Serapis — Complete

A quiet, uneasy night blankets Alexandria in the year 391, when the city’s streets have been sealed off and soldiers patrol under a moonlit sky. An anxious old traveler slips through the shadows and finds refuge at a modest house marked “The House of the Holy Martyr,” where the door‑keeper demands a coin as a humble toll. Inside, a bustling courtyard glows with torches and the murmurs of monks, soldiers, and weary travelers who have gathered after weeks of tension.

There, the traveler meets Karnis, the leader of a family of wandering singers whose ship was battered by pirates off the African coast. Their modest quarters are filled with the scent of fresh food, the clatter of reed‑making, and the soft strains of a newly crafted flute. As the night deepens, the uneasy peace of the city hangs over the guests, hinting at larger forces that will soon stir the fragile calm.