Hello readers,

Here's the next chapter.

Djinn – Thanks so much for all your support.

Hope you enjoy :)


Chapter 4: Behind the Music

"Thank goodness it was a safe landing," Janice sighed in relief as Edgar helped her out of the Grasshopper.

"Well, you know what they say, a good landing is one you can walk away from. A great landing is when you can reuse the plane," Edgar said, earning a giggle from Janice.

The speakers hidden in the castle squeaked and crackled to life as the voice of the Presenter spoke once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please assemble on the courtyard," the Presenter announced before the speakers turned off again.

"Courtyard?" Edgar questioned as he looked around.

All he could see was the sandy island and the castle that loomed over them. Now that he had a closer look, he could see that what looked like spikes from a distance turned out to be towers made from a black brick.

(A.N: I was wrong before. I honestly thought they were spikes. Sorry.)

"I believe he means up there," Layton pointed upwards.

Edgar and Janice followed his pointing finger and saw and elevated platform held up by brick bridges. Each bridge was connected to a tower on the island. They spotted a tower with a door wide open near the main castle and made their way to it.


Courtyard

Pierre growled impatiently as he waited at the courtyard. With him were Amelia, Celia, and Marco who were with him when they completed the previous puzzle. The courtyard was an open-roofed circle that stuck away from the main castle. Arranged into four corners were four green doors that led to different towers. Between each door on the courtyard ground was a letter painted on a large white tile. The survivors were all looking out at the view that sprawled around them. From this height they were almost able to see the sea.

He hummed in interest as he saw Layton, Janice and Edgar walk down the entrance bridge towards them.

"So, you made it," he said catching everybody's attention, "and I thought you all been turned into a tasty wolf dessert," he joked.

Edgar smirked, "And I thought you should have been sent off for that atrocious game against Liverpool, Mr Glass House."

Pierre frowned in irritation, "That ref was paid off, I tell you," he argued.

"And I suppose all the spectators were paid off as well," Edgar countered with a half-smile.

Pierre was about to argue more before the Presenter's voice echoed across the island.

"Let us now proceed to puzzle number 004. As you can see, there are four doors that lead to four towers. Now look down at the courtyard," they all did so and saw that the letters were G, H, I, K in that order, "one of these four towers contains the king's chamber. Find the door that leads into the king's chamber and when you do enter it."

The speaker snapped off and the puzzle commenced.


(Puzzle Start)

Edgar looked around at each letter.

'There doesn't seem to be any obvious connections to the letters themselves. However, what if it was something else.'

Edgar took a step back from the courtyard, 'The letters are oddly positioned. You would expect each letter to be in front of each door, but they are in between. Perhaps something should be in between each letters. G, H, I, K. What does that mea- oh of course K and G. You must put 'IN' to get King and therefore the door should go in is the door that is labelled 'IN'. Not too bad.'

(Puzzle Solved)


"Prof, I've got it," Edgar whispered to Layton.

"Vey good," Layton said, "Edgar I may need to ask you a favour."

Edgar raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Will you be alright if you go on ahead?" Layton asked.

"Ahead? Where are you going?" Edgar inquired in a hushed whisper.

"There is something I need to check," Layton explained cryptically, "I don't think this game is about eternal life after all. Can you make sure the others are safe?"

Edgar sighed reluctantly, "Fine, I hope you know what you are doing," he told him, earning a chuckle from the Professor.

"I'm sure of it," Layton confirmed.

Edgar shrugged and made his way to the door that led to the right tower. He opened it and gave an elaborate gesture for Janice to enter.

"Shall we," he told her as he invited her in.

Janice giggled lightly at his antics and entered followed by Edgar. Amelia and Marco decided to follow them, the former already figuring it out.

Once they had left, Layton had taken another door to a different tower. However, little did he realised that Celia and Pierre were keeping an eye on him. They had watched the exchange between the two and thought they were coming up with a plan to deceive them like in the second puzzle.

They both waited for him to get a safe distance before they followed him.

"That's right, Professor Layton. Why don't you lead us straight to the answer," Celia said with a smirk.

Layton had reached to tower and pushed open the heavy wooden door. Before he could get any further Pierre pushed him out of the way and he and Celia entered the tower.

Layton was taken back by this brazen attitude and hesitated as the two walked to the centre of the round room.

"Don't go, come back," Layton warned as he made way towards them.

