp enough to tear through stone. The blue gem embedded in its forehead pulsed with inner light, matching the rhythm of my Puzzle. Lightning continued to dance around its form, each bolt emphasizing the aggressive power of this divine beast.
The Celestial Dragon of Osiris coiled in the sky above us, its presence alone making the air heavy with divine power. But I wasn't finished. My DiaDhank pulsed again as I turned to the middle tablet, its surface now crackling with dark energy.
"Witness the strength of the old ways, Father! Rise, The Divine Soldier of Obelisk!"
The ground beneath Amarna began to tremble—not the gentle shake of distant thunder, but the violent upheaval of the earth itself awakening. Cracks spread across the temple courtyard like lightning across the sky, deep fissures that glowed with an otherworldly blue light. The earthquake strengthened, sending people stumbling, while both royal pavilions swayed precariously.
Then, the courtyard exploded upward with a sound like the breaking of the world. A colossal figure rose through the rain of stone and debris, its dark metallic form catching what little sunlight made it past Osiris's wings. Obelisk emerged piece by piece—first those massive fists, each larger than a war chariot, then the heavily armored torso with its angular, jagged plates that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.
Lightning crackled around the divine soldier as it rose to its full height, dwarfing even the temple's highest obelisks. Its eyes blazed crimson, twin judgment points that swept across the crowd before fixing on my father. The storm clouds gathering behind it formed a violent vortex, as if the very sky was being drawn into Obelisk's overwhelming presence.
Each step the divine soldier took shook the ground, its armored feet leaving craters in the stone. It raised one massive fist, and thunder cracked in response, making the terrified crowd cry. The Tomb Keepers had fallen to their knees, their glowing tattoos pulsing in rhythm with Obelisk's movements. Mahad's Scales tilted wildly, overwhelmed by the sheer weight of divine power, while Mana's Ring spun like a possessed compass.
Father staggered back another step, his face pale beneath his crown. "This... this cannot be..."
"But it is," I answered, my voice carrying over the rumble of thunder and the crackle of lightning. "And there is still one more truth you must face." I raised my DiaDhank toward the final tablet. "Behold, Father, and look to the sky!"
The air above the temple shimmered, reality parting like a veil before divine will. A massive golden sphere materialized, its surface etched with glowing hieroglyphs that pulsed with ancient power. The mechanical orb rotated slowly, each turn revealing new symbols that burned themselves into the eyes of all who watched.
My voice rang out across Amarna as I began the sacred chant, each word carrying the weight of ages:
"Almighty protector of the sun and sky,
I beg of thee, please heed my cry.
Transform thyself from orb of light,
And bring me victory in this fight.
I beseech thee, grace our humble game,
But first I shall call out thy name:
The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
The sphere began to crack, golden light pouring from each fissure. The hieroglyphs lifted from its surface, swirling around it in a dance of divine script. Then, the orb transformed into an explosion of radiance that rivaled the sun.
Where the sphere had been, now hovered a being of such magnificent splendor that even Osiris's lightning and Obelisk's storms seemed to dim in comparison. The Winged Dragon of Ra spread its golden wings wide, each panel of its divine armor catching and amplifying the light until it seemed crafted from sunfire. Its falcon-like head rose proudly, piercing blue eyes surveying the mortal realm as if measuring the worth of all below.
Ra's beak opened, forming a sphere of pure energy within the concentrated power of creation itself. The divine creature's presence was overwhelming, its very existence a testament to the heights of celestial might. Golden sparks cascaded from its form, each burning with enough power to light up the night sky.
Spoiler: Atem's Squad The three gods now formed a triangle of power above Amarna—Osiris's crimson coils wrapped in golden lightning, Obelisk's dark form crowned with storms, and Ra's radiant splendor outshining them all. Their combined presence hummed the air, making it difficult to breathe.
Father fell to his knees, his staff clattering to the ground. Around the courtyard, even the most steadfast supporters of Aten could no longer deny the evidence before them. Nefertiti's perfect composure finally shattered as she gripped her throne, while my mother, Kiya, raised her hands in prayer to the gods she had never stopped believing in.
"What... what monsters have you summoned?" Father's voice trembled, all his certainty stripped away as he stared up at the three divine beasts that towered over Amarna. His hands shook as he reached for his fallen staff, but he made no move to grasp it.
"It's NO monster," I declared, my voice resonating with power as the Millennium Puzzle blazed even brighter. "IT'S A GOD!"
Above us, as if responding to my words, all three divine beings unleashed their power simultaneously. Osiris's lightning carved brilliant paths across the sky, Obelisk's storm clouds churned with renewed fury, and Ra's golden radiance intensified until it rivaled the sun. The combined display of divine might turned the afternoon sky into a supernatural spectacle, where light and shadow danced in impossible patterns.
Prologue End