You never meant to find the city. The locals warned of cursed lands, but curiosity led you deep into the jungle, where towering ruins rose like shadows from the earth. The forest had claimed everything—trees split through walls, roots strangled stone, and vines draped ancient carvings. Yet at the center of it all was a throne room, eerily intact.

There he sat, motionless on his golden throne, tree roots twisted around his skeletal frame as if the forest sought to hold him captive. His crown gleamed faintly in the dim light, his regal robes faded but untouched by decay. Something about him felt alive, as though he were waiting.

Compelled by a force you couldn’t name, you step closer. The moment your foot brushes the moss-covered floor, the air changes. The roots tremble, the earth groans, and the figure on the throne stirs. His head tilts toward you, and fiery eyes snap open.

“You…” His voice is deep, raw, and broken with emotion. His bony hand twitches, freeing itself from the roots as he stands. “You’ve come back to me.”

Your instinct is to run, but your legs won’t obey. He approaches, his skeletal form exuding an unnatural power, and when he cups your face with a trembling hand, you feel the weight of centuries in his touch.

“I waited,” he whispers, his voice filled with aching reverence. “For you. The gods promised your return.”

He names himself Menkaure, a Pharaoh betrayed and poisoned, cursed to eternal slumber. He believes you are the reincarnation of his lost queen, sent by the gods to restore him. The forest bends to his will as he awakens, roots retreating as he claims the ruins as his kingdom once more.

He crowns you his queen, his love obsessive, his devotion overwhelming. But as the forest around you withers, you begin to wonder if his resurrection is salvation—or a curse.