"Am I dead?"

"No," he said firmly before taking a deep breath. "First of all, I have to ask for your forgiveness. I shouldn't have used force to try to get the necklace back. It's my fault that you're here. When you fell and I saw that thing approaching, I didn't have time to think of anything other than saving you from death. Innocent humans should never die at the hands of a God... So I brought you to the Duat with me."

Even if he denies it, if I actually am in a coma, it might simply be my brain speaking through this man...

"And... How do I get back to Earth?" she asked, deciding to play along.

"That's where it gets complicated. I was able to reach your time thanks to the necklace which served as an anchor."

Anaïs thought for a moment, connecting the information to fully grasp the situation and what he wasn’t saying outright.

"Wait, wait," she interrupted, raising her palms in front of her chest. "If I understand correctly, I’m stuck here? And what do you mean by "my time"? The future?"

The jackal god nodded, confirming that she had understood his implication. A few seconds of silence passed as Anaïs processed the news. Was it really bad? The place seemed peaceful and it was definitely more interesting than the life waiting for her in her own time. She could easily adapt to this life in the afterlife, she had no doubt. Whether she was in a coma or not. A smile finally formed on her lips.

Yes, I could get used to this.

"The problem is, you can't stay here."

Her smile instantly faded. This didn't bode well.

"So, what will become of me? Why can't I stay here?"

"We are in the afterlife, the living have no place here. Even less so in the Field of Offerings, without even having been judged."

It didn’t please her, but it made sense. Nevertheless, she dreaded the last option Anubis was about to present, sensing she wouldn’t be thrilled by his announcement.

"I must send you back to the world of the living," he concluded.

"But not in my time?" she asked, her mind racing.

"No, in ours."

"And... when is that? What year?"

The calendar must be different, she thought. That won’t help me at all.

"Which dynasty? Who is the pharaoh?" she continued.

"My uncle... Seth," he corrected himself, realizing she wouldn’t know who he was referring to, "has stolen Osiris' throne after assassinating him and desecrating his body."

Anaïs swallowed. This story sounded familiar... It closely resembled the myth in which Osiris was killed, dismembered, and then scattered to the four corners of Egypt. Apparently, these weren’t just legends in their "time."

If gods and magic exist... Are all myths true? And what about the Greek, Roman, and Norse gods? The world suddenly seems much more interesting!

"So," she continued, "you’re looking for Osiris’s pieces, right?"

"Yes," he replied, surprised. "How do you know that?"

"Ha ha!" she laughed. "I have my secrets."

Anubis stared at her suspiciously as she reveled inwardly. Not only did magic exist here, but she finally managed to tease him back. Her situation was starting to take a positive turn.

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"And what about the necklace?" she followed up.

"Thoth enchanted it to find Osiris's head, but Seth stole it and threw it to Earth in a random space-time. He thought that would be enough for me never to recover it. He underestimated the power of Thoth's spells."

Anaïs placed her elbows on her knees and her head in her palms to think about the situation. She wanted an adventure, right? This one seemed up to her standards. She didn’t mind ending up in ancient Egypt, but traveling alone in an unfamiliar era seemed like a particularly bad plan. Especially when you literally came from the future.

"Fine, I’ll come with you!" she exclaimed with conviction, standing up from the couch, determination written on her face.

A moment of silence followed.

"Excuse me?"

"I’ll go with you!" she repeated, raising her voice as if speaking to a slightly deaf old man.

Anubis coughed, embarrassed.

"I don’t think so. You’ll slow me down. This isn’t a game; the fate of Egypt depends on this quest. Seth is a formidable opponent; he’s not the God of Chaos for nothing."

Anaïs slumped back onto the couch, disappointed. She suspected it was probably a lost cause, but it was worth asking. Did he intend to leave her waiting here alone, in an unknown place and time?

"Don’t worry, I’ll at least accompany you to a city so you can settle in safely. I won’t leave you in the wild."

Anaïs rolled her eyes. She had hit the nail on the head with her guess.

"Well, thank god I guess!" she replied with heavy sarcasm.

It wasn’t her fault she was here, after all. So, in a way, she was his responsibility. She couldn’t even feel guilty about acting petulant since he had attacked and kidnapped her and had been mocking her with his haughty tone since she arrived in the Duat.

"I see your masters didn’t teach you respect," he said condescendingly.

"I was mostly taught to give my respect to those who deserve it," she retorted, a mischievous smile accompanying her words.

" I could simply throw you into the desert if I'm not worthy of your respect. I don't think you realize your place, human."

Anaïs sighed and fell silent for a moment. She couldn’t win this exchange, even if he had a knack for irritating her with his superiority. Anubis was a god, and this was his world. He held all the cards. She was just a guest in unfamiliar territory.

"Very well, oh merciful god," she mocked, exaggerating her words theatrically.

"That's better," he approved, a discreet, satisfied smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

Just because you’re a god doesn’t mean you have to be so full of yourself... Even though you’re pretty handsome when you’re not scowling...

"We’ll leave tomorrow at first light. I have a few small details to take care of before we depart. Make yourself at home," he said before leaving the villa without waiting for a response.

"Great," Anaïs muttered bitterly, but the god was already gone and didn’t hear her complaint.

Of course, she wasn’t going to spend these few hours doing nothing. She didn’t even know how far into the day it was. It was impossible to tell between the esoteric afternoon light and the morning breeze. Oh well, she would just do whatever she felt like. And that started with a little tour of the villa.

The living room was composed of sofas, armchairs, and a large wooden coffee table, with a few plants and a small bookshelf overflowing with neat papyrus scrolls. There was also a massive chest of drawers and a round wicker chair, as well as a woven trunk in the corner that resembled a game board more than storage furniture.

The rest of the house included bedrooms, storage rooms, a pantry, and an indoor basin that she assumed was a bathtub, given the small wicker cabinet presenting what looked like soap.

The pantry was filled with wicker baskets containing meat, fish, fruits, bread, and... lots of fruits. A richly decorated earthenware set was arranged on the shelves, ready for use.

In one of the bedrooms she dared to explore, there was a bed that rivaled those of her modern time, a paper screen, some woven chests, and a dressing table dominated by a magnificent mirror. Cosmetics, such as powder and kohl, were neatly arranged on the table.

The furniture in the villa was relatively minimalist but very elegant. Indeed, all the wooden pieces were inlaid with gold leaf and very discreet precious stones. There were colorful hieroglyphs on the tables, chests, and drawers. It wasn’t the great luxury and comfort of a modern house from her time, but even Anaïs could recognize that the owner wasn’t just anyone and that the villa overflowed with riches. After all, it was the home of a god. It matched the image she had of their dwelling places.

After her little tour, she decided to help herself in the pantry. Anubis had told her to make herself at home, after all. A few pieces of dried meat and fruits accompanied her to the outdoor gardens. Three sofas were arranged around a small pond, all surrounded by palm trees. Two small chests serving as tables separated the sofas.

Anaïs placed her snacks on the nearest chest and settled comfortably on the seat. After eating a rather unreasonable amount of food, she lay down on the sofa and fell asleep within seconds. It must have been past midnight on Earth—at least in her time—and the day was starting to feel long and heavy. Her mind also knew she was safe here and could sink into sleep without fear. After all, she had already been kidnapped.