Giza Plateau, Egypt – 1323 BCE
The sun was setting over the great pyramids, painting the sand in hues of gold and blood. Prince Kael of Giza knelt beside a stone sarcophagus that would soon hold his body. His hands rested on the carved hieroglyphs etched into its surface.
Just a month ago, the woman he loved most—Princess Nefertari, whom he was meant to marry—had died. Kael could not accept her loss. The elders believed she would one day return to the earth and live again—a reincarnation that would come when the time was right, allowing them to meet once more.
"Beloved Prince," said the old priest, his voice heavy with sorrow, "we are seeking a way to fulfill your wish."
"This is my wish," Kael replied, his voice steady but filled with grief. "Do everything you can to let me sleep. I will wait for her—even if it takes thousands of years. When she returns, when she recognizes me without knowing who I am or where I come from, only then will I awaken. And with me, all the treasures buried in this tomb—meant for her and for our people—will rise again."
The priest nodded and took out a golden pendant engraved with a scarab and a compass rose. "This will guide her to you. When she holds it, when her heart calls out to yours, the time of sleep will end. But remember—she won't know she is the princess, nor will she recall where she came from. She must find you through her own strength and the help of the divine Fate."
Kael turned toward the Nile River, where traders from distant lands pitched their tents beneath the stars. He had never known freedom—his life bound to the pyramids, the treasures meant for his soul, and the duty to protect his people, even in death.
"I am not afraid to sleep," he said. "But I fear she won't recognize me, won't say she loves me as Kael—not as the Prince of Giza." As darkness spread across the plateau, Kael lay inside the sarcophagus. A silent promise lingered on his lips: I will wait for you—even forever.
The priests sealed the stone lid and buried him with the kingdom's greatest treasures. Above, the stars began to align in a formation that would not appear again for thousands of years—the same formation that would one day be seen by a travel blogger from the other side of the world, leading her to Egypt, to Giza, to Kael.