[N/A] "I used a more elaborate and epic narrative style in this chapter, but I'm not entirely sure how it turned out. If you'd like me to make any changes or if there's anything you'd like to add, feel free to let me know."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[1278 B.C.]
[General Pov]
The dust and aridity that plague these ancient lands are not merely remnants of time — they are the scars of forgotten eras, when gods walked among men and blood shaped the destiny of peoples.Ancient Egypt, cradle of wisdom and mystery, rose as one of the most magnificent civilizations of antiquity.Here, life did not belong to men — it belonged to the Nile and to the gods.Its floods, cyclic like the breathing of the deities themselves, brought not just water, but sustenance and order.When the waters receded, they left behind a fertile black silt, as dark as the origin of creation, upon which the Egyptians — with creativity and reverence — made the impossible bloom.
To understand and master their world, they developed systems of measurement and writing — sacred hieroglyphs carved into eternal stone.In the spiritual realm, they were polytheists… but their faith went further.They didn't merely believe — they feared, venerated, and served.Ra, the Sun.Horus, the Sky.And so many others.
But what the papyri never dared record… was the truth behind the pantheon.The gods were indeed immortal —But a different kind of immortal, one that by nature was a blasphemy against the divine.The gods were vampires.Beings endowed with powers that defied reason and summoned fear.They were worshiped with fervor, loved with devotion, and idolized with an intensity that even the greatest pharaohs never dared dream of reaching.
At the heart of the empire, in Thebes — Uaset, as the ancients called it — rose a colossal palace, adorned with gold, onyx, and silence.Inside, haste was the language of the living. Hundreds of servants crossed shining corridors, driven by fear and reverence, for they knew that any mistake… could cost more than just their lives.And in one of its chambers — the most opulent of all, where alabaster columns held up ceilings painted with constellations — he rested:A man of mortal appearance, yet whose presence stilled the hearts of all.Beside him, three women. Beautiful. Motionless. Enchanted.And yet, before him, they were but echoes of an older memory.Perhaps from another era.Or another woman.
[Main Pov]
I rise from bed, turn to the side and see a stunning beauty.The features of her face remind me of Kéfera.Every Egyptian woman I sleep with reminds me of Kéfera.It's been a while since I last saw her — some years now — but I still hold great affection for her.
My stay in Egypt was meant to be brief — a few days, perhaps months.But time here seems to have a will of its own.Ten years have already passed.Ten long and silent years.
Much has happened since then, and I believe much more is yet to come.But among all the experiences I've lived since arriving here, one shines with the brilliance of a memory that will never fade — and perhaps would never fade even if I didn't have perfect memory:It was here that I lost my virginity — and it was with Kéfera.
Kéfera...Her name still echoes in my mind like an ancient melody.She was kind, gentle, wrapped in a beauty so hypnotizing that it could silence even the gods — and it did silence me.I remember it like it was yesterday — we were deep in one of our long conversations, like so many before it, when the tone shifted.A gesture, a glance, a silence.And then… it happened.
My first time — with a creature so breathtaking that even now, as I recall it, I find myself questioning whether it truly happened… or if it was only a dream.It's intriguing. Almost cruel.For no other touch since then has been so full of magic and discovery.And still, fate was not kind to me in that story...
After a few nights, she told me something that, at the time, shattered my heart.
[1281 B.C.]
The dark sky above the palace courtyard — on a night, a freezing night — said so much, and said it loudly.The ground beneath my feet… I still feel it, even now.Everything seemed like a prelude to the end.And so it was.
Her sad eyes, her hesitation to speak to me, the Chekhovian pauses — though Chekhov hadn't even been born yet, his essence made itself present in that moment.She looked at me and said:
— "Morpheus… you are an incredible person. The best I've ever known, until now. I loved every moment with you.But I'm sorry to say this… we can't continue. It's no longer possible."
I looked at her, confused, not understanding what had happened.Everything had seemed so perfect — like paradise.
After a moment of hesitation, I asked — already suspecting the answer:— "You… found someone, didn't you?"
After a brief silence, she answered with a simple "yes."A response that broke my heart.
— "I hope you two can be happy," I replied, simply and shortly.
I turned away, filled with explosive conviction — and left.
[1278 B.C.]
Those words still make me hesitate. The tachycardia…I hate my eidetic memory.I can even remember the feeling I had back then.Three years have passed.After her, I tried every way I could to find my true match — just to be sure I'd never be left behind again.I dated and slept with as many women as possible, searching for that connection.And even after years of searching… I still haven't found anything.
Because of my nightly escapades and the sheer number of sexual partners, I ended up developing a mild case of nymphomania. In short, I realize that my personality has changed a lot over the years — and one of the biggest changes was in how I view my powers.
Over time here in Egypt, I realized I was much stronger than I believed years ago. My irrational fear of Aro gradually became laughable. Today, I no longer fear him.
Back then, I was just a child doing everything for Aro, driven by fear of what he might become. But over time, I came to understand that my fear of Aro — my dear "daddy" — stemmed from what he would become, not what he was.
Now, Aro is weak — so weak I could kill him in mere seconds. That's why I left the clan for a few years. I'll return eventually, I still need to save my aunt's life, but if my calculations are correct, it'll be another seventy years before Aro tries to kill her.
