Imperia Luna

THIRD PERSON POV

"Ladies and gentlemen and girls gather around because for what you about to see is beyond everyone's expectations. Behind this door is something that no one has ever seen before. After several years hidden from the public eyes, our museum has finally decided to exhibits one of many mysteries of the universe." The tour guide unlocks the door using a thumbprint scanner.

"Before I grant you all permission into this exhibition, I was told to explain the importance of not touching anything that is being displayed. This exhibition is believed to be cursed, and each item that you're about to see has its own story to tell. Our team of anthropologists managed to get important pieces of information from the ancient text that was buried together with the sarcophagus." The tour guide smiled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, The Golden Sarcophagus." The tour guide finally pushed the door open and let the tourists admire the room from the outside before giving them permission to enter. Among the many tourists that joined this tour, the tour guide managed to notice a figure he recognised.

"It is nice to see you here yet again, Evangeline." Evangeline Odin smiled at the tour guide and also an old friend of her parents.

"My mother would've been so proud to see her hard work finally being recognised by the museum. But, it all happened after her death. It's a bummer than she didn't get to see it for herself." Evangeline sighs.

"I'm sure she's enjoying it wherever she is now. Anyway, you only manage to see some of the artefacts from the Golden Sarcophagus collection, correct?" Evangeline nods.

"There is some artefact that I haven't seen before. Is it new?" The tour guide shakes his head no.

"To ensure the exhibition success, the curator decided to include a few artefacts that haven't been examined yet. Miss Kingston wasn't happy at all because of the value of it alone cost so much." Evangeline look around the exhibition hall for Miss Kingston.

"If you're looking for her, she's currently not available. Besides, why should she be here?" Evangeline was confused.

"But this is her project. She should be here," the tour guide shakes his head.

"The curator decided to put your late mother's name on the brochure and introduce this exhibition as a tribute for her passing. Miss Kingston's name is nowhere to be found anywhere. She wasn't mad for it since Miss Kingston looks up to your mother and the work she had done. But when she knows it's to attract more tourists and historians to the museum, she is not happy." Evangeline can't believe how manipulative the new curator is.

"Using a dead person name for his personal gain, he is such a despicable human being." As soon as Evangeline said that, she saw the curator walks into the exhibition hall with a huge smile plastered on his face. Evangeline excuses herself and struts around to see the exhibition herself. She was particularly interested in seeing the sarcophagus with her own eyes.

"What a beauty she was," Evangeline was surprised when she heard a giggle. She looks around and wonders where it came from.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Evangeline was totally shocked when a man suddenly standing beside her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to creep on you like that." The man smile at her gently. Evangeline was this close to fallen for him just for his smile, but once again she heard that mysterious giggle. She turns to the man, but he doesn't seem to hear it.

"Did you hear that?" The man was confused.

"Hear what?" He asked Evangeline back. For her own good, she let it go and continue to walk around the hall to see the exhibits.

As she leans to see the crown that belongs to the person inside the sarcophagus, once again, she heard a distant giggle. When she looks up, the people around her didn't even react to it like she did. Her eyes then landed on the sarcophagus.

"What was that?" She asked herself.

"What was what?" A woman behind her asked. When Evangeline turns around, she was surprised to see one of her mother's old friends standing behind her.

"Aunt Elly!" Miss Kingston smiles at Evangeline.

"I'm so glad to see you here, Eva. So, what do you think?" Evangeline pretended to act like a critique and place her thumb under her chin. Miss Kingston chuckles.

"Well, this exhibition is fantastic. You've done a great job," Evangeline laughs together with Miss Kingston. They continue to talk animatedly until Miss Kingston remembered something.

"Eva, if I recalled, you're on your final year in anthropology, correct?" Evangeline nods her head.

"I was thinking about doing a full thesis about The Golden Sarcophagus. That is why I'm here." Miss Kingston smiled from ear to ear.

