02. The Tomb
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02. THE TOMB
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☽╎♡╎☾
"Steven! Aisha! Wake up. Come on. Wake the hell up!" Layla shouted. The sounds of a vehicle approaching shot fear in her as she tried to pull the bodies towards some shelter.
She tried waking Marc up once more but seeing as he had been knocked out cold, she pulled him deeper into the darkness, hoping that the men in the truck wouldn't notice him. She turned to Aisha, who had now started to stir and struggled to sit up. She hooked an arm under her and helped limp over to their car. She helped her in and made her lay down on the rags before settling beside her. Just as she closed the door, the vehicle came into view. She counted five men in the tank. She turned to see Aisha looking rather pale covered and in sweat. She motioned for her to lie down further while she rummaged for anything to defend herself with. She found a few pieces of flares lying around and quickly formulated a (rather stupid) plan in her mind.
Layla slowly got off the back of the jeep and crawled to one side. She lit one of the sticks, causing the men to turn that way while she ran to the other side and took out the knife Aisha had given her. She crept back, towards the vehicle but stumbled on a rock. The sound resulted in the men firing in her direction and she ducked for cover. She took out her last flare and threw it at them in a last ditch effort. She pressed her back to her car, awaiting her death when she heard shots being fired, followed by a huge explosion. She ran around and found the vehicle in flames.
Inside the jeep, she was met with a tired Aisha, clutching onto the gun with bloody hands. She seemed to have kept a hold on the gun she snatched from Mogart. Layla smiled gratefully at her before getting in the back and taking a good look at her bleeding leg.
"I'm fine." Aisha gritted out. Layla would have scolded her if not for Steven stumbling towards them. He looked at them, still weak from the events before. He looked at Aisha, the white bandage on her legs showing blotches of red shine through. He passed Layla the last of the bandages and she tied it loosely over the existing one.
"We can't lose more time. Harrow must be headed back to the tomb." Steven said as he headed towards the passenger seat.
"Yeah." Layla agreed and started the jeep. "Look, if he is, we're gonna need Marc, yeah?"
The sun had started rising, creating a beatiful skyline of the deserts of Egypt.
"No. See, the thing is, we made a deal, Marc and I, that when he was done with Khonshu, he would disappear for good." Steven said, looking at the side view mirror of the car.
"You guys made a deal? That he would just disappear from my life? And you didn't think that maybe I should've been made aware of that?"
"Oh. Well, hadn't he disappeared from your life already?" Steven asked, not realizing the weight of his words. Layla looked over at him, hurt clearly written across her face.
"Yeah. I mean, whatever. His suit was his best feature, wasn't it? Didn't even have that anymore." She tried to mask her hurt but Aisha caught on.
"Plus, I know him. He'd wanna lone wolf this whole thing. It's not happening. We're not gonna do that. We are not."
"We're gonna go on foot from here." She said as she stopped the jeep and got out. Aisha pushed open the back door with a grunt and limped behind them. They reached a place near the opening of a cave, with tents lined up next to it.
"Let's check for supplies." Layla suggested as she pointed Steven towards a tent and pulled Aisha into another one.
"Sit."
"I'm fine."
"This is not a 'I'm fine' cut." Layla silenced her as she cut open the haphazardly tied bandage and reached over to an open med-kit. She took out the alcohol and dabbed it over the open wound, causing Aisha to suck in a shaky breath. Layla looked over apologetically and continued cleaning up the wound.
"So uh... what are you going to do now?" Layla asked softly. She took out a piece of white gauze and started tying it around her leg.
Aisha knew she said that she'd leave once her work with Mogart was over. But the thought of leaving Layla again seemed to eat her up inside. She knew it would be a bad move to meddle in the matters of ancient Gods but the the prospect of returning to her job in Madripoor helped her make her mind. 'I'm already screwed.'
"Well if I'm gone, who's gonna save your ass?"
Layla looked up at her. Relief flooded her features. Another chance with Aisha was all that she ever wanted.
"Clearly I have a knack for attracting trouble." She sassed.
In her excitement, she leaned forward and cupped her face, planting a soft kiss on her lips. Aisha froze, not expecting that, but eventually allowed herself to melt into her embrace. Layla pulled back, not regretting her decision one bit. She placed her palms on Aisha's cheek and felt her leaning into the touch. They were both on cloud nine, until Aisha jerked back.
"What about your husband?" Aisha felt guilt creep into her veins. She just kissed a married woman!