But it was too late.

The floor beneath Pierre and Celia opened up suddenly and with a frightened scream the two fell. Layton had just caught the side of the trapdoor before he could fall in as well. With a grunt, Layton pulled himself up and onto the side of the room.

"Just wait there," he called down the pit, "we'll come back for you."

He then walked off to the place that could confirm his theories.


The King's Chamber

Edgar pulled down the brass handle to a double wooden door and entered the chamber. He looked around the room and nodded in satisfaction that he got the correct answer.

"Well, it certainly looks like a kingish and chamberish," Edgar remarked as everybody entered the room.

The chamber looked ornate and exotic. It reminded Edgar of something you would get in Roman or Byzantium places with its walls and its intricate frescos. In the corner was a king's size four-poster bed with a blue canopy. There was also a bookcase, a chandelier, and a wooden writing desk. At the far end was a window that took up the entire wall which led out to a balcony. However, nobody could see out it as it was draped with a lace curtain.

They all looked around the room waiting for who knows what. Eternal life, another puzzle, perhaps they did something wrong. However, there was nothing.

Just an empty room.

"What do we do now?" Janice asked in worry.

"I don't know," Edgar answered seriously, "it's too quiet."

Amelia and Marco glanced at each other anxiously.

Suddenly a loud bang and something being dropped interrupted the silence. They span around to see that large iron bars had fallen in front of the door, trapping them inside.

"Bugger!" Edgar cursed as he rushed towards them. He tried lifting them up, but they wouldn't budge.

"What's going on we've got the right answer!" Marco cried in shock as he too pulled on the bars.

Another loud bang and they turned to see another bar had fallen across the room, halving the chamber, and trapping them inside. There was a door, but once Edgar tried opening it, it became clear that it was locked.

"Damn it!" Edgar shouted as punched the bars in frustration, "it's a bloody trap!"

"Look," Amelia gasped as she pointed towards the balcony.

Everybody gasped as they saw the balcony doors open and in walked a figure hidden behind the lace curtain. Loud organ music played as the figure approached the curtains and revealed itself to them dramatically.

Edgar groaned in annoyance as he recognised the man very well. He had change very little since the first time they met.

"Of course, it's you," Edgar muttered, "I should have known by overblown dramatics."

"Edgar," Janice uttered in surprise, "do you know who this is?"

The man chuckled, "It is good to see you too, Mr Cipher."

"I can't say the same thing, Descole," Edgar replied with a growl.

Jean Descole, the man who terrorised Misthallery with his digging machines and destroyed the lives of the Barde children, has returned. Edgar didn't think he would see him any time soon.

"Who are you?" Marco gasped out.

"I am Jean Descole," he introduced himself with a dramatic bow, "a humble scientist and your host on this island."

"You forgot insane, robot building, manipulative, terrorist," Edgar quipped with a raised eyebrow, "I've seen you've been busy. The Crown Petone, the puzzles, this castle. You honestly have way too much time on your hands."

Descole smirked, "And I see that you're a free man," he chuckled slightly, "my apologies, almost free man."

Edgar shrugged, "What can I say. It's a living. At least these games have been entertaining."

"And now those games have come to an end," Descole said before he snapped his fingers.

At his call, six masked men entered the room and stood behind him obediently.

"Wh-what is all this?" Marco asked, "Which one of us gets eternal life?"

"There isn't eternal life," Edgar told him his eyes never leaving from Descole, "he may be a scientist, but he's not a miracle worker. What are you plan-"

He stopped in realisation.

"Amelia, get behind me now," Edgar ordered much to the blonde's shock.

"Wh-" she stuttered before Edgar pulled her behind her, protecting her from Descole.

Descole snapped his fingers once more, and the masked men unlocked and ran in through door of the iron cage.

Edgar had backed Amelia into the corner making sure she's safe.

"What's going on?" Amelia asked, afraid of the masked men.

"Don't you find it weird that you were only person that was invited to the show, Amelia," Edgar told her as he punched a masked man in the face, "The only person smart enough to complete the puzzles," he continued as he kicked another thug, "there were after you from the start."

By the time Edgar had finished, he was overwhelmed by the masked men and was brought to the ground. They dragged Amelia away and apprehended Janice and Marco.

Edgar growled in frustration as he glared at a smirking Descole.

He was unable to save them.


