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Perhaps pocket worlds were quite common in some particularly unusual worlds. In the world of Harry Potter, however, such things were exceedingly rare.
Usually, only certain special organizations, such as the Department of Mysteries, or gods who had not yet faded in this era, possessed pocket worlds. A temple, even one dedicated to the gods, did not seem like a likely place to contain such a structure.
For this reason, Ian believed it was unlikely that the temple had hidden the Embryo inside a pocket world. The most likely explanation was spatial folding.
Much like the Room of Requirement, there was no visible doorway, yet a folded space could still be accessed through special methods.
Of course...
Even with Ian's mastery of magic, deciphering such concealed magic in a short amount of time was impossible.
He lacked the necessary auxiliary tools. Attempting to analyze and decode it through magical power alone would likely take two or three days.
Ian clearly did not have that much time.
As the sun slanted toward the horizon, Ian arrived at the Observatory at the highest point of the temple, lost in thought. From there, the entire city of Memphis lay spread out before him.
The golden-red afterglow coated the city in a blood-colored sheen while the Nile River wound through it like a bronze ribbon, reflecting the final light of the sunset.
Leaning by the window, Ian watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon.
Today's sunset appeared unusually strange. The edge of the sun displayed irregular serrations, as if something had gnawed at it. Even stranger, at the exact moment the sun vanished, Ian distinctly saw a flash of blue light across the sky, like sunlight reflected from a mirror.
"If the Sun God had truly fallen, the sun over ancient Egypt shouldn't rise at all. Someone must be creating the illusion that the Sun God is still alive."
Ian stood at the edge of the observatory with his hands on the ancient stone railing. He gazed toward the eastern horizon, where the sun slowly rose once more.
Dawn spread like a thin veil, gently brushing the temple spires and stone pillars and gradually dispersing the night's heavy darkness. The sight was dazzling yet faintly unsettling, carrying an indescribable sense of wrongness.
"At least this sunlight doesn't carry that nauseating feeling. Perhaps some deity is helping fulfill the Sun God Ra's duties."
"But why would that deity do such a thing? Merely to maintain the illusion of stability?"
Golden light bathed the temple's bronze rooftops, reflecting a solemn glow, as if a god had opened its eyes at dawn. The sky shifted from deep blue to pale violet, then brilliant orange-red. The clouds turned into strands of rose-colored silk, like a painting carefully crafted by divine hands.
A cool morning breeze swept past, carrying the fresh scent of grass and earth and stirring the loose strands of hair across Ian's forehead. He continued to think.
"Or perhaps, besides these priests, another god intends to use this opportunity to replace Ra and become the new sun god?"
Standing before the window, Ian watched the newly risen sun crest the horizon. The red disk shimmered with an unnatural, jagged halo as though invisible teeth had bitten into it.
Instinctively, he touched the wand hidden within his sleeve.
The faint warmth from the wood steadied him.
Morning had arrived.
Within the temple, the chants of the morning prayer had begun, deep male voices echoing between the stone columns. Through the Observatory doorway, he saw a procession of white-robed priests marching toward the main hall, carrying fresh lotus flowers and incense.
Their expressions were solemn and devout, and their steps were perfectly synchronized, as though last night's bloody ritual had been nothing more than a dream.
Ian stood silently and invisibly, almost merging with heaven and earth themselves.
Yet his mind was far from calm.
He relived the events of the previous night: the sudden chaos, the mysterious Embryo, the whispers within the temple, and the figure that vanished into the darkness remained etched into his memory like a brand.
And yet, everything inside the temple appeared perfectly orderly, as though the turmoil had never occurred.
Priests in pure white robes moved steadily through the halls, holding bronze bells and incense burners. They methodically carried out their daily routines, chanting ancient prayers, lighting incense, and arranging altars, repeating ordinary tasks without pause.
Everything appeared completely normal.
No one could see the filth hidden beneath the temple's sacred facade.
The wheels of history continued to turn steadily forward.
"What a professional performance," Ian sneered silently.
No one could perceive him. His Disillusionment Charm was working flawlessly. Sunlight passed through his entirely transparent body, casting only a shadow too faint for mortal eyes to notice.
After surveying his surroundings cautiously, he gently pushed open the observatory's side door and began descending the spiral staircase in complete silence.
At the end of the staircase was a narrow corridor. The bronze lamps hanging along the walls had just been lit, and their flickering flames illuminated murals depicting Ra riding the Solar Barque.
