You look at them, staring into their hopeful eyes. They don't know what you're planning. They should never know, for they will not understand anyway.

"Please, it's still not too late. We found a way for you to break the ritual. You... You could die. Just for a few minutes! All you need to do is just chew on this herb, it'll only stop your heart for a bit, but then it all goes back to normal!"

Menhit shoves the herb at you in desperation. You had another plan, but this is... interesting. However, still... dying, even just for a short while, sounds pretty damn scary and unsafe.

"It will make everything stop. It will make his whole plan empty, and he will leave us alone... Please, you have to do this."

You take the herb so that they'll calm down. If he's just insane, this is a good idea to stop it all. But if he's right, his plans are truly divine. You approach him, while the pair stays hidden.

Apedemak looks at you, his eyes brightly glowing from energy. He orders you to touch a large crystal that seems to be slowly sponging whispers from the Celestial Stone next to it. When you put your paw on it, you feel as if millions of ants crawled on your pawpads, while whispers swirl around your toes. How hypnotizing.

"Repeat after me."

Apedemak orders you, and you close your eyes. Sentence by sentence, you repeat the incantation in a weird language. You hear the final verse, and everything starts to tremble.

Say it and let the ritual complete!

Gnaw on the herb and end it all!

You say the last verse, supporting Apedemak and his Celestial plans. You always desired to be a part of his kingdom. Whispers rage through your body into Apedemak's, and you feel all emotions inside of you slowly form into something very calm and quiet, like a perfectly untouched surface of water. It feels good.

Apedemak rises up with blue light in a terrifying sight as his body is stripped down to the bone and recreated with solidifying whispers. When he lands, he looks completely different. He's become a true god.

"I have become a Divine Emperor, and there will be no deity to threaten my pride."

When he speaks, you hear him as if thousands of voices are speaking at once. It's a very monumental experience.

"Come, my daughter. Your place is in my kingdom."

You hear Menhit's gasp from behind, as she tries to cling to Apollyon. With loud, violent rustling, you see her being dragged from her hiding spot by an invisible force towards Apedemak.

Apedemak smiles, and you notice blue smoke drifting from out of his mouth, nose, and eyes. He looks very royal, magnificent, and also maybe a bit scary, but... you really no longer feel any fear. Or much of anything, for that matter.

"Menhit... I am Divine now. The project is obsolete. I don't need you like I needed Tefnut anymore, but you WILL stay with me and tend to the family palace. And you, fire-filth... You mean nothing to me! Go back to the place you came from and announce to your fire gods that you are powerless in my presence."

He looks at Apollyon, who recoils in terror and releases Menhit. There's nothing he can do anymore. He looks at you with a pitying desperation that turns quickly into complete defeat. You find yourself feeling no care at all. It seems as little of importance as a herd of zebra grazing in the distance. You blink slowly, noticing your reflection in the Celestial Stone as Apollyon leaves. You look... hollow.

"It is over, [NAME]. You will be my trusted knight, once your time comes. Your whisper is with me and will never leave my side. Enjoy your few years on this mortal world, and when your vessel breaks, you will awaken in my kingdom as my prince."

Apedemak nods at you with respect. You've earned it.

"I will gather the shards of my kingdom and plan my glorious return in a few days, when I can walk the celestial bridge in Zimbabwe again. Until then, come by any time if you want to see me, and make sure that Apollyon leaves for good."

He huffs at you with a blue cloud, and when it dissolves, you're alone. You can't feel any special emotions, but you still hope that his promise is real. It would be very unfortunate if he lied.

Finish the Storyline

You chew the herb before finishing the ritual, letting its horribly bitter poison explode in your mouth. It shakes your body as you start drooling. Seizures quickly turn into convulsions and, over the noisy pulsing in your head, you can hear Apedemak yelling.

Everything turns dark.

A hot pain in your chest makes you wake up roaring. Apollyon shakes you, as Menhit blows in your mouth to perform some form of resuscitation. When you start to cough, she yelps and hugs you in joy. Everything is so dizzy.

"He's okay! He's alive! Oh, thank heavens!"

She yells at the other lions as you try to regain a sense of comprehension. You blink in confusion, wondering if that reaction was staged. You look around and notice Apedemak with the most world-shattering expression on his face.

"I... I can't believe this. I risked your life for some delusion I've built in my head? I... I was so mistaken! I believed in this vision so much, I felt it was my only hope, and I held onto it. Forgive me, [NAME]! This is the biggest mistake I've made in my life. I am so glad this... this fake magic killed you slowly enough for these two to save you in time!"

Apedemak sits next to you, checking to see if you're okay. He looks like a concerned friend, like he's a whole soul again. That odd shine in his eyes is gone, along with the shine inside the celestial stone. You peek at Apollyon and Menhit, who sit behind him. Apollyon blinks at you, while Menhit bites her lip.

Maybe they had a long, serious talk while you were out cold. If all of this was a setup to make him see he's delusional, maybe it was all worth it.

"I hope I can make it up to you. I made you do horrible things. And... die."

Apedemak lowers his head.

"Come back any time. For now, I will gather enough shards and whispers to rebuild my kingdom. Apollyon and Menhit will come home with me, and maybe... Maybe they'll help me rule wiser. If... if they want. I will share my throne with them."

Apedemak looks at the pair. They nod their heads. Looks like everything ended peacefully. You don't know what will happen once they leave. You don't know if Apedemak will be docile, but you hope that Apollyon's burning slaps can keep him in line. And maybe, with Menhit's warmth and Tefnut's spiritual protection, the Celestial Kingdom will stop falling apart.

Finish the Storyline