Chapter III: The Boy Who Foretold Disaster

"This mirror is so polished I nearly greeted my reflection!" Emmy exclaimed.

Layton smiled. "A mirror reflects, but sometimes it can also complicate a problem. Take this puzzle, for example."

"I'm very impressed, Emmy!"

"So I've proven myself worthy enough to be your assistant?"

"But of course! I never doubted your abilities, Emmy."

Jasmine only glanced at the mirror before she left with the others.

It can reflect, but it also causes problems, huh?

"Master Luke has been holed up in his room for a while now." The old woman from earlier said. "I can't even tidy up in there."

"Is this sort of behavior typical for Luke?" Emmy asked.

"Oh no. He's usually quite lively. He's such a good little boy… If you ask me, it's because his mother has been gone for so long. That's hard on a child, you know. He's quite mature for his age, but he's a rather sensitive boy."

"Where is his room?" Jasmine asked.

"Upstairs, at the end of the hall."

"Thank you."

Jasmine knocked on the door.

There was no sound.

"Maybe he's sleeping." Emmy suggested.

"Perhaps… Luke? My name is Hershel Layton. I'm a friend of your father's. Could we talk for a moment?" Layton asked.

"Certainly. But first, you'll have to solve my door puzzle!" A voice came from behind the door.

"Your…door puzzle?" Layton repeated before laughing. "I see. Luke means to test our mettle with a puzzle."

"That's so cute, Professor! Let's do it!" Emmy smiled.

"So we shall."

"If you are truly the esteemed Hershel Layton, then this puzzle should be no problem. You will have 15 seconds to perform a specific action in front of the door." Luke explained.

"Just a second, young one! How are we to know exactly what it is we're supposed to do?" Emmy asked.

"You may search the area outside my door as much as you like."

"And when we're ready to perform this action, whatever it may be, we should let you know?" Layton asked.

"Correct. But I will tell you now, you can't do anything to solve this puzzle."

"We're ready, Luke!"

"You know what you have to do?"

Layton smiled. "I believe so, yes."

"Professor, are you sure?" Emmy asked.

"Then let's begin. Please stand in front of the door. Remember, you can't do anything to solve this puzzle."

Jasmine watched Layton step forward before he stood still.

"That is what you had to do!" Luke said after the designated amount of time had passed.

""You can't do anything to solve this puzzle." Or, in other words: to solve this puzzle, you can't do anything. "Nothing" was the "thing" we had to do to solve this riddle. An interesting puzzle, Luke."

Emmy put her finger to her chin. "So, even from inside his room, he could hear us if we did something."

"Now, Luke, are you convinced that we are who we say we are? Luke? Will you open the door now?"

"As I promised."

The three of them stepped into the room to see it was very dim with a boy in front of the closed windows.

He has light brown hair and black eyes. He was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with blue suspenders, blue shorts, white socks, and brown shoes. He was also wearing a blue cap.

"A clever puzzle, Luke." Layton complimented him.

He made a soft noise, looking at them.

Layton took out an envelope. "Your letter. I thought you might want it back."

Luke gasped.

"Professor! You think Luke wrote the letter?!" Emmy asked.

Layton smiled. "Clark was…never a fan of typed correspondence. He always wrote his letters out in longhand. Moreover, only someone very close to Clark would know about our past together." He puts the envelope away. "This someone would know I could never ignore a friend in need."

"Are you really…Professor Layton?" Luke hesitantly asked.

"Is this true, Luke?!"

He glared when his father came in.

"How could you do something like this?! What were you thinking?! Were you even thinking at all?" Clark questioned.

Luke turned away from him.

"Here, now… Don't you turn your back on me again."

"Clark, please." Layton interrupted.

Clark turned to Layton. "Forgive me. The boy has barely spoken to me in the last six months. He's been so withdrawn since the appearance of the specter…"

"Very soon…" Luke started. "The world will end."

Layton and Emmy were alarmed while Clark and Jasmine tensed.

"The end of the world… What do you mean by that?" Layton asked.

"I mean what I just said."

"Luke, you can't say something like that and not elaborate." Emmy said.

"He just won't open up to anyone. He wasn't always like this." Clark said. "When he does speak, it's only to say something inscrutable, as you saw. Prophecies… Absurd." He sounded like he was slightly amused but without any real mirth behind it.

"Prophecies?" Layton repeated.

"It's all my fault…"

"What do you mean?" Jasmine asked.

Luke looked over at the brunette girl.

"I-I'm sorry. I have urgent business I must attend to in my study. We can discuss this later. Luke, Mr. Layton is a close friend and Jasmine is about your age. Please talk to them. Perhaps you two could even help him. Thank you, Hershel, Jasmine."

The brunette girl watched him leave before Doland came in.