"We grew apart and out of love. Now that I think about it, I don't think we actually loved each other too. It was kind of like a 'spur-of-the-moment' thing."
"Oh." was all Aisha could manage out. Layla saw the confusion and uncertainty on her face and placed her hand on her knee.
"Its okay. We had filed for divorce anyways. Marc was supposed to sign the papers but he just disappeared one night."
'Just like she did', Aisha thought. The thought soured her mood.
"Why did you leave that day?" The dreaded question Layla had tried to avoid like the plague. Sighing, she got up from her spot on the ground and walked around trying to collect supplies while she made up an excuse.
"Its... complicated." She didn't know what the future held for them. If word was to get out that Aisha had helped Layla, she would be in danger.
"Whats so complicated that you cant tell me?" She asked, anger starting to seep inside.
"There's a lot of things to consider, Aisha."
Aisha felt betrayed once again. All she wanted was the truth. She felt used. Like she was just another means to bounce back. She angrily stood up, with the support of the pillar and headed outside.
In her haste to get out of Layla's presence, she put a little too much pressure on her leg. Walking became increasingly difficult. She wobbled into the adjoining tent and leaned against the pillar. She covered her mouth, trying to control the sobs that escaped her. She couldn't help but feel like maybe she was the problem. After all, who in their right mind would allow themselves to be broken repeatedly? It felt like someone had stabbed her heart and then twisted the knife for extra measure. Her body shook as the tears continued to escape.
After a while, Aisha managed to calm herself. Sniffling, she wiped off the tears and pried deeper into the tent in search of supplies. She found a med kit and stuffed her bag with bandages. She continued her search and reached a stack of archaeological tools. She pocketed a sharp knife and exited the tent. She walked over to the last one and found ammunition packs. She picked one up and strung it over her shoulders.
☽╎♡╎☾
Layla felt a piece of her heart tear off when she saw Aisha walk away. She contemplated on going after her but decided to give ger some space. Instead, she steadied herself and searched for ropes and safety gear to help them climb down the cave.
She knew she should've told her the truth. About how Sharon had realized Layla was stealing from her. She remembered the day when the Power Broker herself met her, to inform her that if she wasn't gone before the sun rose the next day, Aisha would be dead. The threat had shook her to the core and she resorted to doing what would result in countless sleepless nights.
The memories kept on coming in and Layla had to lean onto a cabinet to balance herself. In her daze, she dropped a few bottles, the noise bringing her back to reality.
Grabbing the gear, she walked out and met Steven talking to his reflection. He looked at her through the mirror and turned to face her with a small wave. Steven walked to her and they waited for Aisha.
Aisha noticed the others waiting for her and slowly walked towards them. Steven noticed the swollen eyes on both of them but decided not to question them.
He held out a small white tube to Aisha.
"I found some painkillers. I thought you might want them." Aisha gratefully took them and popped two in her mouth.
"I uh also... Hold on lemme just... Yeah. There." He held out a metal rod that he fashioned into a make shift cane.
"Thank you so much Steven." Aisha supported herself on the cane. She was shocked at the kindness he showed her, not expecting that from someone who was going through a divorce. She felt her heart warm up to the dorky gift shopist and engulfed him in a tight hug.
Layla looked at the exchange in awe. Her heart warmed at the sight. Steven helping Aisha out was an accurate depiction of his pure heart. She almost felt bad at lashing out at him a few days before.
☽╎♡╎☾
The group enjoyed the moment for a while and then continued on with their main objective - getting to the tomb of Ammit. Layla led them to the mouth of the cave and helped them adjust their harness.
"I have to say, I feel like I've been waiting for this my whole life. The adventure, I mean." Steven piped up.
"I know." Layla smiled at him.
"We want what we never had." Aisha mumbled. Layla heard it but chose to ignore how her heart clenched at the words
"Marc's trying to protect you from Khonshu." Steven blurted out and Layla stopped adjusting his harness.
"What?"
"That's why he's been pushing you away. He thinks Khonshu wants you for his Avatar, and he won't let that happen. And he knows about the history you two had. He reached out to some contacts and found out about the time you guys spent in Madripoor. I'm sorry. I just felt like you should know that. Sorry."
"Why are you telling us this now?" Aisha asked.
"I don't know. I just thought you deserved to know."
"Well, it wasn't his call to make. I don't need protection." Layla muttered as she got back to tightening the straps on Steven. She walked over to Aisha and started helping her. "What I need is honesty." Aisha scoffed at her.
"That's what we all want."
"That's more of a "you" thing, isn't it?" Layla asked, ignoring Aisha.
