That night, she found Asar waiting at the edge of the Nile.
"I must leave the temple," she whispered. "The Pharaoh has claimed me."
Asar's hands clenched into fists. "We could leave, Neferet. Together."
She shook her head. "There is nowhere we could go where his reach does not follow."
"Then let me fight for you."
Tears burned in her eyes. "If you love me, you will let me go."
The silence between them was heavy, unbreakable.
And then, Asar did something she did not expect. He turned and walked away.
He did not fight. He did not stay.
He left.
And in that moment, Neferet realized that true heartbreak does not come from separation. It comes from being abandoned when you needed someone most.