"BUWHAHAHAHAHAHA!! DID YA HEAR THAT, RAZZIE?" the short red-head in a black jumper vest leaned against the pale, slender man in a black coat, who rolled his eyes.

"Caleb, it sounded like an asthma person trying to breathe air." He dryly spoke while pushing the man-child away from him. He took a step forward to breathe before getting pounced on by the man-child. All the hours he spent on his hair were ruined in a split second.

"WELL, IF IT ISN'T THE INFAMOUS DUO THEMSELVES! ASHLEY WILLOWS AND DANISH SEHKAR ARE ON THE DECK! WHAT STORM WILL THEY BRING IN TODAY? A CONSPIRACY? AN OUTBREAK? OR.... A MUR-" He paused and looked around before pulling the white hair strands from the miserable man in the 'Remy' way. Sadly, the poor fellow couldn't afford to disobey his boss's order, even if he's a freaking obnoxious piece of haywire.

If pensions existed, Raze would have retired at a young age. So, until that day arrived, he walked forward, falling deeper and deeper into embarrassment. Till then, he waited for his moment.

"— DER." He finished the sentence in a very secret manner.

"Inspector Joker and Slenderman have arrived," Ashley said, covering her mouth. She whispered to Dan to hatch an escape plan from him because whichever god you pray to, they will be as clueless as you are about Caleb Crimson and his arbitrary mind.

Giggly Caleb slipped past Raze to put a finger on his lips.

"Wowie! You can't go around saying that! We're undercover," He demonstrated by pulling his white shirt up to his mouth and donning a rainbow beanie.

"Oh No! Where did Caleb go?" Dan went along with the silly goofball before one burst out laughing while the other laughed just for his life's sake.

"Right, back to the matter, where were you both in the dead of last night? Were you both near the Lapp Lagoon? Or better, where are you both coming from?" The duo felt the chill wind wrap around them in layers as the silly man-child was nowhere to be found whilst the inspector came to life.

The light in his grey eyes hid in the shadows of his red-dyed wavy hair. The quick change in his high-pitched voice to a low baritone said enough of what he assumed. Dan wasn't even deemed worthy of being the main culprit. He's too busy getting wasted.

Whereas, Ashley... He scoffed.

Beneath all that laughter and giggles lies the taunting question that stood at the tip of his tongue: Was it you?

This was the man who, at every inspection, would bring Ashley in every way possible as the sole suspect of his hidden agenda and deem her as black ban-worthy. No matter what case was assigned, she was always there or near. Sure, he found all the evidence pointing towards the culprits he arrested, but he couldn't stop feeling a tingly sense of a thin single line.

This thin single line that Ashley always left behind.

No matter where he attached it to, it didn't match up. The evidence would always line up once he removed it, but deep down, he knew she had to be there. The number of warrants and interrogations he requested to search her house is astonishing.

Her crooked smile further infuriated and ignited the rapid-fire, and then... came the smoke.

He lit his cigarette in patience, but for how long will it last? The cigarette or the patience?

Ashley proceeded forward while reversing her hands.

Only Dan knew why her hands were trembling.

Fear of isolation, fear of being alone, fear of banishment and being alone in the wilds.

That's the black ban.

One single move would cost a lifetime of torture and silence.

Only problem?

She doesn't fear him; she fears the power this man bestows.

"We both slept in the dead of night. No, we were not near the Lapp Lagoon. We were coming from my foster house in Pin City." Ashley answered word by word.

"By 'Pin City', do you mean the east or west side? You could have been next to the lagoon?" He countered back at her.

"My dear Cabel, I know we are not on the best of terms but haven't you done enough by stalking me back home? Hell! You even pried open my files to find them yourself! " She ground her teeth back and forth to calm herself down. If Cabel could read her mind, he would be careful about what he would do next.

Thankfully, he knew what was coming up for himself.

He excused himself and hopped towards his partner, who happened to interrogate Blueberry.

"Well, that went...okay?" Ashley turned to Dan, who was deep in his thoughts.

"Hello? Freaky genius mathematician? You, there?" Ashley snapped her fingers so much that it jolted Dan awake from his world.

"Yea! I can hear... it's just that you know...him," Dan looked like he was about to puke.

There was a constant shaking of his left leg, and he kept moving his hands up and down his neck. Moreover, Ashley noticed that he was sweating a lot. In addition, he appeared to be on the verge of passing out.

"Why do YOU look so nervous? Shouldn't I be the nervous one?" Ashley frowned at her brother, who shook his head.

"Bro, you just giggled with him like besties from.... what? Like childhood? Not only that, but you had a hangout with him last month. Even though you knew Caleb stalked me!" Ashley looked so close to bursting in seconds as Dan picked his ear.