"What? Being... Honesty?" The girls let out a small laugh at him.
"Yeah. Being 'honesty'." Layla smiled at him. It was Marc she was angry at, not Steven. "Okay. I'm gonna go down first, alright?"
"Okay. Yeah."
"Great. Before I belay." Layla said and walked to the mouth of the cave and fastened her rope.
"What's "belay"?"
"I still can't tell when you're joking or not." She laughed and jumped down.
Aisha smiled at the interaction and leaned towards Steven and whispered, "Belay is what she's doing down there. Shes gonna jump down, set the rope and makes sure it isn't slacking, and help us get down there. She's gonna make sure we don't hit the ground if we fall, basically."
"Ooh."
Aisha laughed at his expression before grabbing onto the wire and jumping down. The landing was rough and it shot up a pain in her leg. She would've stumbled faced first if not for Layla holding her, and helping her settle down on a nearby rock. Their hands grazed and they locked eyes. Aisha felt herself being transported to one of the nights they had spent under the moonlight in Madripoor.
"Oh, shit." The 'thud' of Steven falling down, face first snapped them out of their gaze and Layla rushed forward to help him.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm aces. Yeah. I wish you guys hadn't seen that." He mumbled, heat rising to his cheeks.
"Oh, wow, look at you. Gorgeous, aren't they? They're just, like... Been standing guard for centuries. Right? Look, I can't even... Like, if they just sprang to life right now and asked me a riddle for passage, I'd be thrilled. I'd shit myself but I'd be thrilled." He continued on as if the fall didn't faze him at all. Aisha smiled the man's loveable nature.
"What's this?" He suddenly pointed to something in the sand. "Did you do that?"
"What? Oh. Yeah. It's for my father." Aisha looked at the sand and recognized Layla's father's initials. 'This must be hard on her.'
"He would've loved to be here."
"Big history buff, is he?"
"So much worse. Archaeologist on a mission. And to him it was a dream worth dying for. And he did." Layla whispered the last part, trying not to get too emotional at the mention of her father.
"Um... I'm so sorry."
"Yeah. No, it's fine, really. Yeah. It's fine. Happens." Layla dismissed it off, not wanting to talk about it.
"I bet that he'd be positively beaming right now, seeing you standing in the proof of it." Aisha spoke up, having walked over to Layla. She placed her hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it.
"Yeah. I think so." Layla placed her own hand on Aisha's. It was as if they never fought. They comforted each other in the silence of the cave, forgetting about the fight they had. Steven gave them a minute of privacy before Marc shouted at him through his head.
"Well, it's not such a bad way to go, is it? Let's find out?"
"Yeah. Yeah, let's find out."
☽╎♡╎☾
The group walked further into the cave, which had branched out into a large room with a table like structure in the center. The room was a starting point to numerous pathways.
"It's a maze." Aisha pointed out.
"It's a-maze-ing." Steven replied, causing Aisha to giggle at the lame joke. Layla resorted to rolling her eyes half-heatedly.
"There are six paths." Layla said, gesturing to the pathways that expanded out of the room.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. Six points." Steven mumbled, trying to wonder why the concept seemed seemed similar.
"What would they be shooting at?" Aisha gestured to the blood that lined the walls of a particular pathway.
"Whatever it is, I hope we don't have to encounter it." Layla said.
"With out luck, Harrows people only angered it. It'll probably come at us with an intent to kill." Aisha muttered, a soft smile on her lips. Her leg felt much better. The painkillers were doing wonders, tuning down the otherwise throbbing pain.
"This whole structure is a symbol!" Steven exclaimed as he walked towards the table and drew something on the sand that had accumulated on top of it.
"That's the eye of Horus." Layla exclaimed at the drawing.
"Yeah. Look at that. Look, the royal symbol, protection in the afterlife. I mean, like, the resources needed to build this thing."
"Her final Avatar was a pharaoh." Aisha exclaimed, piecing together the pieces.
"Whoa! A bloody pharaoh."
"So what? You think it's a map?" Layla questioned the man.
"Yeah, well... Right. So, the eye of Horus is also the eye of mind, yeah? Representing the six senses, six points. So you got the eyebrow that denotes thoughts. Pupil, sight, obviously. This point here is, uh, hearing. This, smell. Touch. And this long line ending in a spiral is the tongue. The Avatar would be Ammit's voice. That's right." Steven rambled off. He pointed to one of the paths and walked into it, still muttering about Pharaohs and Egyptian burial procedures.
