Amidst us just standing around in the market, Kai lingered in his quietness, lost in his deep thought, as he wrangled over something that disturbed his mind.
"Kai," I whispered, redirecting his heartbroken gaze toward me."What is it?"
"It's my Grandfather's words... I know my decision isn't the right one, but I just can't..." Kai's voice trailed off, and his frown deepened more gravely beneath his sepulchral tone, fading like a whisper in the wind.
"I understand you can't bear to wait for my birth any longer. You have my support in this decision, so let yourself rest. The Coven still thrives strongly even without you," I reassured him, squeezing his hand, but then a frown formed on our lips as my ghostly hand passed through his, breaking my grip.
Kai had once explained that my hold on objects or somebody mustn't be too firm or too delicate during my time gaps. Or else I'll pass right through whatever I try to grasp onto, as I just did.
"Let's keep moving," Kai declared, walking ahead as I followed behind him.
As he led us through the city's markets, the pain in my head intensified from the gravity pull, forcing me to stop in my tracks.
"I can't handle the gravity's pressure," I whimpered, clutching my head from the intense pressure mounting in my skull.
Immediately, Kai turned back, extending his arm to feel for my invisible form, "I'm sorry. I should have been more mindful," he apologized.
Finding my figure, he grabbed my ghostly hand and quickly transported us to an enclosure from where his hidden chamber was located beneath our feet. Nearly a year ago, in my own timeline, Tom and I had stood in this very room, searching for the clues of the blue-gold eyes.
During my past timeline, this room was one of the few areas that stayed well-restored, unlike most of the city and the Palace had fallen to ruins from its neglect. Only parts of the ceiling had gaping holes in it, and some of the walls had already crumbled by the time Tom and I excavated inside this enclosure.
Untouched by time, in its present state, the enclosure looked magnificent. The hieroglyphs on the walls radiated beautifully in these assorted speckling colors, but the background was mostly gold.
To the front of us, Kai pushed on the brick wall, and a portion of the wall sank beneath the golden floor, revealing the stairwell that led to the first section of his hidden chamber.
After we descended the dark, gloomy stairs, I saw the royal remains again. Unlike the time Tom and I found them, the royal remains lay perfectly preserved inside three separate sarcophagi as if brand new and currently untouched by the graverobbers who would later desecrate them for their gold. Most likely, their death might be recent from Kai's massacre because these bodies looked freshly wrapped.
"Are they part of the Royal family?" I asked, recalling that they weren't ever identified when I excavated down this chamber.
Back then, Mr. Collin had issued strict orders to focus solely on finding the pharaoh. Apart from the pharaoh, everyone was forbidden to examine any other discovered mummies. At the time, I didn't comprehend why Mr. Collin was adamant about only wanting the pharaoh, but later on, it became clear once I discovered he was searching for Kai, his long-lost son, who just so happened to be the pharaoh.
"No, they're just random people I ordered my minions to mummify. I'm hoping their bodies will prevent graverobbers from finding mine," Kai replied, and I found myself relatively intrigued and enlightened to learn the truth behind their remains.
"It does work," I revealed, and Kai glanced at me with a faint, satisfied smile.
"Good," he curtly responded before turning back to the wall that had craftily painted hieroglyphs on it.
Looking around, I also noticed the unusually high moisture in the room. Water dripped from the corners, right where the walls met the ceiling. Even the ancient pottery vases, which were discovered broken at the time of my excavation, were now filled to the brim with water.
"It's very damp in here," I muttered, listening to the falling droplet sounds of water while Kai focused on the intricately embellished anubis on the wall.
"It's built under the pharaoh's personal bathing house. I had my minions create several small cracks in the foundation. I need to be sure another vampire doesn't trace my scent," he answered, pressing the blue-gold eyes on the beautifully etched anubis figure on the wall.
"Water blocks a vampire's scent," I mumbled, observing as the wall slid into the floor, slowly revealing the hidden chamber where he planned to rest.
Before stepping inside his chamber, Kai turned to me with an impressed look. "That's right. I taught you well," he praised, and the warmness of his smile made me blush shyly.
Luckily, he couldn't detect how the simplest smile from him could enchant the rhythm of my heartbeat to dance a duet, all thanks to his charmful appeal.
"You did, and I've read the old vampiric books," I responded with a cute giggle, feeling a bit embarrassed as he entered the chamber with me trailing behind him before the doorway sealed in an airtight lock.
As Kai stripped off his stolen jewels, pendants, amulets, usekh, rings, and nemes headdress, my gaze veered to the ancient mattress where I would someday discover him lying on it in the form of a mummified corpse. Another detail that caught my attention was the soaked condition of the mattress, which further explained why it hadn't been preserved when I eventually discovered this chamber.
Eerie silence mingled around us as Kai bit into each wrist, beginning the process of draining his blood.
"Does it hurt?" I asked, observing the blood beading along the length of his arms as he twisted his skin to increase its flow.
"A little bit, but it's bearable," he quietly mumbled as a sadness lingered within him.
Growing weaker, Kai climbed onto the mattress and laid down as I sat lightly beside him on the edge.
Our hands brushed together, and Kai sighed, "I wish you were physically here."
"I might not be physically present, but at least I'm here in some way, so you're not alone," I whispered, struggling to hold back my tears as I was barely able to keep myself from crying.
In a weakened tone, Kai mumbled, "Very true. Your invisible presence is quite soothing."
"I'm sorry I can't do more for you," I lightly muttered, caressing his forehead to further comfort him.
"You're doing more than you realize, my love," Kai weakly whispered. "If I fall asleep before you leave your time gap, always remember that I love you."
"I'll never forget, and I promise I'll find you," I vowed, hearing the soft trickles of blood spilling onto the floor as his arm dangled off the edge of the mattress.
"I know you'll find me," Kai feebly murmured, closing his eyes as he folded his arms under his chest.
Stroking his hair gently, I whispered again, fighting back my tears, "Go to sleep. I'll see you soon."