Somewhere Above the North Sea

It took a lot of favours and promises, but Emmy was able to obtain what she needed. She was just lucky that she got her pilots license in time. As well as the fact that the biplane came in her favourite colour.

Emmy chuckled at what Edgar would think of her flying a plane. He would probably be in disbelief at first. However, the thought of Edgar and the Professor being out a sea stopped her chuckling and she wore a worried frown.

'I hope you two are all right,' she wished.

That's when Emmy spotted something on the surface of the sea. It was a person balancing on a piece of broken wooden furniture and was waving a flag at her.

"A survivor," Emmy gasped as she flew towards the man.

Upon further investigation, she saw, to her shock, that it was Inspector Grosky and, to her disgust, that the flag he was waving was his clothes on a stick.

"Ahoy!" Grosky shouted, only clothed in his underwear, "I'm down here, I'm down here!"

She flew the plane downward, as close as she can to Grosky. However, it turned out to be too close as she the wind current of her landing caused Grosky to fall into the water.

"Oh sorry," Emmy shouted sheepishly.

A few minutes later and they were in the air again. Grosky had taken the second seat behind Emmy and taken the liberty of attaching his clothes to the plane's railings so they could dry off.

Emmy had explained what had happened on her investigation, including the news broadcast she saw.

"Oh, now I see it, those submarines that passed me were really lifeboats," Grotsky said as he wrung out his underwear.

"Yes, and with the missing audience of the Crown Petone aboard them," Emmy replied, trying not to look around at him, "well most of the anyway."

"You say that only one arrived," Grosky said, "I'm sure I saw two submarines escape the ship."

"Two?" Emmy asked in confusion.

"Yes, the other one went out to sea," Groksy informed.

"Of course, do you know which direction it went?" she asked.

Grosky thought for a moment before pointing in a direction.

"Right!" Emmy declared as she put her goggles over her eyes, "hold on."

She veered the plane in the direction had told her, causing Grotsky to accidently let go of his underwear.


Somewhere in the Castle

Layton had been searching the castle for a while now. The sun was starting to sink beneath the horizon, turning the sky into a beautiful orange and yellow. He walked down another furnished hallway and spotted a door which seemed different from the others he had seen.

He stepped through and inspected the room. It was ornate, but in a cosy way; with a bed, a desk, a few framed paintings, and window door that led out to a balcony. In the corner of the room was a piano with its lid opened. There were even framed photographs of the old Melena looking bright and happy. One photograph on the piano was of Janice and Melena taken a few years before this incident. The Professor inspected this photo closely.

"So, this is where she lived," Layton said out loud.

Beside the photo, on the music sheet holder, was a notebook opened up to where a few musical notes were scribbled down. Above the notes was the title, 'A Song of the Sea'.

Layton hummed as he inspected the melody before heading out onto the balcony. He sighed happily as he stared out at the view. From this balcony, Layton was able to see the sea bathed in the glow of the evening sun. He also saw the same white pillars that spouted out of the sea surrounding the island.

"What a wonderful view," he whispered to himself.

Somebody approached Layton from behind. Trying their best to be as sneaky as possible. They didn't want the Professor's unwanted attention.

"You're the person I came to see," Layton suddenly said not turning around and startling the unknown person, "Melina."

The young girl gasped, and her expression became filled with rage.

"You... you mustn't interfere," she shouted at him before the Melina turned around and headed to the door.

Layton spun around and tried to call her back.

Melina grasped the brass handle with her two small hands and tried to open the door. However, she stopped as piano music hit her ears.

Layton played the first few notes of 'The Song of the Sea'. It may have been short, but it was beautiful and enough for Melina to not run away. Layton turned to the piano and played the rest of the song. The music was sad and joyful at the same time as well as being oddly familiar.

Layton had finished the song and turned to see that Melina had stopped to listen to the song.

"How long have you been living here?" Layton asked.

"I was... I was very ill," Melina answered hesitantly, "My father brought me here. He thought the air would be good for me. That's why I'm so much better."

"Better?" Layton questioned, "Why would you be better? You told Janice you had been reborn with the gift of eternal life."

"I was... I was reborn," Melina insisted, tears forming in her eyes, "I was ill. I died and then I..."

She suddenly clutched her head in pain, "I didn't die!" she said in a voice that was not hers, "He is not my daddy!"

"He brought me here," she frantically explained in her first voice.

