The door of Mara's sarcophagus creaked open. Ja'kal, Armon and Nefertina were all still resting after another day of successfully protecting the prince. It was as if nothing had changed for them. As if they didn't realize they were dead.

Rath was still awake. Mara approached him as he worked on something beneath the light of a small, unusual torch with its tail stuck to the wall.

"Up late studying?" she asked quietly.

Rath turned his head and Mara smirked at him, coming to stand beside him and observe his work.

"I guess some things never change."

"I am enchanting an eye of Ra amulet for the prince," Rath explained, "The pharaoh left behind a scroll in my sarcophagus with a spell to protect him."

"Very wise," Mara nodded, "Especially since we cannot always be with him in this new world."

"I thought you had gone to your sarcophagus," Rath said.

"I did, but I could find no rest," Mara said.

Rath gazed at her for a moment. Her once straight black hair was now white, her soft caramel skin now a tough gray. She had always been small and thin but death now made her even smaller as it had done to them all.

Rath looked away from her. "I'm sorry," he whispered painfully.

"What is wrong?" Mara asked, placing a hand softly on his arm.

"I just…" Rath said, "I think I remembered for the first time since I awoke that you are dead and that it's my fault."

"It is not your fault, Rath," Mara said, taking his face in her hands and turning him to face her, "You take too much blame upon yourself. It was the will of the gods that I died that night. None could have stopped it."

"But I could have," Rath said, grasping her waist, "Over and over again, I mull it over in my mind and if I had just listened to your concerns, if I had only been there, if I could've protected you…"

"Then perhaps I would have died later on," Mara agreed, "but then I wouldn't be here with you now."

"You could have lived a long life," Rath said, "You could have married, had a family, died of old age and would now be resting in peace."

"I never wanted any of that with anyone besides…" Mara shook her head, moving her hands from his face to his chest, "It doesn't matter. I am not unhappy where I am. You must stop finding fault with yourself. You are perfect."

Rath gazed at her and began to lean in close. Mara cleared her throat and turned back toward her sarcophagus. "Sleep. You mustn't forget to care for yourself in your concern for everyone else."

"Erm," Rath released her, "Of course. Almost done."

He watched her walk back to her sarcophagus and disappear behind its stone walls.