"I'm afraid that it is time for Master Luke to retire."

"What, now? We're right in the middle of something. It's still light out." Emmy pointed out.

Jasmine signed. "Emmy…"

"If I may, Doland. I'd like to ask Luke just one more thing." Layton looked at the young boy. "Luke, though the town has been repeatedly attacked by the specter, no one has been injured. It seems that an oracle alerts the townspeople about which areas to evacuate from. Luke, I believe that you are this oracle. Am I correct?"

"What?!" Emmy gasped.

"Absurd!" Doland protested.

"Luke, I must ask you a very important question: Do you know when the specter will appear next?"

"Master Luke will not stand for such balderdash. Please leave at once!"

"…Tonight." Luke quietly said. "The specter will appear tonight."

"But how could you know that?!" Emmy asked.

"Tonight…" Layton murmured.

"If you want, I can also show you where it will appear next." Luke offered.

"I would very much like that, Luke."

"Master Luke! This joke is in poor taste!" Doland scolded.

"Please don't tell my father about this, Doland."

"Master Luke… I… Are you certain this is OK?"

"Yes. Doland, did you tell the townspeople? Did you tell them about the specter just as before?"

"…I did." He smiled. "I will make a final tour of the area to ensure that everyone has gone."

"But…then where will the specter appear tonight?" Emmy asked.

"Great Ely Street…"

"Then we must go now. Even if we can't stop the specter, we must confirm Luke's prediction." Layton said.

"Good luck…" Doland says to them.

Jasmine hesitated. Something just didn't seem right…

"Are you sure you should be going out this late, little Luke?" The woman asked from downstairs.

"Beth?" Luke was surprised. "You won't… I mean, can you please…"

"Keep it a secret from your father?" She finished his sentence. "Of course. Don't worry. Oh, but Mr. Professor, can I trouble you for some help?"

"Of course, madam. Whatever is the matter?"

"Doland—he's the butler, mind you—scrawled out this note, but I can't for the life of me read it."

"A note?" Layton smiled. "Please allow me."

"Ohhhh, so that's what he wanted! Thank you. Maybe now he'll be a little nicer to me."

"I'm happy to be of service."

"Just between us, this isn't the first time Doland's handwriting has been hard to read. He used to have lovely penmanship, of course. Like a poet. But now that Mr. Triton is mayor, Doland has more responsibilities. Still. Can't read what I can't read. I wish he would just do things the way he used to do them."

"Where are we headed, Luke?" Emmy asked.

"The specter will appear tonight on Great Ely Street in the North Ely district." He said.

"That boy we met earlier said they were evacuating that area."

"It seems that Doland has given them my warning."

"Luke, what's the fastest way to North Ely?" Layton asked.

"There is an intersection past the boat landing. From there, we need to go north. I'll show you the way."

"That area was blocked off by the police." Jasmine said.

Luke nodded to her. "Yes. I believe the police have been helping with the evacuation."

"We saw a house earlier that had been destroyed by the specter. Do you know anything about that?" Emmy asked.

"Brock's house, you mean?" Luke received a nod from Jasmine. "Yes, it was attacked. No one was hurt, but his house was destroyed."

Emmy put finger to her chin. "So, that was the specter's handiwork? I certainly hope we can help the people of Misthallery, Professor."

"I'm sure we'll find something useful in North Ely. But first, I'd like to see all of the damaged buildings. Has the specter attacked many areas around town, Luke?" Layton asked.

"I'm afraid so, Mr. Layton."

"Let's go back to Brock's house. I would like to be certain that we didn't miss anything the first time."

"Hey! There's Luke, my boy! Glad to see you getting some fresh air, kid!" Bucky grinned at the young boy.

"Oh, hello, Bucky." He politely greeted.

"Growing boys like you need to get outside and play. You trust ol' Bucky! You'll have a lot of fun playing outside with this!"

Luke smiled. "Thank you very much, Bucky."

Jasmine looked at what was in his hand. "…A train."

Luke nodded. "Have you ever played with toy trains, Jasmine?"

"No."

Emmy gasped. "Never?!"

"Never."

"But…didn't you have any toys?"

"I have one."

"Huh?" Luke and Emmy both looked at her in confusion.

Layton quietly stared at her.

Jasmine held the multi-colored teddy bear to her chest.

The teddy bear has colors of blue, light green, purple, and pink.

"Jasmine?"

She looked up to see Layton.

"Did you buy the teddy bear?"

She shook her head. "I found him… He's really dirty… Can you help me clean him?"

He smiled. "Of course."

Jasmine had found the multi-colored teddy bear in the streets, just like how someone once found her…

"Look at these rugged overalls! They're perfect for boating! Come back later for a boat ride!" Bucky grinned. "Right now, we're dealing with, uh…maintenance issues. But we'll be back up and floating soon! Be sure to stop by then!"