"What do you think of volunteering to help me investigate The Golden Sarcophagus? I know it may sound impossible, but this is not the only artefact that was found at the burial site. There is a whole crate full of artefacts that haven't been open yet, and we still have the burial ground to explore. I need some extra hands, and once we did, I will definitely give you some formal writing for your work." It wasn't that hard to convince Evangeline to participate.

"Great! Now, if you manage to find another person to join you, then it's settled. Since I already found a person that willing to help us," Evangeline raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe I should introduce you two." Miss Kingston looked around and waved for the mysterious man from earlier.

"Evangeline, meet Caleb, Caleb, meet Evangeline." They shake hands.

"Now, the real question, have you found out who exactly reside inside the sarcophagus? We know she's a queen, but who exactly is she?" Caleb chuckles.

"It is believed that the woman resides in this stone coffin was a ruler of Gotus or known today as modern-day Russia. From what we manage to uncovered, she was betrayed by her own father; forced to be buried alive and left to die all on her own. The queen last moment was filled with sorrow and hatred." Caleb suddenly takes Evangeline by the wrist and leads her to one of the many potteries made from pure gold that was being displayed.

"There is a reason to believe that the person resides in this stone coffin was actually a vampire. There is a whole story about that creature on this goblet alone." Miss Kingston clears her throat.

"Of course, there is no reason to believe that. We are here for scientific research, Caleb. I thought I already told you that many times." Miss Kingston warned Caleb before spreading more baseless rumours.

"Do we know the name of the person that's inside this coffin?" Evangeline asked.

"She was known as Imperia Luna."

"Why am I here again?" Daphne asked her best friend when they walk into the museum first thing in the morning. Evangeline pushed her friend through the door when she seems reluctant.

"It is because you promised to help me. Besides, you have nothing else going on. Might as well volunteer with me and who knows, you might even find your thesis topic." Daphne rolled her eyes.

"You do know that the only reason why I took anthropology was that my family force me to take it." Evangeline chuckled.

"Whether you like it or not, you have no say in this because you already promised. Besides, you are the type of person who stays true to her words." Daphne sighs heavily.

"I just can't win against you. Anyway, where are we going? I don't think we have the proper identification to even go any further than what normally supposed to." Evangeline smiled from ear to ear as she presents the access pass to her friend.

"I got that covered. You should be proud because the museum doesn't just give you this kind of pass. Now that you have that, do you have any idea what kind of artefacts we're about to examine?" Daphne was too lazy to guess so she just simply shakes her head. Before Evangeline could say anything, Caleb suddenly appeared behind them excitedly.

"Evangeline!" Daphne raised an eyebrow before facing her friend with questionable looks.

"Hi, Caleb. Oh! Caleb, this is Daphne. Daphne, this is Caleb, the other volunteer. He is on the second year of anthropology. So that makes him our junior." Daphne looks at Caleb from head to toe.

"Not bad," she said mentally. Daphne smiled at him as he waves his hand at her.

"Are you as excited as I am? We finally get to examine the Golden Sarcophagus with our hands!" Daphne's eyes widen.

"We are going to examine The Golden Sarcophagus!? Are you kidding me? Please tell me that you're joking right now." Evangeline gave her friends a toothy smile.

"Your father will be so angry at you for doing this!" Daphne reminded her friend of Mr Odin.

"He won't find out if someone didn't tell him. I'm talking to you, Daphne." Before Daphne could talk sense into her friend, Miss Kingston ushered them inside when she heard a commotion outside.

"Welcome to the private vault." Miss Kingston introduced the private vault where the museum kept their prized artefacts.

"Please do not touch anything without gloves. Do not drop, smear or even do anything unnecessary with the artefacts inside this vault. Just a heads up, this vault alone cost more than 12 million dollars." Daphne's eyes widen, and so does the two other.

"Here are your gloves," miss Kingston handed out the gloves to the students before leading them to the Golden Sarcophagus area.

"Wait, is that the sarcophagus? Are we going to finally get to open it?" Caleb acts precisely like a kid in a toy store as he was putting on his gloves.

