RELINQUISH

A dusty sofa abruptly squeaked when a large bag was dropped on top of it.

A bag filled with several pairs of clothes that were gifts from the boy's two buddies, walking around in circles while fiddling with the map that he had opened on his smartphone apps… For a few minutes before Daniel then carefully checked every word and number on his digital plane ticket.

Becomes plain evidence that Daniel was clearly nervous about the trip he's about to take for tomorrow morning, as even a knock on the front door was enough to make him startled. Yet still he decided to slowly walk towards the sound and open the door though just a little until he could see who was behind it: Three people, different body postures, one from the other, with the boy's eyes were more focused on the girl who stood out the most from the rest.

The girl with something attached right in front of her face…

"A mask?" Daniel wondered in his mind.

~~~~~

"Excuse me sir, good evening… We are from the Deviant Control Bureau, may we have a moment of your time, please?"

A man's voice came in such a friendly manner to greet the boy who's cautiously peeking through the crack in the door.

As he was filled with bad expectation, Daniel looked left and right before slowly swinging the door just a little wider for the three of them; one of whom then handed the boy a sheet for him to look over carefully. Which contains a photo of a man that is a stranger to his eyes, though with a few detailed physical descriptions on the right to help people recognize the figure.

"We're looking for this guy, and also his group… He lives just two doors down the street, you see." The man's finger then pointed to a house, making sure Daniel knew the location he was referring to before he continued asking, "Do you know him?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure. Sorry… I'm actually new to this place." The boy's tone made it clear that he was very reluctant to speak.

"Ah… It's alright. But have you by any chance seen people dressed similarly to this man hanging around this place lately?"

"I also don't remember much about what's going on around. I rarely left this house, to be honest. But I do know the jacket he was wearing… It was their gang that burned down the compound across the bridge about three months ago."

"Ugh, another one… Yeah, dude, we know that far."

Kamiko answered lightly, which made Daniel even more annoyed to have had such a conversation with them in the first place. Thus why the boy then immediately responded, "Oh, good… So why haven't they been arrested yet?"

"Well that's why we're asking people around. Isn't it obvious?"

"Maybe not so much? Everyone in town knows they've been in the abandoned cemetery for the past three months. So why are you only looking for them now? Waiting for them to kill even more people?"

"Watch the way you talk, shorty…"

"Kamiko!"

The man among the three of them chastised and pulled her back before things got any more heated. "I apologize for my partner's rude way of speaking," he added.

"It's okay. Is that all you want to ask?" Daniel was ready to close the door of his house.

"No… Wait. We have a few more questions but only if you are a carrier. I mean, this is more like a survey actually. So may we know if you are one?"

"..."

The boy fell silent awkwardly, with his mind filled only with orders for himself to lie and just say no… Yet before a sound could escape from his dry throat, the woman named Kamiko suddenly stretched out her hand, holding something that looked like a temperature gun aimed straight at Daniel's skull which made him startled.

Worried that he was about to get shot, but instead only a beep sound was heard with the number one then displayed on its small digital screen.

"Kamiko! I've told you many times to ask permission before using the thing, haven't I!?"

"Calm down. It says one on the screen… This boy is not a carrier. And I just saved you some time from a possible lie scenario he could have used, don't you understand? You're welcome anyway."

The woman completely ignored Raymond's shouts by saying such. Decided to go ahead of them and leave the front porch of the house while the man apologized to Daniel for the second time before excusing himself as well… Leaving only the masked one behind, silently staring at Daniel as if she had something to say to him, to the point where the boy was also starting to feel a little uneasy about something he couldn't see behind the metal piece.

So then he asked, "You need something else from me?"

However, Sage didn't say even a word in response… She just turned around lightly and went towards the direction of her two colleagues who were waiting from afar, giving Daniel no other choice but to close the door from the inside, wondering what that annoying woman had just said about him not being a carrier. Only to then shrug it off like it was nothing, like he could escape from his worries… At least not until his cell phone suddenly rang with the only number saved on the card. The so-called woman of his choosing.

"Oh, thank god… Out of all my calls that you ignored, you actually answered this one."

As though emanating from an unending, deserted hallway, the woman's melancholy voice reverberated… Unfortunately Daniel didn't notice a shred of said feeling, instead he then gave quite a nonchalant response.

"I'm sorry miss," he admitted, "After I gave it a little thought, it seems like I just made the wrong decision at that night, and-"

"No, no, Daniel. I understand… But it's not about that. It's about your aunt. You see, she's in the hospital right now."

"..." Daniel was silent with a feeling of unease in his heart.

~~~~~

"What happened?"

"One of our clients, a carrier, had quite an argument with her last night. And if you know your aunt, she's always been someone who's a little careless with her words. Until that guy made a small cut with the sword on her neck… But it wasn't fatal, and her condition had actually gotten a little better."

"Uh… I see." The boy sounds confused about how to act after hearing the story.

Where it feels like he really wants the woman to understand that he actually cares, but is just lost on what he should say in response… And it's as if the one who's on the other side of the line put together a little piece of it, that she decided to continue, saying, "I just thought it would be the right thing to let you know, because… I mean, I understand your situation. But in law, both of you are all still something like… Family members… Or am I wrong?"

"I don't know either… But it's alright. I'll come to visit."

In the end, Daniel decided to give her a complete answer. And the call ended with Daniel carrying the big bag out of the house that he had cleaned the night before until there was no dust left in the place.

Locking the door from the outside, looking at every corner as if he's saying peace and goodbye to the old building and after five minutes had passed, Daniel called for himself a cab to the city hospital.

~~~~~

The boy then entered the room full of nurses changing bandages at precisely eight o'clock in the evening… Though he still had to be at the airport in less than an hour, which may have contributed to his slightly anxious demeanor, made him appear as though he was being chased by something at the same time as he was standing there waiting.

"It's okay, son. It's just a small cut, you see? Your aunt will be fine." One of the nurses responded to Daniel's anxious look.

"No, I'm just…"

"Why don't you sit down for a while?"

The boy who genuinely made such a conscious effort to remain upright eventually caved in and heeded the advice.

He decided to remain silent until the treatment was over, and everyone had left the room only so that the woman and her nephew could have some time alone together. However, despite the fact that there were two lips capable of speaking, quiet suddenly pervaded the bright, empty room… Since Daniel was instead lost in his own daydreams. And it felt so incredibly detrimental to someone, that she decided to jog the boy's consciousness back with a complaint and a question.

"Out of all the people I hoped would come to visit… So, what are you doing here again?"

"Eh..?!" Daniel jolted awake looking for the source of the voice. "Oh… Sorry, I just want to return grandpa's house key to you."

"Why?" The woman asked with her same straight face as always.

"I've decided to live with my friends outside of town."

"Who?"

"My friends? Uh… Deo and Fanya."

"I see…"

His aunt replied, watching patiently as Daniel looked for the key chain in his big clothes bag which he then placed on the table right next to the woman's purse. Daniel remembered something that seemed worth mentioning, thus he decided to take the courage to do so while trying to stand up and get ready to leave.

He said, "But… You know. I'm also here to visit… I mean, I got a call from your friend."

"Just go already."

"Alright…" The boy gave up on attempting to appear too courteous, except for how he bowed one last time before then slowly closing the door from the outside… And that's when he heard the sound of the woman's sobs starting to echo in the quiet hallway as he slowly walked towards the exit.

~~~~~