AIDEN
The Eye of Ra
Damn, this place was eerie—and at the same time, breathtaking. The air shimmered with heat, but it wasn't just the sun's reflection that made the temple glow. It was something deeper, something ancient. The throne at the center of it all pulsed with a golden light, as if it were alive. It wasn't just a seat of power—it was a beacon, a magnet for something buried in me. I felt it calling, whispering in a language I didn't know but somehow understood.
Hypnotized, I walked closer, each step heavier than the last. The throne's glow intensified, wrapping around me like a cocoon. I could feel my heartbeat syncing with its rhythm. I reached out, almost touching it—
"You cannot possess it, half-breed," came a voice, sharp and venomous.
The trance shattered. My mind snapped back into focus. Something was here. Something ancient. Something watching.
I crouched instinctively, scanning the shadows for the source of the voice. My senses were on high alert, every muscle coiled like a spring.
"You are not worthy," the voice continued, dripping with disdain. "You are nothing more than a by-blow of an incredible bloodline."
That stung. I hadn't asked for this life. I was content before all this—before the gods, the powers, the chaos. I had dreams. Plans. A future. Now I was a pawn in a cosmic game I barely understood.
But if this thing wanted to play mind games, I could play too.
I stepped closer to the throne, deliberately provoking it. That's when I heard the hiss—a sound that vibrated through the stone floor—and saw the massive tail of a crocodile whip toward me. I barely dodged it, the wind from its strike brushing my cheek.
Emerging from the shadows was a woman—no, not just a woman. She was surrounded by giant crocodiles, but they weren't separate from her. They were her. She was them. A fusion of beauty and monstrosity. Her skin shimmered like scales, her eyes glowed with fire. She radiated power, and she was completely unfazed by the sun's energy. That meant only one thing.
Ra's pet. Or worse—his enforcer.
"Where do you think you're going, half-breed?" she sneered, her voice laced with arrogance.
"Wow," I said, brushing dust off my shoulder. "You're kind of rude. The least you could do is introduce yourself. Or, you know, ask my name like a civilized demon."
"I know who you are," she snapped. "I don't need to ask. And if you don't know who I am, then you have no business here."
Entitlement issues, I thought. She had the same air of superiority Taweret carried, but without the charm. She was all venom and ego.
"Fine," I said. "Lady Croc it is."
She didn't appreciate the nickname. Rising to her full height, her form expanded—crocodile tails, claws, scales, all merging into a grotesque yet majestic figure. It defied logic, but here I was, living proof that logic had no place in Argob.
She wanted a fight. Good. So did I.
I summoned my sword, the blade materializing in my hand with a hum of arcane energy. She smirked.
"Do you think that sword will pierce my skin, half-breed?"
I smiled back. "Why don't we find out? Or are you afraid of a half-breed?"
That did it. She lunged, her mouth opening wide to unleash a torrent of fire. I dodged, rolling to the side and countering with a fireball of my own. She didn't even flinch. Her skin absorbed the flames like they were nothing. Showoff.
I teleported behind her, slashing at her underbelly. To my surprise, the blade connected. She roared, but the wound closed instantly. Regeneration. Of course.
She teleported in response, slashing my back with a clawed paw. Pain exploded through me. She was fast—unnaturally fast for something with so many bodies.
"In this realm, you reign supreme," said the voice in my head. It always spoke when it felt like it, never when I needed it.
I teleported backward, putting distance between us. Blood poured from the wound. It was healing, but slowly. Too slowly.
"What do I do?" I asked the voice. It sounded like me now that I thought about it—like a version of myself I hadn't met yet.
"You know what to do," it replied, withdrawing once again.
Talk about being Helpful, hmph.
Lady Croc stalked toward me, her claws scraping the stone floor.
"Have you given up, half-breed?" she asked, smug as ever.
I closed my eyes. I had to focus. I reached deep into myself, calling forth the arcane power that had been dormant until now. The world around me shifted. I saw Argob—not just the temple, but the entire realm—laid out before me like a map. Every energy line, every pulse of magic, every hidden truth.
She rushed me again, but this time I saw her clearly. She wasn't just Ra's pet. She was the Eye of Ra, with sudden realization.
That changed everything.
I went invisible, vanishing from her sight. She slashed at the air, confused and enraged. I circled behind her, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked hard.
She screamed—a sound so powerful it shook the temple walls. Statues cracked. Dust fell from the ceiling. But I held on.
With my free hand, I reached into her chest, pushing past scales and bone until I found it—a glowing medallion shaped like an eye. The Eye of Ra.
I pulled it free.
She convulsed, then crumbled into dust, her form disintegrating into the wind.
Silence fell.
I stood alone, the Eye of Ra in my hand. It pulsed with power—raw, ancient, and dangerous. I could feel it calling to me, whispering promises of strength, dominance, and control.
But it wasn't just power. It was sinister. It had a will of its own, and it wanted to be unleashed.
I stared at it, my hand trembling. This wasn't just a relic. It was a key—to something bigger, darker, and far more dangerous than I had imagined.
And now, it was mine.