They entered a room with another table like structure, but this one was more messy. It had streaks of crimson liquid running down the sides.
"Oh, wow. Oh. Heka priests. Judging by their masks and ceremonial stance. They would've been entombed in here to protect the pharaoh." Steven started up, blissfully unaware of the bloody table. He gestured to the upright tombs ingrained into the walls and Aisha walked ahead to inspect it.
"The heck's a Heka?" She asked.
"Sorcerers of their time. They've been down here for centuries. These must be some of the unlucky souls who crossed their path."
"Right."
"An impressive send-off, really... Oh, my God. Oh, God." Steven shouted. "Is that fresh blood? Isn't that little chunks of meaty bits?" Steven shrieked, having noticed what the other two saw, first thing they entered into the room.
"Oh. Let's keep moving." Layla suggested, not wanting him to freak out all the more.
"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, just a minute. Just a minute. I'm just saying what I see, and I see lots of bones and blood going that way. So I'm just thinking, like, what if there's maybe another... There's, like, another..." Steven trailed off at the sight of lines of blood in the sand, indicating that some poor soul had been dragged through the mud after being mauled by whatever it is that caused the blood loss.
"There's an opening up there. You see that? Yeah. Should we check it out? Yeah?" He suggested, pointing at a small opening in the wall, a floor above them.
"All right."
"You go." Layla commanded. She didn't want to go ahead and leave Aisha back, seeing as climbing the ladder would be a difficult task with the wound on her leg. And she didn't trust Steven to actually be able to fight in case of an attack.
"Me?"
"Yes, You."
"Yeah, all right." Steven shrugged and walked to the ladder. He climbed up slowly and grunted as he climbed the last few steps. "Yeah. I did it. I'm up."
"You good?" Aisha called out from below.
"Yeah. So, according to the ancient texts, Ammit should be bound to an ushabti, statue thingies." He said to the duo below.
"How's it looking?"
"It's looking amazing. I mean, this... It looks like a freshly filled canopic jar, and snake skins, and self-regeneration..."
"Steven? Steven?" Layla called out, stopping him.
"Yeah?"
"The exit." She reminded the awe-struck man. It was like watching a kid in a candy shop.
"Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we can go this way." He replied standing at the edge of the platform.
The sounds of guns firing in the distance caused the trio to jump up. Aisha quickly took out her gun and aimed it at the doorway.
"Harrow... What are they shooting at?" Steven asked.
"I don't know." Layla muttered, slowly walking to the opening. The sound of clicking and groaning made her gasp and she rushed back.
"Hide. Hide!" She pulled Aisha down with her, causing her to sit atop her wounded leg, as they placed their back flush against the cool tiles of the table. The red liquid on the sides table stuck to their backs and Aisha felt queasy.
A black creature with golden armor plates dragged a moaning body and propped it onto the table.
The sounds of flesh being torn apart made Aisha's insides churn. The measly lunch they had, threatened to make an appearance at the sight of pieces of fresh flesh falling off the table. The creature moved towards where they sat.
Layla motioned for Aisha to shift over. Aisha grunted softly as she moved over. Her leg was in an awkward position and it made the pain flare up even more. The cane Steven had given her earlier hit the table, making a loud noise.
The sound alerted the Heka Priest and it stopped abruptly. The creature crept along the side of the table and Aisha struggled to move out of the way quickly. With their heart at their throat, they drew out their weapons and awaited the inevitable.
A sudden thumping sound on a wooden floorboard above them distracted the Heka Priest and it looked up to find Steven looking at him.
"Run! I'll find you guys!" He exclaimed. Before she could react, Layla pulled Aisha out the doorway. Layla ran with her and only stopped when they entered another opening.
They were met with a massive crater in the middle of the cave. The light on the other side of the ditch flickered, indicating another room.
"Steven?" Layla called out tentatively. Having got no reply, she turned to Aisha, who had already dropped down her bag and was taking out something. She held out two flares and handed it to Layla. She lit one and threw in into the crater, which illuminated the deep drop, and threw the other one to the other side. It didn't show any movement so they assumed it was safe.
Layla looked for a way across the room. She tried to search for any sort of lever that might reveal a hidden staircase. Groaning in frustration, she threw a rock at the wall and noticed it bounce off a small ledge. The ledge ran across the length of the crater in the ground, with a few breaks here and there. She would be able to cross them easily.
'What about Aisha?' She looked over at the girl, who was also eyeing the ledge.
"Layla, look! You can cross using the ledge."