"…" Jasmine blankly stared at him.

They were back at Brock's destroyed house to see him laughing. "The specter crushed my house! Now I've got a flat flat! Beat that!" He continued laughing.

"I'm sorry about your home. It was lucky you weren't hurt." Emmy said.

"It wasn't luck! The oracle said the specter was coming! That oracle should become a meteorologist! The police evacuated us out of here, sure! But what now? I think I let my specter insurance lapse! Feel free to laugh with me anytime here, folks." He laughed.

How can anyone laugh at a time like this? Jasmine sadly looked at the boy.

Emmy was just as upset as she was. "Laughing at a time like this can make some of us feel rather sad."

"True enough." Layton agreed. "Let's leave him. He needs time to deal with this. Luke, what other places were hit by the specter?"

"There is a house east of the crossroads that is still being repaired."

"Then let's head there. Luke, after you."

"All right. Let's go."

"Some houses along the canal were damaged by the specter. Most of them have been repaired by now." Luke explained.

"Hmm. Was there any connection between the damaged houses?" Layton asked.

"What are you thinking, Professor?" Emmy asked.

"Oh, nothing…yet."

"But—but you—you must be thinking about something!"

"We need more information first, Emmy." Jasmine said. "We can't make any assumptions without any solid evidence."

Layton nodded in agreement. "Luke, where else can we see evidence of the attacks?"

"Hm. I'm sorry, but I think this is the only place that would have any damage remaining."

"All right. Let's head to North Ely and see if the specter will appear there next!"

"North Ely is just north of the crossroads. I'll show you the way."

Emmy smiled. "I hope the police aren't still blocking the way."

"That's odd."

"What's odd?" Jasmine and Luke said at the same time before glancing at each other in surprise.

"I'm sure I just saw a mouse pop up out of that pipe." Emmy said.

"Really? Cool! I've got a puzzle about rodents that I've been wanting to show someone. Would you like to try it, Jasmine?" Luke asked.

"I…I guess…"

"This rat hid his key behind his supply of cheese. He is paranoid about it being found, so he wants to change its hiding place. The only problem is that his cheese is in the way! Can you help the rat move his key from the hiding place on the right to the matching space directly to the key's left?"

Jasmine closed her eyes, thinking really hard.

She would have to move the cheese blocks to get the key from one slot to another.

"Great job, Jasmine!"

"Thank you…"

"I swear I saw a mouse. I'm not imagining things!" Emmy protested.

"Misthallery doesn't have mice! Sorry, Emmy."

Jasmine silently stared at Luke.

Jasmine noticed that the police man wasn't blocking their way.

"Hey there." A man greeted. "Tourists, eh?"

Layton smiled, adjusting his hat. "Yes, well, something like that."

"My name is Mido. Call me Mido. I won't go into details, but you should leave at once. Misthallery is dangerous right now. Sightseeing is not a good idea." The man warned.

"Are you referring to the specter?" Emmy asked. "If so, you needn't worry."

"How do you know about the specter?! The legend of the specter is not supposed to leave our borders!"

"We've been asked by Mayor Triton to investigate the affair."

"The mayor? Really? Perhaps he's more competent than I thought."

Jasmine frowned.

Luke looked at her in surprise.

Jasmine was usually calm and composed, but she looked angry just now…

"But how good are your deductive skills? Let me see you work here."

Mido laughed. "I see you've got some potential! Good news for us! Good luck on your investigation."

"Can you tell us anything about the specter?" Layton asked.

"Hmmm…no. But, I do wonder why the specter chose to show up now. We've had a problem with these sinkholes appearing lately. Seen some unnaturally thick fog too. So many problems in our little town these days."

"This is North Ely." Luke said to them.

"You're a great tour guide, Luke." Emmy complimented. "You're as good at this as you are at delivering hidden messages."

"Hidden messages?" He repeated.

"Yes, like the one in the letter where you wrote "Help SOS.""

"…"

"What was that all about?" Emmy asked.

Layton smiled. "I believe that test was intended for me. Luke here was hoping to find someone that he could trust."

"…"

"Because sometimes it's difficult to share secrets with those closest to you. And it's always easier to speak with someone who understands you. Would that be fair to say, Luke?"

His eyes widened with him gaping at them.

Emmy smirked. "Judging by his expression, I'd say you've impressed Luke with your powers of observation, Professor. Luke? Is there something you'd like to tell us? You can trust us."

"I can't… Not now."

"That's fine, Luke. We can wait until the time is right. For now, our hands are full with the specter. We need to find a place where we can safely observe the specter." Layton said.

"The second floor of the hotel on Great Ely looks down onto the street."

"That is our next destination, then!"

