And you would 

𓇢𓆸 𓆤 𖧧 𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𖧧 𓍊𓋼 𔓘

𝔸𝕊 the sunlight bathes the room through sheer curtains, illuminating thriving potted plants. A central wooden table with a mortar and pestle hints at herbal concoctions. Dried herb bundles hang from the ceiling, scenting the air subtly. Botanical illustrations on the walls offer a guide to plant properties. A cozy seating nook with plush cushions welcomes discussions, accompanied by a teapot for potential herbal infusions. The herbalist's cluttered workspace features notebooks, a mortar and pestle, and possibly a distillation apparatus. Soft wind chimes enhance the tranquil ambiance, harmonizing nature's healing power with the herbalist's wisdom.

Melody sat at the desk, humming a tune from years past as she meticulously jotted down patient notes and corresponding prescriptions. Lost in her thoughts, her concentration was shattered by the abrupt entrance of her brother, Philo. Startled, she looked at him, concern etched across her face. "Philo, what's wrong? What happened?" she inquired, walking towards him. "Jack, he doesn't wear a policeman's uniform. He's a sailor," Philo explained urgently.

"What?" Melody asked, confusion clouding her expression.

"Please help me. Tonight, we can get him tonight. Please, Melody," Philo pleaded. Melody sighed and nodded; her commitment evident. "I'll help you." Philo expressed gratitude and left Melody, who released a sigh and rubbed her temples. "Vign, give me strength," she whispered, preparing herself for the challenging night ahead, before returning to her work.

ଓ༉‧.⭒ֶָ֢⋆.

"I should've seen it sooner. You were right," Vign admitted, pacing around while Aline observed his friend. "They're all the same, these Burguishmen. They come with promises, take what we have, and when there's nothing left to take, they leave. It's a common enough story. The story of our whole fuckin' country," Vign expressed, stopping by the window, and gazing out. "And Melody...," he trailed off, looking down. "She was dragged into these lies... my song," he added, placing a hand on his heart feeling the beat. "So we move on. We tell a new story, a better one. A better story for you and Melody," Aline suggested, offering a warm smile in an attempt to comfort his friend.

"No," Vign shook his head, a sense of resignation in his tone, as he planned to create a new narrative with Melody by his side, free from external interference.

"No. Not yet," Vign insisted, formulating an idea as he headed towards the door. Aline, concerned, attempted to intervene. "Vign, listen," he implored, trying to halt his friend. "Just calm down, take a minute and listen to me."

"I'm not done with him," Vign declared, his eyes fixed on his friend. "He will know what he's done to me and my love. He will look in my eyes and know. Then I am going to get my Melody back," he vowed before storming out the door, leaving Aline behind. Aline sighed, muttering a frustrated, "Fuck," realizing the determination in Vign's eyes and the turbulent journey that lay ahead.

ଓ༉‧.⭒ֶָ֢⋆.

As darkness fell, the two siblings entered a bar bustling with sailors. They made their way to the bar area, where Philo approached an officer with a shaved black head and a matching mustache. "Any luck on the waterfront?" Philo inquired; his eyes filled with anticipation. "I showed the sketch to the boatswain. If he knew the face, he wasn't saying," the officer replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I was afraid of that," Philo muttered, acknowledging the challenges ahead.

"So, what are we doing here, then? And why did you bring your sister?" the officer asked, casting a sceptical glance at Melody, who responded with a playful smile. "Aww, you don't want me here? Afraid that I will ruin the mojo?" she teased. Philo chimed in, "Like they say, if the fish you're looking to catch isn't in the sea..." Melody finished his sentence, "Look in the tank." She turned around, scanning the people in the room. "These lads aren't gonna give up one of their own easy." The officer focused his attention on Philo, questioning their approach. "Oh, we weren't planning to ask 'em to," Melody remarked, her and Philo's eyes wandering around the room. Melody decided to share a crucial detail, "All the victims were struck on the right side of the head." Philo added, "Which means our man was left-handed."

"His last victim said he had a tattoo on his forearm," Philo stated as his eyes roamed around the room. The officer, wearing a puzzled expression, asked, "You want to ask 'em to roll up their sleeves?" Philo responded, "After a fashion," leaving an air of mystery. Melody, keen-eyed, spotted a guy in the back. "Philo," she whispered, nudging his shoulder and nodding toward the man who was engaged in conversation with others. Philo shifted his gaze to the man, and Melody took the lead, walking purposefully toward him. Philo followed closely behind as curiosity filled the officer's face.

