A/N: I usually write longer than this, but this is just the introduction. Hope you enjoy it, and feedback is much appreciated.
Chapter 1
Her boots landed softly onto the ledge of a tall building. The starry night stretched endlessly in her eyes as she gazed up. Every star twinkled brightly and dotted the dark sky brilliantly. Below her were cars the size of tiny ants and they stood frozen under the soft streetlamps. She smiled as she stood still at the very edge, allowing herself to be immersed into the city's setting. It was relaxing and calm, even if it was just for a few moments. But, it depressed her a little; she can't be here for long. She stood stiffly in place, and then she spread her bare arms like wings prepared for flight. Her body began to lean forward towards the street below and prepared to free fall. She suddenly stopped herself as she heard the portal hiss behind her. Shaking her head as to snap out of it, she hopped building to building. How she yearned to return to this city after countless dreams, it was the prettiest in her opinion. Her wavy hair fluttered as she raced towards her destination with haste. She reached a university, but ignored the grandness. Her focus was the intense warmth inside the building; she never felt anything quite like it. As she neared the university, she felt the warmth behind one of the many locked windows. She outstretched her arm to the window and flicked her small hand upwards. The window magically opened and she jumped onto the sill.
Professor Layton snoozed peacefully in his office. It was only going to be a short nap, then back to his studies, but he fell fast asleep into the late night. His window opened by itself, letting the wind swoop in. Papers fell from the cluttered desk by the window, making a mess on the floor. A shadowy figured stepped into the room shortly afterwards, and made its way to the couch. Its footsteps had no sound and it glided gracefully to the sleeping professor. Unaware, the figure loomed over him, staring at the silk top hat.
"What warmth this hat has, I can feel so many happy memories in it," the figure whispered in a greedy voice. It reached for the top hat covering the professor's face, and caressed the hat gently in both hands. Professor Layton felt the missing weight from his face and his beady eyes opened slowly. In the dim moonlight shining from the opened window, he saw an unusually dressed young girl with a cape standing by him. It was a shock to the half asleep man, but he kept his composure like a true gentleman.
"Hello, who are you young miss?" he asked. The professor felt his jaw move up and down in a sluggish manner, and mouthing the question took effort. The atmosphere was hazy, and any movement he made felt slow, it was dream-like. He noticed the girl was wearing his beloved top hat, and his hand patted the empty space above his own head by instinct. The girl giggled at his actions and tipped the brim playfully. "This is your hat silly! I'll be taking it, since it's the most precious thing to you!"
Without hesitation, she ran to the window, stepping on various documents scattered across the floor. A trail of wispy film from his hat tailed behind the girl as she made her escape and Professor Layton tried to follow. He watched his legs swing in slow motion, and his jacket crumpled onto the floor. It was too late; she had already disappeared through the window. Trying to heave himself up, he suddenly felt light headed, like someone stuck their hand in his mind and took a piece away. His vision blurred and the dark room darkened even more. The professor persisted and staggered to his feet. He looked at the fading trail with drooping eyes and saw something odd. The film in the fading trail had his memories; memories of his late girlfriend.
"Claire…" he mumbled as he saw his girlfriend's smiling face evaporated before everything turned black.
Professor Layton woke up with something over his face. He grabbed it and sat upright, while his black jacket slid down to his lap. He held the silk top hat in his hands, and examined it with curiosity. The professor turned his head at the window and saw it was locked as always with rays of sunshine filling his quaint office. He then refocused on the hat in his hands. There was a red ribbon wrapped tightly around the silk top hat, and that was it, nothing too special about it. Setting the hat down on the coffee table, he got up and moved his limbs around. The professor didn't feel sluggish anymore, and the air was no longer hazy. It must've been a dream... a strange one that is.
He looked down at the hat, and scratched his hazel brown hair. He saw the same exact top hat in last night's dream, but it didn't make sense. Why would I own such a hat?