Chapter One

Mara

Dragging the unconscious body behind me, I stumbled through the moonlit night, the sound of my boots scratching against sand and stone echoing in the stillness. The weight of my burden pressed heavily against my shoulder as I approached the ancient temple looming ominously in the darkness.

"Of all the places to dump a body, Mara, you just had to pick the creepy Anubis temple," I muttered to myself, my voice trembling with equal parts fear and sarcasm.

With a grunt of effort, I hoisted the body onto my shoulder, wincing at the weight as I staggered up the crumbling steps of the temple.

"You really should've skipped that last dessert, buddy. Seriously," I groaned with every step, feeling my thighs and butt muscles burning.

Nervous anticipation gnawed at my brain like a particularly anxious squirrel, and I shot a paranoid glance over my shoulder. I half-expected a horde of angry spirits or a peeved deity to come charging after me, waving a "No Entry" sign. But the truth of the matter was, there wasn't anything of the sort so I just assumed it was open to all who were lost.

"Okay, Mara, you've got this," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart after the impromptu exercise. "Just dump the body and get the hell out of here."

Summoning every ounce of strength, I heaved the body over the threshold of the temple, suppressing a groan of relief as it thudded onto the cold, uneven stone floor. The temple loomed around me, its towering columns carved with intricate hieroglyphs that seemed to watch my every move. Shadows danced eerily in the dim light that filtered through cracked and dusty windows, and the scent of ancient incense clung to the air like a stubborn memory.

I took a moment to catch my breath, wiping the sweat from my brow as I surveyed the scene. The walls, adorned with faded murals depicting Anubis overseeing the underworld, seemed to close in with a judgmental gaze. The silence was thick and oppressive, broken only by the faint echoes of dripping water and the occasional distant scurry of unseen creatures.

"Phew, that was a close one," I muttered, wiping my brow again and rolling my shoulders to dull the ache. "Now, all I have to do is get out of here before?—"

Before I could finish my sentence, a deep, gravelly voice rumbled through the temple, making my blood turn to ice and my knees threaten a sudden collapse. Whoever it was, they couldn't be human.

"You dare defile the sanctity of my temple?" the voice boomed, sending shivers down my spine and making me reconsider all my life choices. I felt like I was getting a cosmic Yelp review for my bad decisions. I mean, it was either here or the river. But everyone dumps bodies in the river. That was too obvious, and the fish were getting fat. I expected to slip under the radar for much longer in my serial killer career.

My eyes widened in horror as I turned to see a figure emerging from the shadows. His form was cloaked in darkness, looking like a cross between a fog machine and a bad hair day. I squint, trying to make out the details wondering why I didn't just go ahead with scheduling an appointment with my optometrist for contacts for occasions just like this.

As he approached with an air of ominous otherworldly authority, his voice had that dramatic flair that suggested he'd been rehearsing for this moment since ancient times. I glanced around, trying to look casual despite the fact that my heart was doing a frantic tap dance.

Was that a real jackal's head? I wondered, trying to focus on the enigmatic figure's profile. You know, for a deity, his side profile was kind of cute—if you were into that whole "ancient Egyptian horror chic" thing. Which I was. I mean, who wouldn't have the hots for a werewolf boy… except this one is no boy.

"Well, technically, I was just trying to avoid a really awkward conversation with a very annoyed deity," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady and secretly wishing he'd crack a smile or at least give me a break. No such luck. His eyes began to subtly sparkle like a million stars—except, with a hint of impending doom.

"But hey," I continued with a nervous laugh, "if it helps, I didn't bring any souvenirs or disturb the decor."

He gave no reply as he took a step forward, making me take a step back.

Desperately trying to play it cool, I stammered, "Uh, sorry about the mess. I was just, uh, dropping off a... a late-night snack?"

This place was known for its rodents and other stray dogs that liked to scavenge. I was doing Mother Nature a service really. Couldn't he see that? Ma would be proud of me.

The jackal-headed deity raised an eyebrow—or, at least, I think he did, given the whole "ancient god of the afterlife" thing going on. His eyes narrowed into dark slits, brooding like storm clouds gathering for a particularly gloomy downpour.

Jokes on him, I loved the rain.

He looked like he was wrestling with whether to be offended, amused, or just very, very annoyed by my awkward attempt at small talk. I should probably stop mentally calling him jackal-head, he was too attractive for that.

What temple was this again? Ah yes. Anubis.

"Late-night snack?" he rumbled, his voice dripping with the kind of grumpiness usually reserved for someone who'd just found out their favorite coffee shop had run out of beans. "Is that what you call disturbing the sanctity of my sacred space?"

Didn't he ask me this already? Maybe the poor guy had a bad memory.

He glared at me with the intensity of a thousand lost souls, the kind of stare that made me wonder if I'd accidentally stepped into a cosmic rage room. The silence stretched uncomfortably, punctuated only by the faint creak of ancient stones, as if the temple itself was holding its breath in anticipation of his judgment.

Or they're just nosy to find out what was about to happen next. I had a second aunt once who was into weird stuff like that—shaking headless chickens, swearing the bones were talking to her.

I nodded vigorously, trying to look both apologetic and nonchalant. "Yep, that's it. Just a late-night snack. You know, like how some people raid the fridge at midnight, but, um, more... sacrilegious?"

Good one, Mara , I inwardly grimaced.

His expression didn't change, but the silence that followed was thick with an uncomfortable mix of judgment and mild curiosity. It was the kind of silence that made me wish for a trapdoor to magically appear—maybe with a confetti cannon for good measure.

I wonder if he did magic tricks. Could he pull a rabbit out of a hat, or would that be too, I don't know, mundane for an ancient deity?

