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"Okay. Let's get our story straight."

When the boat finally reached the shore, the trio were the last ones to step out in order to not draw that much attention to themselves. Marc, hesitantly at first, offered his hand to help (Y/N) out of the boat and she took his hand with a frown on her face. He then tried to do the same with Layla, but instead she threw her backpack in his chest and used her own strength to get out of the boat and stand besides (Y/N).

"This guy's got a lot of friends," Marc muttered under his breath, the corner of his eye watching the men a few feet away.

"Yeah, and a lot of guns," Layla explained.

Marc took the backpacks and kneeled down to hide them out of sight when something else in the water caught his eye. It was a smaller boat than the one they came on, and two men were inside while taking watch.

"What's wrong?"

"Harrow's men keeping tabs?"

"I don't know. It could be."

Layla let out a shaky breath and cleared her throat. "Let's go."

The trio walked deeper into the place, walking in between the large crowds of people in the shore. People were smiling and talking excitedly while paying them no mind. Marc walked in the middle of Layla and (Y/N) as they kept getting closer to the place they were looking for.

"Remember, your name is Rufino Estrada," Layla began, her eyes set on Marc.

Marc nodded slowly. "Right."

A little smile made its way into Layla's lips before she continued. "You and (Y/N) are playing like you're married."

(Y/N) groaned and rolled her eyes. "Well, that's just great."

"We just got back from our honeymoon in the Maldives," Marc added in casually, the smirk falling from his lips the moment (Y/N) turned her head to look at him strangely. "That's an interesting little detail to give to them."

"Yeah, let's add that we're getting a beagle for our house while you're at it, why don't you?" (Y/N) replied sarcastically while adjusting her loose jacket.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Marc grinned.

Layla rolled her eyes at their quarrel again. "Well, I'd tell them Marc worked at a gift shop, but they'd never believe me, would they?"

(Y/N) hummed in agreement and her gaze flickered from the grassy fields towards the front, spotting the entrance of Mogart's mansion from
her place. A line of men were guarding the entrance while others on the inside were riding their horses, lights dangling from the poles to illuminate the outdoors from the night. Two identical pyramid structures were on each side of the yard, lights shining from the inside.

"Can you let me do the talking, he preferred me over you anyway," (Y/N) told Layla in a teasing tone.

"Oh, please," Layla scoffed with an incredulous voice. She watched how (Y/N) took the advantage and walked ahead of her and Marc, which caused the latter had to fall back in step with Layla.

The two watched how (Y/N) began to get closer to the entrance of the place until Layla's eyes flickered over to Marc beside her, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"What?" Marc raised his voice defensively.

"'We just got back from our honeymoon in the Maldives', really? That's what you're going for? Really?" Layla mocked Marc's voice before she crossed her arms.

Marc's eyebrows furrowed but the embarrassment was shown for a slight moment in his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. If you want her to notice the way you're drooling over her, you have to try harder," Layla responded like it was obvious. "I know her like the back of my hand. Trust me."

"Can you drop this?" Marc hissed. "We have bigger problems to worry about now."

Layla knew she couldn't argue with that, and she knew how stubborn Marc could be. She pointed a finger at him accusingly. "This isn't over."

(Y/N), who had been out of earshot throughout the whole thing, finally got to the entrance of the place and stopped in her tracks at the line of men right in front of her. "Bek."

"(Y/N)," Bek, a dark skinned man greeted her with a smile before his eyes fell on Layla. "Layla."

"It's been a while," Layla extended her hand for a firm handshake and she didn't miss the hesitance in Bek's movements.

"Good to see you," Bek said warmly anyway. He stepped back and didn't even spare Marc a single glance before backing away slowly. "Right this way."

"Thank you," (Y/N) whispered and was about to walk forward when she felt the lightest touch in her fingers.

Marc was extending his hand to her, silently suggesting to start the act they were supposed to play, but he wasn't sure how to initiate it. (Y/N) gave him a confused smile before grasping his hand with hers and walked after Bek with Layla on her side.

"He's looking forward to seeing you two," Bek started. "After Madripoor I'm sure you three will have a lot to talk about." He paused right in the entrance before speaking again. "Excuse me for a moment. Mr. Mogart will be with you shortly."

