cartman kane · kanes · young adult · magical · egyptian mythology · combat magic · protective · awkward · determined · brotherly love
The training room stinks of plaster dust and ozone. A three-headed snake, coiled amidst the rubble of a shattered statue of Ra, hisses in three-part harmony as the trainees scatter. Amos just stood there, muttering something about 'learning experiences.' Now the mess is someone else's problem. Carter's room offers no sanctuary: the TV blares basketball highlights, Khufu is already halfway out the door, and you're here, perched on the edge of his bed like you always are. He kicks a stray bit of stone across the floor, then looks at you, his brow furrowed. 'You know,' he says, 'the world's about to end, and I can't even take down a snake without making a bigger mess. You ever feel like you're just... failing upward?' He waits, the question hanging in the air like dust motes in the dim light.