Connection
"I would advise you not to go against us, Layla," the voice of Harrow announced to her. "It would only make you suffer and didn't you have to suffer enough?" Layla closed her eyes and stood up, walking slowly but surely toward the sarcophagus. She glared up at Harrow, hatred glimmering in her dark eyes.
"You are the reason why I suffer this instant. You- you killed him. For what, tell me! For some goddess who says she would make our planet heaven-like?" She yelled. The anger, the loss ran through her every vein only to take surface on her face.
Arthur Harrow looked sad but his eyes stayed dead. Focused on their task of freeing Ammit and saving humanity from all evil that will ever occur. "I truly believe that Steven Grant has good in him, that he is truly good and tries his best. But your husband Marc Spector is not. Marc had chosen his path of killing. That is in his nature. He is the evil we need to sacrifice for a better world," said Harrow, trying to convince her of their cause. "I'm so sorry that they had to die for this, but it was for the best. Didn't you see how they suffered? Would you want your husband, the one you love, to endure the pain of their past in continuing living?"
Layla stood there frozen. She wanted to do for what she stood up just moments ago but she couldn't bring her body to move. Her thoughts were lingering on what Harrow said. What he was implying. Her eyes began to shed more tears as she fought against her emotions. "He was good. He achieved good whit what he did! You are the true evil! There was a reason why the other goods imprisoned her in stone!"
Harrow sighed, he stood high and with purpose. He knew what he wanted, what needed to be done and he would do everything to archive that. That was the only way for the world to turn better, to be heaven on earth. So that everyone who has no ill will can have a peaceful life.
He truly believed that with the freeing of Ammit humanity could start to heal itself from its evil roots and grow anew for good.
To grow without suffering and pain, without any act of evil. The price they need to pay is high — The life and souls of all those who are deemed to do evil — but it was acceptable for what peace it would carry with it. It was a sad realisation he came to but that was how reality was. He was once the avatar of Khonshu, he knew first-hand that even a good like Khonshu, who still somewhat interferes with humankind, has its faults.
"Only Ammit sees the flaw of humankind. Only she is willing to do what is needed to bring us peace," Harrow said, walking up to Layla.
"You call the elimination of hundreds and thousands of people bringing us peace? What is right with that?" Layla cried out? How could someone think that that was the right thing to do?
"How broken do you need to be to not see how wrong it is to free Ammit..." she muttered. "I'm sorry, Layla. You had to suffer enough after your father's death. I did not mean to bring you more pain but you give me no other choice."
She screamed, tried to get to the ushabti, to run off but she only heard a deafening sound before her sight went dark and she collapsed to the ground.
Harrow and his still standing comrades stood there, watching the blood flow out of their bodies. Arthur shook his head, walking towards the Ushabti of Ammit.
Why couldn't you see the fault in what you believed in. I showed you what kind of man your husband was and still, you wouldn't listen.
He took the Ushabti in his hand, could feel the strength flow through his every bone.
"Together we will make heaven on earth. We will terminate all evil from ever getting a chance again to rise and destroy."
⊰᯽⊱┈──╌ •| ⊱✿⊰ |• ╌──┈⊰᯽⊱
Jake and Steven walked towards wherever their souls thought would be the right direction. Towards where their missing part is. Towards Marc.
The glimmering sun always stayed where it was the first time they woke up in the Field of Reeds, giving everything a golden shimmer as if they were dreaming. As surreal as it was, it was their reality. They walked through the golden reeds that were always here and would always be here for all eternity. The reeds moved out of their way or got stamped on, breaking into themselves and staying on the ground. Not going up again as if they were dead.
The path they made in the reeds was only a small cost to the never-ending fields for their quest to find Marc, get out of here and save the world from Ammit.
While searching for Marc they talked to each other and made sure that they were on the same page. They hoped their instinct would bring them to Marc, so they could soothe away the anguish and start to heal.
After some time of them talking they made some major differences between the two of them. While Steven was wildly against the concept of killing people, Jake had no qualms about having to hurt and kill those who deserve it. While Steven was comforting, trying to calm someone down, Jake would use force, get to the problem and destroy it from existing. Many more differences fitted both of them and still, it all came down to one thing.
They would both do anything to save the system. To save Marc.
After the memories I saw, I now understand why Marc is like that. Why we are like that.