The trio watched how Bek walked away and leaned on the rails of the arena where Mogart and a bunch of other men were riding on horseback through the sand. They were all shirtless, and held a stick in their hands while they practiced.

"So what? This joker just puts on El-Mermah games in his backyard, for fun?" Marc asked.

"No, he gets private lessons by the best in his backyard," Layla replied with a grin.

"Cool."

Mogart had jumped out of his horse and Bek assisted him by giving him a robe to cover his shirtless chest. His eyes seemed to fall in Layla and (Y/N)'s figures and his jaw was clenched, which kind of set (Y/N) in the wrong foot.

"I like the robe," Marc muttered.

"(Y/N). Layla. Come in," Mogart forced a smile into his lips and the trio stepped into the arena, with the girls stepping in front. "Such a delight to see you girls."

"You, too," Layla spoke up first but her tone was dry. She allowed Mogart to take her hand and press a kiss to the back of it before he moved over to do the same action with (Y/N).

"How have you been?" he questioned.

"Good. I'd like to thank you for having us over on such short notice," (Y/N) responded once Mogart dropped her hand and Marc joined her side to offer the man a tight smile.

"Oh, please. I hope you realize you need no excuse to drop by," Mogart said politely.

(Y/N) nodded at his words before inhaling a deep breath to continue on the plan. She placed a hand in Marc's shoulder. "This is my husband, Rufino." If this wasn't a serious moment, (Y/N) would've laughed at the uncomfortableness of both men in front of her.

"Nice to meet you," Marc extended his hand for a handshake and Mogart took his sweet time in accepting it. The fake smile in Marc's lips turning into some sort of grimace while this happened.

Mogart guided the trio away as they walked across the arena, the robe dangling from his arms. "I hope you understand this is more than a collection to me. Preserving history is a responsibility I take very seriously."

The other men in their horses had dropped the practice the moment Mogart had stepped out of his horse, and they allowed the group to walk out of the other door outside of the arena to approach the pyramid structures Mogart had in his backyard.

"A self-appointed responsibility that you alone were able to enjoy, no?"

"Well, I prefer to see it as a philanthropic effort at preservation," Mogart said. "Now, if I may ask, why such interest in Senfu in particular?"

"Oh, actually, our purchases are — "

"I'm sorry. I'd like to hear from your husband, if you don't mind," Mogart cut (Y/N) off and spit off the word 'husband' like it was poison in his tongue.

Marc forced his lips into a thin line and pretended to smile while giving him a hum of response. Mogart crossed his arms in his chest with his jaw clenched, like he was waiting for him to slip up or something. It made Layla and (Y/N) exchange a worried glance.

"I think that. . .But I think I just would love to take a look," Marc nodded while answering.

"Funny man," Mogart stated, but there wasn't a sign of laughter in any part of his body. He took his time to inspect him before gesturing to the pyramid structure to the side. "Feel free."

"Great."

"Yeah, great."

With that, (Y/N) and Marc led the way to the inside of the crystal pyramid structure we're half of Mogart's collection was stored in, Senfu's sarcophagus laying in the middle while the other artifacts were placed in the corners.

Layla offered a tight smile of her own to Mogart to make it seem like all was fine before following after the pair before she got to see his reaction.

"Please, just let Steven out before you blow this up," (Y/N) mumbled loud enough for him to hear. "I'm starting to miss him, by the way."

Marc was able to picture the flustered look in Steven's face because of her words without glancing at his reflection. "Not a chance," he whispered back. "All right, what do you see?"

Layla leaned down to inspect the inscriptions in the sarcophagus besides (Y/N). "Well, the burial practices are in line with the Studenwachen texts."

"The what?" Marc frowned.

Layla huffed a breath of annoyance out her nostrils. "It's legit."

(Y/N) took a look herself and squinted her eyes to read carefully. "But all I'm seeing is literature to guide the dead. There's nothing about an indicated location."

Marc turned his head to give Mogart a reassuring smile and see him still waiting in the outside with Bek before dropping the act once he turned back around to see over (Y/N)'s shoulder.

