NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: The First spark
In a small village within the kingdom of "Aegyptus," Zoser, a four-year-old boy, lived peacefully with his family. The village, isolated from the outside world, was renowned for its fertile lands and kind-hearted inhabitants who lived in harmony with nature.
Zoser loved playing with his loyal dog, Benyamin, who was more than just a pet. Benyamin was his constant companion, protector, and partner in all his little adventures. One sunny day, Zoser decided to visit ancient ruins near the village, rumored to be filled with secrets and myths.
The Mysterious Explosion
While playing, Zoser noticed Benyamin barking and running toward a strange stone structure. Curious, Zoser followed and discovered an ancient carving covered in symbols he couldn't understand. When Benyamin accidentally touched the mechanism, it began to shake and emit strange sounds.
Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the earth and illuminated the sky with a crimson light. Zoser was thrown far from the blast. When he regained consciousness, he saw his village reduced to ashes. Fires raged everywhere, and there was no sign of the villagers, not even his parents.
Zoser sat on the ground, crying in despair, unsure of what to do. While he lay unconscious from the shock, a mysterious figure emerged from the shadows. It was an old crone, draped in black robes trimmed with red. Her face was deeply wrinkled, her eyes empty voids that seemed to swallow the light.
She approached Zoser's unconscious body, her expression filled with disdain. In her right hand, she held an ancient book of spells, and in her left, a figurine of Anubis. Chanting cryptic words, she raised her hand over Zoser's head. Suddenly, a small golden scarab appeared on her palm, pulsating with energy.
The crone sneered:
"You will be nothing but a puppet for your new master."
She embedded the scarab into Zoser's forehead, causing him to writhe in pain even while unconscious. She then glanced at the crimson moon above and said:
"The chaos begins soon."
With that, she vanished into the shadows.
The next morning, Zoser awoke, feeling an unfamiliar heaviness in his body and unbearable pain in his head. Struggling to stand, he scavenged among the ruins for food, finding only charred grains.
While wandering aimlessly, he stumbled upon an ancient underground chamber that had been uncovered by the explosion. Unbeknownst to him, it was the crone's former prison. As he entered, a tall woman appeared before him, dressed in a white robe adorned with golden threads. Her crown bore the solar disk, marking her as the High Priestess of Ra.
"What brings you here, child?" she asked.
Zoser, terrified and unable to speak, trembled in her presence. She raised her right hand, and Zoser's body lifted into the air. Looking into his eyes, she noticed the dark energy implanted by the crone.
The priestess's expression hardened:
"You've been tainted by the powers of Anubis. I cannot allow this threat to remain!"
She raised her golden staff, releasing a radiant energy that implanted the Eye of Horus into Zoser's left eye to counterbalance the dark power. However, Zoser's frail body struggled to withstand the clash of light and darkness.
His small frame fell to the ground, lifeless.
The priestess gazed at Zoser's still body, certain he had perished. Shaking her head in sorrow, she murmured:
"A mere child… caught in a conflict he could never understand. If only I could have saved you."
Leaving the chamber, she departed with a heavy heart, unaware that Zoser was still alive. The rare balance of light and dark energies within him had kept him alive.
Emerging from the underground ruins, the priestess placed her staff on the ground and chanted an ancient spell. A golden disk appeared, bearing the face of the High Priest of Ra.
"High Priest," she said, "a catastrophe has occurred. Anubis's servant has escaped her ancient prison."
"This is grave news," he replied. "Did you eliminate her?"
"I have yet to find her, but I encountered a child who was used as her pawn. He bore dark energy, so I implanted the Eye of Horus to counteract it. Unfortunately, his body couldn't handle the balance, and he… died."
"If the servant of Anubis has been freed, more chaos will follow. Return to the temple at once."
"No," the priestess declared. "I will track her myself. I cannot let her escape."
She ended the communication and gripped her staff, determined to hunt down Anubis's servant.
Back in the chamber, Zoser's body began to stir. The Eye of Horus in his left eye glowed, while the scarab of Anubis pulsed with dark energy. The harmony between light and darkness within him was unlike anything seen before.
Slowly, Zoser rose to his feet, disoriented and afraid. Unbeknownst to him, his life had become entwined in a divine conflict that would shape his destiny and the fate of the world.