"Listen, I couldn't care less about your fan situation. Caleb has a weird fixation on you. It will go away-"

"It's been two years."

"..."

Dan knew it was useless to speak.

So, he turned Ashley's head towards-

"Raze?" Her curiosity was piqued at the sudden revelation while Dan counted from seven backwards.

3...2...1... Here we go... Dan pulled in his breath.

At exactly '1', a twinkle appeared in Ashley's eye as she began to understand how dire Dan's situation was.

"So, the unlucky person you're going on a date is ... Raze's sister?" Ashley concluded.

"Cousin sister," Dan corrected her.

"How clo-" Ashley started the interrogation.

"Her father was the one who took in Raze and Ramona." Dan knew that it would suffice the future-twenty-ish questions she had made in that 1 second.

"Must have been a hell of a house," Ashley noted.

"It truly was," Dan stated it.

"What do you mean by 'was'?" Ashley fired back at him.

"Dunno heard that they reconnected last month ago or so." Dan shrugged, which meant that was all he knew. Ashley rolled her eyes, knowing he was keeping some stuff away from her.

Ashley knew that Dan would use 'You're too young for this crap' excuse on her again. Instantly, she changed the topic (which was the cause of his sudden cold feet).

"What do you think that Raze thinks of you?" Ashley turned him to face her.

At that, he shuddered at the thought.

"No ideas?" Ashley suggested.

"I..." Dan paused.

"I...?" Ashley followed up.

"I...have no words for that." It meant he knew what sort of an idea he had of him but couldn't find the exact words to describe it.

Ashley frowned.

Raze may seem docile at first, but his sheer dominance through the backstreets speaks enough of what he is capable of. His sharp intuition was what led to the multiple confessions of the criminals that Caleb arrested.

Caleb was the brain, while Raze was the brawn.

Together, they had possessed the absolute right to become the heads of the council.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It would be a dark age for their enemies, including the two morons.

Though many falsehoods encircle him, one fact stands solid.

Never break Raze's little sister's heart.

Her last ex ended up at the butcher's shop last Halloween.

The same can be applied to Dan as per the traditional sibling rule.

Great! Now, two of the best inspectors are right on our backs and won't leave us without getting what they want: one for my confession and the other for Dan's balls.

The new info dump got Ashley so tired that she had to sit down and process it. She started to rack her wits to figure out a way to destroy this puzzle and not let it leave a spot of ash behind until she heard footsteps coming in her direction.

Ashley snapped her head towards Dan, who at once mouthed: Blueberry.

They mentally prepared themselves for the upcoming talk, but it never came.

"Oh de-" Dan sweeps the sweat off his face before being pulled away.

They dashed across the deck( technically, it was only Ash because Dan was getting dragged, but oh well! anyway...) until they were no longer seen or heard. The deafening sounds of the bells echoed around, making them plunge their fingers into their ears. The loud shrills of the Lackeys, a mutated annoying bird that the locals were used to hearing in the morning, whipped them in their direction. Think of them as roosters but with wings that can fly.

Sadly, they had no time to rest because the floor became wobbly and did not help them retain their balance.

She yelled, "What should I do?"

"I can't hear you!" Dan yelled back.

"WHAT SHOULD I DO, Mr. LOVER?" Ashley grunted, landing a punch in the stomach.

"WOAH! TORAH SA CALM DOWN HO JAYE!" Danny repeated his 'famous' mantra.

He chuckled at his little sissy's antics while rubbing his stomach. He smiled at her frustration, rampaging with her hands in her pockets, kicking any unlucky pebbles or stones in her way.

Finally, she could enjoy every teenage girl's dilemma:- crush.

The wind blew through his curly brown hair as he relaxed, straightening his jacket, leaning against the rails with his back, he continued, "Or I might have tripped over the bridge, you know, and fallen to my death-"

"Bridge? What are you on about? We haven't reached ye-" Ashley exclaimed but was soon proven wrong.

A sudden shake went down the bridge when the ferry moved forward, making the bridge slip up to the port, leaving both shaky.

Upon further observation, Dan was right again.

They were at Umbridge port, one of the main trade ports available after the Wipe-Out.

Countries, like Japan, had taken precautions before the Wipe-Out of humanity and had taken future precautions which made them one of the few countries that had a 0% infection level. Thus, the citizens in those countries have no fear and continue their lives as if there were no apocalypses. These countries have shown support throughout the years in helping the further development of countries with slim chances of revival. They have accepted and sent people to build infrastructure like ports, in exchange for resources.

