"It's time," a soft, masculine voice roused her from her sleep.

When she opened her eyes, Anubis' smiling face greeted her. She returned the smile immediately, a sense of well-being flooding her body at the sight of the jackal god. Memories of their conversation the previous night were still fresh in her mind. There was no trace of the shame she usually felt after being vulnerable with someone. No, with him, she felt simply safe. Accepted.

He stepped back to give her space to rise and stretch slowly. Her muscles were still sore, but it was bearable compared to the night before, which was surprising. Usually, soreness hit hardest the day after. Yet, as she moved her limbs in all directions, her body felt almost entirely healed. The same went for her hand—no more scratches, not even a scar.

"Now that you're an Akh, you heal almost as quickly as the gods," Anubis explained, noticing the surprised look on her face as she stared at her hand as if dazed. "Surface wounds disappear within a few hours, and your body is more resistant to blows and pain."

"But not to the pain caused by magic," she grumbled, without mentioning the splitting migraine that had tormented her the night before.

"We can't have everything in life," he chuckled lightly as he turned toward her dresser, gesturing to the clothes he—or a servant—had prepared for the day. "We're visiting the collector today. I don’t think he'll receive us if we show up looking like common peasants."

He didn’t finish his thought, but Anaïs understood the message perfectly. He wanted her appearance to be impeccable for the meeting, to look distinguished and noble.

Unlike Isis, who radiates her divine status even in rags, I suppose I'll have to make some effort to reach her level… she thought with a sigh. Some were luckier than others.

"Will we have to reveal our identities?" she asked, pushing the covers off and placing her bare feet on the warm floor of her room.

She was dressed in a simple white nightgown, like the previous nights, which revealed little of her body aside from her shoulders and neck. The garment was fluid, half-transparent, and clung to her form with every movement, which seemed enough to make Anubis avert his eyes, embarrassed. Anaïs couldn’t help but smile slyly at the almost prudish reaction of the jackal god, wondering how he would react if she were to undress in front of him right now. Would he blush? Or perhaps he would devour her with his eyes, unable to resist approaching and crushing his lips against hers... His composed and emotionless voice abruptly brought her back to reality:

"Not if we can avoid it," he replied, locking eyes with Anaïs, his embarrassment seemingly replaced by his usual focus.

His gaze was so piercing, as if he were trying to read her soul, that her cheeks began to flush under the intensity of his stare. She cleared her throat, suddenly flustered, and torn between the urge to take a step forward and run her wandering fingers over Anubis’s skin, to coax a shiver from him, then cover him in fervent kisses to tease the desire she knew existed within him.

Caught in my own game…

Choosing what to eat for breakfast became a welcome distraction for her mind. She focused on this task with great care, as if it were an extremely important mission that would determine the outcome of their quest. Anything to prevent her overactive imagination from wandering back into wild fantasies the moment her eyes fell on Anubis’s figure. Every time he was lost in thought, focused on his role and the concerns that came with it, she felt the urge to distract him, to bring back that relaxed, carefree look she had seen the night before when she opened up to him. And each time he smiled at her or allowed himself a small joke, determined to calm her nerves, she hoped he’d refocus on their task before his charming smile made her cave and act impulsively.

The white dress awaiting her when she returned to her room to prepare was similar to the one she had been given on her first day. It was a strapless gown with strings crisscrossing around her neck again, adorned with gold details along the fabric, but this time, it also featured vibrant lapis lazuli blue that richly contrasted with the gold, adding colorful strokes to break up the pure white of the garment.

A jewelry box was also set on the dresser to complement the luxurious fabric. Inside was a heavy gold necklace, along with matching gold hoop earrings and a bracelet made of the same precious blue as the dress to complete the ensemble. The whole look screamed "wealth" with shameless ostentation. Nobility equated to flashy in ancient Egypt. Across all times and societies, it seemed you had to flaunt overflowing coffers at first glance to be accepted as part of the upper class. This realization didn’t surprise the young woman in the least.

However, her musings were quickly forgotten when she discovered one last box beneath the jewelry one. Inside was a wig of rare quality. Fascinated, she took it out of its protective box to examine it closely. It was made of real hair, deep black and vibrant, styled in fine braids held together by small gold rings at their ends. The wig was surprisingly faithful to modern depictions of ancient Egypt. Eager to try it on, she styled her hair and tied it as best she could to hide it under the wig. It wasn’t the most practical, leading her to assume that women who wore these regularly must shave their heads, but that was not something she was ready to do for a one-day mission. Her hair might not have been very long, but she still cared for it.

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After slipping into the dress, putting on the jewelry and the wig, and applying makeup she hoped reflected a natural yet elegant style, Anaïs was finally ready for her first steps into the city of Thebes and her meeting with the collector who held parts of Osiris. She observed her reflection in the mirror for a few moments, surprised at how much she looked like a different person with all these adornments. Dressed this way, she had to admit she did justice to her status as a magical being, a semi-deity.