"Oi! Where are you going with that?" a voice called out as Melody picked up a glass mug filled with liquor. The siblings ignored the question, maintaining their act. Melody pretended to be drunk, stumbling, and Philo played the supportive brother. "Excuse me," Melody slurred in a fake drunk tone, pretending to lose her balance. She fell onto the guy, spilling the drink. "Ow! Sorry, mate. Oh, what a..." Melody apologized, but the man's patience wore thin. "For fuck's sake!" he exclaimed angrily at the girl who had just spilled the drink.

"Oh, fucking hell," Melody exclaimed as she seized the man's arm, hastily lifting the sleeve to reveal a distinctive snake tattoo. The siblings exchanged glances, confirming that they had found their target. Philo moved in, grabbing the man. However, the situation took a violent turn as the man, quick on his feet, snatched a beer bottle and smashed it on Melody. Shards of glass cut into her hand as he forcefully pushed Philo away, making his daring escape. As the siblings recovered and got to their feet, determination in their eyes, they chased the man outside. The pursuit intensified, with the man taking desperate measures. Outside, he hurled an axe at the siblings, narrowly grazing Philo's head and leaving a scar. "Fuck," Philo cursed, feeling the sting of the close call. "This guy is getting on my nerves," Melody declared, discarding her heeled boots and tearing the lower part of her skirt for better mobility.

The two resumed the chase, with Melody calling out to the officer. "Inspector!" he came running, and Philo urgently instructed, "It's him! It's Jack! Go around!" As they pursued the sailor, the man eluded them momentarily, but Melody spotted him climbing a platform leading to the roof. "Philo! Up there!" she yelled, prompting both siblings to shift their chase to higher ground. They raced across the roof, navigating obstacles, and jumping over barriers in relentless pursuit of their elusive target.

As they closed in on the sailor, he hastily ran across a plank board and kicked it away just as the two siblings approached. Melody, however, wasted no time. Taking a few steps back, she sprinted and leaped to the adjacent roof, tumbling and getting scratches in the process. Glancing back at Philo, she urged him, "Go around!" Undeterred, Melody resumed the chase, shouting, "Come back here, you bastard!" Philo followed on the roof he was on. Melody tackled the sailor, attempting to hold him down, but he fought back aggressively. He punched her in the face, splitting her lip, and kneed her in the side before shoving her away. Despite the pain, Melody got up, determined to continue the pursuit.

Spitting out blood, she remarked, "I wouldn't be surprised if this guy has no girl; he doesn't know how to treat a lady." Melody chased the sailor through a door, and Philo, claiming the building, reached the roof. Sliding down to the edge, he observed the intense struggle between Melody and the sailor as they wrestled near a window. The sailor managed to kick Melody off him, leaving bruises and a bleeding nose on him by Melody. Climbing the side of the building, he continued to elude them, with Melody still in pursuit, ignoring the pain screaming at her.

Philo ran to a corner, scanning for any sign of them, but the sailor, taking advantage of the vantage point, jumped down from above, forcefully shoving Philo to the ground. The sailor then ran off, with Melody quickly jumping down to help Philo up. Together, they resumed the chase, leaping to another roof. Philo, gripping the edge to prevent a fall, winced in pain, and Melody, pulling him up, gritted her teeth against the throbbing ache in her side. The two siblings scaled over a small fence, discovering the man standing at the edge, seemingly trapped with nowhere left to escape. "Show me your hand!" Philo commanded, his voice firm, as he noticed the man pulling out a gun, aiming it at the sailor. "It's done. I had to stop 'em," the sailor admitted, turning around to face the siblings. "I had to. You don't know the evil they've been about right under your noses," he continued, a hint of desperation in his voice. Philo, maintaining a steady gaze, instructed, "Step away from the ledge."

"They're not our gods' children. They come from a dark place. And they haven't come alone. They brought something with them. Something that will be the end of us. I've seen it with my own eyes," the sailor shared with a haunted expression, addressing the siblings. Philo slowly lowered his gun, intrigued by the man's words. "You think I'm mad. I know darkness. I've been to the twilight edge of the world and dredged up things from the sunless deep that would turn your blood cold. But nothing like the thing I saw in the dark beneath our very feet," the sailor continued, locking eyes with the siblings. "You're ill-prepared for the hardship that lies ahead. There is more here than you can fathom. And while you go about your little lives, so sure that this world still belongs to you... some dark god wakes," he warned. The man walked backward to the ledge, his tone weighted with a sombre truth, before ultimately falling down. The two siblings rushed forward, peering down at the edge to see the lifeless body of the man. "Fuck," Melody uttered, holding her side as rain began to fall, adding an eerie atmosphere to the grim scene.

𓇢𓆸 𓆤 𖧧 𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𖧧 𓍊𓋼 𔓘

By: SilverMist707