"What about you? You can barely walk in a straight line."
Aisha grunted and stood up. "It's fine. I'll stay back and hold off Harrows men."
"No. No. I am not leaving you. Not again."
Aisha's heart clutched at her words. She wanted to believe her badly. She wanted to believe that Layla never left her. She hated herself for being so vulnerable and naive. She was pretty sure she would get her heart broken all over again but the sincerity in Layla's voice created a small ray of hope.
"You wont be leaving me. You'll come back, right? You won't leave me." She whispered, reassuring herself more that Layla. She brought their foreheads together, cherishing the moment.
"I wont be leaving you. After I find Steven I come back for you. In the end I'll always come back to you."
☽╎♡╎☾
Aisha positioned herself in the corner of the ledge they were standing on as Layla walked along the narrow and crumbling path along the walls. Aisha aimed the gun at the entrance, ready to take out any incoming threat. The scuffling of feet stopped and Aisha turned to find Layla bracing herself to jump over a huge gap. Layla jumped, barely making it across and continued her trek to the other side. Aisha let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.
"I've reached the other side, Aisha." She shouted out as she leaned against the rocky wall to steady her palpitating heart.
"Okay. That's good. See anything there?" Aisha shouted back.
A pair of black hands grabber from behind and she let out a blood curling scream. Aisha whipped towards her at the sound.
"Layla?! Layla!!" She wobbled towards the edge, with her gun now pointing to where Layla last was, who seemed to have disappeared into thin air. She considered limping along the wall, praying to the Gods to keep her from falling into the chasm, when she saw Layla fall onto her back.
A Hela priest fell on top of her and started to claw at her. Layla tried to push it away but it managed to land a scratch on her face. A shot rang through the room as the Heka Priest fell onto Layla, who promptly threw the bloody body down the chasm.
She turned to the source of the gunshot, only to be met by a horrific sight.
"Aisha! Look out!" She screamed, all too late. Caught up in a frenzy to save Layla, Aisha didn't register a presence behind her. When Layla screamed at her, she felt a pair of hands grab her face from behind, cupping her mouth and nose, effectively cutting off the oxygen. She elbowed her assailant who grunted and kneed her in her wound. The wound opened up and started bleeding again, send waves of pain. The action caused her to buckle her knees and fall to the ground. The man quickly tied her hands with ropes.
"AISHA!" Layla screamed out. She saw the scene unfold but could do absolutely nothing about it. She didn't have a gun on her. And her flares weren't gonna help anyone.
"Ahh! My little scarab. Isn't that what your father used to call you?" Harrow stated as he limped into view. "Abdullah El-Faouly. One of Egypt's most unique archaeologists. He would be so proud of you if he knew that you were among the first to confirm for the world what he always believed. Egyptian gods walk among us. The scales achieve their judgment by revealing to me moments of sin and pain. And your husband... He is in agony. More pain than anyone could bear. But he still hasn't told you the truth."
Layla could care less about her husband then. All that mattered was the safety of her love. She kept the conversation with Harrow going, hoping that Aisha could form some sort of plan to get herself out of there.
"Well, you're obviously dying to. So why don't you just go ahead? The floor is yours."
"I read his scales. The scales do not lie." Harrow replied. Aisha grunted, the pain intensifying with her sprawled in an awkward position.
"Your father was murdered by mercenaries. And no one knows who they were, do they?"
"You're saying that Marc was one of them?" Layla's voice wavered. She knew he was trying to get in her head but the prospect of Marc killing her father was like a punch to her gut.
"You said it. What do you think? Marc remembers everything that happened that day. Everyone who died. But one man stands out. Man with a fuchsia scarf. Scarab details. Handmade. Made by his daughter perhaps."
Aisha saw Layla's face loose all color. She grunted as she head-butted the man behind her and tried to attack Harrow. Another man grabbed her by her tied hands and yanked her to the floor.
"Ah Aisha. The one who orphaned herself and her siblings. No one found any evidence but you know the truth. You know how you killed your own parents. How you shot them while your brother and sister watched from the sidelines. That kind of ordeal leaves a much deeper scar. Tell me, do they see you as you see yourself? A cold blooded murderer?"
"Are you done?" Aisha asked, trying to sound indifferent, but her voice failed her. Her lower lip trembled at the influx of memories.
"You know, you did play a role in Marc having to search for Layla's father. If you hadn't told those people that you had the scarab, all of them would be alive. Your father, your mother, Layla's father... all of them. Your siblings would have had a family. You, Aisha, are the cause of all those deaths."
