Chapter 8- Grave secrets
"EMMY!"
Again and again the words bore into what remained of her mind, meaning less than nothing to the spirit as her very existence rapidly deteriorated around her. The creature's jeers of victory tore through her soul along with the distorted voices chanting her name continuously as the final stage of her torturous death.
"Wh...wh…wh…what's going on?!"
The biggest amount of pain swiftly followed upon acknowledging the frantic pleading voice. Several more followed, becoming fainter and more distant with every second that passed, seeming millions of miles away where her lost spirit could no longer reach. Her spirit had been torn from their grasp, buried deep in an endless chasm of terror and agony.
'I didn't even say goodbye…'
Just uttering that single word to those she held dearest to her would've made her death much more endurable. A wet substance streamed down her face as she let out rasping hoarse screams and—
Was it her imagination, or was she no longer tethered to the railings of the bed? Was she no longer staring into the cold and maniacal eyes of the creature that had claimed her? No; upon forcing open her eyes, which she assumed had been ripped out of their sockets by the beast, a bright light emitted from the bottom of the dark chasm, filling it with hope and the spirit of peace. Now it was a beautiful place to die…
Only she wasn't dying; if anything, she was being restored to life. She was being lifted out of terror and agony's territory by some unknown creature. Now she knew she wasn't imagining it-the voices were definitely getting louder and clearer now.
"Emmy…"
A distorted image flitted across the light, replacing the bloodthirsty demon with a flawless beautiful angel…
The woman reached out her arm as far as it would take to reach him, to hold his hand again, to be with him again and start over. He looked at her with sad eyes, a tear falling down his cheek as he slowly faded away. She called out to him, but the last glimpse she saw was of the angel shaking its head and departing into the world of peace. Now she had tears streaming down her face again…her flawless face…cleansed of pain and blood…with not even a scratch on it.
"EMMY, CAN YOU HEAR US?!"
She jolted sharply, throwing herself forwards as several loud screams emitted from her vocal chords, despite the dryness of her throat. Her whole body was trembling from a variety of different emotions, but she was so relieved to see her body, unharmed or disfigured, that she immediately wrapped her arms around her waist, squeezing her stomach tightly. The light was starting to fade now; the twisted shapes and colours in front of her gradually shifted into focus, in a similar process as to how she would fix her own camera lens if it got broken.
"Emmy…Oh, my dear, dear girl…"
Multiple hands gently lowered themselves onto her shoulders, not to bring pain but to relieve her from it. She flinched slightly, still unsure of what was going on, until she could clearly make out her surroundings; she was back in her bed in their room at the 'Crummeatrice Inn', sitting bolt upright with eyes as wide as teacups. Her eyes scanned the room: not a single thing appeared to be out of place, her bed was in its correct position and showed no signs of damage, yet alone being ripped apart and seeming to have a mind of its own. Nonetheless, she shot them a deadly glare and immediately tried to put as much distance as possible between herself and those slender railings; she really didn't want them touching her body again, let alone going through the final step of Egyptian mummification where they were using metal bandages instead of cotton.
"It's okay, dear. You're safe now."
She blinked rapidly, finally acknowledging the many faces surrounding her, contorted with worry. The nearest one to her own was the professor's and needless to say she had never seen him look more worried in her life: his eyes were firmly focused on her, wide and terrified, his face as white and as rigid as ice. In his arms sat another figure, hunched up and burying her face in her palms. It took just a second to find Flora's distressed figure, making Emmy's expression seem like one that belonged to a person who had just received a rather pleasant surprise. Brenda had her hands planted gently on Emmy's shoulders, massaging them thoroughly and drawing out all of the negative feelings from her body. She too appeared to be shaking. Luke was crouched down next to her bed, his eyes welling up with tears.
Melina lay on the bed opposite to her own, inexplicably being able to sleep through the current events that were happening. She'd been asleep all evening, even when they had returned defeated, but at least she wasn't causing a fuss and currently this helped. Strangest of all was the expression on Clark's face: if anything he seemed to be as petrified as Flora, breathing irregularly and just about managing to look human.
"E…E…Emmy?" Luke stammered, sounding slightly more hopeful as her eyes scanned the room.