Ian noticed that one of the murals had been altered.
Instead of being pierced by Ra's spear, the chaos serpent Apep was coiled around the Solar Barque, its forked tongue nearly touching Ra's diadem.
Footsteps sounded from around the corner. Ian immediately pressed himself against the wall.
Two young priests passed by, carrying golden trays filled with sacred scarabs. Their conversation drifted into Ian's ears:
"The High Priest ordered today's sacrifices to be doubled."
"Another dream again?"
"Shh! Not here…"
Their voices gradually faded away.
Ian waited a moment to confirm that no one remained nearby before continuing forward. No priest noticed him, no worshipper paid attention to him, and even the patrolling guards sensed nothing unusual.
The temple's main gates were already open. Several priests stood at the entrance, receiving offerings from believers.
Like an invisible gust of wind, Ian slipped silently through the temple corridors, passed guarded checkpoints, and finally stepped beyond the towering stone doors into the morning streets.
He exited through a small side entrance, and warm sunlight immediately poured over him.
As the first rays of dawn reddened the Nile River, the citizens of Memphis cautiously pushed open their doors.
They did not know what had happened the previous night.
Life, therefore, continued.
The streets of Memphis were awakening. Merchants erected colorful awnings and neatly arranged their goods on stone stalls.
The scent of freshly baked bread mingled with the damp fragrance unique to the Nile, drifting through the air. Several children ran past Ian, laughing and nearly colliding with his invisible form.
"Looks like it's time to cancel the Disillusionment Charm."
Ian turned into an empty alley and lightly tapped his temple with his wand. His body immediately solidified, his black robes swaying gently in the morning breeze.
After adjusting his collar and ensuring his wand was properly concealed, he calmly walked toward the main street and blended seamlessly into the morning crowd.
The marketplace was already bustling.
The bread stall's oven crackled, releasing waves of a warm aroma. Fruit vendors displayed vibrant piles of apples, grapes, and figs. The blacksmith's shop rang with the rhythmic clanging of hammers as sparks flew. Bolts of cloth fluttered outside the tailor's shop in the morning wind.
Residents carried baskets as they moved between stalls, bargaining and chatting cheerfully.
Elderly men sat on stone benches outside their homes, basking in the sunlight and exchanging casual gossip.
Everything appeared normal, peaceful, and harmonious, as if last night's disappearances had never happened and no shadow had ever touched the city.
But Ian knew this calm was only an illusion.
Beneath the ordinary routine, unseen currents were stirring. He could sense an indescribable tension in the air, a fear deliberately suppressed. Occasionally, unease flickered in people's eyes. Conversations were unusually quiet, as if everyone feared disturbing something unseen.
Behind every smile lay deep anxiety.
"Forget about that for now. I haven't sorted out the clues yet. My brain probably isn't working efficiently because I'm hungry."
The Golden Palm Feast Hall was an ideal place to eat. Located at the edge of the marketplace, this small establishment served the most authentic date bread and honey beer in the city. Its owner, a one-eyed veteran, was neither overly welcoming nor suspicious of strangers.
This made it the perfect place to gather information.
Since Ian had visited the previous day, the owner recognized him immediately.
"The usual?" the one-eyed proprietor asked gruffly as Ian entered.
"And a serving of river fish soup."
Ian sat in a corner seat, which allowed him to clearly overhear conversations throughout the Feast Hall. The space was small with several wooden tables already filled with diners, so he chose a window seat before ordering breakfast.
The hall was crowded, mostly with nearby merchants and craftsmen. They gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing, but Ian noticed that everyone's gaze occasionally drifted toward the door as if they were wary of something.
The one-eyed owner, a middle-aged man with a friendly expression, quickly brought over the food. Ian lowered his head to eat but kept his ears alert, catching every surrounding sound.
At first, the conversations revolved around ordinary topics, such as the weather, harvests, and children's schooling.
But soon, the subject quietly shifted to last night's disappearances.
"Have you heard? Old John the blacksmith's son didn't come home again," a farmer in coarse clothing whispered. Worry was evident in his tone.
"Exactly," a woman beside him added. "Back near my parents' place, Martha from next door disappeared too. She's always been diligent and never stays out late."
"How many is that now?" another voice asked. "Counting last night, probably seven or eight already. And the Temple hasn't said a thing. The priests only tell us that they're praying and that we should wait patiently."
