Having woken up that morning wanting to forget all that had transgressed the previous night, Zain stared listlessly up at the ceiling of his room.

  A ping came from his phone, accompanied by the notification from his work app. He opened his app which had his new job listing as a "public service trainee".

  The fact that it had him enrolled already had him concerned; usually, you would apply through listings and be notified that your application was accepted through the app. There was no such notification here, it simply stated that he was to report to the police department near Coralway.

  How am I gonna explain this to Brayden?

  It was the weekend so he had no other jobs, but he had promised to help with the shopping.

  Plus….no.. I shouldn’t involve him at all…

  Zain wasn't sure if he should take what that woman had said to heart, but she made it sound like Brayden would need to help him with this mission. But…that was the last thing he wanted. Why would he put someone else in danger? Plus, this job did not sound at all savory.

  Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes to muster the energy to start his day.

  No, he needed to MANIFEST the energy.

  So what if his life trajectory went off path into a scary direction. He would work with it!

  The world better watch out because he was done with their shit! No more niceties and polite platitudes, he didn't care anymore.

  After riling himself up enough to rise from his bed like reanimated draconian legend, he hobbled into the kitchen.

  Brayden, the early riser he was, was already working away in the kitchen making breakfast for the both of them.

  Now, how was he going to brush off suspicion of where he was going? Brayden was well aware of the dangers of joining Devante and they both had been actively avoiding that scenario. Telling Brayden that now he was doing a job for the calamitous man….didn't seem like a good idea.

  It was possible that Brayden would feel some sort of obligation to help him, which would be a terrible outcome.

  Yes, what was best for now was to keep him in the dark until it was absolutely necessary to inform him of his involvement.

  Zain had dug this hole for himself, no need to drag Brayden down with him.

  A deep sigh escaped him which prompted the caring Brayden to shoot a worrying look. “Is there something wrong…”

  “Ah! No! I'm good!” An unconvincing lie, but Zain had always been a bad liar so he couldn't help that.

  Brayden gave a more suspicious raise of his brow, not convinced at all.

  Shit, what should I tell him?

  The best lie he could contrive on the spot was one shrouded in truth. “Actually, I just feel bad because I promised to help with the shopping… but something came up so I won't be able to help you. Sorry, I’ll send you half of the bill whatever it is!”

  In response, Brayden cocked his head but didn’t seem all that mad.

  “Actually, I was going to have to cancel our grocery shopping because I have a job interview today. Such a weird coincidence…”

  What? So he was worried for nothing? It was a stroke of luck, so Zain let out a sigh of relief.

  Brayden turned back to the pancake batter he was stirring, mixing in more wet ingredients as he mixed with his whisk, “One of my teachers for my career courses recommended this job as a public service trainee at the police station. He knows the research I do and he has an in there who is willing to let me work for a few weekends. It pays pretty well too so I thought I might sacrifice a few weekends for some extra cash.”

  An unsettling murkiness fizzled in Zain’s stomach, “Umm….which police station will it be at?”

  “Hmmm…it’s in an area that is pretty busy for police, y’know, Coralway.” Brayden showed some hesitancy but he clenched his whisk in his hand as he reassured himself. “But it’ll be a great learning experience! I do want to know the differences between the judicial and legal systems here…”

  “Yeh…I bet it will be….” How the hell?! Did Brayden’s teacher have some sort of connection with Devante and Cuddy? This was way too convenient to be a coincidence.

  As Brayden listed all of the information he had for how things are done in Merverre compared to Earth, Zain only half heartedly listened as the feeling of being trapped bore on his mind.

  It had not taken too long to get to the police station. Luckily, it was quite near one of the subways stations so there was not too much hassle getting there.

  Graffiti painted many of the inanimate objects nearby, all with varying degrees of vulgarity, flair, and detail. In contrast to the rest of the city, trash littered the streets and buildings were left in their dilapidated state.

  Both of the boys climbed the worn down steps of the police station, sticking close by to one another in this dangerous place.

  “So…how did you get this job already? Were you able to get an interview already while I was in my classes yesterday?” Brayden inquired as they approached the inside.

  “Well…it happened after I got off work…and it’s kinda a long story so I’ll explain later.” Pushing the issue was really his only option. Fabricating a lie on the spot was not his forte, and he had many more things weighing on his mind to focus on a believable one.

  “Hmm…okay.” He said, accepting it for now. They opened the doors which led to a receptionist desk protected by bulletproof glass. An older woman sat at the desk with one other woman, both working on their desktops until the two boys walked in.

  The older woman shifted her seat towards the small opening dedicated for interactions, then pressed a small buzzer for the intercom. “Would you like to file a report or provide witness testimony?”

  “Uh, no. I’m here for an interview for a job.”

  “And I’m here to start as a public service trainee.”

  “Oh.” The older woman paused for a moment, meeting eyes with the other woman. The other woman gave a curt nod then she pressed a number on her desk phone. The older woman turned back to the boys, pointing to some benches off to the side. “Wait over there, an officer will be here shortly.”

  They both sat to the side in order wait for a bit. A few officers came through the halls, many carrying papers, others holding equipment.

