Khai Amer watched the news nervously as it talked about the terrorist threat that was slowly sweeping America. A couple of times his grandfather shouted at the television in Egyptian, criticizing the news anchors for trying to deny the threat.

His grandparents were refugees from Egypt when they were both younger. They had gotten legal citizenship shortly after Khai's father was born. His father had even joined the military and eventually met his wife while he was in Afghanistan. It took years for his wife to come to America, but when she did, they were married and had Khai shortly after.

But their happy life ended when Khai's father died while overseas, still defending the country he loved. Shortly after, Khai's mother died of cancer, leaving the ten-year-old in the care of his father's parents.

As Khai grew older, he had a lot of issues at school by some of his peers, thinking he was like the terrorists. It was hard to get them to listen when he said that his family had been in America long before the terrorists attacks started getting bad.

His grandparents always stood up for him and told him to keep working hard. He had been closest to his grandmother, before she too died. Pneumonia took her, leaving Khai with the last of his family.

“Do you think they'll ever do anything about it?” Khai asked, standing up from the couch.

His grandfather sighed. “It doesn't seem like it, does it? Shouldn't you be going? Big day for you.”

It was graduation day at the high school. Khai didn't have any special role in the ceremony, only walk across the stage, get the diploma and shake the principle's, then return to his seat.

“Yeah, I guess. Don't forget, if you want a good seat to come at six-thirty.” Khai picked up his bag that was next to the couch as he spoke. He didn't really need it, it was mostly habit.

His grandfather at his words. “Yes, yes, and I'll have the camera with me, don't you worry, son,” he said, as he patted the camera that was sitting in his lap.

Pictures were important to his grandparents, though, it was mostly his grandmother that claimed the pictures were special. When she died, Khai's grandfather kept up the tradition, just for her.

Khai smiled a little. “Yeah, all right. I'll see you there.” With that, he waved and walked out of the house.


Khai stood anxiously in the line with his fellow classmates. The graduating gown felt awkward and his hat was a little tight. He had a feeling that the sizes got mixed up. Tugging on his collar, he sighed, before feeling a tap on his shoulder. Looking up, he dashed forward to not be left behind in the line.

The graduating class marched down to the seats in front of the stage. Khai glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of his grandfather. Before he could get a good look, it was time take his seat.

As the speakers gave their speeches, Khai's leg bounced, wanting to get the ceremony over with. Luckily his name was high in the alphabet, so he was called on quickly to walk across the stage.

He took the diploma and shook the Principle's hand, before they posed for a picture. After they were done, he went back to his seat, quickly glancing around to see if he could find his grandfather.

He probably came in late... didn't listen to me again when I said the time. Khai thought, smiling some, before relaxing a little as he waited for the rest of his senior class to graduate.

It was over and hats were tossed in cheers as the senior class finally felt free from the school. One of Khai's friends jumped over the seats to get next to him, before messing up his hair.

“We're free, man! Freee-eee-eee!” he said, shaking Khai a little.

Khai laughed. “All right! Sheesh! Look I gotta find my grandfather. He's gonna want a picture.” He waved before moving past his classmates to head over to the room with the refreshments.

Instead of finding his grandfather, however, he was met by two police officers. Fear held him a little, but he pushed it away. He had nothing to fear because he didn't do anything wrong.

“Are you Khai Amer?” one of the officers asked as they made their way to him.

Khai nodded silently. “Uh, anything I can help you with, officers?”


The next week, Khai sat in an empty house. The people who attended his grandfather's funeral had all left. His grandfather had been killed on his way to Khai's graduation.

Why does everyone I care for always die? He thought numbly as he sat on the very same couch him and his grandfather had been sitting on just before the graduation.

The funeral was beautiful, and everyone who was still alive that knew his grandfather came. A few of Khai's classmates and teachers came as well, so Khai wouldn't be alone.

The officers who had delivered him the news of his grandfather had even come to the funeral. After the service, they had given him back his grandfather's camera. They only held onto it in hopes of finding pictures of who had attacked him.

They had found one and were able to return the rest of the pictures from the camera to him. So many memories had been held in that camera. Khai even found a picture of him with his grandmother.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. Sighing, Khai stood up and moved to the door.

“Look, I appreciate your condolences, but I really don't need anymore...” he started, before trailing off to see no one at the door. “Food... Uhh...”

Frowning, he looked around, before moving to close the door. But something caught his eyes before it closed all the way.

A lone envelope laid on his doorstep. He looked at it in confusion before picking it up. “Pantheon University? That's not one I applied to.”

Closing the door, he tossed the envelope onto the couch next to his pictures, before plopping down next to it. Resting his head back against the couch, he blindly reached over and picked back up the envelope. A couple of pictures came with it, but he didn't care as he tore open the envelope.

Unfolding the letter, he started reading it, the words on the page glowing as he read. Memories filled his mind, causing him to drop the letter and hold his head in his hands.

His past life came forward into his mind, causing his body to feel rushed, Once his memories returned, he slowly opened his eyes, breathing heavily.

When his eyes focused, he found himself looking at a picture that had fallen out of his lap. It wasn't one he recognized, but as he stared at it, he understood what it was.

It was a picture taken right before his grandfather died...

His emotions were still raw from having to bury his grandfather just that day and seeing who had murdered his grandfather caused his emotions to soar. Dark energy moved around him as he slipped into the shadows, his eyes glowing gold.

Anubis arrived at the place his grandfather had died. He spotted the two men who killed his grandfather. The men came towards him, not having noticed he had come from the shadows.

“Well, well! I think you're in the wrong neighborhood, scum.” One said, before the second one tried to grab Anubis.

Instead, Anubis grabbed both of them and traveled them through the shadows. When they saw light again, they were faced to face with the scales of judgment.

“Step forward,” Anubis growled, his voice deeper and rawer than normal. When neither man didn't move, fear keeping them still, he took the honors and pushed on forward.

The man shook as he stepped towards the scales. A light came from his chest and floated onto the scale. The feather of truth sat on the other scale and was raised up by the heart of the man.

“Wh-what is this?” the man asked, before a demon with an crocodile's head, the body of a leopard, and the backside of a hippopotamus, appeared before him. The man screamed as the demoness opened her jaws and ate him whole.

The second man didn't see what happened. “Mac? Where'd you go?”

Anubis pushed him forward. “It's your turn.”

The second man shook like the first man did and ended up with the exact same fate when his heart was weighed against the feather.

“It has been a long time, Lord Anubis,” Ammut greeted, licking her lips.

“It has, yes...” he said, before leaving Ammut and the scales.

When he returned to his mortal home, Anubis collapsed onto the couch, out like a light.


The next morning, he packed his bags and headed for the university, not wanting to stay any longer.