"I think I need to apologise to him.. I said some nasty things. I was angry. I just figured out that he was there in the body with me... And I-"
"He will understand. Everyone says things they don't mean. Give it time. We will heal, and with that, he will, too." Steven looked to Jake, trying to see what he thinks but he was met with a blank expression. "You know.. When I now think of his answer-" Steven said, stopping himself mid-sentence due to lack of knowledge of we're to go with it, how to say it.
Jake silently looked over to Steven, eyebrows knitted together. "Steven. Steven, what do you mean?" They came to a stop, looking at each other.
Steven fiddled with his fingers, started to rub them on his pants and played around with the reeds. "He said- he said once this is over... That he would go away. That I wouldn't hear of him anymore. Never. Like- That I will have the body to myself. That he will just be... Gone," he started to clarify. "And I mean— I am not an expert in such things but— but for me. That quit sounded as if he would want to be gone? Like... I mean," he continued, searching for the right words to explain what he was assuming. "As if he would just... That's his body, right? Why would he just vanish so that I — we? — could... Live a normal life? Doesn't he want that too or is he just-" he stopped himself to take a deep breath in.
Jake had laid a hand on his shoulder, having a cold but somewhat sad look in his eyes. "I think.. You are assuming correctly, Steven. It's... I'm not good with the whole feelings and talking and such shit but what I know is that he kind of regrets the things he did as a mercenary. And the whole shitshow of his, of our childhood? That's still..." He sighed exasperatedly and closed his eyes for a second. "He has some problems, yes? We. Probably we, too. Let it be right now. We will talk about that later. After we found Marc."
⊰᯽⊱┈──╌ •| ⊱✿⊰ |• ╌──┈⊰᯽⊱
Marc was sitting in the reeds, covering in on himself as he heard something, somebody. He wiped his eyes and cheeks free from tears while standing up. His sight was still somewhat blurry as he stood alarmed but not ready to fight.
If there is something that wants me to suffer it only would be right to let it happen. I deserve it.
He slowly turned around to where he thought the voices would be. He couldn't understand what they were saying but it calmed him down. His eyes fell on two figures. Same height, same statue. They were moving toward him while he just stood there.
He was able to hear them call him.
How do they know my name?
Their voices seemed happy to have found him.
How would someone be happy to see me?
They were coming closer, to the point where he was almost able to see who they were whit his blurry sight.
Please stay away... I will only ruin you too.
One of them was now running towards his still body. Calling him. After some second his eyes started to clear and he saw who it was. At least he thought he knew. Steven died, so why would he be here?
Did Dr Harrow want him to confront the death of Steven? But then, who would be the other one? "What...?"
"Marc!" Steven called out, rushing towards him and hugging him whit a force from which they almost fell to the ground. "Steven...? How-" he tried to say but his voice was scratchy and hoarse. He looked up to the other figure which came up slower. "Good to see you still standing, Marc," Jake said, embracing them in a tight hug.
"Who... Are you?" Marc asked Jake as they stepped all back from each other. He was still unsure about what was real.
Why would Dr Harror be the nonsense if the other option would be dead, a speaking hippopotamus, undead people and Steven getting swallowed by sand?
"I'm Jake, Jake Lockley. At your service." He said, smirking while pointing at himself. "I'm part of this whole system. Nice to meet you after all."
"Another... But there aren't any fourth and fifth ones, right?" Marc tried on joking but it came out more pained than it should. "Nah, not that I know of, no worries," Jake answered.
Steven looks at both of them, sighing. "So... Everyone good? I mean... Good for this whole situation. We died.. So not really good but you know-" Steven moved his hands around in the air. "And I don't want to hear an "I'm fine", understood?"
Marc, who just wanted to say that he was fine— They were fine, why wouldn't he?— closed his mouth and thought about what he was supposed to say. Did Steven want to hear how miserable he was feeling and how broken he was? Or did he just ask to be polite?
No. Steven is that polite... He would never-
"Marc?"
"Sorry, I'm good. You don't need to worry about me... I, uh... What about you two?" Marc asked back, holding his hands in fists. "I mean.. The last I saw- you were- I-" his voice broke as he tried to tell. "I'm sorry." Was what at last came out before he again was overwhelmed by the sudden emotions that were climbing up his lungs.
"Marc, Marc please look at me. It wasn't your fault. It was my decision to save you, okay? You are worth saving, you hear me? You are worth saving, Marc," Steven said sadly. Looking into Marc's tear-stained face. He looked doubting which made Steven even sadder.