"Actually, we are. The curator wanted to see what is up with the person inside the sarcophagus. That is why we were granted access into the vault." As Miss Kingston places her hand on the top of the sarcophagus, she immediately pulled her hand away after she felt a thump.

Miss Kingston was so confused that she even turns her attention to the students that are watching her.

"What's wrong, miss Kingston?" Caleb asked as he gets the camera ready. Miss Kingston decides to let it go rather than telling them what was going on.

"It was nothing. Miss Odin, Miss Sommers, please help me to remove the top cover." But before Miss Kingston said they could move them, Evangeline accidentally pushes the top way too hard, and it dropped on to the ground.

"Jesus Christ! What did I tell you!? Be careful! You're lucky it didn't break to pieces," instead of checking what's inside the sarcophagus, miss Kingston went to the top covers and place them carefully on the ground with Daphne's help.

"That was quite heavy. I think I broke a nail because of this," Daphne was busy checking her nails. When she turns to Caleb, she noticed that the man is shaking to his bones.

"Caleb, you won't get any good shot if your hands are shaking like that." Slowly but surely, Caleb raised her hand and pointed at the sarcophagus. Daphne was confused and decided to turn to the direction Caleb pointing at.

To her horror, a humanoid figure was seen sitting inside the sarcophagus with its whole body covered in a dirty shroud. It seems like the figure is observing its surrounding.

"Holy mother of God!" Daphne falls on her butt when she tries to take a few steps away from the sarcophagus.

"Hmm ... still, believe in God? Humans ... they never learn." The figure said as it tried to remove the shroud that has been covering her body for thousands of years.

"Please, can someone remove this disgusting shroud off my face? I may be the undead, but once in a while I do need to breathe some fresh air." Miss Kingston was surprised, horrified and curious all at the same time.

Miss Kingston takes a brave step towards the sarcophagus and removes the shroud from the humanoid figure with ease. While the students were worried that they might see a disfigured ancient corpse, Miss Kingston didn't even faze when a piece of old flesh made contact with her hands.

"That's better. Thank you, Miss Kingston." The humans were mesmerised by the beauty that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The figure decided to stand up from the sarcophagus, and as her feet landed onto the ground like a feather, the humans suddenly have the urge to kneel.

"It seems like your land recognised me as their ruler." Imperia chuckles when the humans instinctively kneel on the ground.

"Why are you on your knees, humans?" Imperia asked. She enjoys watching humans being lost and confused.

"I just feel like it's the most appropriate thing to do. After all, you were once a great ruler of all Gotus," Miss Kingston said it, but she doesn't know where it all came from. Imperia chuckles before she snapped her finger to wake them up.

"Rise, humans," and just like that, the urge was gone.

THIRD PERSON POV

"What is this place?" Imperia asked when she stands in front of a home. She waited for Miss Kingston to grab her things and lock the car door. After a heated debate between her volunteers, Miss Kingston finally made a decision to let Imperia stays with her until they find a way to keep this as a secret from the museum curator.

"This is my home. Why?" Imperia can't believe her ears when Miss Kingston went to the front door to unlock it. The vampire watches as the human opens the door for her to enter.

"I did read somewhere that vampires can't enter any home without a proper welcome. Normally I won't be so eager to let a stranger into my home, but what choice do I have?" Miss Kingston smiled. Imperia was reluctant, but she doesn't have any other choices. Miss Kingston is the only human she trusts, and even with all the wealth that was prepared for her, she can't simply do what she wants.

"I'm sorry for the mess. I haven't been home for a week because I need to get the exhibition ready on time for the opening." Miss Kingston closed the door behind her when Imperia strut in.

The vampire looks down at Miss Kingston when she reached out to the letters that are on the floor.

"Seem like I have a lot of things to do. Make yourself at home. If you need anything, just come and look for me," Miss Kingston smiled at the vampire and disappeared into her studies. Imperia look around the dirty home with troubling looks.

"I was never informed that humans like to live in their own filth. This home doesn't fit a royalty like me at all. But beggars can't be choosers after all." With a heavy heart, Imperia started to pick up any visible rubbish that scatters around the floor.

