**(In the then Sun City, now the suburbs of Cairo—the abode of the Sun God Ra)**
"Supreme Father," called Shu, the Air God, as he bowed deeply to his father Ra. Shu had seen his father angry many times before, but never as furious as he was now. He knew exactly what the matter was. Truth be told, Shu felt utterly helpless in the situation. He understood it was not entirely his fault, but his father wouldn't listen. After all, Ra was supreme and demanded to be obeyed—not questioned. Shu knew well the consequences of disregarding that fact.
"Shu…" Ra breathed heavily. "I am sure you know why I have summoned you."
"Of course, Supreme Father. I am fully aware of the reason for my presence here," Shu replied carefully, trying not to let fear creep into his voice and further anger his father.
Ra studied Shu for a few moments. He sensed his son's uneasiness and was somewhat pleased that Shu did not take him for granted. But the real issue lay with his children—Nut and Geb.
"And what are you and Tefnut doing about this matter?" Ra's voice was grave and serious. "Those children of yours are a total disgrace to my lineage and supremacy. You and Tefnut must take responsibility for their actions."
"Supreme Father, I understand," Shu said solemnly. "Together with my wife, we shall see to it that their wings and tails are trimmed."
Ra's eyes burned with authority, anger, but above all, pride. "I give you seven days and seven nights. If their madness does not cease by then, I will have no choice but to take decisive action. Use this time wisely and bring me good news, or your family shall fall into desolation."
For Ra, maintaining his supremacy and the accord among the people of Egypt was paramount—and the incestuous relationship between Geb and Nut was a direct threat to that order.
Geb and Nut had all of Egypt to choose their consorts from, yet they chose each other. This infuriated Ra beyond reason. Shu tried to keep calm, knowing it was best to speak to their father first before acting. From what he had seen, even he was helpless in this matter. His children were gods too, possessing strength and will like any other divine being. But their incest was something Ra could never tolerate.
He had contemplated cursing and separating them but wished to grant his son some respect by giving him time to sort things out himself. He would wait patiently for Shu's feedback.
"Thank you so much, Supreme Father. I truly appreciate your mercy," Shu breathed a sigh of relief. He had expected his father to curse or strip them of their powers, but instead, he was granted time to resolve the matter.
Without delay, Shu teleported back to his abode. His anxious wife, Tefnut, immediately approached him, sensing his presence.
"What did he say?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes, dreading the answer.
"He gave us time—seven days and seven nights. If nothing changes by then, he will take matters into his own hands and serve judgment accordingly," Shu replied.
Tefnut sighed in relief but remained deeply troubled. She knew well how stubborn their children were and doubted any amount of time would sway them. Judgment by the Sun God himself was inevitable. The thought sent shivers down her spine, and she felt herself falter—until Shu's hand steadied her waist.
"I know, my love," Shu said gently, sensing her thoughts—one of his abilities. "But I will try my best to separate them while preserving their wills. That is exactly what I intend to do: send them to different timelines where they cannot find each other. Perhaps their feelings will fade, and when the time is right, I will bring them back to apologize and plead for the Supreme Father's pardon."
"Do you really think it will work?" Tefnut asked, worry lacing her voice. She would surely miss her children, but it was better than having them judged by Ra himself. "Can you truly do that? You know how powerful they are. They might revoke the spell or find their way to each other."
"Don't worry, Tefnut," Shu said confidently. "My plan will work. They won't be able to undo it. As the God of Air, I am omnipresent and can influence them wherever they go. I will ensure they cannot perform any rational actions that might break the spell. To guarantee success, I will amplify my power with the ancient hourglass."
"The ancient hourglass?" Tefnut gasped. "You know it can only be used to cast one spell at a time. Which one do you plan on sending far away?" Her eyes twitched, awaiting his answer.
"Darling, I intend to cast the spell on both of them—using the hourglass's power to hold the most stubborn down, then use my own power to restrain the other," Shu said with a sad smile.
"What?!" Tefnut was horrified. "Are you okay? That will drain you—you might even lose your will entirely. No! Please, my lord, I don't want to lose you," she cried.
Shu understood her pain, borne from their shared love. Pulling her into a hug, he whispered, "Don't worry. I will only send one of them away using the hourglass, so please stop crying. I hate to see your tears."
Tefnut wiped her eyes, trying to calm herself. She didn't want her husband to sacrifice himself for their stubborn children. But as she steadied her breath, a thought struck her: which child would she lose—Geb or Nut?…