Chapter 35

Herminia sighed as she accepted a stack of letters from her maid Rosa. She sat down at her desk and began flipping through the letters, ignoring the ones that she knew to be paychecks and the ones she knew was letters of admiration from a young man named Rosso who was a student of hers that was absolutely infatuated with her. The professor rolled her eyes before she opened up the drawer on her desk which was filled to the brim with past letters from Rosso before shoving his current letters inside and slamming it closed.

Once she finished sorting through the different letters, she noticed that the last letter was different from the others. Deciding to fulfill her curiosity, Herminia picked up the envelope to discover it was sent by Janice Quatlane who was a former student of hers that went on to become an opera singer. She opened the envelop and was stunned when she saw the letter contained a message asking for her help to solve a mystery concerning a young girl who claimed to be Janice's deceased friend Melina who supposedly came back from the dead after receiving the gift of eternal life.

Feeling something else was in the envelope, Herminia shook it a bit, prompting three tickets to the opera to fall upon her desk. Upon further inspection the letter explained how the tickets were for her, Emmett, and Luke who the young opera singer learned were accompanying her from the newspaper article about the three of them discovering the Golden Garden.

Before Herminia could think anymore about the mystery handed to her, the door to office opened up to reveal Luke greeting "Good morning, professor!" as he entered the room.

"Ah, Luke, you've arrived just in time. I was looking through my letters to discover that we have another mystery to look into." the professor replied as she handed him the letter.

Luke's eyes widened as he read the message, surprised that someone was claiming they had received eternal life.

"Janice was even kind enough to give us tickets so we can go see her show and discuss with her the situation afterwards." Herminia explained as she held up the tickets in her hand.

She was expecting Luke to be excited at the thought on going on another adventure with her until the young boy pointed out how there wasn't enough tickets to bring Alfendi along. She was confused by this until she remembered her agreement with her son that she would take him on an investigation but only if he didn't have any school at the time and it turned out that he didn't have school for a few days. The professor sighed as she silently tapped her chin, wondering how she should go about the tickets without breaking her promise to her son.

Later that day Luke clung onto the car seat with the expression of fear painted on his face while Alfendi sat calmly while reading a mystery novel. The dirty-blond-headed boy was terrified by Emmett who was driving Herminia's car at top speeds with a smug grin on his face, causing the car to constantly bump around. His brown eyes glance over to the professor to see that just like her son she was calmly reading a novel, only occasionally reaching up with one hand to prevent her top hat from falling off of her head.

"How can you both be use to Emmett's crazy driving?" Luke exclaimed as he slightly bounced up from his seat, causing his hat to fall over his eyes.

"To be honest, this isn't really any different from mum's driving and I pretty much got use to it after having her drive me around for ten years." Alfendi answered without even tearing his gaze away from his novel.

"Besides, kid, if you can't handle the way I drive then you'll have a hard time being assistant number two." Emmett teased with a smirk.

The dirty-blonde- headed boy huffed in anger before immediately replying "First of all I made it absolutely clear that I don't like you calling me kid! Second of all I am not the professor's second assistant; I am her apprentice number one!"

Emmett rolled his eyes before directing his attention back to the road. He was truly stunned when Herminia informed him of the case they were dealing with and much to his fear it was possibly connected with an ancient Azran kingdom known as Ambrosia. He silently inhaled deeply as his hands clenched tightly around the steering wheel. A part of him had hoped that the investigation wouldn't have anything to do with the Azran so that he wouldn't have to worry about his secret duty as a spy for Bronev. Over the months, the guilt kept lingering over Emmett's head as he continued to sneak around Herminia's back, informing Targent of every little detail about the Azran that had came up.

He knew that he couldn't keep the secret hidden forever and eventually one day he would have to reveal his traitorous deeds to the people he had grown to care about. The assistant was awakened from his thoughts when he heard Herminia ask him if he was alright. His brown eyes glanced at his companion for a second, managing to notice the concerned frown on her face before immediately directing his attention back to the road.

"Oh sorry, professor." he spoke up, "I was just thinking about the missing girls' case I have to look into while you, Luke, and your son go see Janice's show. Sorry if I seemed lost in thought for a moment."

"Well alright then, just know if you have any problems, you can always talk to me." Herminia replied as she directed her attention back to her novel.

But because she did this, she didn't notice how her words made Emmett's face turn red as he smiled slightly.

It wasn't long to they finally reached their destination along the cliffs of Dover. Emmett raised a brow out of curiosity when his eyes gazed upon the elegant opera house known as the Crown Petone. He found it strange because he never recalled an opera house under that name and made him wonder why it suddenly appeared out of the blue with no one being informed of its existence ahead of time. He was awakened from his thought s when he heard the sound of Herminia leaving the car along with Luke and Alfendi.

