Night spread like ink from the eastern bank of the Nile River, slowly swallowing the last traces of sunset.
That final ray of sunlight was as red as blood, like nourishment steadily fading away as it smeared across the tips of Memphis's towering obelisks before gradually losing its color. The streets of Memphis slowly fell silent in the twilight.
The bustling daytime market had long since closed. Merchants hurried home, and even the most unruly children dared not linger at the alley entrances. It was as though everyone had moved away, locking themselves tightly inside their homes.
An amulet hung outside every home. They looked utterly ordinary, yet carried a faint touch of mystical power. Ian studied one for a while but could not make sense of it.
The entire city seemed shrouded in an invisible fear. Even the wind had become cautious, daring only to whisper beneath the eaves. Ian stood in the middle of an empty street, the Black-robed woman's warning still echoing in his ears. The night wind swept fine sand across the stone slab road, making a serpent-like hiss.
"Why nighttime of all times? Everything is normal during the day." Ancient Egypt's chief god, Ra, was the Sun God. Even if something were wrong, it should have happened during the day. Yet hidden changes appeared in His temple at night. It truly made no sense.
Ian stared at the outline of the temple as it was gradually swallowed by shadow, his fingers unconsciously stroking the patterns on his wand. That woman could easily overturn the decision of a high-ranking priest; her status was clearly extraordinary. Yet her attitude had been full of contradictions—both a warning and a plea for help. He recalled the twitching corner of the mouth of the Scepter Priest when he had mentioned