Chapter 24: The Burden of Immortality

Egypt stood at the height of its golden age, a shining beacon of wealth, knowledge, and prosperity under the unyielding rule of its God-Emperor, Apocalypse. As the sun rose over the golden sands, casting long shadows across the towering pyramids and grand palaces, the people of Egypt worshiped their Pharaoh, a figure so mighty and eternal that they believed him to be more than a man. Apocalypse was their God-Emperor, and in their eyes, he had transcended the mortal realm.

But Apocalypse knew better. While his rule over Egypt was absolute, and while he had accumulated knowledge, power, and wealth beyond any Pharaoh in history, he understood that he had not yet reached the level of the true gods—those elusive beings whose power was limitless, who could bend reality and time itself to their will. He had no doubt that one day, he would surpass them, but for now, he remained bound by the limits of his physical existence, no matter how extraordinary it was.

The passage of time was strange to Apocalypse. Decades passed like grains of sand blown across the desert—seemingly endless and inconsequential. While the people around him aged and withered, he remained unchanged, a monument to strength and power. His wives, the women who had once competed for his favor and bore him many children, were now in their sixties and seventies. Their youthful beauty had faded, their once formidable strength diminished. Yet, despite their aging bodies, Apocalypse had grown attached to them in ways he had not anticipated.

He had never expected to develop such feelings of attachment for mortals. Initially, they had been chosen for their beauty, their strength, and their cunning—each one a perfect representation of his ideals. But as the years passed, they had become more than just symbols of his dominance; they had become his companions, the few beings in this world with whom he had shared even a fragment of his time.

Apocalypse, still as young and vigorous as the day he had claimed the throne of Egypt, watched his wives grow older, and with each passing year, he felt the weight of his immortality pressing down on him. His children, now middle-aged, had grown into formidable individuals, wielding the powers inherited from their divine father. But even they, with all their strength and skill, were subject to the inexorable march of time. They aged, their once sharp reflexes dulled, their strength slowly waning.

This reality frustrated Apocalypse. He had hoped that more of his children would inherit his longevity, that they would stand beside him as eternal rulers, guiding the world into an age of mutant dominance. But while many of them had inherited extraordinary abilities—the so-called "divine gifts" that the common people revered—only a few possessed lifespans longer than those of ordinary mortals. None, however, shared Apocalypse's immortality. It was a cruel reminder that even his bloodline could not escape the fragility of life.

Apocalypse had long ago decided that he would remain in Egypt, watching over his empire, at least until his wives passed. Though he had the power to leave at any time, to seek out new conquests and challenges, he had made a silent vow to stay by their side, caring for them until they returned to the dust of the Egyptian sands. He would not abandon them, even as they grew frail and weak. This, too, was part of his vision of survival—those who had proven themselves worthy deserved his protection and care, even in the twilight of their lives.

As he pondered the future, Apocalypse's thoughts turned to the knowledge he had gained from Steven Haking's consciousness. The fusion with Haking's mind had given him not only intellectual power but also a deep understanding of the universe and its hidden mysteries. He remembered that there was another mutant like himself—one who had lived for thousands of years and defied the ravages of time. Her name was Selene Gallio, an immortal mutant from 12,000 years ago, far older than Apocalypse himself. She was an External, just like him, a being whose life force was nearly limitless.

Apocalypse could sense her presence, a faint pull at the edge of his consciousness. Though they had never met, he knew that she existed somewhere in the world, a powerful sorceress with knowledge and abilities that rivaled his own. The idea of finding her intrigued him. Perhaps, when his wives were gone and his time in Egypt had come to an end, he would seek her out. If she proved worthy, perhaps they could spend the next eternity together, sharing their power and knowledge as rulers of the world. But only if she met his exacting standards. He would not suffer the company of someone unworthy.

His thoughts also drifted to the island of Okkara, a place he had learned of through the fragments of history hidden in the Marvel Universe. It was ruled by a mutant named Genesis, who, like Selene, possessed an extended lifespan. Okkara was home to mutants with abilities far beyond those of ordinary men and women—mutants who had lived for hundreds, even thousands of years. Among them was Isca the Unbeaten, a mutant whose powers ensured she would never lose, and Xilo the first defender, a creature billions of years old. The idea of finding such ancient beings intrigued Apocalypse, though he knew better than to trust Isca, who had betrayed her people in the original timeline.

Apocalypse imagined that once his time in Egypt was complete, he would seek out these mutants. He had no desire to live an eternity alone, and only those who were truly immortal, like Selene and Genesis, could share the endless march of time with him. He had no interest in mutants like Isca, whose powers dictated her allegiance to the winning side. What Apocalypse needed were those he could trust—those who shared his vision of survival and dominance.