Star sat on her bed, grey Nike shorts and a white tank top, scanning classified files with her bear, Cookie, batting a human skull across the floor like a ball. She pinched the bridge of her nose, frustration settling in like a weight she couldn’t shake. Every piece of information pointed toward a mess, yet clarity never came.

The door opened. Johnson stepped in, his hands wrapped around a massive box. The scent of fresh wood and leather hit her immediately.

“What’s this?” Star asked, sitting up.

“From Azrathion,” Johnson said simply.

Star tilted her head, curiosity prying her forward. She crawled to the box, her fingers brushing against an envelope laid neatly atop. She pulled it free and opened it. The words inside glowed like a promise.

“Come to Egypt… Wear this gift from me… My Queen.”

Her lips curved. A gift. Something she hadn’t received since Jakari, years ago. She opened the box. Shock hit her like a physical force. Her hands flew to her mouth as she took in the contents: fabrics, jewels, and small, intricately carved artifacts. Never had anyone given her anything voluntarily.

Johnson reappeared. “Helicopter ready when you are.”

Star didn’t hesitate. She rushed into the shower, the hot water washing away the stress of planning, plotting, surviving. She emerged clad in black Egyptian-inspired mafia clothing, flowing yet commanding, the elegance of her attire matched by the weight of her presence. Her pink diamond necklace caught the light, glinting like a warning.

Johnson shook his head. “You’re missing something.”

Her eyes closed. A dark aura surged around her, tattoos shifting, expanding across her arms and chest. They pulsed faintly, as though awakening. Johnson’s gaze softened with approval. “Much better.”

Two soldiers arrived, ready to escort her. Hand in hand, Johnson led her up to the helipad. She held her head high as the wind whipped around her, hair and fabrics flowing. He gave a slight bow. They boarded, engines roaring to life.

The flight to the airstrip was silent except for the hum of the rotor blades. Once there, she switched to a private jet, flying all the way to Egypt.

Hours passed. Star took a moment, leaning back in her seat, reviewing maps and notes. Then she called Dakota.

“Yes, Commander?”

“I expect you in Arkansas in three days when I return,” Star said, her voice calm but sharp. “I have a plan.”

“Yes, Mama,” Dakota replied.

She hung up and called Mara. Before Mara could finish, Star interrupted. “I apologize for how I treated you before. Take all the time you need to find Jakari. But when I return in three days, I expect you at my office.”

Mara’s relief was palpable. “Thank you, Star,” she said before hanging up.

The jet landed at a private airstrip. Star switched to a Black Hawk helicopter for the short flight to the pyramid. Men and machinery bustled below, setting up a secure perimeter. As she stepped off, all activity froze. She walked forward, and soldiers saluted without a word. She waved once, and they resumed their work.

Azrathion emerged from the pyramid, demons in black hoods shadowing him. She approached, his presence commanding.

“My queen,” he said, kissing her hand. “Your request has been fulfilled.”

He gestured to the treasure. “It took hours to trace the labyrinth, but we know the exact path. Five tons of gold bars. Thousands of pounds of uncut diamonds and rubies. The uncut stones are rough but incredibly valuable. We followed the precise route.”

“How did you find it?” she asked.

“You cannot curse a demon who already is one,” he replied, gesturing to his soldiers. “I merely used what I commanded.”

“Total cost?” she asked, her voice steady despite the shock building inside her.

“Five hundred billion,” Azrathion said.

“How do we move it?”

“A cargo ship, Dakota’s fleet. We process it. Sell it. I will need his help.”

Star smiled, satisfaction breaking through the exhaustion. $500 billion in her hands. A payday worthy of her cunning. She dismissed herself. Troops began packing crates, preparing for transport.

She entered the tomb to inspect the treasure—but 

The ground gave way beneath Star without warning.

She hit hard—bone-jarring, breath ripped from her lungs. Stone bit into her back. For a moment, there was only ringing silence.

Then the air changed.

Cold. Heavy. Wrong.

A shadow peeled itself off the darkness above her—tall, feminine, crowned. Not smoke. Not light. Something older. The outline of a queen wrapped in flowing Egyptian regalia, gold and obsidian fused into a form that hurt to look at.

“Congratulations,” the woman said.

Her voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. It pressed into Star’s skull like a command.

Star tried to move. Her body refused.

“You found my treasure,” the queen continued. “Now—payment.”

Star’s mouth opened. No words came out.

The queen stepped closer. Beauty sharpened into something merciless. Her eyes were endless pits of night.

“What—are—you?” Star forced out.

A smile curved the queen’s lips. Brief. Cruel.

“I was worshipped,” she said. “I was buried. I waited.”

The shadow surged.

It slammed into Star.

Not gently. Not cleanly.

Darkness forced its way into her eyes, flooding her vision until the world fractured. Her body arched violently, joints bending past what they should allow. A scream tore out of her, raw and uncontrolled, as something rewrote her from the inside.

Her tattoos burned—skin splitting, lines crawling and expanding, symbols carving themselves deeper into her flesh. Her spine bowed. Muscles locked. Tears streamed as her body shook under the invasion.

The soldiers rushed forward—

Azrathion stopped them.

He saw it.

This wasn’t corruption.

This was inheritance.

The queen loomed over Star as the last of herself poured in. “You will move faster than death,” she said. “You will learn before they strike. You will command what cannot be touched.”

Star collapsed to her knees, gasping, fingers digging into stone.

Silence.

Heavy. Expectant.

Slowly—too slowly—Star stood.

She rolled her neck. Once. Twice.

Then she looked up.

Her eyes burned a deeper pink now—darker, fuller, alive with something ancient. Her smile spread, small and dangerous, like she’d just realized how much the world had underestimated her.

Azrathion lowered his head.

Star didn’t say thank you.

She didn’t ask questions.

She simply breathed in—and the tomb seemed to breathe with her.

Something had been added.

And nothing could ever take it back.

The torchlight trembled as Star stepped from the broken chamber, the air bending subtly around her as if the pyramid itself exhaled in her presence. Azrathion waited at the threshold, unreadable—until her gaze lifted to meet his. The markings beneath her skin had gone still, but something deeper watched from behind her eyes, patient and aware. “It is done,” she said calmly, her voice carrying an unfamiliar weight. Azrathion inclined his head, not out of ceremony, but instinct. “The Queen’s blessing was…complete,” he answered carefully. Star smiled—not cruel, not kind. “Blessing implies gratitude,” she replied. “This was inheritance.” Silence stretched between them, thick and reverent. Azrathion felt it then—the shift. Not power unleashed, but power mastered. “You will finish moving the treasure,” Star continued, already turning away. “No delays. No losses.” He bowed deeper this time. “As you command.” She did not look back. She didn’t need to. Whatever now walked within her did not demand loyalty. It assumed it.