"S…s…s…s…she's turned C…C…Clive into some type of…m…m…monster, Professor. H…h…he…tried to…k…kill me and—"
"It's okay, it's okay," Brenda whispered in a soothing tone, gently stroking her forehead, "It's over. You were just dreaming—"
"It felt so…r…r…real though and—"
"We're here now, Emmy…everything's going to be alright…"
The professor pulled himself closer towards her slowly recovering figure, gently caressing her face in his moist hands. The gesture instantly sent a feeling of calm running through her veins as she took several deep breaths to console herself before tears clouded her vision and she launched once again into her mentor's arms, crying uncontrollably.
The professor instinctively wrapped his arms around her, as if shielding her from some unexpected danger. He had now gotten used to seeing this new side of his assistant, but he could without question admit that he didn't like it at all. She seemed so…fragile-like an innocent child, broken and lost to the world around her. She needed love and protection…and care. This only made him wonder what her life was like as a child. Had she actually lived like a child? Did she have the opportunity? He pulled the woman closer to his chest, stroking her head gently and continuously murmuring reassuring sounds to her. His mind ran back to the events of what were just mere hours ago.
'This must've really shaken her…' he thought sadly to himself as her anguished sobs became muffled by his thick jumper, 'maybe even beyond repair…'
"I'm s…s…sorry, Professor," she sobbed, gripping his jumper as if her very life depended on it, which it could've done at that moment, "I shouldn't b…be…acting like…t…this…"
"Shh…Shh…Hush now, my dear. It's all over. You were having a nightmare-an extremely unpleasant one-but it wasn't real at all. I give you my word on that. We're always here for you…and there is absolutely nothing to be sorry for…"
He continued to speak to her in soft hushed tones, gradually succeeding in calming her further. She sniffled quietly but she still couldn't manage to erase the tears from her eyes. Flora lightly patted her on the back, looking on at the scene in front of her with saddened eyes. Brenda shuffled away tentatively, her arm encircling her husband. Luke forced himself onto the bed next to the crying woman, sighing sadly.
"Please don't cry, Emmy…we won't let anything ever happen to you!"
He spoke in a determined but gentle tone, which made the edges of her lips crease into the tiniest smile. She couldn't have ever dreamt for better friends than she had now; they were all worried about her and hated to see her upset. In her opinion, the very least she could do was reassure them with a smile.
"Th…th…thank you, Luke," she replied as she sent an attempt at a smile in his direction, "Thank you, Professor-and thank you…I'm just so grateful to have friends as brilliant as you!"
"That's what friends and gentlemen do," Layton replied, sighing with relief, "Now, you said your dream was about Clive-and he had turned into a bloodthirsty creature and killed you? The Death Dogs certainly do…leave their marks upon their victims. Hmm…This is very strange…"
"Mhmm…," Emmy mumbled in response as she gently dried her eyes, peering cautiously at the white blanket smothering Clark's face, "C…Clark? What's wrong? Are you in pain again?"
"N...n…no," he faltered, swallowing hard as Luke looked down at the floor with a pained expression, "I…I had a nightmare too…it wasn't the same as yours. It was similar but…it almost scared the life out of me…similar to your reaction…"
Emmy's raised her head slightly to observe him more clearly, looking pitifully at him.
"Wh…what happened?" she asked in a frightened voice, "if…if you don't mind me asking—"
"No, of course…n…not…," he answered quickly, screwing up his eyes as the memory burnt into his skull, "It was dark…I woke up to an empty room…there was no one there. I called you for what seemed like hours…and then I heard Luke-screaming. I r…ran as fast as I could down the cavern and…she was trying to…t…t…torture him again…She had Brenda t…too. She disappeared briefly with Luke…and t…t…then I ran over to Brenda…She was curled up on the floor in…a…agony…Then she mutated into the…s…sorceress…as the real Brenda fell bleeding to the floor…then she summoned her again…but this time it was different…she mutated into a…D…Death Dog and…I watched as L…L…L…Luke was—"
"It's okay, Clark. We're both fine," Brenda whispered softly into his ear, gently kissing his tear stained cheek, "He woke up, screaming like a banshee-we thought there was a murderer in the room! Anyway h…he woke up in hysterics and went on about nothing but Luke and myself. We were greatly shocked by it…but then the professor noticed that you were writhing in your sleep; it was clear something was wrong."
"Y…y…yes, of course. I'm sorry, Clark," Emmy said sadly, looking up at the professor with a suddenly startled expression, "but…I don't understand; the dreams were what we f…feared the most and…were about the Death Dogs. Was it just us? Do you mean to say that you didn't have any?"
