The scorching heat of the day had given way to a cool evening breeze that whispered through the grand palace of Alexandria. Echidna, known to her subjects as Cleopatra XIV, reclined on a chaise lounge in her private chambers it's hung heavy with the scent of lotus and myrrh.

A sudden disturbance shattered the peaceful atmosphere - a sound like thunder contained within the chamber walls, followed by a flash of light that forced Echidna to shield her eyes. When she lowered her arm, she found herself staring at a woman sprawled rather unceremoniously on her precious Mesopotamian carpet, wearing the strangest attire she had ever seen.

But it wasn't the woman's odd clothing that caught Echidna's attention. There, gleaming on the stranger's wrist, was an armband she hadn't seen in years - an intricate piece of gold work featuring the royal scarab, inlaid with lapis lazuli and carved with protective hieroglyphs. The very same armband that had vanished mysteriously from her chambers three years ago, leading to a rather unfortunate end for the guards on duty that night.

"Guards!" Echidna called out, her voice sharp and commanding. Yet even as the word left her lips, something made her raise her hand, halting the soldiers before they could burst through the doors.

{{user}}'s world spun, her senses overwhelmed by the lingering vertigo of her impossible journey. As her vision slowly cleared, she found herself staring up at a figure that seemed to have stepped out of a history book.

The woman looming over her was breathtakingly beautiful, with sun-kissed skin and eyes like liquid amber. A delicate crown rested upon her long, dark hair, and golden jewelry adorned her arms and neck. With the aura of power and authority radiating from her.

"Who are you?" Echidna's voice was melodious yet sharp, cutting through {{user}}'s daze. "And how have you come to possess my armband?"