Layla froze. She never knew of Aisha's familial history. She only told her about her strained relation with her siblings who geld a grudge with her. This new piece of information shocked her.
"Just like you were the cause of Layla leaving you."
Harrow noticed the shift in Layla's stance. He smirked and turned to her. "I hope you find closure. Both of you."
"Sir, we just found another way." A third man walked in. Harrow turned to the man behind Aisha and nodded at him. He struck Aisha at the back of her head, causing her to slump forward. She could hear buzzed sounds of Layla screaming for her before she let the darkness consume her.
☽╎♡╎☾
Layla screamed out for Aisha for a long time before gathering the broken pieces of herself and trudging forward into the cave. She saw Steven look excitedly at her, waving for her to come forward.
"Layla, look. We won." He let out a laugh. "And the ushabti goes to us. I had to go digging down old Alexander the Great's gullet, but I found it." He finally looked properly at Layla and saw her blood red eyes and swollen nose. "You all right, love? Where's Aisha?"
"Can he hear me?" She snapped.
"Alexander? I don't think so. God, I hope not." He laughed uneasily.
"What happened to my father? I'm talking to you, Marc!" Layla saw him shift and realized Marc had come out.
"Come on. Wait- where's Aisha?"
"Harrow" Layla shook her head, her bottom lip quivering.
"Shit. Okay Let's go, let's go." He tried to pull her away but she stubbornly stood her ground.
"No."
"Layla, we need to go right now."
"Marc, no. No. What happened to my father?"
"Listen to me. We need to leave right now. I will explain everything, I swear. But we have to go."
"Did you kill Abdullah El-Faouly?" The question made Marc stop in his tracks.
"Of course not. Of course I didn't."
"But you were there. You were there."
"I... I was there. Yeah, I was there." Marc's voice wavered.
"And how did he die?"
"My partner got greedy and he executed everyone at the dig site. I tried to save your father, but I couldn't save him. And I... "
"No. But you brought a killer right to him. Right?" Layla snapped angrily.
"Yeah. He shot me too. I was supposed to die that night. But I didn't die that night. And I should have. I've tried to tell you since the moment we met. I just didn't know... "
"Oh, my God. That's the reason that we met. You just had a guilty conscience" Layla laughed derisively. "And who gave you the information? What does Aisha have to do with this?"
"Aisha's parents ran an underground network. They were like brokers in the black market. They had the item our boss wanted but they sold it to the archaeologists. Boss got mad and sent another group to teach them a lesson."
Layla's face drained off all color. She imagined a young Aisha, faced with the choice of either killing her parents or her siblings. She let out a silent sob as the weight of her absence fell on her like a ton of bricks. Marc slowly pulled her into a hug and let her cry.
The sounds of footsteps approaching made Marc snap out of his thoughts.
"They're here. There must be another way out." Marc walked around the tomb and found a narrow path. It was well hidden by the shadows of the massive pillars around them. He pointed it ot to Layla and ushered her through.
"Okay. Go, find it. I'll hold them off." Even though Layla wanted to strangle him, she couldn't just leave him there to die. She was about to retaliate when the sounds grew louder and Marc looked pleadingly at her.
"Please! Go!" Layla barely made it into the strait opening when the room filled with men holding up guns, aiming it directly at Marc. At the center of the group stood Harrow, with a menacing smile.
"Just you?" He asked sweetly.
"The rest is silence." Marc replied, trying to figure out a way to get himself out of there. He wanted to turn and reassure himself that Layla had managed to escape but he couldn't do that and risk exposing her.
"I remember the first morning I woke up knowing that Khonshu was gone." Harrow mused. "The quiet was liberating. You're a free man now Marc. And, of course, with that freedom comes choice. And right now, you have a very important decision to make."
"Okay." Marc replied and knelt down. A man came forward to secure him when Marc got up and slid the mans knife out. He killed him in one swift movement and threw the knife at another man.
Layla turned to help and saw that it was the same guy who had pulled an unconscious Aisha out the room. She was about to move from her place in the shadows when a shot rang out.
It was as if the Gods slowed everything down so that she could see every single detail clearly. How the bullets pierced Marc's body, how he fell back into the water, how his face ceased to show any life.
"I can't save anyone who won't save themselves." Harrow whispered before shooting Marc once again. The body had fully submerged in the water, tainting it a shade of red.
Layla stood transfixed in her place, the weight of the realization, that she just lost the only two people who mattered in the world to her, hung heavily onto her.