"By the way, Emmett, before you go I would like you to drop by Dr. Schrader's office at some point." the professor said as she turned toward her assistant. "Back when he was still my teacher he briefly spoke to me about his research on the kingdom of Ambrosia. He had discontinued his work when Archeologist Falson and his daughter Melody mysteriously went missing went missing about thirteen years ago. But he should have enough material for you to look into because I suspect that Janice's mystery might be connected to the ancient Azran kingdom."

Emmett did his best not to flinch as he pulled out his camera and began taking pictures of the opera house, trying to hide away his emotions the best he could since he was fully aware that both Melody and her father weren't missing but rather killed by the very man he looked up to as a father.

Forcing a grin on his face he finally replied "Of course, professor. You can count on me."

Herminia nodded in satisfaction before her assistant climbed back into the car and drove off.

"It's about time he drove off, I thought if his face were to turn any redder it would explode." Alfendi commented with his arms crossed as the trio walked into the opera house.

"What do you mean by that, Alfendi?" Luke asked out of confusion.

The purple-headed boy sighed before answering "Based on how nervous Emmett is around mum, it's obvious he has a bit of a fancy for her. I don't know whether mum knows this and chooses to not comment or if she is truly oblivious to his feelings. But I suppose it doesn't matter, I just hope he realizes those feelings aren't worth pursuing."

Luke was stunned by the professor's son's comment; he had never realized that Emmett had feelings for Herminia but when he looked back he remembered how anger and protective Emmett became when Jakes threatened the professor to the point when Herminia rescued them he had demanded if she was unharmed.

"Well I guess it's reasonable for Emmett to fall for the professor, she's been very kind to him and they seem to get along very well to the point I mistook him for the professor's husband when I saw she was wearing a wedding ring. Why do you say he shouldn't pursue his feelings?" he asked.

"Luke..." Alfendi began to speak with his voice hinted with both bitterness and sadness, "You never got a chance to know my father Clarence before he was killed in a explosion seven years ago. If you had him then you would have known how much mum had truly loved and cared for him. I may not know much about my mum but I know that she simple can't feel for another person how she felt for my father. I don't know if mum will ever try to get in another relationship but the most likely answer is no."

The dirty-blonde-headed boy remained silent as they continued walking into the opera house. He now understood why Herminia was saddened for a few seconds when he pointed out the wedding ring she wore. His brown eyes glanced down at the floor in thought, wondering how the brown-headed woman still managed to find the strength to be strong in life after she experienced such a devastating tragedy.
Herminia inhaled deeply as her eyes glanced around the opera house halls which were filled with many fossils and gold crowns. Because her mind was distracted, she was unable to pay any attention to Luke's discussion with her son. Instead her thoughts were focused on the mystery on Ambrosia and the Eternal Life that was supposedly gifted to Melina.

She was awakened from her thoughts when she heard the sound of someone running toward her. She turned her head to see none other than Janice who was a red-headed woman wearing a purple dress approaching her with a relieved smile on her face.

"Professor, I'm so glad you were able to make it. I wasn't sure what I would do if you hadn't come." Janice said before she gave the brown-headed woman a small hug.

"I came as soon as I received your letter. Though unfortunately Emmett will be unable to attend, I had sent him to look into a certain case. I have a hunch but I can't be too certain until I gather more clues, so I brought my son Alfendi in his place." Herminia said as she placed her hand against her son's back and nudged him forward.

The red-headed woman smiled as she kneeled down where she was eye level with the ten year-old boy.

"Your mother is lucky to have such a handsome boy for a son." Janice commented.

Upon hearing this Alfendi rolled his eyes, not really interested in the young woman's compliments.

Noticing this immediately, Herminia stated "Alfendi is a good boy but he doesn't necessarily share my viewpoint when it comes to manners so while he may come off rude, just know that he has a nice personality once he finally warms up to you."

Janice nodded in understanding before she turned her attention to Luke. She couldn't help but giggle slightly as she watched the boy's mouth drop open slightly before his face began to blush brightly. Fortunately she knew the boy was only flustered by her appearance rather than feelings since she was much too old for him; she was able to know this from past experiences of many people commenting on her beauty whether it be opera critics or loving fans. Without a word Janice stood back up and turned toward the professor once more.

"Well the show is fixing to start and I must get prepared for my part. So hopefully once the show is over I may be able to discuss with you this strange situation." she said.

"Of course, I understand, Janice. In the meantime I'll be looking forward to your performance." Herminia replied.

Janice smiled with gratefulness before she took off without another word.
The trio didn't utter a single word as they made their way to the seating area and sat down in their respective seats. Luke watched in awe as the lights dimmed and the red curtains pulled away to reveal many people dressed in white robes in the setting of a beautiful garden. Within seconds music began to fill the air and the spotlight shined down on Janice who was now wearing an elegant pink dress and a gold tiara.

Once her voice chimed throughout the opera house, Luke found himself commenting "Janice has a lovely voice."

"Indeed, after all she was trained by Melina's mother Maria Whistler." the professor stated, "In fact she is the reason why this play exists."

