Ky bounded forward next. “I, Ky Petersen, pledge my soul to Set! May I prove worthy!”
He plopped his oversize body into the chest, making the wood groan. His feet stuck out at the bottom, his large muscles bulged over the rims, and a cocky, humorous expression soon settled on his face. The room roared with laughter, and Mikael had to help his son out of the tight fit. A loud pop echoed through the courtyard when the chest finally released its grasp. Sean handed Ky the wine and uttered the same prayer. Ky’s smile was replaced with a dazed look, and the giant nearly toppled over when Mikael brought him alongside Lucius.
Q then took his pledge—his short stature became quite obvious inside the sarcophagus—followed by each of the other wab disciples. They all passed the test with ease either by being too short or too thin or too fat. Mikael lined them up in their proper places, forcing the disciples to bow before the crowd while the drink ensnared their senses. Seth’s nerves were beginning to tremble, the realization taking a blow to his gut. The box only fit one, and there was only one left standing.
Seth slowly moved forward and cleared his throat. “I, Seth O’Keefe, pledge my soul to Set! May I prove worthy!”
The crowd muttered with anticipation, their focus purely on him. Hesitating, he glanced at the lid that lay beside the sarcophagus. He then took a deep breath and lay down inside. It was a perfect fit, just as he feared.
Seth focused on his father, remembering the words that must be spoken. “I fit exactly! The box is mine!”
Sean’s sneer turned into a malicious grin. “And yours it shall be!”
He nodded to Jacob and Mikael. They picked up the lid and laid it over Seth. He was plunged into the haunting darkness. His heart began to pound in his ears, and he had to hold his tongue from screaming out. He clenched his fist until his nails drew blood. Closing his eyes didn’t settle his nerves for he couldn’t tell the difference in the darkness before him.
Just let your mind drift, he told himself. Just relax. You can do this.
The dark surroundings inched closer, pressing down on his lungs. All the walls of the sarcophagus seemed to be collapsing in on him. Sweat dripped down his brow and into his eyes, his panic building inside. He wanted to shout out for help, to call on his friends. He bit down on his tongue.
No! I have to live through this. I have to live! An image of Natti crossed his mind. I have to live!
Holding onto that picture, he focused on her eyes, those sad eyes. Regret sunk into the pit of his stomach.
“I think I better go.” Her words repeated in his mind. “It’s getting late.”
“No,” Seth whispered lightly into the thick air. “Don’t leave.”
But even in his fantasies, he couldn’t stop her from walking out the café door. He suddenly felt alone in the crushing darkness, wishing he had gone after her. That he had scooped her into his arms and kissed her when he had the chance. Just to taste her lips once before he died.
The lid rose up, and the light of the burning torches assaulted his eyes. He sat bolt upright, gasped for air, and scrambled out of the sarcophagus. Sean stepped forward, his face filled with pride.
“You have proven worthy, my son. May Set guide you on the right path.”
Sean presented the wine to his son. Seth held the bowl in his hands, seeing the herbs and powder hovering in the amber liquid, and took a sip. His head spun once the potion touched his tongue. He felt something inside him stir and stretch out like wings.
“O Set, the true ruler of Egypt,” the Egyptian words were muffled echoes in his ears, “the god of darkness and chaos, take hold the soul of Seth O’Keefe. Take him into your kingdom that resides in Duat and recognize him as one of your own.”
The temple vanished before him, and Seth was pulled into a strange world where icy air blew over black desert sands. He stood in a palace, which was so pitch-black the torches hardly offered any light. A pair of glowing eyes gleamed from a throne that sat in the dark hall before him. Shivers ran down Seth’s spine, and a force brought him to his knees. The beast on the throne growled in unison with the predator Seth felt inside himself all his life. The darkness and anger flowed stronger through him. The overwhelming power infected his thoughts with hatred, greed, and lust, which slowly consumed him.