"Because the information has to be unlocked," Steven spoke and of course, Marc was the only one allowed to hear it. He looked up to see his reflection only to meet Steven's eyes that stated his last words like it was obvious knowledge. "It's coded."

"Okay, um. . ." Marc sighed. "Will you two give me a minute? I gotta talk to Steven. . .Just keep him occupied."

If Marc wasn't that preoccupied with being forced to talk to Steven, he would've had the time to be hurt by the way (Y/N)'s eyes brightened at the mention of Steven's name. With a nod of her head, she and Layla stepped outside to give him a moment of privacy.

"All right, Steven, you wanna talk to me? Talk to me. What now?" Marc spoke in a low volume.

"What now?" Steven copied his words before answering. "What now is, you give me the body and you piss off."

"Damn it, there's no time for this." "If there's something that you know, you gotta tell me."

(Y/N) and Layla joined Bek and Mogart on the outside of the structure, and both men were starting to grow suspicious and their frowns deepened. Their patience was about to snap and they had to figure out a way to distract them.

"He just needs a couple minutes in there alone," Layla explained and grasped Bek's arm before he could walk any further. "'Cause. . .Yeah. He's . . ."

"He's praying," (Y/N) cut in to help her out and Layla gave her raised eyebrows at her answer.

Meanwhile, inside the structure, Marc and Steven still couldn't figure out a way to help each other out, still bickering with each other while loosing precious time.

"Sorry," Steven said. "If you expect my help, it's not gonna be while I'm imprisoned."

"Do you want a bloodbath? Huh?" Marc questioned with an angered tone ready to walk away and give up. "Fine, have it your way."

"All right," Steven interrupted before anything else happened. "You are the worst."

Marc didn't have time to grin in triumph before Steven instructed him. "Check the cartonnage."

Marc eyed the linen material and noticed the symbols written on them. When he had his eyes on them, he nodded for the next instruction. "Okay. What do I do?"

"Take that first piece and fold it over the middle piece," Steven spoke slowly.

Marc pointed to the one on the right. "This one?"

"Yes, that one."

Marc took it in his hands and did as told, exhaling a sharp breath while doing so. "Like this?" When he received approval from Steven, he placed the folded cartonnage to the side and moved onto the next one. "Wait a second."

"Now, if you match those stars up with the other piece over there, and put it all together, it should make a star — "

Bek grasped Marc's arm roughly. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Marc reacted instantly and quickly disarmed Bek and held his own gun in front of him, ready to fire before his eyes drifted over Bek's shoulder to see (Y/N) and Layla having guns pointed at them from every angle.

"Marc! Don't."

Marc seemed ready to protest, but the look in (Y/N)'s eyes made him back down. He allowed Bek to take the gun from him while he cursed under his breath. "Shit!"

Bek pointed the gun directly at Marc and he had no choice but to raise his arms in surrender while Mogart moved away from the girls and approached him with slow steps.

"Do you really think I'm an idiot?"

Another man came rushing in behind Mogart and pointed another gun to Marc's head, and the latter had no choice but to back away into the sarcophagus.

Mogart walked to him. "Get on your knees."

"Anton, stop!" Layla tried to interfere.

"Get on your knees!"

Marc had no choice but to agree, folding his knees so he could sit on the sand with his hands still raised in the air. Mogart's attention drifted over to (Y/N) and Layla after watching Marc do as he was told, and he seemed to hesitate what he was doing.

"Girls, I was so ready to make peace with you," he  shook his head in disappointment.

"You don't understand," (Y/N) told him while she was forced to take a step forward and have him right in front of her. "We're trying to save many lives."

"Hey, pal. Take a look inside the sarcophagus," Marc interrupted right before Mogart could even think of a reply. Marc's head gestured to the said artifact to his side and (Y/N) frowned at what he was trying to do.

"There's something really, really big."

Mogart took a step closer to the sarcophagus but nothing else happened because Bek leaned down to whisper something in French down Mogart's ear. The words seemed to lighten up his mood, since he turned around and began to walk away with an interested look.

"Well, that's interesting. It appears we have a concerned third party here."