Chapter I: The Oven

Zainab stayed where she was, terrified, shivering at the horror of what her eyes saw, her body trembling as if a demonic possession had invaded her, something was running through her, her eyes turned fiery red and her face veins popped.

The location is in the southern region of Egypt, in the heart of the city of “Badari,” on the banks of the Nile River, halfway between the governorates of Assiut and Sohag, where ancient Egypt left its imprint on history that will endure for all time. According to its inhabitants, the Pharaonic civilization existed here, who claim that among them are the descendants of the last remaining pharaohs on earth. Rumors have also been spread about a secret council of wise men who possess knowledge that no one else possesses, including the burial secret, which is allegedly where all the secrets of ancient Egypt are buried.

Asyut was called “ Siōwt“, which is derived from the word “ Syowt” and means “guard” in the hieroglyphic language, that is, the border guard of Upper Egypt when it joined the “Thebes” capital of the country in its struggle against the invading Hyksos.

Regarding the Badari Center or the city of Badari, it is the largest in terms of area of the centers of the Assiut Governorate. The Badari civilization, which dates back to 3200 BC and is one of the oldest civilizations in history, is located there. It consists of 36 settlements and is thought to be the first indication of the development of agriculture in Egypt and North Africa 7,000 years ago.

The resurrection, or the afterlife, was a concept that the ancient Badarians held dear. They interred their dead in the desert with their heads facing south and their eyes turned west. They also buried them with their pets or statues of animals, people, or birds nearby.

These ancient superstitions vanished after monotheistic faiths arrived in Egypt, or at least they did so in their direct form. This is because superstitions are always preserved and absorbed through conventions and traditions.

Some Badarians carried along their ancestors’ old customs. Evil spirits must have perished eternally, and everyone who fails to merit resurrection deserves to die.

The date: 1910 AD.

Ten-year-old girl cowering in terror, surrounded by men in traditional Upper Egyptian garb, their faces hard, their throats quivering, their mouths foaming with rage, uttering the dreadful words “the cursed” get rid of her!

They forced a ten-year-old girl to see her sister, who was only a few years older than her. As the father firmly fixes her by the shoulders, she screams at the top of her lungs and sobs in terror in front of an old clay oven with a black iron door that is closed and has an iron bar on it, making it impossible to open from the inside. Their thick mustaches and beards did not waver during the entire ordeal.

As she watched her sister Fatima being placed alive in the oven, Zainab was shaking, her body trembled, and she felt as if she had been possessed by a demonic being. Her eyes ended up being red, and the veins in her face burst open. Then the door was shut in front of her.

The girl’s cries rose, burning slowly as she writhed inside the oven and knocked on the iron door from inside, pleading in pain. Then there was a moment of majestic silence, followed by a strong wind and birds flying and fluttering in all directions. Finally, a final cry echoed from the oven and reached the ancient Badarians tombs, at which point the girl fell silent forever.

Avoid giving yourself over to the devil and allowing him to hurt you to avoid sharing her destiny. Nothing will uncover this untold truth, which has been hidden for many years, after today or countless other days.

Each night, the mother made sure to warn Zainab about what would happen if those indications appeared on her. These signs are visible only to the sect’s wise men, who are also familiar with the mysteries and secrets surrounding old burial rituals and who ultimately decide who would live and who would perish.

A fourteen-year-old girl whose poor luck and attractiveness caused a 70-year-old to lust after her, Fatima’s sin was that she refused, chose to rebel, and refused to be a victim of her own bad luck.

Even though he is one of the wise men, she declared: “No, I will not wed this old man.”

They had her married, and on the wedding night, she barely managed a brief escape before coming back with ropes.

The sage Sheikh then discerns in her the indications of a curse that has been passed down through the years, a demonic spirit that resides there, who dared to rebel and go, and a curse that must be destroyed since the devil might use her tongue to reveal the secrets of the graves.

The girl was scorched, and the flames were put out in her bones, but the old man’s lust was still burning. It needs to be appeased and made up for by the cursed one. No one other than her sister Zainab could take her place.

A ten-year-old child lacked the bravery to flee, but something happened that day as if a mysterious aura left her sister’s body with that cry and invaded her spirit. She grew remarkably powerful, and something inside of her drove her to rebel.  On the eve of the wedding, she mustered all of her power and decided to run as far as she could.

 She was pursued by torches, shame, and the oven all through the night as she ran aimlessly, yet when morning came, she was found unconscious beside a little waterwheel.

A young man with brown hair and blue eyes as bright as snow, barely past the age of seventeen, who was not from this country but spoke with a clear civil Egyptian accent, appeared to her as soon as the veil over her eyes lifted. He asked, “What’s wrong with you girl!” as he wiped water across her face. where did you come from?

Her heart was pounding frantically as she tried to remember who she was. She jumped in panic and frantically searched her surroundings.

The young man realized right away; She is undoubtedly a runaway, and in these places, females only flee from death to death often.

He unloaded a sizable basket of dates, placed the girl inside, and immediately rode out with the horse-drawn carriage.

A young man of Turkish descent who is a warlord descendant of the Ottomans.

He was intended to be here today to save Zainab by fate.

Or perhaps to prevent the curse from being dispelled!

Or perhaps to start a story where events start, get going, and end at every moment…