Ashley stood there with her head hung low while her eyes were zoning in and out at the wooden bridge that connected the ferry to the port. The shaky feeling of vomiting over the salty water brought her to reality.

"— LLO! EARTH TO ASH TRAY!", Dan shouted over the shrills of the stupid birds.

At first, he thought she would punch him, but she stood there dazed as if she was dead. He started wondering what was the reason behind the delayed punch.

Ashley whipped to the so-called reality and turned around to her brother with shivering lips.

"Something isn't right..." she mumbled as she gripped the wooden rails and steadied herself to walk forward.

"HEY! Calm down..... Ash...What's happening?" Ashley last heard as he lifted her hands effortlessly, without even trying, to reveal the splinters she gave herself.

"I don't know..." She looked at her hands, realising that much of her work would be delayed.

Dan turned around his sister, a sweat was built up on her forehead.

Pressing his hand onto her head as well as his, he concluded from the family-based myth that she had a fever.

"I don't have a fever." Stubborn, Ashley spoke while wrapping her coat and scarf closer.

Her quick pace alerted his senses, making him go faster and try to convince her that taking a day off isn't as bad as it sounds. Knowing how well he knew Ashley, he needed to stop her before something bad happened to ruin her mood.

"Ashley...it's fine if you don't work and, also you could take a break on the occasion of your BDAY!!", he dramatically added sound effects with his hands blown away from his mind.

Ashley turned her head and gave an idle look towards her man-child brother, in return gave a smile and a thumbs up while carrying her bag over the shoulder.

He must have taken it while I dozed off, Ashley smiled while thinking how at times he can be the best brother in the world.

The best hug giver.

The best storyteller.

The best play-date pal.

The best person to turn to cry when the nightmares come back.

Ashley couldn't still fathom that the same person would try to hurt, or even worse, make himself disappear, pondering what would have happened if she hadn't knocked that night.

Masking her joy in being in his company, she turned in front with her arms dangling around, taking a huge leap and then landing near the end of the bridge.

She turned to give her iconic look-her-tongue stuck-out look.

Her brother nonchalantly clapped at his sister's stunt.

"Yeah, right when we are in so deep in deb-" Ashley scoffed, which soon became a scream.

The wooden floor under her feet fell apart, creating a big hole, revealing the cold, dark waters that awaited her downfall.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH-" Ashley gunged her eyes out at the horrifying scene.

As her hope started to vanish, a sturdy hand grabbed her and pulled her out of the hole.

With a jerk, Ashley flew into the air onto the person's arms.

The sudden accident made her shiver uncontrollably and unable to breathe with a painful burn in her throat.

At that moment, her surroundings became a blur.

Feeling afraid of the new environment, she took the necessary precautions to find her brother.

With her remaining strength, she pulled herself from the person, muttering a small 'thank you'.

She didn't need to waste any further time because the warm arms she was trying to find twisted her back and pulled her into a tight hug.

Echoes of apologies could be heard throughout the port, making all the workers stop dead in their tracks.

They all followed the lead towards the source to witness a scene of a young man breaking down hysterically while combing the girl's hair and trying to calm her down.

Whispers were born within the mist of the confusion.

"Lords! That POOR girl fell through that hole!"

"Isn't that Brook's Bridge?"

"I swear I walked on that bridge yesterday without ANY issues."

"Now we know from whom not to buy materials, AIN'T I RIGHT?"

And such whispers could turn into ugly rumours.

"I bet it was THE GIRL'S fault! Didn't you see how she jumped?"

"YEA! I reckon it's a show to get some PITY MONEY."

"With the high cost and taxes, it's NO WONDER THEY WOULD DO SUCH DIRTY ACTIONS."

"Wait, fellas, what if it's that man who's FORCING her to do this..."

With these rumours spiralling out of truth, falsehood takes the swift chase aft-

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU?" a rough voice boomed silence over the crowd.

Ashley at once knew who it was.

"A young girl is injured, and here you are spewing gossip! Is this the reputation of the Umbridgers? I may have been disappointed by the lack of maintenance, but this is beneath human integrity. Why are you standing there? Go mind your own business if you don't want to help!"

Raze's authoritative voice moved the crowd to hysterical, but they cleared out right away.

His red eyes darted out disgusting shots at the passers-by, who quickly turned away from his sight. He frowned while searching through the many hidden pockets of his black woollen pants.

Dan thought he would whip out a belt rather than a handkerchief.

"Here, for you and your sister. Must've been a rough day, huh? " He stated while Dan took the tissues.

"Yea... thanks... man, I think we are enough. Sorry, I can't give you any further answers right now..." He told him while pulling weak Ashley closer, whipping down her sweat.

