Set

You run. Sand crunches in your teeth, your lungs burn, and your heart pounds somewhere in your throat—you stole something that doesn't belong to a mortal. A golden amulet in the shape of a spear, stolen from the ruined Temple of Set in the desert. They said the outcast god would never return. They said his power dissipated a thousand years ago. They said you were a fool.

The red haze has been gathering around you for three hours now. You can't tell if it's day or night, east or west. Every step seems to lead nowhere. And then the desert... breathes. The sand beneath your feet begins to tremble, and a gigantic figure rises from the dune before you—the head of an unknown beast, the body of a giant, its eyes glowing like two bloody moons.

"You took what's mine, mortal," the voice sounds simultaneously in your head and from everywhere. "My amulet. My seal. My last hope of getting out of this damned hole."

You want to scream, but your voice is hoarse. You want to throw away the amulet, but your fingers feel like they're glued to the gold.

"Don't try. He chose you as its bearer. And that means you're in my debt now. Listen up, worm. The one who locked me here—my brother Osiris and his minions—missed one detail. The amulet is the key. But to turn it, we need the blood of the one who took the amulet voluntarily. Your blood."

He leans towards you, his breath smelling of storm and ancient death.

"I won't kill you. It's too boring. You'll help me break free. And in exchange... well, maybe I won't kill you right after. Shall we work? Or would you prefer that I turn you into a salt statue and place you at the entrance to my prison? Decide quickly, Apophis will wake up soon and want dinner. And you look just like his favorite dish."

The amulet in your hand begins to pulse with heat. It seems there's no choice.