I hope he doesn't… but if he does, I'll burn him down to nothing.And I have Kéfera to thank for that.She doesn't even know it, but because of her, I've grown mentally stronger — and with that growth came a colder, more ruthless version of myself.
It was through these changes that I managed to take control of much of Egypt. This was only possible thanks to Amun, who became my right hand. Initially, the plan was merely to control the trade routes along the Nile — a simple task that took less than six months. After seizing control of trade, we moved on to religion.
Like the Egyptian vampires, I also presented myself as a god to the people, even founding my own cult. The Egyptian vampires weren't pleased with that, but after some negotiation from Amun — and the sudden disappearance of a few of their elders — they finally surrendered the coastal cities along the Nile.
The riverbanks were Egypt's economic and cultural heart. After losing them, the Egyptian coven's power was drastically weakened.
After this brief reflection, I rise from the bed completely naked — where the beautiful women still lay — and walk toward the grand doorway.
Upon opening it, I find myself in the lower part of my chamber. The room is divided into two sections: an inner chamber and a lower one. Both have their own doors. The smaller room, where I'd been, is where I sleep and spend my nights of pleasure. The other, where I now stand, is where I keep my clothes, books, and everything I need for the day.
The lower chamber, equally dazzling and adorned in gold, had only two handmaidens present. Upon seeing me, they bowed and began to dress me with meticulous care and reverence. In a way, I relish this kind of treatment — it inflates my ego astronomically. I understand why Amun misses it so much.
Once they finished dressing me in my ornate gold-trimmed white garments, Núbia — one of my handmaidens — looked at me and said:
— "Oh great bearer of a thousand nights' frost, morning star, lord of the Nile, and rightful heir to all that the sun touches, direct descendant of Ra and Isis… Lord Amun wishes to speak with you at the training barracks. And, as you may already know, there is a gathering at the docks today."
After saying this, she bowed once again in worship.
I looked at her and replied:
— "Thank you for the message, Núbia. You're always looking out for me..."Then I took the opportunity to ask,— "And your son? How is he doing?"
I said this with a warm smile. She was visibly moved by my concern. Her god was asking about her son, who had recently fallen ill.
Well, all the servants and handmaidens in the palace adore me. They have immense respect — not just because I am their god, but because I genuinely show care for each of them. After all, fear motivates people, but fear aligned with affection… that is the best kind of loyalty.
Still thinking about this, I left the handmaidens behind and headed toward the building adjacent to the main palace. For some time now — specifically the past seven years — I had begun putting into practice my plan to create my own coven. More specifically, its combat branch. To train my warriors — strong and loyal — we built combat training centers.
As I walked through the stone corridors of what was once a temple — now converted into a barracks — I heard the rhythmic sound of fists pounding against improvised sandbags. My soldiers were training hard. Some were still young, but their eyes… had already seen more pain than any child should ever endure.
I paused for a moment and watched one of them execute a series of kicks and punches. The movement was good — rough and direct — but there was something in it… something familiar. I smirked, remembering old Vadim, my neighbor in a previous life — a former Soviet soldier surrounded by dusty VHS tapes, faded posters, and a fanatical devotion to sambo and the Red Army. His house smelled of dust, alcohol, and old wood. On Sundays, he would invite me to watch fights."Pay attention to the leverage, kid. The secret is in the hips."
At the time, I thought it was just one of his quirks. I never imagined that centuries later, I'd be replicating every technique, every move — with absolute precision — along the banks of the Nile. Thanks to my eidetic memory, I became a ghost of time, bringing to life styles not yet born. The ancients here believe I am a god of war because of it.Maybe I am.Or maybe I'm just a man too lost in time, trying to build an army of ghosts like myself.
After establishing the combat centers, we created several orphanages nearby. We invited some of the children to train. The orphans were well cared for and loved by the staff — and those who trained at the centers were treated even better. The ones who showed talent were even paid to train.
It took a few years to see results, but earlier this year, we had our first ten candidates. Before turning them, each was thoroughly evaluated. First, we measured their loyalty, then their power.I prefer a weak guard willing to die for me over a strong one who'd flee at the first sign of danger — or worse, betray me.
All of them showed loyalty that even surprised me. But it makes sense — without me, many of them would be dead… or worse.
Unfortunately, only one of them developed supernatural abilities. A tall young man, about 6 feet 7 inches tall (2 meters) and weighing nearly 400 pounds (180 kg) — a true physical monster. But he was terrible at most martial arts, decent only at boxing. He was also very slow.However, his strength stood out: he could lift 550 pounds (250 kg) at 17, and once broke someone's arm with a single punch. His hands were true weapons of destruction.
His supernatural ability was muscle control — he could consciously manipulate the muscles in his legs. Over time, he used this gift to overcome his problem with speed, which affected him even after the transformation.
A noise at my side pulls me from my thoughts.
To be continued…
[N/A] "I used a more elaborate and epic narrative style in this chapter, but I'm not entirely sure how it turned out. If you'd like me to make any changes or if there's anything you'd like to add, feel free to let me know."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[N/A] If you've read this far, thank you! And since I'm terrible at handling compliments, please, insult me instead