Kael gently lifted the unconscious Amunet into his arms. His wings were no longer prepared for battle; instead, they shielded her from the dust and chaos outside. He carried her inside the palace to his own room.
Kael's Remorse and Hidden Tenderness
After laying Amunet down on the soft bed, Kael sat beside her. The wound on her forehead and the redness on her cheek made his chest ache with guilt. He realized how royal pride and hunger for control had blinded him.
He leaned down and placed a long, deep kiss on her forehead. There was no sense of possession in it—only a plea for forgiveness.
"I know you will hate me," he whispered, "but I will never let this darkness take you again."
Kael vowed to stay beside her all night and care for her.
Zarith's Fire of Revenge
Outside the palace, standing on the burning desert sand, Zarith trembled with rage. Sparks of fire seemed to leap from his eyes. Seeing Amunet in Kael's arms was unbearable for him.
He bit his own hand until it bled. Looking at the sky, he shouted,
"Kael! You think you have won? Amunet is not someone who can be caged by your mercy or your rule. For every tear she shed today, I will turn this kingdom into a desert."
He summoned a massive dust storm and disappeared into it. Before leaving, he left behind a crimson mark on the palace wall—a sign that he would return, and next time, there would be no forgiveness.
The Dream Beneath Unconsciousness
Amunet lay in deep sleep. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Though Kael rested his hand gently on her head, inside her mind another world was forming.
She was not dreaming an ordinary dream—she was reliving a memory from a thousand years ago.
In the Depths of Memory: Zarith and Amunet
In the dream, Amunet found herself in a vast desert palace. There was no Kael, no struggle of purity. Only she and Zarith existed there.
She realized that her relationship with Zarith was not like the present hostility. It was ancient, intimate, and deeply connected. They did not feel like two separate beings, but like two forms of the same soul—like flame and its heat.
Zarith stood very close to her. There was no rage in his crimson eyes now—only an intense longing.
He held her firmly by the shoulders and pulled her closer. Amunet did not resist, because this touch felt familiar across centuries.
Leaning near her ear, Zarith whispered,
"You are incomplete without me, and I am nonexistent without you."
He then placed a deep kiss on her neck. Amunet's whole body trembled at the sensation. This was not mere physical closeness—it felt like the merging of two divine forces. The scar on Zarith's lip brushed against her skin, creating a strange mix of pain and warmth that made her lose herself in the moment.
His ancient scent and the heat of his presence made Amunet realize that through ages, they had always been each other's completion.
Terror in Reality
At the peak of that intense dream, Amunet suddenly woke up with a scream. Her heart pounded wildly. She felt a strange burning sensation on the spot of her neck where Zarith had kissed her in the dream.
Kael startled and held her shoulders.
"Amunet! What happened? Did you see a nightmare?"
Amunet looked at Kael with wide eyes. His white clothes and holy presence now felt unfamiliar to her. It felt as if her true place was beside the desert god whose touch she had felt in the dream.
Trembling, she touched her neck.
Only one question echoed inside her mind:
"Is Zarith truly my enemy… or is he my lost self? Were we always one?"From the moment Amunet recovered, countless questions about Zarith swirled in her mind. One day, determined to escape Kael's overbearing protection, she secretly left the palace. She ventured to an ancient desert cave where a mysterious Egyptian oracle resided—a seer who knew the secrets of both past and future.
Standing before the wizard, Amunet asked about Zarith and the hidden truth behind him.
The Oracle's Enigmatic Revelation
The oracle gazed solemnly into his crystal orb and spoke:
1. Zarith's True Power:
"Zarith is not merely a god of fire. His true power lies in Blood Manipulation. He can freeze an enemy's blood or heat it like a molten volcano. Once his destructive form awakens, not even a divine light like Kael's can stop him."
2. Did he ever have a wife?
The oracle sighed, looking into Amunet's eyes.
"Yes, Amunet. A thousand years ago, Zarith had someone in his life. Her name was Nephthys, goddess of the winds. He loved her madly."
3. What happened to her?
"Because of Zarith's overwhelming control and destructive force, Nephthys could not remain with him. During a colossal battle, she sacrificed herself to save Zarith. Yet Zarith believes the gods conspired to take her from him. That is why the mysterious cut on his lip exists—it is the last mark of her touch, which he etched upon himself so he would never forget her."
Amunet's Realization
A chill ran through Amunet as she understood the profound loneliness behind Zarith's harsh demeanor.
The oracle warned further:
"Be cautious, Amunet! Zarith is searching for his lost wife within you. Whether he truly loves you or seeks only to reclaim his past… it is hard to tell."
The Mystery of Seth
When Amunet asked about Sath, the cave grew heavy with solemn energy. Suspicion arose in her mind—was Zarith merely a god of destruction, or did he harbor within him the forbidden, ancient Egyptian force known as Sath?
The oracle sprinkled ash into his fiery censer, and ancient Egyptian symbols emerged in the smoke. Whispering, he said:
"Amunet, what you suspect is no mere name. Sath is the ancient god of desert, storm, and chaos. Zarith… Zarith is the living reincarnation of Sath himself!"
Amunet gasped. "Then… is Zarith not human?"
The oracle shook his head gravely:
"He is a human vessel cursed by an ancient force. A thousand years ago, the gods imprisoned Sath, but his soul found refuge in Zarith's body. When he rages, Zarith ceases to exist—Sath awakens, sparing no one, not even his sister or wife."
