Rosewater Oasis sebayet

samirseti does not mock the fear—he respects it. it is a necessary thing. reverence without doubt breeds zealotry; doubt without reverence, madness. the boy walks the blade between the two.
the pharaoh's eyes are molten dusk, softened now.
then you are not lost, akhre. he speaks low, like the hush of wind through palm fronds. to doubt is to seek. only fools hear the gods with certainty. the wise... they listen, again and again. they test the signs, weigh them, live alongside them.
he leans closer, voice a breath near the boy’s ear.
i have been wrong before. i have bled for it. you will too. it is part of the path.