"I'm a queen, and I have to clean a despicable human's home just to make it liveable. Where is my dignity at this point?" Imperia sigh heavily. Usually, she would be cleaning the whole house with a simple snap of her fingers, but from the lack of nutritious food for over a century, she is just like any normal human being ... with sharp fangs.

It was when she enters the bathroom where she finds it revolting to use and had lost hope for humanity. When Miss Kingston walks out from her studies, she noticed that her living room ... for once ... seems liveable. She wanders into the rooms looking for the vampire when finally she heard noises coming from the bathroom.

"Queen Imperia?" Miss Kingston eyes widen when she found the queen actually cleaning the toilet bowl.

"What is it human?" the vampire asked while making a scrunching face.

"What are you doing in there?!" Miss Kingston asked.

"Do you really expect me; a dignified queen used a dirty toilet? Of course, right now, I am not as dignified as I was 2500 years ago with my hand's elbow deep in your toilet bowl. Honestly, what happened in here?" Miss Kingston blushed in a deep shade of red.

"Like I said, I haven't been home for a week. I'm sorry. Let me do it." Imperia finally stood up from the floor and gave the toilet brush to Miss Kingston. As she cleans her hands under the water tap, she looks at Miss Kingston through the mirror.

"You were looking for me, is it not? What were you about to say earlier?" The vampire asked. Miss Kingston finally flushed the toilet and looks up to the vampire. Her eyes widen yet again when she saw the vampire's reflection on the mirror.

"How ... Why ... How is that even possible?" Miss Kingston stuttered. Imperia was confused for a moment until she noticed that Miss Kingston is actually staring at the mirror.

"Mirrors back in the day were layered with silver. And as you know, silver is poison for my kind. I guess mirror at this time of age wasn't layered with silver anymore." Imperia looks at her own reflection and smile. Miss Kingston was taken aback when she saw the vampire's sharp fangs.

"What is it human?" Imperia turn around and face Miss Kingston.

"I just received a text from the museum curator about a new discovery not far from your burial site. They believed it to be related because of the same moon symbol that was on your sarcophagus." That little information piqued Imperia's interest even more.

"Do you have any picture proof of this find?" Miss Kingston whips her phone and shows the vampire the pictures that were sent to her by the curator. Imperia laugh.

"It seems like luck is on my favour. I know the owner of this sarcophagus. That spear that went through the sarcophagus and hit the corpse inside actually belongs to me. I guess my father thought that the only thing that will ease her spirit from seeking revenge would be a spear that was forged by yours truly." Miss Kingston was fascinated by this find. Imperia had a thought.

"Miss Kingston, did they manage to move the sarcophagus from its original place?" the vampire asked. Miss Kingston shakes her head no.

"The excavators tried to remove the sarcophagus and other artefacts from its place, but it seems impossible for them to do so. Why do you ask?" Imperia shrugs her shoulder.

"Knowing my father, he wouldn't let any grave robbers or 'excavators' if you would like to give them a different name disturb Keres's slumber," Miss Kingston froze in her place. Imperia raised her eyebrow when she saw the human reaction to the advisor's name.

"You've heard of her name before, am I right?" Miss Kingston nods her head. Imperia can't help but smile.

"What did your history tells about her?" Imperia was curious.

"In Greek, her name means 'Female Death Spirit'. She was a goddess who personified violent death and drawn to bloody deaths on the battlefield." Imperia chuckled.

"Keres Lucine was born a princess from an ancient kingdom. She was the only living member of the Lucine family, known in the underworld as one of the pureblood vampires. Of course, after my father 'killed' her, the Lucine family is no more." Imperia walk out from the bathroom with a thought.

"I wish to save my advisor from your kind. If they moved the spear by themselves, everyone in the vicinity would perish. I may look nothing but a normal vampire now, but when I forged that spear, I include a spell that will bind anyone who touches it. Only my bloodline can touch that spear." Miss Kingston knows where this is going.

