The Nile shimmered under the pale glow of the rising sun, its sacred waters carrying the whispers of the gods.
Neferet stood at the edge of the Temple of Hathor, her golden headdress gleaming as she gazed upon the bustling city. Below her, thousands of men labored under the hot sun, shaping limestone into the great structure that would one day become Egypt's first pyramid.
Her fingers brushed the small ivory pendant resting over her heart - a token of fate, an unspoken promise.
And then, she saw him.
Asar.
He moved like the river - strong, steady, yet untamed. He was no mere laborer; his hands shaped the very stones that would immortalize the Pharaoh's name.
Their eyes met. And in that instant, Neferet knew.
This was not their first meeting.
And it would not be their last.