All she needed were the sandals, which she donned with dignity, tying the straps around her ankles, and she was ready. She left her room with her head held high, easily playing her part after the confidence boost from her reflection in the mirror.

"So? How am I?" she asked timidly as she joined Anubis in the living room.

The god’s gaze traveled over her figure, assessing her outfit. He nodded in approval, a small smile tugging at his lips. Anaïs sighed despite herself, secretly disappointed that he hadn’t complimented her. She had spent over half an hour on her attire, which was far more time than she usually took. She had truly put her heart into it.

Anubis was no less impressive. He wore a long linen tunic, with the top draping over his shoulders like a cape. The colors matched Anaïs’s outfit, with a blue and gold collar and a wide, colorful belt with strings circling his waist, ending in silk tassels that swayed with each step he took. A broad collar several centimeters wide adorned his outfit, concealing his neck, and he wore simple sandals beneath his skirt. Though he wore linen trousers in the Duat, the fashion of the living world seemed to require men to wear loincloths for the poor and robes or tunics for the wealthy, which must have been more comfortable given Egypt’s warm climate. And, like Anaïs, he wore a wig that was almost identical to hers in both length and the small gold rings that decorated it. The ensemble gave him the appearance of a wealthy sovereign, with a pompous, almost arrogant air. She preferred him in his natural state, in simple clothes without adornment, but she couldn’t deny that these opulent garments did nothing to diminish his natural charm. Anubis was a handsome man, no matter what he wore.

"You look beautiful," he finally conceded, extending his hand to her.

Anaïs thanked him with a wide smile, pleased with his compliment, knowing it was sincere by the gleam in his eyes. She placed her hand in his, her body warming at the touch of their skin. The closeness of their bodies was innocent, yet it always stirred that almost euphoric feeling in her.

After retrieving her trusty satchel containing everything that might prove useful during their quest that day, the pair left the villa to head towards the Necropolis, where Isis awaited them for their journey into the city. On the way, excitement gradually overtook Anaïs at the thought of visiting an authentic city of ancient Egypt. It was an exceptional opportunity, something she would never have thought possible. Yet, when half an hour later the trio passed through the massive main gate, one of the few entrances to the city surrounded by thick walls, the dream became reality.

The gate opened onto an enormous boulevard bustling with people. A few hundred meters ahead, a gigantic square housed a souk that stretched as far as the eye could see, with dozens and dozens of stalls shaded by canopies that sheltered merchants and passersby from the sun. The market teemed with humans of all kinds: servants, nobles, merchants, artists, guards—people of all social classes and professions seemed to converge at this almost sacred place. Everything was available: fresh or cooked food, the most exotic fabrics, caged tigers, and colorful paintings. Everything this ancient world had to offer seemed concentrated here, in the souk of Thebes. Anaïs was even surprised to spot items she could have sworn were from Southeast Asia, or less surprisingly, goods claimed by merchants to be from South Africa. In any case, she hadn’t expected international trade to be so flourishing in such a distant time. Yet, the cultural richness and exoticism of some stalls didn’t lie. When she listened closely, she could even hear some merchants conversing in a variety of foreign languages. According to Anubis, these brave nomads regularly undertook long journeys, stopping city by city or even country by country to sell their goods and purchase new ones to sell elsewhere.

Saying she was amazed was an understatement. The souk vibrated with vitality and positive energy. Her eyes were delighted by the bright colors of beautiful fabrics and sumptuous jewelry adorned with precious stones, her ears bathed in the various conversations of the city’s residents and visitors, and her nose reveled in the thousand and one scents of appetizing dishes that fueled her growing appetite. She could have spent the entire day there, examining each stall carefully, her eyes wide with wonder at anything even slightly exotic or unexpected.

Unfortunately for her inner tourist, the trio was not there to wander aimlessly. Navigating through the crowded souk was a necessity to follow the shortest route leading to the wealthier districts of the city, but they weren’t there to discover the extraordinary stalls of the merchants and artisans of Thebes. Isis kept a watchful eye, immediately bringing Anaïs back to reality whenever she stopped, mesmerized by the diverse goods.

It took them a good twenty minutes to cross the entire souk and finally reach less crowded alleys where they no longer had to elbow their way through. Though she adored the souk’s infectious energy, she couldn’t deny that being able to move without being jostled against strangers was a breath of fresh air. The square had been particularly lively in the early morning, right when they had chosen to begin their journey for the day.

As they distanced themselves from the souk, the locals became more attentive to their neighbors, especially in the chic district of Thebes. Here, the stares were heavy and inquisitive. Everyone sought to gauge the other, looking for signs of wealth, trying to identify who they were. Of course, they couldn’t know they were dealing with deities since their attire was perfectly tailored to blend in with the city’s noble population, but the curious gazes still made Anaïs uncomfortable.

"Let me do the talking," Isis ordered when they arrived in front of an opulent mansion. "Play along."