"I will see what I can do." Whether Miss Kingston likes it or not, she has no choice but to follow what the vampire wants.

***

"I have been alive for such a long period. What your books have been telling you were just part of the history. I am a relic that doesn't change even after time goes by. I possessed knowledge that you humans don't even know existed." Imperia throw the book that Caleb has been reading to him when she's done looking at it.

"You can't kill vampires with any wooden stake. Every vampire has their own origin. It's rare, even for rogues to have the same ancestry unless they came from the same clan. You can only kill them with the wooden stake that was made from a tree that belongs to where they came from. That book you were reading has no real information about my kind whatsoever." Imperia confirmed it.

"What about holy water and blessed weapons? Will it be able to kill your kind?" Caleb asked. Miss Kingston, Evangeline and Daphne were worried that the vampire might be annoyed by Caleb's questions. Miss Kingston was giving Caleb the eye.

"Holy water will only burn the outer layer of my skin. Meanwhile, for blessed weapons, my regenerating cell will fix my wound if I have enough supply of blood. But for now, if you somehow possessed such weapon, you might be able to kill me. As much as I wish to feed on you humans, I have class. You all did save me from my own fate. I am not the type of person who betrayed others." Miss Kingston stops the car just outside the main tent where all excavators and archaeologists gather.

Imperia can't help but sniff the air surrounding her when they got out of the car. The vampire ignores Miss Kingston plea for her to stop walking towards the burial site without any authorisation from the person in charge of the site.

"Who are you? Where is your access pass? You are not allowed to be here without one." Before one of the guards even reaches out to stop the vampire, Imperia's eyes turned pitch-black. Both the guards froze in their place as they let the mysterious being walk past them. Miss Kingston and the rest of the volunteers were surprised that most of the excavators and archaeologists that were working on the site seem distraught or just simply out of their mind.

"Is that her doing?" Caleb asked the others when they followed the vampire's footstep towards the sarcophagus. He immediately reaches out for the camera and hits record. Imperia admired the sight which her spear had to pierce into the thick cover of the sarcophagus.

"Keres, can you hear me?" Imperia reached out to the spear and pulled it out easily. The humans were all surprised when the sarcophagus suddenly move on its own. Caleb moves slowly towards the sarcophagus and records everything. It was when Imperia moved the seal and pushed the top cover just to reveal a humanoid figure suddenly sitting up from its 'cage'.

"Keres, can you hear me?" Imperia asked once again. When the humanoid figure turns her head towards Imperia, the vampire take this chance to walk forward to remove the shroud that has been covering her for thousands of years. Gently, Imperia unwraps the humanoid figure just to greet nothing but skeletal remains of her advisor.

Caleb was shaking uncontrollably when he managed to capture a sight that only exists in horror movies. Miss Kingston and the rest of the volunteers were taking a few steps back from the sarcophagus.

"Keres, you look horrible. What did my father do to you?" Imperia asked as she continues.

"The former king baths me in holy water. Usually, I would be able to regenerate, but that spear was pierced into me and forbids me from doing so. Is that really you, my queen?" Imperia decided to use her last bit of energy to help Keres regenerate herself. Caleb was mesmerised by the process, and so does the rest.

"There she is." Imperia was this close to losing her consciousness when Evangeline suddenly presents her a clear bottle of human blood.

"Where did you get this, human?" Imperia asked before she takes the bottle and drinks half of it.

"I have a friend who works at the morgue." Imperia present the bottle to Keres to quench her throat.

"So you just walked up to your friend and asked for it?" Miss Kingston asked Evangeline, who gave her a toothy smile as her reply.

"Asked, illegally taking it without his consent, whatever you like to call it. That's the only source I can think of without the need to kill somebody. They're already dead after all." Daphne facepalms while Caleb and Miss Kingston can't believe that Evangeline decided to be that bold.

THIRD PERSON POV

"What a pungent smell. What is that?" Keres covered her nose when she was hit with unfavourable scent when she walks towards the living room.