Mara, you just had to pick tonight.

Okay, think. Think fast. He had that whole brooding, grumpy vibe going on, which might mean he was not in the mood for a long-winded explanation or a dramatic escape. I needed a plan—something swift, decisive, and maybe a little bit daring.

First, figure out if there was any way out of this temple that didn't involve becoming a permanent resident. Maybe there was a hidden exit or a forgotten passageway. Focus on the layout of the place. Was that an old, dusty tapestry in the corner? Could it hide a secret door? Or was it just a piece of ancient decor? If anything, I could sprint over there, climb it, and possibly leap out the window and hope for the best. Sand was soft upon impact, wasn't it?

Second, keep him talking. Deities had egos, right? If I could get him riled up enough, he may get distracted by his own grandiosity. Most men were. And he sounded male.

I stole another glance.

Yes, definitely all male.

Maybe I could compliment him on his godly attire or mention how impressive his domain was. Nothing too groveling—a girl had to have standards—just enough to keep him occupied.

If all else fails, improvise. I was pretty good at making things up on the fly. Maybe pretend to faint dramatically, or offer a ridiculously grand apology and hope he had a sense of humor buried somewhere under that intimidating exterior.

Summoning every ounce of bravado I could muster, I squared my shoulders and plastered on my most winning smile as the figure drew nearer.

"Um, hey there, big guy," I said, my voice trembling slightly as I addressed the imposing figure before me. "Nice temple you've got here. Very...ancient."

The deity's eyes narrowed further, and the shadows around him seemed to deepen, swirling like a storm brewing just for me. I could almost feel the weight of his displeasure pressing down on me, thick and heavy like an ancient curse.

The same way the humidity feels in the south. It was why I moved… all the way to an ancient town in Egypt and never looked back. I mean, it had nothing to do with murdering my cheating ex and stuffing pieces of him down the garbage disposal only to have his family members who worked for the government come after me.

After the excitement of escaping without a scratch, I thought I'd take up a new hobby.

"So," I continued, trying to keep my tone light, "what's the deal with the whole 'disturbing the sanctity' thing? I mean, surely you have some kind of... I don't know, warning system? A 'no entry' sign, maybe?"

The deity let out a low, rumbling growl that reverberated through the stone walls, causing dust to fall from the ceiling and making the ancient carvings seem to shift and writhe with disapproval.

Bad joke. Yeah. Love me some gothic boys, but this far into real-life horror, not so much.

"Enough of your foolishness," he intoned, his voice now a deep, chilling echo that seemed to reverberate through my very bones. Was that hint of annoyance at the end? "You have defiled my temple, and for that, you shall face the consequences."

Before I could react, the shadows around him fused into sinister forms—phantom-like creatures with glowing eyes and spectral limbs. They moved with eerie, fluid grace, advancing toward me with a menacing intent that made my heart race. The air grew colder, and the flickering torchlight seemed to cast monstrous, writhing shapes on the walls.

I backed away slowly, trying to avoid the advancing phantoms. My fingers abruptly brushed against something solid. I turned to find a heavy, ancient staff leaning against the wall. It was carved with symbols that seemed to pulse with a faint, eerie light.

Oh, it was my lucky day. I threw a pretty good pole vault once in high school. How different could spearing a deity be?

I grabbed the ancient staff, its surface warming as if in response to my panic. I swung it desperately, trying to create a barrier between myself and the approaching phantoms. A strange crackle of power hummed in the air around me. The staff emitted a bright light, and I screamed, startled. Good thing I didn't let go. The blinding light pushed them back momentarily, but their glowing eyes and ghostly limbs continued to advance, driven by some malevolent will.

"Hey, you guys," I called out, trying to sound braver than I felt. "Ever thought about, I don't know, forming a metal band or something? You'd be great at Halloween parties."

Anubis watched, his eyes like twin voids of infinite darkness, unblinking and merciless. His gaze pierced through me as if calculating my every move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

I prepared to swing again when suddenly, the phantoms halted, their spectral forms quivering as if caught in a magnetic pull. A low, guttural chant began to emanate from Anubis, filling the temple with a chilling resonance. The shadows twisted and merged, forming a massive, undulating shape behind him—a monstrous combination of darkness and despair that seemed to grow larger with each passing second.

I was paralyzed with fear, the realization dawning on me that this was no ordinary godly punishment and that this spear was pointless. The creature forming behind him was not just a figment of ancient myth; it was an entity of pure, unfathomable horror, something beyond my worst nightmares. Its eyes—if they could be called eyes—glowed with a malevolent intelligence, and its mouth opened in a soundless scream that seemed to echo through the very fabric of the universe.

"Look, buddy, I-I don't want any trouble," I said, my voice trembling with fear as I edged away. "I'll just, um, be on my way, and you can go back to...whatever it is you do in a creepy temple like this."

"You expect me to believe that, mortal?" he said, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Do you take me for a fool?"

With a final, foreboding glance, Anubis raised a hand, and the monstrous entity surged forward with a blinding speed. The light from the staff flickered and dimmed in the face of such overwhelming darkness.

In that heart-stopping moment, as the monstrous shadow reached out for me with tendrils of unrelenting dread, I could only think one thing: I had to escape. How else would I continue to keep up with my reputation? But with the walls closing in and the air thickening with an oppressive force, my options were rapidly dwindling.

Just as the shadow's grasp was about to envelop me completely, everything went dark—an impenetrable void that swallowed both light and hope despite how wildly I waved the staff around. My last thought before the darkness took me was: Note to self: never dump a body at an ancient temple again.

Lesson learned.

This was the beginning of something far worse than I could have ever imagined.

And then, the world went silent.