Sara was going through some documents in her office in Buenos Aires when her phone vibrated. It was a message from Ethan. She opened it quickly, and a wave of intense worry washed over her. Ethan was asking her to send a private plane to Memphis, Egypt, along with a medical team and some security personnel. The message was urgent and concise, without additional details. The mere thought that Ethan needed medical assistance and security in such a distant and dangerous place made her fear the worst.
Without wasting any time, Sara got to work. She made a series of rapid and precise calls. First, she contacted the aviation company to arrange the flight. Then, she coordinated with a private clinic to ensure the presence of a specialized medical team. Finally, she called a security agency that had always responded efficiently to Ethan's needs. In less than an hour, everything was ready. But her worry didn't dissipate. Something inside her urged her to personally go and fetch Ethan. She couldn't just sit and wait for news, so she made an impulsive decision: she would also go on the plane.
The flight to Memphis was long and tense. Throughout the journey, Sara couldn't stop thinking about all the possible situations Ethan might be in. Every time the pilot made an announcement, her heart raced, hoping they would soon arrive at their destination. Finally, after more than twenty hours of travel, the plane landed in Memphis.
Sara quickly disembarked from the plane along with the medical team and security agents. The night in Egypt was dark and cold, and the air carried a hint of dust and antiquity. It didn't take long for her to find Ethan and his group. They were in a small hotel, wounded and exhausted. Ethan was paler than usual but otherwise seemed fine; the others, however, had their clothes stained with dried blood and dust. But seeing that he was alright, Sara managed a slight smile of relief.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, Sara," Ethan said, his voice showing signs of exhaustion.
Sara almost leaned in to hug him but restrained herself, knowing he was her boss. Instead, she just placed a hand on his shoulder, silently showing her support. The medical team immediately began to work as soon as everyone boarded the plane, attending to Ethan and his companions. Yassir and Yassmin were visibly exhausted, but their wounds were less severe. Aria, however, was in critical condition and was quickly attended to.
After ensuring that Ethan and the others were in good hands, Sara felt somewhat more at ease. Ethan, despite his usual resilience, collapsed into a seat and closed his eyes. He was on the brink of exhaustion. Sara sat beside him, ready to listen to whatever he had to say, but Ethan simply murmured:
"I'll explain everything later..." and with that, he fell asleep.
The return flight was silent, with the constant hum of the engines as their only companion. Yassmin and Yassir were also resting, their bodies relaxing after the tension of the past few days. Ethan, on the other hand, dozed off, but his mind couldn't stop spinning with thoughts of the recent events.
He thought about Yassmin and their marriage. He had agreed to marry her for the benefits it offered; her family was influential, and their support had been invaluable. But now, the situation had drastically changed. Yassmin was a fugitive from her own country, and her connections and resources no longer held the same value as before. Moreover, there was no love between them; the closest thing was a physical desire, an attraction to her body that Ethan couldn't deny, but he also knew it wasn't enough to sustain a long-term relationship.
As the plane flew through the night skies, Ethan came to a decision. Yassmin and her brother were useful as an active force, capable warriors willing to fight alongside him. However, the dynamics between them would have to change. They were no longer equals; now, Ethan was the one who could offer a deal, and Yassmin would have to bow her head and accept the new conditions. It was a shift in power that Ethan knew he would have to handle carefully, but he was determined to do so.
Once the plane landed in Buenos Aires, Ethan was taken to his home to rest and recover. Aria was admitted to a private hospital, where doctors stabilized her and began her treatment. Yassmin and Yassir also went to a safe place to rest and regain their strength.
The next morning, after a restorative sleep, Ethan woke up feeling much stronger. He knew he had work ahead. He headed to his laboratory, a place filled with artifacts and advanced technology. He had decided to reinforce his defenses and increase his strength. The battle in Egypt had shown him that he needed to be more powerful, both to protect himself and his allies.
Ethan began by summoning new skeletal warriors. With precise movements and arcane words, he called forth the dead, giving them new life under his control. And he didn't limit himself to the old necromancy techniques. He used his magical technology, where he had managed to fuse artificial intelligence and magic, to strengthen his new soldiers. The AI had recorded and analyzed every battle, every enemy's move, and had learned from each encounter. Now, that information was poured into the new warriors, making them faster, stronger, and more capable than ever.
"Rise, my servants. Serve me in life and in death." Ethan's words echoed in the chamber, filled with power and determination.
One by one, the skeletal warriors rose from the magical circles Ethan had drawn on the floor. Each of them was equipped with weapons and armor that glowed with a spectral light, a reflection of the magic that gave them life. Ethan watched with satisfaction as his new creations lined up in front of him, ready to follow his orders.
After a week, he had completed twenty of his enhanced skeletons. The artificial intelligence, connected through complex systems of runes and magical circuits, began to process and continuously update the warriors' abilities. Every encounter, every victory and defeat, would turn into data that would improve their effectiveness in future battles. Ethan knew he couldn't afford any mistakes; his enemies were powerful, and he had to always stay one step ahead.
"Now, let's see how well you can fight." Ethan extended a hand, and another twenty ordinary skeletons were summoned.
The enhanced skeletal warriors attacked with a precision and coldness that even surprised Ethan. Their movements were fluid, coordinated, and each blow demonstrated a strength that far surpassed that of ordinary skeletal warriors. The combination of magic and technology had borne fruit, and Ethan smiled, satisfied with the result.
However, as he watched his new soldiers, Neith suddenly appeared beside him. The mummy queen was now a minion under his control, but her power was so great that Ethan couldn't control her. She had been watching everything from inside the pocket dimension. Previously, Ethan had tried to summon her to ask her many things, such as why she was a necromancer or how she had awakened at that moment, but she hadn't responded. However, now she had appeared on her own.
"So these were the minions you used last time?" She immediately summoned a guardian mummy. "Make one of yours fight against it. I want to see their strength."
Ethan had no way to refuse her, though even if he could, he wouldn't; he also wanted to see the limits of his advancements, so he agreed and made one of his skeletons fight. The battle was more even than Neith had expected. Although her mummy surpassed it in power and they were equal in speed, Ethan's skeleton seemed to be able to see the future, dodging everything with eerie precision. In the end, Ethan's enhanced skeleton managed to win without receiving a single hit.
Neith was fascinated by this skeleton. She was a necromancer and knew that these soldiers were the lowest rung on the power ladder among the undead. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Ethan managed to advance in necromancy and started using more powerful summons. The thought greatly intrigued Neith; she wanted to see Ethan's potential fully realized. Despite this, she didn't share her thoughts with Ethan. Instead, she asked:
"Teach me to use that magic tablet you always use."
"Magic tablet? Ah, you mean my laptop. Don't worry about that; you don't need to learn how to use it."
"This queen is giving you the benefit of teaching me something. Shut up and do it. It wasn't a request; it was an order," Neith said with authority.
Ethan could only sigh and grudgingly accept, so from that day on, he would take some of his time to teach her. He knew he had to stay alert and prepared for any eventuality. The mission to defeat Teti was already dangerous, and he would need all the help he could get, but he also had to ensure that Neith didn't turn against him.
With this mix of caution and renewed confidence thanks to his skeletons, Ethan continued to prepare for the challenges ahead. He knew the road wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to face it with all his might.