After the maids fled under Kael's thunderous scolding, the atmosphere in the chamber shifted into something far more unsettling. Zarith, instead of looking afraid, curved his delicate, almost feminine features into a mysterious smile.
A Forbidden Pull
Trembling with anger, Kael stepped very close to Zarith. He had intended to intimidate him—but Zarith made a move that shattered all of Kael's defenses.
Zarith looked into Kael's eyes not like an enemy… but like a long-lost lover meeting him after ages of separation. The intensity and longing in those crimson eyes made even the hardened warrior pause for a breath.
The Shiver of the Moment
Under that enchanting gaze, Kael felt strangely hypnotized. His rage dissolved into an unfamiliar attraction. Without realizing it, he lifted his hand and touched Zarith's lips. As his fingers slowly brushed over those soft lips, a heavy silence fell across the room.
Leaning close to Zarith's face, Kael whispered,
"What is in your eyes, Zarith? Why does my heart tremble instead of feeling hatred? Have you trapped me in some kind of spell?"
Zarith did not step away. Keeping that faint, feminine smile, he moved even closer. Kael's white lashes and blue eyes hovered dangerously near Zarith's red ones.
From behind the half-closed door, Amunet watched the scene in shock. She had never imagined such a strange chemistry forming between Kael and Zarith.
For a moment, time itself seemed frozen.
Zarith's Terrifying Truth
Zarith leaned toward Kael's ear and whispered softly,
"Do you truly wish to know who I am, Kael? I am the ancient darkness you have spent your entire life trying to suppress."
As he spoke, the temperature around Zarith suddenly rose. A supernatural glow radiated from his red eyes. Feeling the ancient power hidden in his voice and presence, Kael felt a fear he had never known before.
The invincible warrior, who had never stepped back from any battle, staggered backward in alarm.
Without another word, Kael hurried out of the chamber.
Amunet on the Balcony
Witnessing everything, Amunet trembled in fear. She rushed to her balcony, gripping the railing tightly. The cold night air could not calm the storm inside her mind.
Questions raced through her thoughts:
Why did a man as powerful as Kael retreat like that?
Is Zarith truly human… or some ancient curse?
Will this red-haired, red-eyed mystery bring ruin upon all of Egypt?
As Amunet stood there shaking, she suddenly felt someone step behind her.
Her honey-brown hair fluttered in the wind, and the faint, familiar scent of sandalwood reached her senses.
She realized
Zarith had not left her alone.A sudden, piercing scream shattered the stillness of the palace, making the very air tremble. One of the three maids stood by the window, screaming in sheer terror. Her eyes looked as if they might burst out of their sockets.
Hearing the scream, Amunet rushed in from the balcony, her heart still pounding violently in her chest. She grabbed the maid by the shoulders and shook her.
"What happened? Why are you screaming like this? What did you see?"
The maid was so frightened that no proper words came out of her mouth. She could only point toward the darkness ahead and stammer,
"S… S… S…"
She struggled to utter the letter, unable to complete the name. From her state, Amunet immediately understood—she had seen the shadow of Seth, or some terrifying form of Zarith.
At that very moment, from the corner of the room where Zarith stood, that crimson glow appeared again. With his soft, feminine, enchanting smile, Zarith looked at the maid and whispered,
"Do not be afraid. What I showed you… was only the beginning."
Amunet noticed a small red mark appearing on the maid's neck, as if invisible claws had brushed against her skin. She realized then that Zarith was not merely a beautiful man—he was slowly spreading the power of his true form throughout the palace.
As the maid trembled and nearly lost consciousness while repeating, "S… S…," Amunet could no longer restrain herself. She understood that the time had come to reveal the limits of her own power as an ancient queen.
Amunet's Terrifying Transformation
As Amunet began to assume her true form, the entire palace floor started to shake.
The Shadow Queen: Dark shadows rose from beneath her feet and spread across the chamber like living creatures. Her honey-brown hair turned pitch black in an instant, growing longer until it nearly touched the ground.
Burning Eyes: The softness of a human gaze vanished. In its place appeared a supernatural glow of violet and gold that challenged the crimson in Zarith's eyes.
Royal Garment Transformed: Her simple white dress seemed to dissolve into dark smoke, replaced by the armor of an ancient warrior queen. The red flower in her hand turned to ash and scattered into the air.
Zarith and the Maids
Witnessing this apocalyptic transformation, Zarith's enchanting smile finally faded. He realized that the woman he had thought to be merely a queen or mortal carried within her the most ancient and powerful dark magic of Egypt.
In a voice that seemed to rise from the underworld itself, Amunet declared,
"If you are the storm of the desert, Zarith, then remember I am the eternal night that swallows the desert whole. Within my palace, not even the shadow of a god may move without my permission!"
The terrified maid, upon seeing this form of her queen, lost even the strength to scream.
For the first time, she felt more fear toward her own queen than toward Zarith.As the maid trembled and stammered "S… S…," on the verge of collapsing, Amunet could no longer restrain herself. She realized that the time had come to reveal the limits of her power as an ancient queen. Zarith's terrifying, godlike presence and Kael's fear had awakened something buried deep within her.
Amunet's Terrifying Transformation
As Amunet began to assume her true form, the very floor of the palace started to tremble.
The Shadow Queen: Dark shadows rose from beneath her feet and spread across the chamber like living beings. Her honey-brown hair instantly turned pitch black, lengthening until it brushed the floor.
Burning Eyes: The softness of humanity vanished from her gaze. In its place appeared a supernatural glow of violet and gold that directly challenged the crimson fire in Zarith's eyes.
Royal Garment Transformed: Her simple white dress seemed to dissolve into dark smoke, replaced by ancient battle armor. The red flower in her hand turned to ash and scattered into the air.
Zarith and the Maids
Seeing this apocalyptic form, Zarith's mysterious smile faded. He realized that the woman he had mistaken for a mere queen carried within her the oldest and most powerful ancient magic of Egypt.
In a grave voice that seemed to rise from the underworld, Amunet declared:
"If you are the storm of the desert, Zarith, then remember—I am the endless night that devours the entire desert. Within my palace, not even the shadow of a god may move without my permission."
The terrified maid lost even the strength to scream. In that moment, she feared her own queen more than Zarith.
For a brief second, Zarith froze. In his crimson eyes appeared not defiance, but deep respect and astonishment. He now understood that this "Shadow Queen" was far more powerful than he had imagined.
Zarith did not retaliate. He said nothing. He simply held Amunet's blazing gaze for a long moment. A strange calm returned to his feminine yet handsome face. Then, step by slow step, he retreated and merged into the darkness.
As soon as Zarith vanished, the suffocating heaviness in the palace lifted. Amunet exhaled deeply, and her terrifying magical form dissolved.
Her black hair returned to its soft honey-brown shade.
The violet glow in her eyes faded back into their gentle depth.
Exhaustion washed over her after wielding such immense power.
Wrapping her red shawl around herself, she slowly walked toward her private chambers.
The room fell into complete silence. The three maids stood like stone statues. What they had witnessed was beyond anything a human mind could imagine.
They realized that a silent war had begun within the palace
On one side stood the pure warrior Kael.
On the other, the mysterious Zarith.
And between them, the immensely powerful Amunet herself.