"Fellas, let us talk later...? The fuck." They all watched the sky turn darker and darker until it was blood red. Seeing the reeds around them turn brown and black, crumbling to the ground that was turning deadly dry. "Oh my— what is just happening? This shouldn't be happening- Oh man, we are going to die! We are going to die after death! Is it even possible for us to die while being in the Field of Reeds?"
"Steven, calm down. It's fine- this is fine- that's... Probably just another test?" Marc tried to reassure him but it failed miserably. "The fucking hell is this supposed to be? Wasn't this supposed to be the good kind of afterlife or such shit?" Jake asked towards Steven, who was panicky looking around, trying to understand what was happening.
The ground below them started to break apart under their weight as the sky started to turn black. They turned back to back to back only to fall as the ground broke open under them. Three screams were heard that moment
They fell through total darkness as a voice announced that they are now at the Gate of Osiris.
With three loud thuds, they landed on the cold ground. Searching their surroundings after a threat. "Oh my- we are- this is..." Steven spoke but got quieted down by Marc and Jake. No loud voices as long as they didn't know if it was dangerous. A voice made them all look in the same direction.
"Marc Spector, tell me, what are you searching in my gate?" The voice boomed in front of them. They needed to squint as the light from behind the figure blinded them. Silence fell between the four of them.
"Oh. My. You are Osiris! And.. And this is your gate! The Gate of Osiris! Marc, Jake- we're in the Gate of Osiris! We got out of... How did we get out of the Fields of Reeds... Uhm," Steven uttered with excitement and slowly grew silent as he figured that everyone was staring at him. "Uh, you know-" he whispered. "Steven, we know- okay maybe we don't but just... Please start fanboying afterwards, yes?" Jake said, chuckling.
"May you want to tell me why there are three of you, Marc Spector?" The figure of Osiris was coming their way. Slowly stalking towards them. A sight of the three identical persons was heard before Jake started to speak.
"Sorry to tell ya, but I'm definitely no Marc Spector. My name's Jake Lockley," he announced grinning.
"Yeah well... Same. No, wait not! I'm not.. I'm Steven. Grant. Steven Grant, that's me. Oh was this now again..." He said until no one could hear what his last words were.
"I am. I am Marc Spector.. Shouldn't you know such things? Is whit being a god?" Marc questioned. He was still wary of the whole situation but as long as Steven (and Jake now) were there whit him, he would go through it.
Osiris stared down at the humans. Or was it more one human being with three souls? He glared down and into the eyes of Marc Spector. "You died. And still, you got a chance from Taweret to get to my gate," Osiris stated.
"If you don't know what the hell just happened, I will tell you," Jake calmly started. "We died because we were the only ones who tried to stop Harrow from freeing Ammit! We died because you would rather believe someone you don't know than one of the other gods! We died because your hate against Khonshu made you blind to the real evil that was going on! You are at fault if Ammit gets freed!" Jake yelled with a voice full of hatred towards the deity. "If you can't even accept that you were wrong, maybe it was a good decision for you to not interfere with humanity anymore!" He continued.
Marc carefully lifted his hand on Jake's shoulder, putting pressure on it. "We tried our best to prevent Harrow from getting the ushabti of Ammit. We failed as you can see. Now the only ones who are still able to stop Harrow, to stop Ammit, are you and the other gods. Help us get Khonshu back... Help us save humanity."
The statement was again met with pure silence, that you could almost see it. The aura of the deity spread trough the whole hall only to get thicker the nearer it came to Osiris. The God suddenly straighten up their form, energy spreading trough the room as he turned away from them.
"It could already be too late... I can only give you so much that you won't die right away. Without Khonshu to heal you, you will only come into your dead body." Osiris was walking towards his gate. I will try to help but, if what you say is true, we may come too late," Osiris uttered, still standing with his back towards them.
"Uhm. What exactly do you mean by.. We could be too late? Is Ammit already freed- Oh God, please tell me we didn't just died only for her to have already done everything-" Steven started to stutter out, panicking. "I can feel the disturbance... She may not be freed yet but Harrow has her ushabti." And with that Osiris was gone.
Marc, Steven and Jake looked at each other, nodding. Together they run towards the open gate. They already died, it couldn't get worse.
Okay, maybe it could get worse.
That definitely does hurt.
We are going to die again-
It felt like hours that they were lying there in the water, unable to move. They could feel the energy so unlike Khonshu's but still so similarly flowing through their body as they felt the water flow against them.
