True and False Sun God

Memphis's streets shimmered with a golden-red radiance beneath the sun.

The air was filled with the distinctive scent of earth and spices from the banks of the Nile. Crowds bustled about, vendors' cries rose and fell, children chased each other through the streets, and in the distance, the Temple of Ra cast long shadows in the afterglow of the setting sun, as though watching every inch of the city.

Ian stood beneath a palm tree at the street corner, his gaze fixed on the elderly man shuffling ahead of him.

The old man wore a faded linen robe and clutched his amulet tightly in one hand. Though he walked with an unsteady gait, his expression was extraordinarily wary. Every now and then, he looked back over his shoulder, as if guarding against someone.

"Could you let me see the treasure you're holding?"

Under the man's suspicious and uncertain gaze, Ian uttered words that sounded somewhat like those of a thug. It could not be helped—he had rarely had to ask anyone for anything growing up, so his way of making requests was truly rather awkward.

"Don't come any closer! I know you all want to steal it from me!" The old man curled up in the shadows at the mouth of the alley like a frightened wildcat. The cloudy whites of his eyes gleamed sickly in the darkness. His withered fingers clenched the amulet around his neck so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as if it were the last lifeline of his life.

"I mean no harm."

Ian tried to explain again. "I just... want to take a look."

"Take a look?"

The old man snorted coldly, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"You think I'm old, so I can't tell the good from the bad anymore? Let me tell