"Yeah, I understand... she's gonna be alright, Danny." Raze patted down his back and pulled her bag. Dan looked so worn out from the immense shock that Ashley went through.

"Yeah, she's burning by a lot. Gotta take her down the down lane. What a pathetic brother, ain't I?" Dan chuckled at his foolish action before getting interrupted by the inspector's cough.

"I don't know about you much, other than the fact that you're Miss Ashley Willow's foster brother and a drunkard. But, from an outsider's view, I can tell that you genuinely care for her. It's just that... you're not in the right state of mind." Raze helped Danny to get up while carrying her bag.

"I...appreciate it. Didn't know... you were an easygoing person." Danny remarked while carrying Ashley in his arms.

"Of course not!" Raze laughed. Ashley's head springs out. Dan looked shocked nonetheless.

"I am right now... just for...momentarily...." He clarified while his eyes went wary of the surroundings. Even Dan and Ashley became observant of the crowds' cry.

"Well? What it is?"

"A bloody mess...."

"MY! WHO ON EARTH WOULD DO THIS?"

After bidding goodbyes', Raze hurried into the sea of people crowding around the edge of the docks before getting humped by his subordinate. Ashley stood still, still recovering from the sudden twist of the scenario that triggered something familiar. The same scent she dreamed about.

Something haunting, itching to burst open within her.

She toppled over and fell from Dan's arm. Her heartbeat increased as the seconds passed by. Her nausea threatened her to erupt. Even her lungs became weaker with each breath, asking her to stop breathing at all. Her eyes zoomed out from the-

Ashie! Where are youuuuuuuuuuuuu? Come out already!

Amidst the crowd, a familiar black silhouette of a boy called out to her. Its smile spoke:

Ashie.....Where are you? Come out. it's-

ASHIE! ASHIE! WHERE ARE YOU? COME OUT! ITS ME-

"Yne?"

"THANK GOD YOU'RE BACK ON EARTH! I MISSED YOU SO MU-" Dan choked on his tears while Einar, who made Ashley roll to her side, stopped pouring water in her mouth.

"Wh-what...happ-pened t-to me?" Her brain was so sure to rupture apart any second.

Dan hugged her without skipping a beat and covered her hair with his drool, tears and saliva.

Ashley didn't mind it as she was too dizzy to give two sh-

"Come in here! Einar, you saved her!" Regardless of his protests, he still got dragged into the hug.

"So....Are we good now?" Einar indirectly asked about the past feud.

"Totally! Plus, you can't blame her. She got very excited to meet another fellow artist-" Einar gasped out loud while Ashley tried to stand up to walk away from them.

"Wow, Ashie! Woah Wait! You gotta stop standing up. You're still not okay. You need to go the clinic because I think you had a seizure, you know with that foam all over your mouth."

Einar quickly explained while signaling Dan to grab her other arm and her waist, providing support for her to walk. Ashley wondered when she permitted him to call her and how did he even knew that was one of her nicknam-

You're overthinking! He's a teenager like you. He's bound to make a weird name to call you just like the other boys... in the trash bin.

"HOly-" Einar stopped himself before throwing a concerned look at Dan.

"You're light! Are you eating three meals per day?" Dan looked away while Ashley shook her head.

"Goodness...No wond-" He abruptly stopped before looking into the horizon, down the railings.

Dan quickly covered Ashley's eye, but he was too late.

A strawberry-pink-haired girl wailed in Raze's arms while he embraced her in a tight hug.

Caleb was seen clutching his beanie by his chest along with the other inspectors, who stood still and mourned. The ladies had teardrops all over their faces, while the men's faces were blank with no thoughts. Together, they mourned and grieved as the team they represented.

Inspectors' Institute of Investigations and Inspections.

In the centre lived the subject of today's gossip.

A pale blue-grey-skinned girl with dark indigo hair was lying on the muddy sand with a white blanket covering her body. Towards the end, her bloody legs poked out. Her mouth had stretched marks around it as if she screamed all the air out of her lungs, but the cold, hard water blocked her cry for help. The eyes...had the sweetest shade of baby blue.

"That's the girl they asked me about....." Einar quietly remarked about the incident at the ferry.

"No wonder they interrogated us..." Ashley's dizziness paced up and slouched back in her stance.

Dan let go of her hand while Einar grabbed her arms and held her tightly.

"Dan! Hold on her tight...Hey, pal? You good?" Einar softly asked Dan, who looked so dead.

"Livia....Olivia was her name. I was suppos-sed to go o-o-on a-a da-te-te with her." Dan blinked away from them before latching onto the railings for his dear life.

Einar mumbled a prayer while Dan broke down.

Before Ashley could process what had just happened, she collapsed.