The professor smiled slightly.
"That sounds more like the Emmy Altava I know," he said warmly before suddenly allowing a serious expression to cover his face, "but no…we didn't have the slightest nightmare. That is what seems strange to me. However, I have a feeling that it is something to do with our sorceress…"
"Could she be implanting frightening images into our minds so that we tell her where the Reinhold fortune is?" Flora asked with a gasp of shock, "Every villager in St Mystere could experience the same thing soon!"
Emmy allowed the professor to remove his arms from around her, gesturing to Flora.
"A very sensible point, my girl," he praised as he kissed the top of her forehead, "but it seems that St Mystere is no longer the safe haven that it once used to be…"
"I think you're right, Professor," Flora sighed, letting herself drop down next to Luke.
Mystery 5-Nightmares
During the night, Clark and Emmy received strange and terrifying nightmares of their worst fears, but both of them had some sort of connection to the Sorceress of Darkness. Is she implanting these nightmares into her victims' minds to terrify them? How is she doing so and why?
"Ugh, my throat is so sore!" Emmy moaned, scratching her neck, "Could someone pass me some water please?"
Luke rummaged through his satchel quickly, pulling out a small cartoon of juice as he shakily handed it to her.
"It's the best I can find. I'm sorry," he apologised, "We used up all of the water. Flora told us that little Leia can up with a fresh jug of water for us whilst you were gone, but Mum used the majority of it to rehydrate my father and you had quite a bit earlier before you fell asleep."
"Oh yeah, I remember getting up and asking Brenda if I could have some water for my throat. It wasn't much though," she said groggily before she turned to Luke and gratefully accepted his offering, "Thank you, Luke. This will be just fine. Believe me when I say this: I'm so thirsty that I could just lap up the Thames!"
Luke and Flora laughed as Emmy began making small lapping gestures to prove her point. Layton smiled, relieved that she was feeling better. The woman winced a little as she flicked her tongue out of her mouth.
"I've got a really weird taste in my mouth," she announced, pressing the juice to her lips and sighing contentedly as it ran down her throat, "but that feels sooomuch better! Thanks again!"
"My pleasure," Luke giggled, blushing slightly.
The professor smiled at his apprentice and his daughter before clearing his throat and turning back to Emmy.
"I'm just going to have a talk with Emmy for a few minutes. Luke, Flora, I think it's best that you try to get some more sleep. It's only three in the morning and we have a big day tomorrow-I promise that it shall be different."
He sighed slightly before turning to Brenda, who was once again pressing an ice pack to her husband's forehead. He sincerely hoped that his friend felt better by morning. Then again, the nightmare seemed to have left its mark on him more than the physical pain from earlier.
"Brenda, you've been tending to m…me all night. Please, get some rest!"
"Do you mean, 'go and get some rest so that I can fall out of the window whilst sleepwalking'?" she asked with raised eyebrows, "I'm not letting you out of my vision for one second!"
"Alright…I'll behave, Mummy," Clark muttered with a grin as he slowly reached out and stroked her face, "Thank you, Brenda-you too Hershel. Have a good rest and…I hope you feel better in the morning, Emmy."
"Of course, you too, Clark," she answered as she forced herself into a more comfortable position, "No more nightmares…and sleep well you guys!"
"Goodnight, Dad! Goodnight, Emmy! Goodnight, Professor!" the two teenagers responded simultaneously as they slumped on the bed and yawned.
Melina appeared to have finally been disturbed by the events as she was looking around with frightened eyes and meowing loudly.
"It's okay, Melina. You're safe and sound," Luke whispered softly to her as he stroked her fur comfortingly.
The kitten immediately calmed down and licked the boy's finger as she once again curled up in her soft ball of fur. Flora smiled and peered at Luke.
"It must be really hard for you about…your father," she started quietly, taking his hand in her own, "I'm really sorry. It's so unfair that this has to happen to us! Clive…Emmy…I never dreamt that Emmy could be like this-and now she's giving her nightmares! I'd have their nightmares if I could…and yours too…but at least you didn't have them tonight…"
"Mhmm...," Luke answered timidly, biting his lip as his fingers traced various patterns on her hand, "F…Flora? I…I'm scared…"
"Oh, Luke!" she cried, throwing her arms around him, "It's okay! We're all going to be okay! Your father will be fine by morning and then we may finally find some clues to help us solve this mystery! Right?"
