Acosmist || {Moonknight}

XIX. Cairo.

When the group boarded the plane, Lucilla had no idea. She didn't take any notice of the time either. All she recalled was the short conversations she shared with Ptah or Harrow and the time they moved onto the plane. Neither event lingered in her mind.

"I suggest we depart from Harrow for period of time when he enter Cairo." Ptah explained his ideas to Lucilla as she sat in a seat of the plane alone. Her gaze was locked onto the Egyptian land below the plane. She made sure to avoid eye contact with any of Ammit's followers that sat around her even if they were watching her talk to practically no one.

"We can't." Lucilla muttered her reply in a low tone. "The chance something can go wrong is far greater here than anywhere else."

"You don't wish to have-" Ptah began but Lucilla cut him off. She already knew what he was going to say. That she doesn't wish to help Harrow and it was true. Harrow was the last person she needed to help but that man held Antony against her everything she tried to leave.

"I need to know what they know. Until then we-" Lucilla paused as she rethought her words. "Until then, I can't leave." There was no we in this situation. Ptah didn't care as long as his deal was completed.

"Harrow cannot bring you Antony, Lucilla." Her eyes flickered to the reflection of the interior of the plane on the window. She could see Ptah standing perfectly behind her. "I know of different means of doing so. That is why we need depart form Harrow."

She didn't reply, she didn't know how to. Instead of facing the god, Lucilla screwed her eyes closed, praying to herself he would leave her alone.

"Ms Spector." Harrow's voice called out, causing Lucilla to open her eyes to the man standing beside her. The god that previously stood there disappeared. "Everything alright?"

"Yes," Lucilla hummed with a nod of her head. Only now she felt the strain on her eyes begin to sting. "I'm just tired." Her hand shifted to hold the bridge of her nose.

"I'm assuming Ptah is making the silence unbearable?" Harrow questioned as he shifted his weight onto his cane. An action Lucilla was all too familiar with.

"My mind's never silent." The woman shifted in her seat, pushing herself to sit upright. Her back screamed in pain at the sudden movement. Lucilla forgot when the last time she moved was.

"Ahh," Harrow forced a smile, "An avatar's mind is always loud in some way. We either have our God telling us what we're doing wrong or what needs to be done."

"Yeah," Lucilla agreed, before turning her attention onto why Harrow came over in the first place. "Did you need something?" She questioned whilst turning in her seat to face the man.

"I thought you would like to know we have caught wind that your brother is in Cairo."

Lucilla nodded, trying to understand what Harrow was getting at. "This isn't going to affect anything. He's only here to get the scarab back and I'm here to get answers for myself." She gave the only possible answer that Harrow was looking for. He's still questioning Lucilla's loyalty to helping him.

Harrow stood in silence for a moment, deep in thought before he spoke. "May I ask you a question, Ms Spector?"

Lucilla nodded as her response, signalling for Harrow to take the seat beside her. He did exactly that without any complaints. "The other day, you acted as if your brother was dead to you. You wanted nothing to do with him." Harrow remained resting against his cane whilst sat on the edge of his seat. "I find it very hard to believe after what I saw today."

"He is." Lucilla answered, watching Harrow's face. His face contorted at the lie. He didn't believe a thing Lucilla said. "Marc has done a lot of things in my life, a handful of them made me grow a dislike for him."

"I don't mean to pry but what kind of things?"

A sharp pain shot through Lucilla's chest at Harrow's question. It was as if everything Marc ever did hit her all at once. "Oh um," the woman had no idea what to say. She let her gaze slip onto the floor before her.

"When we were young Marc got our brother killed. It changed our entire family." The words came shooting out of Lucilla's mouth before she could stop them. She didn't want to tell Harrow anything that she was saying. "He said it was an accident yet I can't remember any of it."

"And after Antony, I presume everything got worse?" Lucilla nodded.

"When I got the news that Marc was the only survivor I knew something was wrong."

Harrow shifted in his seat as Lucilla's hands fiddled with each other. "Why did you attempt to help him?" He questioned, referencing to the events earlier.

"I helped Steven and Layla. Marc wasn't a part of that." She explained before clearing her throat, attempting to remove the feeling of pain that crept its way into it.

"You believed them to be different? Steven and Marc?" Harrow's next question came from nowhere. He spoke as if Steven was some part Marc was playing. Lucilla, on the other hand, believed Steven is someone else.

"How can you not?" Lucilla used to believe exactly what Harrow did, that Steven was Marc's way of not dealing with life. But the woman could swear Steven was familiar in more than one way. She felt as if she met him before.

That was when it hit her. A few times when the two were kids Lucilla could recall the same accent. Steven Grant. Dr. Steven Grant. It was the name from the tv show Marc was obsessed with.

But how could Dr Grant be a part of Marc that was so far from Marc's own personality.

"Marc's solution to his problems is either fleeing or a bullet between the eyes, it's the fix he's showed me. More than once. Whilst Steven couldn't hurt a fly." She watched carefully as Harrow remained silent. "I'm sorry but how is this all relevant?" Lucilla questioned, filling the silence.

"I just wanted to help, that's all." Harrow gave Lucilla a soft smile before explaining himself. "Did you ever think Marc despised everything you had? That he had to take it away just so he could make himself happier?"

"What?" She was shocked at Harrow's analysis. It was so absurd that he would assume such a thing. But it wouldn't be the worst idea. It explained a lot more than any reasoning Lucilla ever thought of.

"I apologise if that sounded a bit absurd but it genuinely feels like the right reasoning for his actions."

Maybe Harrow might be slightly correct. Why else would Marc do such things? He took most of the thing s Lucilla loved in life away from her.

He had Layla so why would he take away Antony? She was done with Marc, they hadn't spoken directly for a long time. Did he do it just so they would speak again?

Harrow got up and left Lucilla without saying another word to her. The look on her face told him everything he needed to know: that she was beginning to question where she stood on everything.  

And she was. So many people had lied to her in her life that Lucilla struggled to find anyone to believe in anymore. Now, any sign of hope she jumps at it. That was why she ran to help Marc, Steven and Layla. That's why she's now helping Harrow.