The Tragic Tale of Zarith's Former Wife
The oracle's expression darkened as he recounted:
"Whoever Zarith—or Sath—loves, he also destroys. He loved Nephthys so intensely that he imprisoned her in his shadow. When she sought freedom, the inner Sath awoke in wrath and drowned the desert in blood, causing her permanent disappearance. That cursed mark on his lips reminds him forever that he destroyed the one he loved."
He grasped Amunet's hands tightly, warning:
"Your Shadow Queen within, Amunet, is being sought by Sath's hunger for power. He does not love you—he wants to use your darkness to reclaim the gods' throne. That enigmatic scar on his lip is Nephthys' curse, reminding him that he murdered the love he could never possess."
The Ominous Presence at the Cave Entrance
At that very moment, a long shadow appeared at the cave entrance. Amunet turned to see Zarith standing there. His scar glimmered in the darkness, and his eyes held a mixture of sorrow and rage.
Zarith stepped inside slowly, the heat radiating from him making the cave tense and sweltering. He approached Amunet closely and said,
"Enjoy digging up old bones, do you, Amunet? Do you want to see how truly terrifying I can be?"
The desert god's presence pressed close, filling the air with a dangerous, almost intoxicating warmth.When Amunet looked directly into the magician's eyes and asked the harsh question, the magician's face turned pale. With a trembling voice, he revealed the hidden truth.
The True Relationship Between Zarith and Seth
The magician leaned closer to Amunet and whispered,
"Amunet, the one you know as Zarith is not the son or brother of Seth. Zarith is a part of Seth himself — his final vessel."
He explained further,
"In simple words, Seth is the ancient demonic entity living inside Zarith. It is like Zarith's alter ego — the dark soul within him. When Zarith is calm, he appears as a charming and gentle man. But the moment he loses control, Seth awakens from within his body."
The Reality of Their Connection
Zarith and Seth are two forms within the same body.
Zarith is the human side — he has a heart and understands love.
Seth is the ancient godlike force — merciless, driven only by power and destruction.
The magician showed an ancient mural and said,
"Seth has been reborn through human bodies for thousands of years. In this lifetime, he has chosen Zarith. Zarith has been trying to imprison this ancient entity within himself. But ever since he felt your touch, Shadow Queen, the Seth inside him has been struggling to fully awaken."
Zarith's Reaction
As Amunet stood frozen in shock, a loud laughter echoed from the cave's entrance. Zarith slowly walked inside. His pupils were no longer normal — they had become long and serpent-like.
Taking a strand of Amunet's hair in his hand, Zarith said,
"So, you heard everything? Seth is neither my enemy nor my father. Seth is me. Amunet, just as the Shadow Queen lives within you, Seth lives within me. We are not separate beings. Kael wants to control you, but Seth and I we both wish to raise you to our equal height."
The familiar warmth of Zarith's presence now felt like waves of fire to Amunet.From the moment Amunet turned her back on Zarith, the weight of his fearsome power and the truth about Seth gnawed at her like poison. When Zarith toyed with a strand of her hair, Amunet jerked it away sharply, her eyes now burning more with hatred than fear.
In a firm, resolute voice, she said,
"Let go of my hair! My darkness is far calmer than your fire."
Startled, Zarith watched her stride swiftly out of the cave, but he made no attempt to stop her.
Three Days Later: The Golden Goddess
For three days, Amunet confined herself to the palace's most secret chamber, wrestling with the duality within the Shadow Queen and the ordinary girl. When she finally emerged, the entire palace seemed to fall silent in awe.
Today, she wore her most treasured garment: a gown of pure golden thread, woven so that light danced over its folds. This ancient Egyptian royal robe was studded with sapphire and diamond, shimmering with every step. Her honey-brown hair flowed freely down her back, and a slender golden circlet adorned her forehead, its single blue gem catching the light.
The golden hue of her gown blended with her skin, creating an aura so enchanting that she no longer seemed mortal as if a goddess had descended from the sun itself.
Reaction in the Palace
As she walked along the balcony, her three most loyal attendants Selena, Maya, and Lyra froze in astonishment. Never had they seen their queen radiate such confidence, such divine beauty.
From the other end of the hall, Kael approached. At the sight of her ethereal form, the royal documents in his hands slipped to the floor. His blue eyes held a mixture of awe and fear. "Will this girl bend to my rule, or was she born to govern this world herself?" he thought.
All of Kael's anger and pride dissolved in an instant. Forgetting his royal composure, he advanced toward Amunet, mesmerized. His wings, normally poised for battle, now hung dormant. Today, she was no longer merely his "captive"; she seemed the queen of the entire cosmos.
Kael stopped before her, his gaze locked on her mesmerizing eyes. With utmost care, as though handling a delicate crystal doll, he lifted her into his arms.
His voice trembled with emotion:
"Amunet… it is not your beauty I adore, but your indomitable spirit. In this golden gown, you are both radiant and invincible words fail me to describe it."
Amunet placed her hand gently on Kael's chest. His white wings unfurled around them, wrapping the two of them in a cocoon of tender protection. For a fleeting, extraordinary moment, there was no battle, no Zarith only the union of two sacred souls. Kael carried her toward the royal gardens, their steps light and measured.
A Shadow Lurks
But the peace could not last long. High atop the palace's tallest spire, Zarith watched the scene, his crimson eyes burning with jealousy. He whispered to himself:
"Kael may cradle her in sunlight now, but when the sun sets, my darkness will return. Even this golden gown will not shield her from my grasp."