Harper quickly wiped her face from tears, listening intently to his explanation. She seemed somewhat surprised at his response and her eyes widened in shock.

“If this is how our partnership has to work now,” He continued, “Then maybe that’s okay. We can work things out. I can come to terms with the fact that I won’t be seen ever again, and that I won’t be heard ever again.”

With the dwindling remains of his energy, he stood himself up. He went to wipe away any road dirt that may have been on him, but he realised there was nothing there.

“Atlas, are you sure you’re fine with this? I mean-”

Harper was cut off as Atlas raised his hand towards her. He walked over and stood next to her, leaning against the bridge rail.

“Harper Valentina.”

Harper blinked, confused.

“Yes Atlas?”

Atlas continued.

“Through mysterious supernatural circumstances, I feel we have no other choice but to accept this. That’s just how it goes from now on, I’m the ghost, you’re the human. We can’t change the past so we’re going to improve our future, okay?”

Harper looked up at him in wonderment at his positive turnaround for their situation.

“But...do you think either of us have any sort of future after all this? I mean, you’re really dead and I’m really a murderer.”

Atlas nodded at her speculations; it was the truth after all.

“I’m willing to work with you only because I’m stuck with you, but it doesn’t mean I can’t expect an improvement from your side.”

Harper was quiet for a moment before the waterworks began again and she had to wipe them away. She suddenly had a soft and grateful tone to her voice, as if all her sorrows had melted away.

“Thank you for forgiving me, I promise you won’t regret it, Atlas. We’re going to be such good partners now.”

“I never said I forgave-”

Suddenly, Harper jumped towards him in an attempt to hug him, but she phased right through and hit the railing behind him instead.

“O-ow...that’s not fair, it worked before.”

Atlas laughed softly, somehow that had improved his mood bit. Without a second thought, he tapped her on the forehead to check if a hug was possible. With confirmation granted, he gave her what she wanted and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

“You’re a true maniac, Harper. Please don’t do anything stupid like that again. I certainly haven’t forgiven anything yet, but I think hugs can heal people like you.”

Harper broke into tears again upon hearing that, letting her arms fall to her side as she cried. Atlas rolled his eyes and let go of her. He crossed his arms, unsure of how to deal with a sobbing girl, but he soon uncrossed them again. The pain in his wrist was yet another cruel reminder of the situation he had to accept, no matter how much he hated it. No matter how much the girl sobbing before him had ruined his life.

“Are you done yet?”

Harper wiped the tears from her face, her mood suddenly changing as if a switch had been flicked in her brain.

“No, I’m clearly not, you stupid dead moron! Go have another mental breakdown or something!”

Atlas grimaced, slightly unsettled by the fickleness in her emotions. He knew he would be dealing with this sort of attitude for a while.

"I wouldn't call it a mental breakdown, that's a bit insensitive." He cringed in response.

“First things first, you and I need to get rid of that ghastly mess in the studio before someone finds out and we both get into strife.”

Harper raised an eyebrow, a slight grin to her smile.

“Oh, so you’re a ghost and an accomplice now?”

Atlas rolled his eyes, idly rubbing the pain out of his wrist as he did.

“I can’t assist in my own murder, Harper. That’s unreasonable, illogical.”

Harper beamed a smile at him before she hopped away from the bridge railing. On that note, it was about time they both left the area.

“Well, even after all this, I’d be interested to find out if there’s something we can do about your condition, Atlas. After all, a mystery isn’t complete without a satisfying ending.”

Atlas raised an eyebrow at her strange suggestion, it didn’t quite make sense to him.

“I have a feeling that a mystery, by definition, doesn’t require a solid or clear ending.”

“That’s what you think.”

She winked at him again, a gesture that had Atlas roll his eyes. Nonetheless, he followed her off of the bridge and into the surrounding bushland.

“By the way, we can do that waltz later if you want. I think it might be fun.”

Atlas was relieved to hear something sensible come out of her mouth for once. At least something nice was going to come out of this horrible, evil night.

Ahead of them on the path, they could see the city lights in the distance, far over the hills and away from the bridge. It looked like it was around a twenty-minute walk, and Harper wasn’t too thrilled about that aspect. Afterall, she would have had to travel the path once already to get here.

“Can you carry me back? I don’t really wanna walk anymore, Atlas.”

Atlas looked down at her, his expression wrought with judgement.

“First of all, no, I won’t be carrying you. Second, don’t you think they’ll catch you going back to the crime scene? Surely you’re the key suspect now, right?”

Harper giggled and shrugged coyly.

“I’ve listened to far too many mystery murder shows for my plan to fail, but even I can’t predict the ending to this one.”

Neither of them knew what was in store once they ventured back to the city, nor did they know how to confront the confusing mess of a crime they were a part of.

Atlas took a moment to give a thought to his absent parents, his acquaintances, and everyone else he knew. Everything was going to be different after this, he knew that for sure. Never being able to have a human connection again would probably stunt his social skills, or the few that he had. However, he wasn’t too upset at that prospect.

If he never had to worry about anxiety inducing public speeches anymore, that was enough of a perk to comfort him. Harper was the one who had to deal with the conversations now.

In the end, there was no saying what would happen to Harper and her reputation. There was no saying if she would ever improve mentally, or that Atlas would ever fix the things he regretted about his old life. His only goal for now was to keep Harper alive and find out what had really happened behind the closed curtains of his death.

“Cheers to act two then, Atlas?” Harper beamed, holding up two fingers.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Despite all the downsides of the situation, all Atlas knew was that he was coming along for the carefree ride, permanently.

And he was perfectly fine with that.