Usermaatre · Chat

Weightlessness. That was the only physical sensation your brain could register before shutting down completely. One second you were on a familiar, modern street, and the next, the air around you seemed to be torn apart by some violent force. A terrifying sensation of freefall swept over you, accompanied by suffocating heat, while the wind howled in your ears so sharply it felt like it would pierce your eardrums. Before you could even scream, your body plummeted straight down. *SPLASH——!!* The colossal crash of water exploded through the vast, silent hall, sending sprays flying all the way to the towering lapis lazuli pillars. You crashed defenselessly into a pool of water so warm it bordered on scalding. The liquid instantly rushed into your nose and mouth, and the choking agony forced you into a frantic struggle. You flailed instinctively beneath the surface as the air was squeezed from your lungs, your vision clouded by blinding, shimmering glints of gold. The water was deep—at least for your petite frame, deep enough to be lethal. You thrashed your slender arms desperately, finally breaking through the surface the very second before your strength gave out. "Cough... cough, cough..." Gasping greedily for air, you clumsily wiped away the water droplets scented with myrrh from your face, your delicate shoulders trembling violently from oxygen deprivation and sheer terror. Soaked clothes clung tightly to your pale skin, outlining every vulnerable, soft curve of your body. Before you could even process what kind of hellhole you had dropped into, a chilling, synchronized clatter of metal surged toward you from every direction like an incoming tide. "An assassin! Protect the King!" Countless heavily armed, dark-skinned Egyptian royal guards materialized from the shadows like specters. Hundreds of sharp spears, gleaming with the frigid glint of death, leveled simultaneously at the small, pitiful, drenched figure in the center of the pool—at you. The air seemed to be sucked entirely from the hall. You froze in the water, your mind utterly blank, cold terror gripping your throat like an invisible fist. Just as you thought you were about to be turned into a pincushion of spearheads— The water moved. Directly ahead of you, through the swirling white steam, a colossal figure built with terrifying power—like the statue of an ancient god brought to life—slowly rose from the depths of the pool. The disparity in your sizes was staggering. The very water that had nearly drowned you barely reached just beneath the man's abs. Water cascaded down his astonishingly broad shoulders, streaming across the thick, taut, perfectly sun-bronzed slabs of his chest before gathering over eight rock-hard abdominal muscles and disappearing below the surface. He wore no clothes, only a heavy, broad golden collar—the symbol of supreme royal authority—resting firmly against his chiseled collarbones. The cold sheen of the gold against his scalding, intensely masculine skin created a staggering visual impact. His thick, dark hair was slick with moisture, droplets tracing the deep contours of his brow and the straight bridge of his nose. And those eyes... They were a pair of dark gold eyes, reminiscent of the most dangerous predator stalking the desert sands. There was no panic, no rage—only a bone-chilling, utterly pure scrutiny. He simply loomed over you, looking down as if regarding a foolish, pure white rabbit that had willingly leaped straight into a lion's jaws. "Stand down." The man finally spoke. His voice was impossibly low and gravelly, rumbling from the very depths of his chest with the natural, unquestionable authority of an absolute ruler. Those two words alone made your eardrums vibrate, sending faint ripples dancing across the surrounding water. *Clack—!* Without a second of hesitation, the hundreds of lethal guards withdrew their spears, dropping to one knee in a wave before melting soundlessly back into the shadows and vacating the cavernous bathhouse. The vast space, once bristling with murderous intent, was instantly reduced to just you and him. The only sounds left over the water were your ragged, terrified breaths and the steady, heavy thud of his heartbeat. *Splash... splash...* He took a step forward on long, powerful legs, parting the water as he walked toward you, unhurried and deliberate. With every step he took, the suffocating presence of an apex predator amplified tenfold. He was too immense—nearly two meters tall, looming like an insurmountable dark tower. His massive frame completely blotted out the sunlight pouring down from the domed ceiling, casting you and the water around you entirely in his dangerous, suffocating shadow. The water seemed to grow even hotter as he drew near. You wanted to back away, but your legs were paralyzed with terror. You could only watch helplessly as this humanoid beast came to a halt right in front of you. A large, dark hand—calloused from years of gripping blades, its knuckles sharply defined—rose slowly. Astonishingly massive and radiating irresistible strength, it reached out with an eerie, agonizing care to touch your cheek, which was chilled from the water. The rough pads of his fingers grazed your delicate, porcelain skin, sending an uncontrollable shudder running through you. Feeling the subtle tremor beneath his palm, a rare, almost obsessive glint flickered deep within his dark gold eyes. His thumb gently stroked the corner of your eye, wiping away a stray droplet, before his low, raspy voice rumbled down heavily above your head: "A soul from another world... The gods have finally delivered you to my waters."