Inspired by VampireBadger's The Sandstorm on AO3. Honestly, such a great fic. So, being someone that has experienced hallucinations, (thanks medicine), I approached this with my experiences and the Bleeding Effect in mind. Hopefully I do Layla justice.

After the Fire

"I will not let my heart be consumed by darkness!"

Bayek could feel the creak of the ship under his feet, but the wood was intact. He aimed the bow of light into Apep's face, letting the arrow soar into the serpent's neck.

It hissed in pain, spewing venom from it's fangs to the ship Bayek stood on.

Bayek rolled forward and dodged the spray, only catching a few drops against his arm. They burned, like multiple fire ants biting all at once. He bit down a wince of pain and continued moving.

"It already has. Vengeance is a sin from the gods," the disembodied voice hissed.

Bayek let another arrow loose. "To Hell with vengeance!" he shouted. "I seek justice! Justice for the people of Egypt! Justice for my son! And justice is no sin!"

"You know nothing of what you speak of."

"The only sinful beings, the only aberrations in this realm is the Order of the Ancients! And I plan to take each one of them down!"

Apep tossed its head back in mocking laughter, the sound unnatural and sinister that sent goosebumps across Bayek's skin.

"Such big talk for such a small human!"

Bayek let the last arrow fly and land to meet its target right between its eyes.

And Apep screeched in pain, writhing and breaking what used to be a temple into pieces. It fell apart, burning bright then disintegrating into the green lake that ran under the boat Bayek stood on.

He tsked, shaking his head. "Such small strength for such a big snake," he said.

And he let the dream sequence take him to the next place.

Layla woke up.

She knew from the stiffness of her back that she wasn't on the cot. She also knew that she didn't remember getting out of the animus.

She looked down to her right arm and saw that the needle was still in her skin, that the small tablet on the lid of the animus was still turned on. Her heartbeat was steady, as were her blood sugar levels.

Shit.

She fell asleep in the Animus again.

Layla felt the loss of determination of getting back at Abstergo slowly dwindle into nothing. She knew that isolation and being alone contributed to feeling so hopeless. She was so alone. So utterly alone.

At least on the outside.

But from her eyes, she could see Bayek and Aya, alive and not mummified. She could see them as vividly as she could see them in the Animus.

But of course, they were not the actual Bayek and Aya. They were only hallucinations, only copies of the originals. Layla's versions. And it all was part of the bleeding effect.

They were figments of her imagination, connected to her thought process and mind. Maybe they stemmed out of the isolation and loneliness that Layla was currently going through.

From the heartbreak of losing Dee.

Layla knew Bayek disapproved of burning bodies, as it went against his religious views and morals. She knew that burning bodies was the only way to get rid of the agents that were starting to grow a stench in the cave.

She also knew her Bayek leaned against the lamp that lit the cave into life. His arms were crossed and, as expected, had a look of utter disapproval across his features.

Great.

Layla stopped looting the second body. "Don't give me that look," she said to Bayek.

"What look?" he asked.

"That look you do," Layla went to the corpse's right pocket, finding a few piastres inside a wallet. And of course, an Abstergo ID. Sloppy. "That look of...disapproval. I don't have to explain it to you. You know what I'm talking about."

"She speaks the truth," Aya said to Bayek.

"Burning bodies isn't right" Bayek protested.

"You know what I am about to do. And you know burning the bodies is the only way of getting rid of them."

"That doesn't mean it's right."

Layla scoffed. "Yeah, well, a lot of things aren't right about this," she muttered, and returned to looting the next body.

With the shovel strapped on the wall of the Jeep's bed that Dee had packed, Layla had already dug a ditch away from the shrubs and trees and most importantly, away from the cave. And one by one, she dragged and dropped the bodies from the agents sent to take her out into it.

Digging had taken all afternoon and evening long, sweat pouring off her forehead and through her clothes. She had taken a leap of faith, (never got old) into the cold cave water for a rinse, changing into her last set of clean clothes for the burning of the bodies.

The small gallon of gasoline intended for the Jeep was doused over the agents. One of the matches intended for lighting up the gas stove was thrown and Layla watched as the bodies burned, burned and burned to the bone.

She could feel Bayek's memories of Cyrene civilians walking into the campfire, thousands of years ago and hearing their screams of agony, but she didn't sand would keep the charred remains covered once the fire died down.

She punched into the sand of the ground, listening to the muffled thud and tense surface under her knuckles.

She was so alone.

Without her eyes in the sky, she was alone.

She glanced up into the sky, stars bright and shining. She felt ghost of memories, of Bayek teaching his son about the stars.

She doesn't have her eyes in the sky anymore.

Oh habibi, I miss you so much.

Salty tears dripped eyelashes, down her cheeks and on the sand.

Layla heard soft footsteps and felt a strong, broad arm gently go around her shoulder. She was pulled into a strong embrace, one she knew wasn't really there. She knew if she opened her eyes, there wouldn't be anyone there.

"Shh…"Bayek's voice and breath felt warm against her skin. Tears wouldn't stop flowing. And Layla knew he wasn't really there.

This is not real.

Yet Layla continued sobbing, burying her nose in Bayek's scarf.

This is not real.

"Shhhh," Bayek murmured and gently patted her hair. "It's going to be okay, Layla."

None of this is real.

Yet the sensation felt so real, so present. Aya was there too, her calloused hand rubbing circles on her back. Layla knew the sensation came from memories, from experiencing both of them in the Animus. From the nights they were both felt broken and found comfort in one another.

This was the only contact she's had in weeks.

Maybe even in months.

Rather than turning it away, Layla welcomed it.