"Y…you said it, Flora," he replied, shaking away his negative feelings, "I just hope that we do so soon…Seeing Emmy like this is just…just…too much for anyone to take! Clive…it feels really different without him and…I miss him, Flora!"
The girl hugged him even tighter and planted a small kiss on his cheek.
"I do too, Luke," she said, a tear brimming in the corner of her eye, "It's so unfair! He was so young and...This has to stop!"
She turned Luke's head in her direction slightly, her eyes wide and serious.
"Luke, do you believe that handing me over will stop all of—"
"No," he replied flatly, "I don't and I mean it. You heard the professor, Flora! It's reckless, it's dangerous and it's risky-and it most likely won't achieve anything! She won't stop until the village lies in ruins at her feet- even if you do hand yourself over! Besides…Clive may not even be..."
"Maybe he isn't! Maybe he is still alive and by handing me over we'll get him back!"
"Enough, Flora-even if I have to keep you restrained twenty-four seven, I will not let you anywhere near this sorceress. Do you understand?"
Flora gasped a little; Luke rarely spoke in this tone. He only used it when he was absolutely serious-which meant what she thought it meant. She sighed and touched his shoulder.
"I…I understand, Luke. I promise," she answered truthfully, running her other hand through Melina's fur, "but you wouldn't keep me tied up all that time-a gentleman would never do such a thing!"
"Only when the need arises-to help a lady in need-and that is the duty of every gentleman also," Luke argued as he adjusted his cap, "Anyway, it's late. We should be getting some sleep."
"Right," she answered, climbing into her bunk as she pulled the covers over her and stretched, "Poor Emmy…the professor is very supportive to her, isn't he?"
Luke peered at the two as Emmy wrapped her arms around the professor once again and began to lie back down in her bed again. A smile crossed his lips as he nodded.
"Yeah, he really is…and they both look quite cute together, don't you agree?"
"Mhmm…," she murmured quietly, her eyelids sliding down, "Sleep well, Luke…sweet dreams…"
"The same for you too, Princess Reinhold…"
The girl managed a quiet laugh before darkness filled her vision and she entered a world of blissful and undisturbed peace…tomorrow was a new day, after all…
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHH!"
Flora fell out of the top bunk with a deafening bang as she collided with the hard floor, gritting her teeth as a cry of pain escaped from her lips. Luke and Emmy simultaneously shot out from under their covers, breathing rapidly and swivelling their heads in every direction.
"What the-?!"
"Professor, what on earth was that?!" Emmy shouted, her face paling, "or the better translation would be 'who was that'?!"
"The sorceress! Is she here, Professor?!" Luke squealed, trying desperately to burrow back under the covers, "Who has she got this time?!"
"No! I just want her to go away!"
The professor ran over to his young assistants and knelt down next to Flora. Dark rings were visible underneath his eyes and accompanied by fairly slow movements that seemed almost strenuous, it was obvious that he hadn't slept well that night.
"My girl, I promise you, that by the time we're finished here she won't dare to lay a finger on you or this village ever again!" he said softly as he took his daughter's hand and gently lifted her to her feet, "Are you alright, my dear? Did you hurt yourself?"
Flora shook her head slowly, forcing a smile to back up her point and to mask the painful throbbing of her shoulder.
"N…no. I'm fine, Professor! Seriously, it's just a bruise! It's Mr Triton and Emmy we should be worrying about."
Layton removed the covers from around his apprentice, studying him with concern.
"Are you alright, my boy?" he asked in a worried tone, "You didn't have nightmares did you?"
"N…no, Professor but this is just…a very frightening situation…" Luke whimpered, pulling himself up.
"I know, my boy, but today is the day that we'll hopefully find some clues."
Luke smiled gratefully at his mentor before his eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in its contents. A strained gasp escaped his lips when he saw that it was short of two people.
"Professor, where's Mum and Dad?" the boy asked, biting hard on his tongue to silence the terrified scream that was building up inside of him, "I don't remember hearing them go out—"
"They went back to their own room a few minutes ago," the professor interrupted in a voice he was trying to make calm, "I'm sure that they're fine. Besides, their voices sound like nothing in comparison to what we've just heard."
The teenager let out a huge sigh and bowed his head in relief; his parents were safe…but then who had screamed?
