Ryu and Zariah were both stunned in silence before they snapped out of it and bowed respectfully to the Pharaoh of Egypt.

Hatshepsut nodded her head.  “Please, raise your heads.”

Zariah glanced at Ryu with her eyes wide in amazement.  “Have we been teleported back in time?” She whispered.  “Or is this an alternate universe?”

Ryu tried to make sense of what was happening but was just as stunned. He shook his head.  “No clue but we shouldn’t be whispering in front of her.  She’s royalty and a God to these people below.”

They scrambled to bow again before righting themselves.

Hatshepsut smiled warmly.  “Mu tells me that you are warriors from another world.  Another time.”  

Mu chirped, enjoying being in the ruler’s arms.

Ryu was surprised to hear that the Pharaoh was almost expecting visitors. She smiled knowingly.

“You are not the first to cross that threshold,” she turned back towards the balcony.  “Nor the last.” She added over her shoulder as she beckoned them to follow her.

Nothing could have prepared them for the sight past the balcony.  

It was like an eternal night festival, thriving with life.  Ryu could a long paved road lined with guards and pillars before divided by a large gate.  Past the gate were lanterns lined along the market right outside the palace of the Pharaoh.  There were vendors and a lively marketplace, filled with people buying food and wares.  Faint music could be heard in the distance and there was even entertainment at the very end of the square with acrobats and dancers around a central statue.  The statue itself was incredible, completely hewn out of marble with gold filaments and using his stat window he could clearly zoom in to see that it was a statue that resembled their beloved Pharaoh.  

“This is beautiful.”  Zariah sighed, leaning over the railing and enjoying the sights.

“Thank you, the people have worked hard and continue to do so to keep the city alive and well.”

Ryu tore his gaze away and was about to ask her but she smiled knowingly, setting Mu down on the floor.

“We have lived one set of lives in your world before. And now we live again thanks to the grace of the Gods.”  She gestured towards the other statues in the courtyard but she moved her hand as if to sweep across the sky as well.

Ryu noted Set and Anubis below and a few others he recognized and turned back to her, his eyebrow furrowed.  “Forgive me, I don’t mean to come across as rude.  I’m a bit confused as to how-how all this…” He swept his gaze again towards the lively market and even the night sky blanketed by stars even brighter than the ones in his own world.

The Pharaoh smiled almost similar to how his mother would patiently wait for him to absorb the information.  “This is our afterlife, young one.  Here, we have earned our immortality and live freely.”

That confused Ryu even more and was about to ask more questions when Mu lifted her head from where she was laying on the floor beside them to alert them.

“Mama?”

The Pharaoh’s expression took on a gentle smile and walked towards the balcony entryway, where a small boy with dark curls and golden eyes glanced sleepily at everyone.

“Mama, who are they?”

The Pharaoh picked him up in her arms, touching his head as she murmured in his ears.  “You are past your bedtime, my sweet.  We have visitors who will be coming again.” She glanced at Ryu and Zariah before turning back into the room to put him back to bed.

Ryu’s stat screen popped up after she left.

Notice.

Name: Thutmose III, son of Pharaoh Hatshepsut and previous Pharaoh Thutmose II

Age: Two years old

Details: Hatshepsut is regent until her son comes of age

Power: ???

“What a cutie.  I’m guessing he is her son.”  Zariah murmured, still glancing longingly at the market.

Ryu nodded, pushing the stat screen aside to glance back out at the view.  “She said we will be coming back again, so that’s reassuring.”

Zariah sighed happily.  “I could stay here forever.  This is paradise.  Even better than what we always though paradise could be.”

“You are welcome to visit but you must not stray too long here.  It is not meant for the living.”  She interrupted, after having put her son back to sleep.

Zariah looked disappointed but at least she could still stop by.  “Thank you so much.  This place is wonderful.  It is a testament to your successful reign.”

Hatshepsut nodded in acknowledgement, joining them by the railings.  “I am sure you have many things to discuss but I’m afraid we do not have much time for today.”