  A few people entered while they waited, each with different issues or police reports they needed to file. For some reason Zain expected police stations to be full of activity and drama, this was much more…bureaucratic than he expected.

  It took a good minute before two officers came to retrieve them. One took Brayden to a separate room, while the other took Zain to a room further back.

  The officer handling Zain handed him a temporary visitor ID with a lanyard, which he immediately put on.

  There wasn’t really a dress code for this place, and Zain didn’t have much to choose from so he wore a cheap plain sweater he had bought a week ago. He had been given such little information about this job, he really was putting bare minimum effort into how he had dressed.

  If they wanted me to dress better, then they should’ve told me more...

  After walking a bit down the hall, he was led to a room with a single table in the center. It looked like an interrogation room honestly, as it had two chairs across from one another inside.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Sit here and wait for the detective.” The officer said, then closed the door behind him.

  Okay…now it feels like they are treating me like a criminal….

  He sat down in a slight huff, but waited as he was told. What else was there for him to do?

  It luckily didn’t take long for the detective to come, and, of course, it was a familiar face.

  With a pinstripe suit, Detective Duffy came in. Her lashes obscured her eyes, but Zain could tell she was analyzing him. She shut the door behind her, then sat across from him, slightly miffed that she recognized him. Sighing slightly, she crossed her legs, then proceeded with formalities. “I see we have met before. Fortunately, it wasn’t on the other side of this table. I’m told you’re gonna be my new rat for this job. That other kid too, but he doesn’t know as much as you do, does he?”

  Zain nodded, not wanting to upset this scary lady. She leaned in, placing her elbows on the table as she pressed him further. “But, what DO you know? I don’t need stupid rats. Rats that don’t follow the maze the way they’re told might get their heads lopped off by a cheese trap, if you catch my meaning.”

  He swallowed hard. Cuddy made this job sound like it wasn’t going to be dangerous, but it was clear now that it was to save face in front of her husband. “All I know is that I’m going to be an undercover witness or something. There is some sort of gang that is trespassing or something, and I need to take care of that. That is all I was told, not much else…”

  “No, no. If they were trespassing, then this job would be done and over with. They are leasing, paying dues, and obeying laws.” She raised her hand and effortlessly conjured a small building using her mana. It was pretty detailed, and resembled a warehouse of sorts. “At least on the surface. We have reason to believe that this gang is connected to a bigger crime syndicate that deals with human trafficking."

  “H-human trafficking?!” He almost choked.

  “Yes. And they like to employ boys your age due to numerous reasons. I won’t scare you with the details, you can imagine them yourself.” She took her index finger, then tapped on the warehouse, revealing passageways and doors. “Your job is simple. Find out where they take their cargo through the underwater passage. They are believed to be selling two illegal substances to this larger syndicate, Deaden and Amberbleu. Deaden is a powerful drug that will be easier to find. Search for signs of distribution or synthesis of Deaden. And if you find evidence of Amberbleu…Report it immediately, then vacate the premises immediately. “

  Her words were clear, leaving no question for the seriousness of the situation. The danger present was becoming more and more alarming, so Zain needed to ask some questions in order to make sure the risk to him and Brayden was minimized.

  “How are we going to report anything we find? And how long are we going to be doing this? I have classes and work so how will I do this at the same time?”

  “We will have an informant conjure some constructs that will help you record what you need. They have devices which can sense different attributes, so that is why we needed your friend who has stronger water attributes. They would get suspicious if they found traces of water attributes without you being able to manipulate the element. With the construct, we should be able to ensure you don’t run into too much trouble, and we can give instructions to guide you. You will have to hold off from work and school for a week. I will provide the paperwork, so they won’t give you trouble for it.” She took out some paper from a folder, pushing it towards Zain. After reading them, he folded them then placed them in his pocket.

  “And…how are you going to get Brayden to participate without letting him know too much. I…I don’t want him to know about Cuddy or Devante’s involvement in this…” Zain looked down, fiddling with his thumb. This was something that he was pretty nervous about, mainly because he didn’t want Brayden to know the trouble he was caught in.

  Detective Duffy leaned back, putting a hand in her pocket as she answered calmly, “Right. Cuddy told me to not discuss her or Devante’s involvement in this matter with him. Don’t worry. Right now, we are putting on a bit of a show for him. Making it seem like we're in a bind or some crap and we really need someone like him to help us. Of course, we’re givin’ him the option to say no and just do normal civil duties here in the office. So don’t worry too much, he might end up just doing that.” She pulled out a cigarette, then leaned back in her chair, lighting it as she reclined. She took a long drag, before she continued. “Right now I’m just waiting for my officers to come back with his response. I can’t make proper plans without knowing who's in or out.”

  A part of him wanted Brayden to reject the offer, but another, selfish, part of him wanted him to help him. It was the dumb, unreasonable part of him that didn’t want to be alone in that dangerous place.

  But, thinking about it more, he would want Brayden to reject it and live normally. It would suck to be by himself…but he could live with it. His guilt would be less crushing that way too.

  Silence remained until the same officer from before knocked on the door and entered. He gave a quick nod to the detective, before opening the door all the way and going down the hall.

