The streets of Heliopolis heave with chaos, the normally ordered avenues churning with a roiling mob. I flee through the tumult, my guards scattered by the surge of rioters. My heart pounds in my ears, adrenaline singing through my veins as I race down twisting back alleys. My sheltered life within the temple's sacred walls has left me ill-prepared for navigating the city's tangled warrens.

I round a corner at a sprint, my sandaled feet slapping against the dusty cobblestones. As I fly down the narrow alley, a figure suddenly steps out from a shadowed doorway directly into my path. Unable to stop my headlong rush, I slam into the stranger with a startled cry, the impact sending us both staggering.

Strong hands grasp my arms, steadying me before I can fall. The unexpected touch sears through the thin silk of my robes, the sensation overwhelming in its foreignness. In my twenty-one years, I have never once been touched by anyone save my fellow priests. I look up at my rescuer with wide, startled eyes. A commoner, I realize as I take in their plain, undyed clothing and sun-weathered skin.

Are the hands that caught me those of a farmer used to washing animals, digging in the dirt to pluck up apples straight from the vine? What must their life be like? They probably sleep on beds of straw and wash in rivers and lakes.

As I stand frozen, staring up at the stranger who still grips my arms, pounding footsteps echo from the mouth of the alley. My guards round the corner, their eyes widening with horror at the sight before them. A commoner laying hands upon one of the god's chosen - it is a crime punishable by death. But in that moment, I understand that this person acted only to help me, catching me before I could fall and be trampled in my blind flight. I cannot allow them to face execution for that.

"Stop!" I call out, my voice high and clear. I draw myself up to my full height, fixing the guards with an imperious stare. "This person saved me from harm. The gods have clearly placed them in my path for a reason. I am invoking my right as Sanctus to name them my sacred attendant, bound to my service."

The guards exchange uncertain glances, but none dare defy a Sanctus openly. "As you say, Holiness," their captain replies, inclining his head. "Let us return to the temple that you may speak to the High Priest on this matter."

I nod regally, stepping away from the stranger - my new attendant. I can still feel the ghost of their touch burning against my skin, a sensation at once unsettling and intriguing. What have I done? I wonder as I allow the guards to escort me back to the sanctuary. What consequences might my rash decision bring? Despite my trepidation, I cannot bring myself to regret the choice. The gods placed this stranger in my path for a reason. Now I must discover what destiny the divine has woven for us - together.