"Do you feel any better, Emmy?" Layton asked as he turned his attention towards her ghostly complexion, "No more nightmares, I hope?"
"Not one…," she answered quietly, yawning loudly, "None of us got much sleep though…I'm really tired…"
"You can do this, Emmy! We believe in you truly! Plus, we're searching for clues today-you're going to need all of your strength to try and recover some details about Clive and last night's encounter!"
At the mention of the youth's name, a flush of red instantly flooded her cheeks and she sat up a little straighter, narrowing her eyebrows in determination with a confident and renewed attitude.
"You're right, Luke!" she announced loudly as she leapt to her feet with her usual amount of energy, "What are we waiting for, then?! Come on! We've got a sorceress to catch!"
The professor, although he was relieved that she no longer felt like the most heart-broken person on the planet, frowned slightly at her tone of eagerness. Luke and Flora exchanged a glance of relief at each other as the boy made for his satchel, trying to be quiet lest the purring kitten on the chair woke up unawares.
"Emmy, I admire your spirit but we should seriously think logically about—"
"Hershel! It's Brenda-we need you to open the door immediately!"
There was an urgent tone in her voice and underneath the urgency was panic and fear-which wasn't a good sign.
Luke leapt to his feet and vigorously turned the key in the lock to allow his parents in. He could hear their rasping breaths even more clearly now.
"What is it, Mum?!" Luke asked in a panicked tone as he threw open the door, "Is Dad hurt?"
Brenda shot into the room the second the door unlocked, accompanied by a shaking Clark and to the professor's immense surprise, Beatrice and little Leia, who both wore looks of disgust, terror and pain. The colour of the girl's cheeks had now turned into a bright lime shade, making her look like she was going to vomit at any minute. Beatrice was trembling from head to foot, as if someone had locked her in a freezer for a long period of time.
The professor jumped to his feet and ran over to them, Flora clinging onto his jacket the whole time. Emmy peered at the two robots cautiously, her eyes stopping at the crumpled brown material held in Brenda's vice-like grip. Luke ran over to his father, his eyes wide and questioning.
"What happened?" he asked immediately, "Did the sorceress come? Did anyone get hurt? Did anyone—"
"I'm okay, Luke. Please don't worry about me," Clark answered honestly, trying to calm the atmosphere, "but someone else in this village isn't…"
The professor waited for a few moments to let the message sink in.
"Someone has been hurt? Who?"
Beatrice sniffled as Leia tugged at her skirt.
"Me…going to be…s…sick," she stammered in a high pitched squeak, "I went to help…M…Mummy and there was this…round thing on the d…desk. I was going to eat it but…there were these vile c…c…creepy crawlies eating it and…it was turning black and—"
"Wait a minute-a round thing?" Emmy interrupted before she gasped in horror, "Oh, God! You don't mean—
"An…a…a…apple…y…y…yes," Beatrice faltered, rubbing her eyes with her large silk handkerchief, "It's her…m…m…mark and…she left a piece of…p…paper with it..."
She trailed off in floods of noisy tears as Leia fell against her waist and stared vacantly around the room.
"It's in…p…p…puzzle form again," Brenda explained, trying to keep her voice steady, "Clark and I were…heading downstairs to get some more water but all we found was Beatrice quivering behind the desk. She explained everything and…then we found this…riddle…"
"It's most certainly from her," Clark continued, limping forwards slightly, "She said at the top of the paper that she's busy abducting another harmless citizen of the village as we speak…but who it is she didn't say; all she left was this puzzle."
The professor placed a hand to his chin in thought as Flora assertively walked forwards and carefully prised the woman's fingers open so that the paper fell into her hands.
"Please," she begged, "let me solve it"
Layton hesitated for a moment but seeing that there was no way to dissuade her he simply nodded and stepped aside.
"If you wish, Flora, if you wish…"
Puzzle 10-'My next victim'… (30 picarats)
'Don't you know yet that you cannot stop me?
Anyway, it may be too late to ask you…
However, my revenge on St Mystere will be final…no one is safe…
Like precious flowers…they need care and protection to ensure their safety;
If not, then unprotected flowers eventually wilt and die…this is the same fate that awaits my prey…
And once again, I savour the suffering and misery I cause…and I shall be…invincible…'
The Inn is the place that the most villagers are at the present time-so where better a place than to spread my warning. Repulsive robots-can you work out who I've taken?