"He didn't. Quiet. He will find out."

She shook her head to clear away the second voice. Layton looked down in worry at the distressed girl.

"Melina," Layton said.

"I am not Melina," she insisted.

"Yes,I am," insisted the second voice.

"No! I want to go home!"

"Stop it! Stop it!" she shouted as she held her head tighter, distraught by her internal debate.

Layton thought back on all the times he had seen Melina. How reluctant she had been to bring Layton and Edgar to this island.

It dawned on him.

"Of course," Layton said with a small frown.


Underground Tunnels

Marco, Janice, and Edgar were escorted through the brick walled tunnels underneath the castle. Marco was walking on ahead with two masked men behind him while Janice and Edgar walked side by side with one man behind them.

They had taken Amelia somewhere else, much to Edgar's ire, but he was determined to get her back. If that meant punching a few people, then so be it.

Janice subtle turned to Edgar and gave him a small nod. Edgar responded with a smile, and they set their plan into motion.

Edgar suddenly doubled over clutching his stomach in pain. He kneeled on the ground, making everybody stop. The masked man behind him approached him and as soon as he was close enough Janice pushed him with her shoulder. Edgar stuck out his foot and tripped the man, making him hit his head on the wall and get knocked out.

Edgar stood up and the duo ran away from the other guards.

"We make a good team," Edgar commented as they ducked down a side tunnel, the masked men pursuing them.

Janice giggled before turning back to the situation. They continued to run down tunnel after tunnel. However, they suddenly stopped as iron gate fell from the ceiling and blocked their escape. The ceiling opened up and three masked men jumped down through it. They looked back and saw more masked men.

They were trapped.

Edgar pushed Janice behind him and protected her from the men that approached them from both ends of the tunnel.

Luckily, Emmy had shown him some pointers in fighting.

Edgar attacked the closest man. The man aimed a punch to his face, but Edgar ducked under it and aimed a punch to his jaw and then a knee kick to his stomach. The next closest man aimed a jab to Edgar's nose, but Edgar sidestepped it, grabbed on to the scruff of the man's uniform and his arm, and tripped him onto his front.

The next man Edgar didn't see. He was pushed backwards and would have fallen if somebody didn't catch him. Edgar briefly noted the soft things his head fell onto before he looked up to see the face of Emmy beaming down at him.

"You took your time," Edgar quipped good naturally.

"I took all the time I needed," Emmy quipped back before she pushed him off her chest.

Edgar stumbled for a moment but caught himself. He looked back towards Emmy and-

Edgar groaned as he saw Grosky jumping down the hole from the ceiling.

"And I was having such a lovely day as well," Edgar muttered in deadpanned tone.

"Criminal," Grosky grumbled in greeting, "I see you are in trouble once more."

"You make it sound like I'm the cause," Edgar lazily replied before he turned back to the remaining masked men.

Edgar and Emmy opposed the masked men while Janice and Grosky stood behind them. Edgar and Emmy shared a smile before attacking the masked men.

Emmy judo flipped her first man while Edgar sent a left hook at another one. Grosky got into the fight, but he was just struggling with one masked man by the time Edgar and Emmy had moved onto their third.

Last one masked man was left. Edgar gestured dramatically with his hand to say that Emmy can have this one. Emmy smiled and nodded her head in thanks.

After a few sloppy swings that Emmy dodged, she kicked the man in the balls, knocking him out.

Edgar frowned as he looked at the man holding his crutch in pain on the floor.

"Was that really necessary?" Edgar asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"It was what I wanted to do to you for making me worry so much," Emmy responded, holding her hands on her hips.

"…and…now do want to still do that?" Edgar asked hopefully.

"Actually, I have a better thing," Emmy crossly said before she wrapped Edgar into a surprise hug, "I was really worried," she whispered.

Edgar hesitantly hugged her back, "I'm sorry," he whispered back.

They pulled away quickly when they heard an awkward cough. Janice looked between the two with a raised eyebrow.

"So, you two know each other," Janice said questioningly.

"That there," Grosky interrupted, having finally defeated the masked man he was fighting, "is a criminal, young lady."

Janice turned to Edgar with a puzzling look.

"Ignore him. He comes up with the weirdest things," Edgar told her with a shrug.

"You let me be taken away by that man who turned out to be a balloon," Grosky accused.

This time Emmy and Janice turned to Edgar.

