It was quiet in the settlement, a typical day in this camp far from the city of Thebes. Sometimes it seemed a shame that the Supreme Epistat did not allow everyone to go into the city unaccompanied. After all, Thebes is a space for young souls seeking a calling in the world, although judging by rumors, the crying in Thebes did not subside, all the time someone was mourning someone. Perhaps it would have been better to stay here after all.

Your feet bring you to the banks of the Nile. The green shades of the vegetation help your eyes rest after a day filled with scrolls, swearing and noisy company. A roguish smile plays on your lips. The days may have been tense, and the illness leaves no one indifferent, but at least you're not going through it alone.

What were those days worth with Livius when you laughed at how Eva somehow deduced hieroglyphs, or when Ramesses explained the subtleties in the taste of beer? It was priceless, helping you forget.

Almost unconsciously, your feet plunge into the waters of the Nile. Now it seems as if everything exists just for you. The water is the perfect temperature, washing your feet and making you close your eyes. It's even better than in a specially heated bath. There's something about being one with nature, almost becoming one with the river itself.

But it doesn't last long.

A rough male voice brings your mind out of the moment of pleasure. The shuffling sound of footsteps on the sand would make anyone take notice.

"It seems like you're not bad, but you're wandering alone almost at dusk. I always thought you were a smart and educated girl." Amen speaks calmly, even without his usual threatening tone, yet somehow you sense danger. Not a threat, but something else. "And there you are, wandering along the shore like a mistress, as if everything is under your control and you're not afraid of anything."

Amen is alone, without any hunters nearby. It's as if he decided to take a walk and came across you, an unexpected surprise for him both. His toned torso glistens faintly in the fading light, arms crossed over his chest and those cold azure eyes as tenacious as usual.