Sorceress of Darkness'
(Get this right and you'll have 380 picarats)
Flora squinted at the words on the page, frowning angrily.
"Hold on! Where in here does it give a clue as to who she's planning on—"
The girl paused in midsentence, her eyes frozen to the first column of capital letters running down the page-they spelt out a name…a name that planted terror into Flora's heart so deeply that no shovel in existence could've dug it out. The page fell from her trembling hands as her face once again returned to its now familiar icy shade.
"F…Flora?" Luke asked cautiously as he warily approached her, "W…w…who is it?"
The girl didn't respond as she screwed her eyes shut even tighter and clenched her fists so that her skin appeared to turn transparent.
"M…My girl?" the professor asked uncertainly.
Before Emmy even had the chance to ask what was wrong, Flora was already out of the door and was sprinting down the stairs at a pace that no one would've expected from one so fragile. Layton spun on his heel before charging after her, his assistants following in pursuit.
"Don't run, Flora dear; you could fall!" called Beatrice as she pulled Leia even closer to her, shaking her head with the confusion that the events of the last few minutes had provided her with.
"FLORA! PLEASE BE CAREFUL!" yelled the professor as an echoing slam sounded from the main entrance to the inn.
"WHO IS IT, FLORA?! WHO'S SHE TAKEN?!"
"PLEASE COME BACK, FLORA!"
Layton forced open the door to enable them to pass as he caught sight of his daughter tearing down the street. She seemed oblivious to the pleas from her friends; the only thing that mattered now was that she reached her in time. She had to; it had been her duty to protect her, to keep her safe, to love her…
"I'M COMING!" she screamed hoarsely as she sped into the main square of the village.
"PROFESSOR, SHE'S HEADING TOWARDS THE CLOCK TOWER!" Emmy called from the professor's side, unable to run at her average speed at the time it mattered the most.
"I KNOW, EMMY!" he shouted in response as the group rounded the edge of the street and could just make out the high turrets of the clock tower, "FLORA! PLEASE WAIT—"
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"FLORA!"
Layton tore into the main square, his heart breaking into numerous fragments when he saw his daughter clasped in the arms of a shivering and battered Matthew. He could hear her strained sobs even from this distance, making it as clear as crystal that something terrible had happened. Luke and Emmy eventually managed to catch up with the professor, breathing rapidly. Brenda and Clark took a little longer, since Clark was still in pain from the previous evening's events.
The professor ran up to his daughter, watching helplessly as the tears streamed down her face and she clawed at Matthew's shirt. The butler's face was contorted with what appeared to be sorrow and the dark marks blossoming across his face only made the girl bawl even harder.
"F…F…Flora?" Layton asked softly, tentatively touching her neck, "What happened? Matthew, are you alright?"
The butler managed a hesitant reply and nodded shakily. The professor sighed; he couldn't be stern with Flora about running off on her own-not whilst she was in this state at least. He pulled his hat over his face as the others ran up to him.
"Flora!" Luke exclaimed, running over to join the professor, "Are you al-What on earth has happened to your face, Matthew?!"
In a present situation, Layton would've reminded his apprentice that a true gentleman didn't insult others, even though technically it wasn't meant as an insult, but he didn't have the heart to at the moment. Matthew didn't seem offended by the boy's question in the slightest.
"She…b…b…beat me when…I tried to s…s…save h…h…her—"
"Huh?" Luke replied, confusion imprinted on his face, "What do you mean?"
Several footsteps echoed across the square as a group of five people came running out of the clock tower, led by Bruno. Upon seeing the look on Flora's face his eyes widened and he shakily ran over to her, patting her back in a soothing manner.
"Flora dear," he swallowed, "She's taken…her…hasn't she?"
The girl hiccoughed and nodded, throwing her arms around the professor. Bruno sighed, tugging viciously at his beard as a tear fell down his cheek.
"I knew it was…only a matter of time before…she decided to go for her…"
"I'm s…s…s…sorry, Professor," Flora sobbed, "I…I…I shouldn't have run off…l…l…like…that—"
"Shh, shh…it's okay, dear. Please don't scare us like that again," he whispered softly to her.
"What is it? Who's been taken this time?" barked a familiar loud voice from behind the group.
Luke and Emmy gasped and spun around.
"Inspector Chelmey?!" Luke exclaimed as conflicting emotions crossed his face, "How did you get here?"