"See what I mean. What an imagination," Edgar said with a shrug.

Emmy rolled her eyes and turned to Janice, "So you must be Janice. Edgar has mentioned you."

Janice returned an awkward smile back, "Yes. I…don't believe Edgar has mentioned…you."

A tick mark formed on Emmy's head.

"Oh really," she said with a strained smile as she glared at Edgar.

"Err…well," Edgar stuttered, "Actually, Janice this is Emmy Altava. The Prof's assistant. I think he already mentioned her."

"Oh yes," Janice brightly said, "I remember now. Sorry, I wasn't aware you were Emmy. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Emmy's expression relaxed slightly, "Oh I see. It's a pleasure to meet you too. I hope Edgar hasn't been causing you trouble."

"Oh, heavens no," Janice giggled slightly, "he's been a gentleman."

"…Has he," Emmy said, her eyebrow twitching in irritation, "…that's good."

Janice nodded as she glanced at Edgar.

"Out of curiosity, how old are you?" Emmy asked.

"Erm…Nineteen."

"Oh, and Edgar's fourteen. Quite the age gap, don't you think."

Janice's smiled remained, but Edgar knew it was only there out of politeness.

"I suppose so. However, I don't really mind," Janice replied, "you are around the same age as me. Are you not?"

"Yes. I suppose I am, but how does that matter."

"I think we both know why that matters," Janice replied pleasantly.

The two women stood staring at each other with calm smiles on their faces. Neither backing down.

Edgar was in the middle of this, trying to make himself as invisible as possible.

"Mate, I do not envy you," croaked one of the fallen masked men from the ground.

Edgar gave him a sharp kick to the head.

Running footsteps echoed down the tunnels. Edgar turned around and almost cried when he saw Layton approach with Milena.

"Oh look, the Prof's here," Edgar rapidly said, breaking the standoff.

"Are you alright?" Layton called out.

"Prof, I never been happier to see you," Edgar cried as he ran to the Professor.

Emmy saw the young girl holding Layton's and rushed to her.

"Nina," she said as she kneeled in front of the young girl.

"Nina?" Edgar repeated in confusion.

Emmy ignored his questioned and laid her hands comfortingly on the young girl's shoulders.

"Your mommy and daddy sent me," she reassured the girl.

"Can I go home now?" Nina asked hopefully.

"Yes. They are frightfully worried. They miss you," Emmy told her.

Edgar kneeled down next to Nina as well, "Why did you run off earlier? I was really worried," he scolded gently.

Nina looked down at her feet guiltily, "Sorry," she mumbled.

Edgar pattered her head lightly, "It's fine. Just don't do it again, okay."

Nina nodded happily which made him chuckle. Edgar looked up to Layton with a serious expression.

"Prof, it's Descole. He's behind all of this and he has Amelia," he informed.

"Descole," Emmy repeated in concern.

"I see," Layton said before he turned to Janice who has been quiet throughout the whole thing, "Janice, let's finish this."

Janice looked down on the floor for a few seconds. She seemed reluctant to do something, but Edgar had no idea what.

Eventually, Janice sighed and looked up at Layton.

"Yes," she plainly said.

The group took off down the tunnels towards where they are keeping Amelia. Edgar had decided to carry Nina down the tunnels as he didn't want to exhaust her small legs.

Nina spotted Grosky in the group over Edgar's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for pushing you off the ship," Nina apologised.

"Wait what," Edgar gasped in joy as he gave Grosky a mocking grin, "you missed that out."

"Don't you dare, criminal," Grosky growled, "there is nothing funny about it."

"What? An Inspector of Scotland Yard and renowned criminal capturer was overpowered by a small child," Edgar chuckled, "and you're saying there's nothing funny about it."

"Edgar," Layton warned.

"Alright, alright," Edgar sighed, "Nina, you shouldn't push the full grown man of ships," he jokingly scolded before taking something out of his jacket pocket, "and onto a completely unrelated subject, I am giving you this sweet, but not as reward," he said with a dramatic wink.

Nina giggled slightly as she took the wrapped sweet from Edgar's hand.

Emmy rolled her eyes, "Your so childish, Pig," she muttered.

Janice giggled at the exchange.


A short, but essential chapter in this arc.

Thanks for reading and all your support.

I'll see you next time.

Thanks :)

Next Time: the mystery of eternal life.