"The evacuation order has been given. Move along now. Nothing to see here." A police man said.

"Didn't we just see you elsewhere?" Layton asked.

"How am I supposed to know who or what you just saw?!" He snapped. "Misthallery officers have the same uniforms, helmets, and haircuts! Many of us are related, as well. It's all by order of Chief Jakes. But this isn't the time to discuss official regulations! I can't let you pass this way. You'll have to get permission from either the chief or the mayor."

"They have permission." Luke said.

The police man smiled. "Ah. Mayor Triton's son is accompanying you. Well, that's a different matter, then. You may pass. Tell your father I said hello, will you, son?"

Luke was silent before he looked at the brunette girl. "Jasmine…"

"Yes?"

"…How close are you to the professor?"

She hesitated. "At times, he is kinda like a father to me. I've known him since I was six. I worry about him sometimes."

Luke silently watched her. "Jasmine…"

"Ah yes, fate is kind to bring us together once more! I hope you are well, my friends." Aldus said; who they happened to see as they headed to Great Ely.

"Yes, we meet again. Is there something we can help you with?" Layton asked.

"YOU help ME? That is rich, indeed, my tall-hatted friend."

Jasmine walked away from them.

"Jasmine!" Luke ran after her. "You shouldn't run off."

She turned to him. "You know…it's kinda weird when someone younger than me is telling me that."

"I guess so… How old are you?"

"I'm thirteen."

"Oh…"

"And you?" Jasmine asked.

"I'm ten."

Three year difference… Physically, at least…

"Look at that car!" Luke exclaimed when they went to the entrance of Misthallery.

"Professor, are you sure we should just leave your automobile there?" Emmy asked.

Layton crossed his arms. "I do not see how we can get it into town. I think it will be fine."

"That's your car?!" Luke said in surprise. "It's so small and beat up! It just looks…unsafe."

"Well, it's definitely safe. But you think it looks beat up?" Layton asked.

"Luke, someone your age couldn't understand the charm of the Laytonmobile." Emmy said.

"The Laytonmobile, eh?" Luke glanced at Jasmine, who shrugged with a slight smile.

"You need to take a ride in it to understand, Luke. Professor, let's take Luke for a ride later!" Emmy suggested.

"Yes, of course. That would be fun."

Jasmine blinked when she saw an old man.

He was wearing a purple jacket and hat with a light blue buttoned shirt and yellow pants.

"Sir? Are you not aware of the evacuation order?" Emmy asked.

"Oh, I'm going, I'm going. Just let me get my things together. If I forget anything, my wife and son are going to be awfully mad!" He said.

"Good luck, sir. Please act quickly." Layton said.

"Do you need any help?" Jasmine asked.

"No, no, I'll be fine. Run along before you're left behind."

"Okay."

"Does Jasmine always help others?" Luke asked.

Layton smiled. "Yes. She's been like that since I've known her."

"Here's the hotel." Luke said to them.

"If the area has been evacuated, everyone should be gone, right?" Layton asked.

Emmy smirked. "Only one way to find out!"

"I don't see anyone here." Layton stated.

"There's a bell on the counter. Let's see if anyone answers it." Emmy said before using it.

A man came walking in.

He has a grey beard and mustache. He was wearing a green hat, matching pants, a brown jacket, and a pale yellow shirt. He has a beer in his hand.

"Well, finally! Some guests! Can I get you folks a room?"

"Sir, you must be aware that you are at risk today. Have you not received the evacuation order?" Layton asked.

"Evacuation order? I thought we had more cancelations that usual. As the owner of this establishment, I have no intention of leaving!" The man declared.

"The specter is coming tonight. You won't be having any guests." Luke said.

"Well, let the blasted specter come. He can put down a deposit just like everyone else. Besides, where is there to run to? The specter won't be leaving Misthallery anytime soon."

"Perhaps not, but…at least you'd be safe."

"Did you ring the bell to get a room or to badger an old man into abandoning his business? I suggest you refrain from telling me to go elsewhere unless you'd like me to tell you the same."

Layton smiled. "I suppose that's logical. We would like a room, please!"

"Actually, you look like pretty sophisticated folks. Maybe you could help me with something."

"That's all there was to it? How could I lose sleep over that? Tell you what—take room 302. Best city view in the district. Right up the stairs."

"You're too kind. Thank you."

"Room 302, here we are." Layton said.

Emmy smiled. "This is great! We can see the entire block from here! We'll have a front-row seat for the specter!"

Layton crossed his arms. "Well, we know that thick fog comes along with the specter. I hope the fog won't obscure our view."

Jasmine looked at the windows.

Hello... Long time no see... I'm sorry, but I've been so busy that I keep forgetting to update. Anyway...here is my chapter. I hope you will forgive me and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides Jasmine.