Out of the corner of his eye he could just about make out the familiar figure of Barton as Bruno whispered something into his ear and looked down at the ground sadly.
"One…erm…one Lady Dahlia Reinhold…I believe...," he reported, scratching his moustache as the inspector scribbled it down on a sheet of paper.
The professor let out a gasp of horror but resolved to try and comfort the weeping girl in his arms. Luke and Emmy blinked rapidly, peering at Matthew for some reassurance that it wasn't true. The butler shook his head sadly, making sharp and jerky movements towards Bruno. Luke closed his eyes so that he couldn't see the heart-broken emotions painted on the young girl's face. Emmy shook her head in anger; it was too much to take in. First Clive, who was so young and innocent and was trying to protect his friends. Now Lady Dahlia, who'd been an angel to Flora for at least half of her life. Who would be next?!
"S…s…sorry we…fell behind," Clark gasped as he and Brenda hurriedly walked over to join Luke and Emmy, "What happened? Why is Flora so-oh no! Oh please don't say that—"
"Yes," Luke answered, adjusting his cap a little and peering at the large group around them.
Layton slowly rocked Flora backwards and forwards until her tears had vanished, before he kissed her softly on the forehead and turned to the inspector.
"Inspector Chelmey," he greeted, although he didn't smile, "it's a surprise to see you and Barton here."
The inspector turned to face him, carefully handing his paperwork to Barton.
"Ah, Layton, I can't say the same for you. Anywhere there's a mystery you usually follow," he replied gruffly as he turned to Luke with what was presumed to be a smile, "Nice to see you out and about again, son. America not quite to your tastes?"
Luke raised his cap a little.
"Um…thank you, Inspector. Well, I suppose you're right on that point," he answered as Emmy patted him on the back, "How did you get here?"
"Car for these two; it's parked just outside the village. I thought that you were meant to be clever, little chap!"
'Oh, great!' Luke thought to himself as Emmy buried her face in her hands, 'why did he have to come?'
"Inspector Grosky-I should've known," she said flatly, "Let me guess; you ran all the way here through wind and rain to find some criminal scum for the Yard? Correct? Oh and for your information, Luke is a teenager now."
The inspector let out a hearty chuckle that sounded twice as loud as usual because of the awkward silence that now filled the square.
"HA! HA! HA! Oh, Emmy, you're always one to jump to conclusions! I must confess that is what I love about you! I see you're enjoying your holiday, after that case to catch that disturbed teenager who was stealing a priceless necklace to pay his brother's ransom," Grosky said, grinning broadly despite the current situation they were in, "You've made a fine inspector at Scotland Yard and I knew all along you would!"
He laughed again as Chelmey scowled slightly and Barton began quivering. Emmy turned to Clark and Brenda.
"This is the inspector who manages my progress at Scotland Yard," she explained when she was sure he couldn't hear her, "As you can see…he takes exercise very seriously and…um…can be quite…ecstatic…"
Brenda just nodded in response, rolling her eyes as the man pranced about with his chest hair poking out of his shirt.
"Oh! That reminds me! Where's that boy that you're looking after? Don't tell me you left him at home!"
The smile on the woman's face was instantly erased as she closed her eyes again and looked at the ground, kicking a stone with the edge of her boot. It was in this very location where she had caught that one unforgettable last glance of him…
"Inspector," the professor coughed, wrapping his other arm around Emmy, "Clive…was taken by the sorceress last night. We couldn't…do anything…"
The inspector, as usual, showed no signs of emotion or grief, but he patted his chest hair roughly.
"Well…that's a real bitter shame…," he said in flatly, as if he couldn't really be bothered to comment.
Chelmey nudged him in the stomach, growling slightly as Barton sniffled and gave Emmy a sympathetic look.
"That's...very sad to hear," Chelmey responded as a pained expression crossed his features, "A real shame and so unfair. He was only young too…so Master Dove and Mrs Reinhold are the only ones who've been taken?"
"No," Bruno answered, wiping his eyes, "Dozens have been taken and even more killed…but this is only the beginning…"
Flora forced her head up just a fraction of an inch, trying to make out the blurry images of the two other figures, which hadn't made any signs of movement throughout the whole conversation.
"W…w…who are they?" she asked timidly, pointing to the two men.