  The detective rose from her seat, motioning with her chin for Zain to follow. They both walked down the hall into a bigger backroom filled with officers and computers. Some officers gave questioning looks but minded their own business, others gave quick greetings to the detective before scurrying off to file reports.

  They walked until they reached an office, one that had detective Duffy’s name on the plaque. Inside, through the window, Zain saw Brayden, sitting in one of the chairs.

  So he said yes….

  He had mixed feelings about it, but it was out of his hands now. For now, he would worry about the things he had to do, and do what was necessary to keep them both out of danger. They entered, with an officer who was inside shuttering the blinds.

  There were a few more officers inside the office with them, one who looked familiar. Officer Dickens gave him a cursory glance but gave his full attention to Detective Duffy as she sat at her desk.

  Zain opted to sit in the seat next to Brayden, who was nervously looking around the room. He relaxed his stiff posture a tad as soon as he saw Zain. “So they asked you too, huh?” He whispered, hardly able to speak due to his nerves.

  “Yeah…” Guilt stabbed his heart because, no, actually they didn’t ask him. This was forced upon him, and it was kind of forced on Brayden too, he just didn’t know it yet.

  Detective Duffy called everyone present to attention, lowering the lights as she tapped the screen on her desk. A projection illuminated in the air above as she began.

  “We have obtained two volunteers that are willing to infiltrate the gang. Operation Diver bell can proceed forward.” She pulled out thick reports which were notated to hell and back, with as much attention to detail as Brayden would. The other officers followed suit, readying themselves to discuss the plan at hand. “With Brayden and Zain here, we will need to create new covers and identities in order to prevent suspicion from falling on them. Fontaine, do you have the covers that I requested?”

  A slim, short man stepped forward. He wasn’t wearing a police uniform like the rest, just a vest with an ID badge which showed he belonged on the force. “Yes ma’am.” He placed a few papers on the desk, spreading them out so all could see. “We have new names and backstories for these two. The general story is that they were both transmigrated as children, they were fostered and homeschooled in the same house. They will propose to join as runaways with no where else to go.”

  “Yes, that fits the general profile of those who have joined the lower ranks.” She looked through the documents for a second, then placed them back on her desk. “Ackermann, what intel do you have regarding the movement of the gang within the warehouse.”

  A woman stepped forward, who spoke with a gruff voice, “On the surface, they use the warehouse as storage for different established businesses. All of these businesses have ties to the gang leader and many are used as a front for suspected money laundering. The warehouse in particular sees much activity during the night for movement of shipments, however, the volume of shipments does not correlate with the amount of designated storage estimated for the facility. It is suspected that there is a hidden passageway that they might have built leading to an offshoot where their illegal services are done. All searches conducted by police officers that presented warrants have found nothing. This particular warehouse only employs transmigrated, underage boys. By making use of the Babineaux act, they employ solely those who are vulnerable and have no family or resources. They are even receiving government funding to do so…” She paused, irritation bleeding into her expression. After taking a second to compose herself, she continued. “We have reported that a few of these boys have never been seen again by a few acquaintances. Additionally, the Tarrare syndicate has obtained a new source for Amberbleu, it is possible that this gang has the means to produce it.”

  The rigid faces of the officers grimaced in disgust as she finished her report, making Zain wonder how bad of a drug Amberbleu was. Detective Duffy remained unflinching as she digested the information. After ruminating for a moment, she continued the meeting. “Since we will have two unarmed civilians infiltrating the warehouse, there will be an informant with constructs attached to both of them. Officers will be stationed in these unoccupied offices that act as good vantage points should any problem arise. Squad 6 and 7 will be stationed here and here, Squads 4 and 5 will be conducting normal duties in this area, patrolling the area for any trucks that do business with them.”

  There was not much for Zain and Brayden to do except listen for the moment; their input wasn’t really needed, and they needed to know as much information as they could about the shit they were about to get themselves into. After Detective Duffy finished addressing her officers, she turned to the boys, “Both of you boys will be the most important part of this plan. You need to stay out of harm's way, so if you feel like you are in any danger, there is no shame in running. Your only goal is to find evidence, either through testimony or physical. The informant may be able to find the passageway without your input, but if you are able to, then let us know.” Then she pulled up a portrait on her screen, pointing to it as she spoke in a clearer tone, “And, under no circumstance, must you interact with this man. Avoid him at all costs.”

  On the screen was a man, who looked to be in his late 20s; he carried himself like a young entrepreneur and looked rather unassuming. The name read, Abel Chatelain, with the caption indicating that he was the ring leader of the gang.

  Both of the boys nodded and answered in unison, “Yes ma’am!”

  “He may speak to you once or twice, but if you are able, minimize the amount you talk to him. Do not make an impression on him or raise his suspicions. He is conniving and clever, so he will catch on if you make yourself obvious.” She leaned in, warning them again. “He is dangerous. If you feel like he has caught on, then evacuate to one of the areas where we have officers or communicate with the construct. We will protect you and withdrawal.”

  The two boys looked at each other, each reflecting a sobering look, but nodded.

  What hell was awaiting them in this place? Would they be okay?