"Praying? Can prayer bring people back?" A young man said angrily. "I think the Temple is just pretending not to hear anything. Maybe...he lowered his voice...maybe those disappearances have something to do with the Temple itself!"
The moment he spoke those words, the surrounding area fell silent for several seconds.
People exchanged uneasy glances, fear and suspicion flickering in their eyes. Soon, someone coughed awkwardly, trying to change the subject.
"Don't talk nonsense. The temple is sacred... how could it possibly..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Another person warned nervously. "If the priests hear that, you'll be in trouble!"
Ian listened quietly, barely touching the bread in his hand. The whispered conversations pricked his nerves like fine needles. He could tell that the populace's doubt was growing and their trust in the temple was beginning to crumble.
In this very Feast Hall sat victims of that fear.
A father who had lost his son was sobbing uncontrollably.
"I told you not to let him go out at night!" A woman wearing a green headscarf whispered to her companion. "Buck's nephew didn't come back last night either. His older sister fainted from crying three times."
"At least yours was only a nephew," a gaunt man at the neighboring table interjected, nervously tapping a clay cup with his fingers. "The jeweler next door, his whole family disappeared. Even the guard dog is gone."
Ian slowly tore his bread, his ears absorbing every fragment of the conversation.
The disappearances had clearly caused panic among the common people. Yet, strangely, no one openly discussed the Temple or the gods. It was as though the entire city had reached an unspoken agreement: to pretend everything was normal while secretly exchanging fearful glances or sharing information only in hidden places like this, among trusted friends.
When the owner brought over the river fish soup, Ian casually asked, "Things haven't been peaceful in the city lately, have they?"
The one-eyed proprietor's muscles visibly tensed.
He set the clay bowl down more heavily than usual.
"Outsider," he said hoarsely. "The less you know about certain things, the better you sleep."
This was almost identical to what the residents had said the day before. Clearly, none of them dared reveal their true thoughts when facing a stranger like Ian.
Perhaps they feared he might be a Temple informant.
Just as Ian was about to probe further, the Feast Hall door burst open.
A freckled young boy rushed inside, panting as he shouted,
"They found one! A body was found by the river!"
The Feast Hall fell instantly silent.
Every movement froze. Even breathing became audible.
"Is... is it intact?" the woman in the green headscarf asked tremblingly.
The boy nodded, his eyes wide with excitement.
"It's the spice merchant's maid! She was lying in the reeds. She looked like she was asleep, but..." He lowered his voice. "...her eyes were gone. Her eye sockets were filled with golden sand!"
His words struck the room like a stone thrown into still water.
Chaos erupted instantly. Some people frantically drew protective charms, while others hurriedly paid and stood to leave. Several bold listeners crowded around the boy, demanding details.
"She went out last night for some reason and disappeared. This morning, someone found her body near an abandoned well west of the city!"
"A body?" a young woman gasped. Weren't the previous missing people never found, alive or dead? Why is it different this time?"
"Yes," An elderly woman nodded. "This is the first body that's been discovered. They say the death was terrible. Strange wounds covered her body, like claw marks from some kind of beast, but not just any beast. Even stranger, they say she was smiling when she died. She paused, lowering her voice further. It was a very eerie smile, as if she had seen something blissful in a dream. That's why her eyes were replaced by golden sand."
Every listener stiffened visibly. Some nearly crushed the bread in their hands. Their heartbeats quickened and their blood seemed to boil in their veins.
A corpse had appeared, bearing such bizarre characteristics.
This was completely different from the previous disappearances.
Before, the missing people seemed to have been erased entirely, leaving no trace behind. Now, however, a body had surfaced, bearing something unmistakably abnormal.
What did it mean?
Had the killer's pattern changed? Was this a different perpetrator altogether? Or was the appearance of the corpse itself a signal of some kind?
Whatever the truth, the residents did not believe it to be a good sign. Previously, safety was simple: just avoid going out at night. But if the pattern had changed, who knew if people might start disappearing inside their own homes?
"Golden sand?"
Ian's spoon froze midway to his mouth.
After hearing this piece of gossip, he quickly finished his soup, put some coins on the table, and followed the growing crowd heading toward the river.
As a wizard…
Ian was deeply curious about how a corpse that had supposedly lost its very essence of existence could suddenly appear.
(End of Chapter)