The portal snapped shut behind Kairo with a low hum. His heart raced as his surroundings came into focus—vast, golden sands stretched out before him, shimmering under the relentless heat of the sun. The air smelled of salt and earth, mixed with the faint scent of burning incense.
He glanced down at his boots, sinking slightly into the soft sand, and then at his clothes. They were sleek, metallic, and completely out of place in this unfamiliar world. The usual hum of his wrist communicator was absent. It was dead—no signal, no way to connect with his time. He felt... completely alone.
"What is this?" Kairo whispered, more to himself than anyone else. His hands instinctively reached for his communicator, only to find it useless.
His breath quickened. He wasn't supposed to be here—this wasn't his world. His last memory was of a glitch in the temporal travel system, a failed attempt to fix the coordinates that had sent him hurtling through time.
"Where am I?" he asked aloud.
A deep voice responded before he could take another step.
"You are not of this time," it said, firm yet somehow soothing.
Kairo whipped around, startled, his eyes landing on a young man standing at the entrance of a grand temple—a towering structure carved into the very heart of the earth. His skin was darker than Kairo's, adorned with intricate jewelry and symbols Kairo didn't understand. He wore a simple but regal robe, his posture straight and commanding. The stranger's eyes gleamed with the intensity of someone who had seen far more than Kairo could fathom.
Kairo couldn't help but notice how strikingly beautiful he was, as if every feature had been meticulously sculpted by an artist.
"I am Amun," the boy said, his tone calm but full of purpose. "And you, traveler, are the one who will change everything."
Kairo blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. Change everything? The boy's words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.
"I... I'm not from here," Kairo muttered, looking around, overwhelmed by the ancient city rising before him. "This isn't even close to where I was supposed to be. I was just... fixing the coordinates, and now... I don't know where or when I am."
Amun tilted his head, his gaze never leaving Kairo. "You speak with strange words. The gods themselves must have brought you here."
Kairo tried to suppress a chuckle, though it came out nervous. "I'm no god. I'm just a guy from... the future."
Amun didn't laugh or look shocked. He seemed to simply take in Kairo's words, studying him with a quiet intensity.
The silence stretched, and for a moment, Kairo wondered if he had somehow gone mad. This couldn't be real. Could it?
"Come," Amun finally said, his voice softening, his gaze shifting towards the temple behind him. "You have many questions. I will help you understand, as best as I can. But first, we must go to the temple. It is not safe to stand here."
Kairo hesitated. Every instinct told him to run, to find a way back to his time—his real time. But something about Amun's calm, steady presence drew him in. He had no idea why, but he felt an inexplicable pull, as if fate had drawn him here for a reason.
Maybe I have no choice, Kairo thought. Maybe... I'm supposed to be here.