"That is what I like to call a hearty breakfast. I would normally ask my guest to have breakfast with me, but my students haven't come with your food yet. Since the pet shop still closes at this hour, they said they know a guy who provides food for pet snakes and other exotic animals that humans care for." Keres raised an eyebrow.

"When did we been reduced to animals?" Imperia clear her throat when she walks behind her advisor.

"We asked for food from humans, Keres. We are animals." Imperia takes a seat as Miss Kingston gives both of the vampires a cup of hot blood that she was having trouble with due to her microwave.

"We're back," Caleb announced when he walks into the living carrying life rodent that he manages to get from his friend. Evangeline and Daphne appeared behind him carrying a cooler that contents more supply of blood for the vampires.

"I feel like we're doing some kind of illegal business now. I mean, we're actually carrying bottles of blood in here." Daphne whispered to her friend as they immediately went to Miss Kingston refrigerator to store the vampire's source of food.

"Either this or they kill us? As gentle as the 'queen' seems to be, I don't think Keres has the same approach as her. She legit would kill us on the spot if we decided to anger and the 'queen'." Daphne sighs.

"I didn't expect that on our senior year we have to be servants for creatures that aren't supposed to exist." As they were storing the bottles of blood, Caleb went into the kitchen and grabs a knife while securing the life rodent on the countertop.

"I suppose you ladies would be so kind as to kill this rodent for them?" both girls shake their head violently. Caleb sighs heavily. As he looks straight into the rodent's eyes, it reminds him of his pet hamster back at home. Caleb let go of the knife and looks up to the girls.

"I can't do it! It reminds me of Meow, and I can't simply kill it without any sense of remorse!" the girls were confused to what is Meow Caleb's referring to. As he was debating with himself if she should just let the rodent escape and gets in trouble with the vampires or just kill it like it's a healthy thing to do, Keres walk in the kitchen, wondering where did their food go to.

"You haven't killed the rodent yet? It's not bad enough that we, a respectable pureblood vampire, have to eat rodents, we have to kill our own food as well?" Keres grabbed the rodent with her bare hands and effortlessly twist the rodent in half. Blood squirted all over the countertop and on her clothes as well on Caleb's face, but Keres doesn't care as she begins to lick her bloody hands.

"I was once a commander of an army. Things like this never faze me one bit. Have you ever slaughter a creature-eating dragon while riding on its back? Have you ever spar one on one with a demon who wish nothing but to destroy your kind? Or have you ever faced an angel that wants to 'clean' the unclean? I guess not." Keres handed half of the rodent to Caleb.

"Here. Give this to Imperia while I enjoyed my meal in the kitchen." Caleb instinctively vomits all over the counter when he suddenly came face to face with the dead rodent's head.

"I forgot that humans don't have that strong of a stomach with this kind of stuff," Keres turns to one of the girls who pretended to be busy staking the blood into the refrigerator. Keres rolled her eyes and went to Imperia herself. When the vampire walks into the kitchen again, Caleb was cleaning his own vomit while the girls decided to help him.

"You three remind me of the human servants that we had back in Gotus. One of the females even managed to seduce the queen and made her one of her mistresses. The human was and still is a good source of food, but their way of bringing themselves was horrible." Daphne suddenly had a thought.

"What was your position back when the queen was still a ruler?" Daphne asked. Evangeline gave her the eye.

"I was her advisor and commander of her army. After I lost my home, Imperia took me in under her care and grant me everything that I ever desire. Even though her father was the sole reason for my kingdom and family's demise, Imperia was different." Daphne finally looks up to the vampire who enjoys the rodent after taste in her mouth.

"So you were lovers? You make it sound like you two have a history together, intimately." Keres smiled.

"I was one of her many bedmates if you were wondering. But we were never going to the extent of into a romantic relationship. Imperia was a queen after all. Promiscuous act without the sense of love is normal for royalty." Daphne admired the vampire's way of letting it go.