Both Luke and Alfendi listened as Herminia explained how the composer's wife Maria Whistler had often read the stories of Ambrosia and was truly enchanted by the story of a kingdom with a beautiful queen who one day fell ill, prompting her subjects to search for a cure, leading them to discover the Elixir of Life but they were too late to save their queen so they drank the elixir themselves in hopes that one day their queen would return. Maria had loved the story so much that she shared them with her daughter with Melina. Unfortunately tragedy struck her when one day she was discovered dead at a restaurant and traces of poison were discovered in her teacup.

"No one to this day knows who poisoned Maria or why they did so. But the death left her husband Oswald Whistler devastated and according to Janice, he only fell deeper into his depression when his daughter Melina died from illness. This is why he had chosen to center the play around the legend of Ambrosia, in memory of his daughter and wife." Herminia finished explaining.

Alfendi fell silently as his golden eyes glanced downward; he was very familiar with the feeling of loss, prompting him to remember how devastated and broken he felt when Herminia had slipped into a coma, especially during the time he was already suffering from the news of his father's death. He was awakened from his thoughts when the last words of Janice's song rang through his ears. Upon hearing the last note, the ten year-old boy raised a brow in confusion. He didn't know why but the note seemed to carry a strange aura that made him feel like it wasn't truly the red-headed woman's singing. But he quickly brushed off the thought, believing the feeling just to be his imagination.

Once Janice's song ended, both Herminia and Luke stood up as they applauded the performance. But much to their surprise no one else was applauded but instead glancing around the room with bored expressions painted on their faces and releasing a few occasional yawns. Herminia was confused by this until the spotlights flashed on once more, directing her attention to the stage once more. But what she saw one stage almost made her blood run cold. There standing in the spotlight was none other than Descole.

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for joining my little game." the masked man chuckled with a smirk.

"Professor, isn't that the man from Misthallery?" Luke exclaimed in shock, stunned to once again encounter the masked man.

Herminia balled one of her hands into a fist, doing her best to keep herself calm as she replied "Yes it is, Luke."

"Now before I explain the rules of this game, I would like an audience member to join me on stage. Pacifically Professor Layton." Descole said.

The brown-headed woman's brown eyes widened in shock slightly, leaving her to wonder exactly how he knew she was in the opera house. Deciding to comply with the orders for the moment, she took in a deep sigh before walking up on stage with Luke following closely behind her. She knew the young boy didn't want her going anywhere near the masked man alone, especially after he almost killed her with his giant robot back in Mistahallery.

Descole remained silent as he watched his sister approach him with an angry yet stern expression on her face. It enraged him to see that she was once again was getting to close to the Azran for his liking and that no matter what he seems to do, his actions never seems to drive the professor off from discovering the truth. His brown eyes glanced at Luke who was angrily glaring at him in an attempt to make himself look as protective as possible. He didn't want the young boy to come up on stage as well but he chose to ignore him, knowing that the boy had learned from Herminia to never back down no matter what.

"Alright, Descole, how did you know I was here?" the professor spoke up.

"Well after our encounter in Misthallery, I learned that you're always foolish enough to get involved in my affairs, no matter what threats I throw in your direction. So since I know I can't make you back down, I might as well have you play in my game as well. But this time I have learned to not underestimate you so I've decided to take a few precautions." Descole replied.

Herminia was confused by this until she heard Alfendi yell out. She turned toward the audience and froze when she saw two men wearing black clothes and white masks holding onto her son tightly by his arms and he kicked and struggled in an attempt to get free.

She clenched her teeth tightly before spinning toward the masked man once more and yelling "Leave my son out of this, if you truly want me out of the way then have me taken as a prisoner rather than Alfendi, he has nothing to do with this."

Descole remained silent as he closed his eyes for a second. As much as he hated to admit it, the scene reminded him of the memory of Bronev threatening him when he showed that he had both his wife and daughter in his grasp. He didn't have to image the thoughts of rage anger that were coursing through the professor's mind at the sight of her son being held against his will in the grasp of two men that looked ready to perform harm at command. While he didn't want to resort to such a dirty tactic in order to insure his sister wouldn't get too much involved in his plan, the memory of her suffering convinced him to strive forward with his plans, making sure Herminia stayed far away from the Azran at all costs.

After a few seconds of silence he reopened his eyes and said "These are the actions I must take to keep you on a tight leash. I can't have you go and besting me like you did in Misthallery. So here's the deal, play in my game and follow all the rules and your son shall be returned to you unharmed. But if you dare step out of line, your son will suffer the consequences."

Herminia sighed as she glanced back at her son; she couldn't bare the thought of something happening to him so without any seconds thoughts she agreed to the masked man's terms.

"Just hang in there, Alfendi. Once I find a way to get you out of harm, I will figure out what Descole is doing. If he's here there's no doubt that this mystery has to be involved with the Azran just like the mystery of the specter was." she thought to herself.

"Well now that's settled, I shall now explain the game. Everyone in this room will be competing for the chance to receive eternal life. The winner shall receive eternal life while the losers..." Descole explained before forming a dark grin on his face and finishing "Shall lose their lives."