She touched one of the many golden bangles around her wrist and a screen similar to Ryu’s own popped up.  His eyes widened as he saw similar information pop up.  The information organized themselves before settling into a single summary.

“This is the only thing I can give you for now.”  She reached out and lightly touched their foreheads with her index finger.  “It will transfer to you so you may share with your comrades.”

Ryu felt the same electrical energy through that touch, various images and information passing through his mind and he held onto the railing, reeling from the sensations.  Zariah was faring similar as she gasped at what she saw.

He could barely understand the information at him but he saw bits and pieces as it swam throughout his consciousness.

Stars have fallen…

False Gods…

Fall of all worlds….

Key is the Chosen One….

Ryu closed his eyes, grimacing at the never-ending blast of information before it suddenly stopped and he was able to take a breath.

“I wish you could stay longer but there is always next time.” She gently pushed them towards the door they had originally entered.  “Mu will guide you whenever you wish to see me. I will help all that I can.”  Before they knew it, the door was already open and Mu was already on the other side, waiting patiently for them.

Ryu looked over his shoulder.  “Can I ask you one last thing?”

She paused then nodded.  

Ryu struggled to choose between what to ask and settled on one. He hoped Zariah would forgive him for asking a selfish question.

“How…do I find my sister again? She’s stuck in a tower.”

Hatshepsut’s kohl lined eyes slightly widened in amusement and ruffled his hair.  He almost leaned into it, the gesture so similar to what his mother used to do when he was a boy.

“You have everything you need to be reunited.  She is a strong one.” She cupped the side of his face, her eyes scanning him.  “Like you.” She touched Zariah’s hand.  “And you as well, will also find your lost loved one.”

Ryu turned his gaze away, noticing that Zariah has flinched and her eyes watered at the unexpected answer.

Before he could ask or do anything else, she gave a light push and they heard the door close behind them.  They felt a jolt like they were falling only to right themselves and found that they were back in the courtyard at headquarters.

“That was a trip.”  Zariah exclaimed, carrying Mu in her arms.  “Let’s bring the others next time.”

“And where is that, pray tell?”

They looked up and saw Kai and Gia glancing at them a few feet away while Zion had a sleeping mask hanging off his ear. He was sporting a t-shirt that stretched across his large upper body with a drawing of Mu on the front.  He yawned, scratching his chest.

“What’s going on?  Something about a tower?”  

Ryu and Zariah turned around the courtyard was exactly as they left it with no trace.

“The weird thing was that it wasn’t a tower.  It was just a portal.”  Zariah chimed in, waving Mu’s paw towards the team.  “Apparently we’ll be invited back but Ryu and I have some interesting information to share.”

Kai tossed Ryu’s phone back to him and nodded at the group.  “Glad to hear you guys are safe. As curious as I am, we can all probably afford a bit more shut eye before we regroup.”

Zion yawned again, with Mu hanging over his shoulder this time.  “Amen to that.  I had the strangest dream.”

“Don’t tell me it’s about that steak chasing you again.”  Gia joked.

Zion made a face.  “Nah, it was really strange I swear.  It was like some dark pyramid and I fell through the floor.”

Ryu smiled with the rest of them even while Zion continued.  But his smile disappeared with the next thing.

“You have to believe me.  There was this scary dude who claimed to be some original God and was talking about taking down all of the stars.

Ryu felt his blood run cold, as a memory managed to slip through.

The figure peered down into the pit as Ryu and Rika were hanging onto the vine.  Ryu couldn’t tell if it was the same creatures chasing them but considering they weren’t doing anything, he took a risk.  

“Please help us.”

He felt his grip loosening on the vine as he peered up.  The figure kneeled and looked as if to help them.  It gripped the vine but instead of pulling it up, its hand morphed to extend into a large claw-like hand.  The clouds parted at that moment and Ryu could see that the figure was still obstructed in its own darkness.  But he could see its canines as it drew back its lips into a feral grin.

“The Stars will fall.  And it will start with you.”

It cut through the vines and he and Rika fell screaming into the endless void.