"But your tone of voice tells me something else. You were in love with the queen, but you have no choice but to let her do whatever she wants because you have no right to be jealous of the other mistresses." Evangeline nudges her friend's side when Keres seems annoyed by her deduction.

"I was. But being jealous of the queen's other mistresses, never. We were never official back in the day. So, why would I feel jealous?" Imperia suddenly walked into the kitchen and announced their next move.

"We're going to Egypt?!" Caleb's eyes widen and so the girls.

"We were just watching the news. There was a whole segment for the mysterious burial ground for an unknown ancient Egyptian princess. It's rare since every Egyptian royalty preserved their family history but not for this one. The queen said she knows who the person resides inside the sarcophagus after seeing a familiar symbol on the artefacts. She said she was an old friend." Miss Kingston explains to the students.

"How did they come across this mysterious Egyptian princess? And why now; after the 'queen' of 'Gotus' went back to life?" Evangeline asked low enough for Miss Kingston to hear.

"A team of modern grave robbers stumble upon this burial ground while they were looking for precious ancient artefact around the forbidden valley. For whatever reason, I was told that it's important for us to be the first to open this sarcophagus." Miss Kingston can't help but wonder how they are supposed to go to Egypt.

***

"This is not how Egypt was back in our day. Where did all the sands go?" Keres asked when they step foot outside of Cairo's International Airport. Miss Kingston turned to Caleb and asks him to rent a car from the dealer that will fit them all. Evangeline offered to help him to converse the native.

"Did you manage to book us a hotel?" Miss Kingston asked Daphne, who seems busy with her phone.

"I did," Daphne replied without looking up from her phone.

"We should be going to the site first before going to this hotel you mentioned. We don't have the leisure of time when it comes to this matter." Imperia pressed. Miss Kingston wanted to retort, but Daphne beats her to it.

"We're humans. We don't have that many energy, to begin with. It was a long flight, and we wish to rest before continuing with this pointless journey you forced us to go with you." Imperia placed her hand on Keres's shoulder when Keres about to grabbed Daphne by the head.

"I don't think you have any idea how dire the situation really is right now. But as we speak, your kind is trying to open that sarcophagus, and if they manage to open it, it would be too late for me to do anything to save you." Imperia was calm while Keres tried to attack Daphne when she rolled her eyes.

"Here we go again with the curses. I'm beginning to wonder if that's just your way of forcing us to follow your bidding. We're tired, please let us rest." Imperia raised an eyebrow at Miss Kingston.

"Imperia, let's just go. They don't have any idea how important it is for Hotep to wake up in front of you. They are too worried that they might not get enough sleep!" As the vampires were about to leave, Miss Kingston stops them midway.

"Did you just say Hotep?" Miss Kingston asked.

"I did. Have you heard of her tale by any chance?" Miss Kingston tried to think back to her school days when she took the ancient Egypt class by mistake. She knows that she heard of that name before.

"Hotep was a princess who became too hungry with power. There was hardly a story about her because she killed her own family for the throne. There was a whole text about Hotep at one of the stone tablets that was believed to be written by the royal priest. They believed that their princess has indulged herself in dark magic to gained power, but it backfired and resulting her to be buried in an unmarked burial ground." Miss Kingston rethinks of her decision to go to the hotel.

"Daphne, if you're that tired, you may have your rest at the hotel. Now that I know who reside on this site, I need to see it with my own eyes." When Caleb and Evangeline came back with the keys to their chartered car, Daphne explained to them that she's going to the hotel.

"Are you sure you? It's not every day you get to see a real-life mummy in Egypt. Come on!" Evangeline tried to persuade her friend, but it's futile. Daphne decided to hail a cab and went to her own way.

Their journey through the harsh wasteland of Egypt was time-consuming, but for the researcher, they know it will be rewarding in the end. While Evangeline looks at the map and guides Caleb through the desert, Miss Kingston takes time to ask more information about Hotep from the queen herself.

"The period I've known Hotep, she is far from what her parents describe her to be. We first met when she suddenly finds her way to my kingdom after her father had announced the birth of his newborn son. Hotep was supposed to be the next ruler but with the birth of her stepbrother, it all changes in one night." Imperia started to tell the story of her old friend.

"In anger, she seeks my help to turn her to one of my kind. I was of course bewildered by such request from a human. As the queen of Gotus, to have a princess implored that I turned her into my kind was the first for me. Besides, turning a human into a vampire was not easy like what humans had portrayed in their writing and arts. To change someone's nature into something that they aren't born with require energy, forbidden rituals and of course, pain." Imperia started to chuckle.

"But for Hotep, her desire was driven by revenge, and logical explanation doesn't work on her anymore. I tried to change her mindset, but it seems like she had chosen to be immortal." Miss Kingston was listening while writing in her book for future notes.

"A few days after her arrival, I proceed with the ritual to change her into the monster she wants to be. Using my own blood and my resources, I carried out the ritual myself and almost died in the process. Without knowing that she possessed such a tremendous amount of spiritual power, the ritual backfired. Still, in the end, because of her desire to acquired dark powers, that spiritual power simply corrupted in her body." Miss Kingston as so intrigued to know more but they had arrived at the burial ground.

When they arrive at the site, the crew were experiencing a mild sand storm that forced them to leave the ground and seek refuge in the tent. But when Imperia steps her foot on to the sand of Egypt's forbidden land, the storm seems to disperse immediately.

The humans, especially Rita Waters, Miss Kingston old friend, was surprised by the phenomenon.

"Rita!" Miss Kingston greets her friend. Miss Waters was excited to see her friend but still curious about the two mysterious figures that seem to be dressing inappropriately for fieldwork.

"Rita, about my request, I hope that we get to see the site first before your boss does. Is that okay?" Since Miss Kingston was an old friend that had helped her in the past, Miss Waters did what she can do fulfil the request.

"You only have half an hour to explore the burial ground. That's all that I can do for you." Miss Kingston smile from ear to ear.

"That's more than enough." Miss Kingston nods her head to her students. Imperia smiled and decided to let Miss Waters guide her into the tunnel that will lead them to Hotep's final resting place. When Imperia and the rest find themselves inside a royal burial ground, Imperia decided to walk towards the sarcophagus.

"When the grave robbers first stumbled upon this site, they were the happiest men alive until something happened to one of their crew." Miss Waters showed them the place where one of the robbers suffered a heart attack.

"And that man never had any problem with his health before. To add the cherry on the sundae, another one of their crew suffered from an extensive nose bleed. He was announced dead minutes after losing so much blood. As you can see, we tried to clean the blood, but it's futile." Imperia chuckle as she walks around the sarcophagus, trying to find a way to pull the golden spear that prevents her from opening the top cover.

"Hotep," Like what happened to Keres, the sarcophagus seems to be responded to Imperia's voice. Out of nowhere, the ground suddenly shook as if they were experiencing an earthquake. The humans were worried they might cave in as a result, but the vampires fear something else.

There, in the shadows of the cave; a golden statue of Anubis suddenly appears to be walking towards Imperia.

"Who dares to disturb the princess's ever-lasting slumber?" Anubis asked when he's close enough o see the intruder.

"I am queen Imperia of the Gotus Kingdom. Kneel as you are talking to someone far greater than you are." Anubis did kneel, and that action shocked the researchers.

"I'm sorry, my queen. But your action to release princess Hotep from her cage is not permitted. She is bound to be inside her cage, and that is she shall remain." Imperia grabbed hold of the spear that was meant to keep Hotep inside the sarcophagus.

Anubis looks up.

"What will happen if I choose to free her from her punishment?" Imperia challenged Anubis.

"Death, sorrow, dark ages as it was thousands of years ago." Imperia smiled from ear to ear before pulling the spear with ease.

"And so it shall be." Anubis was immediately killed by Hotep who rises from her sarcophagus and takes the spear into her hands.

"Hotep, listen to my voice!" Imperia shouted to gained Hotep's attention when she's about to kill the humans.

"Imperia is that you?!" Hotep was surprised.