The professor turned towards them, his eyebrows raised slightly as they both took a tentative step forward. The tallest of the men had dark brown eyes that had a tendency to flit around the whole area continuously on the lookout for any possible dangers. His hair was dyed in the colour of ripe strawberries and his eyebrows formed two perfect arches. The other man was slightly shorter and more robust than the other. He also appeared to have a kind and caring demeanour, with eyes that resembled the colour of grass through sunlight. His hair was quite long in a natural strawberry blonde colour, each strand being as thick as a strand of wire. Both of the men wore identical clothing: a bright blue soft textured suit with about a dozen pockets on the shirt and glossy black shoes on their feet.
Bruno managed a weak smile at them as he gestured to the professor.
"Professor Layton, I would like to introduce you to my friends and my old colleagues: Jacob Stately and Dominic Spencer. Boys, this is Professor Hershel Layton-the man who helped save St Mystere and also the man who adopted Flora."
The shorter of the two, whom the professor assumed to be Dominic, extended his hand and smiled widely.
"So you're the Professor Layton!" he exclaimed gleefully, "A pleasure good sir, such a pleasure to meet you! Bruno here told us all about how you saved the village from that madman and adopted young Flora here!"
"Oh…thank you, Mr Spencer...it was nothing at all," the professor replied, raising his hat in greeting, "I believe the pleasure is all mine. It's very kind of the both of you to help Bruno with the robots in this time of need!"
Jacob shakily took his hand, seeming to jump at the slightest movement. Dominic sighed.
"It's okay, Jake. He won't harm you," he whispered quietly as the man instantly appeared calmer.
He turned to the professor, a sad look on his face.
"You have to excuse him; Jake can get pretty scared easily…he suffered terrible nightmares when he was younger and watched his father murdered…not pretty at all…"
Luke gave the man a sympathetic look as Dominic turned to Bruno.
"I must confess…it was our idea to get the police involved," he stated apologetically, "We thought you could do with some help. So, how are the robots now, Bruno? Are they better?"
"I've managed to set them right again but I can't risk them turning again," the man replied, "I'd be extremely grateful if you could help me—"
"By all means! We're more than glad to help, Bruno!" the man replied as he slapped him on the back and turned to the inspectors, "What about this Lady Dahlia? Do you think you could find her?"
Chelmey coughed, peering at Flora's tear stained face.
"I take it you're related to her, Miss?" he asked her, "Is the only knowledge you have about her disappearance what you've just heard?"
"Y…y…yes, sir," Flora stammered, staggering slightly, "She's…my stepmother…I just found Matthew like this and…the sorceress had sent a warning with a riddle on…w…who she'd taken and…by the time I'd solve it…it was too late!"
Barton raised his hand as Chelmey frowned.
"What is it Barton?"
"Sir?" he piped up, "The butler reported that she was last seen visiting…um…,"
He checked his papers again.
"What? Who? Spit it out, man!"
"Visiting the grave of one Lady Violet Reinhold…I believe," he finished as he read the paper, "There was some sort of…rotten fruit at the scene of the crime but no signs of a struggle were found…apart from the butler being beaten by the kidnapper—"
"What makes you so sure that it's a kidnapper?" Emmy asked curiously, "It's obviously the sorceress if a note was found too—"
"Pah! There's a logical explanation for this! Most evil villains find an alias and this 'Sorceress of Darkness' is no exception!" Chelmey stated in an agitated manner, "No matter! Scotland Yard will help to find the terrorist and get them behind bars! In the meantime, Mitchell here should be seen to!"
"Um…I think you'll find that would be 'Matthew', Inspector," Barton corrected as he put the paper away, "So, Mr Spencer, Bruno and Mr Stately will be continuing to work on the robots, I presume?"
"Yes, Barton and I will try to search for clues and interrogate the villagers also-this 'sorceress' won't be caught by herself. Layton, will you go and look for clues as well and do whatever you actually do to solve the mysteries before Scotland Yard?"
The professor nodded, blushing slightly.
"I believe so. Our first stop shall be the manor gardens to visit the grave ourselves. Flora, dear, will you be okay with that?"
The girl nodded and smiled; at this moment in time, visiting her mother's grave would be the best thing to comfort her.
"O…of course, Professor! Thank you!"
Layton smiled at her, taking her hand in his own as he gestured to his apprentice.
"I'd like you to come too, my boy," he said softly as he turned to Brenda, "Will you two be okay on your own?"
"Trust me, we'll be fine, Hershel!" Brenda exclaimed, linking arms with Clark, "We'll just take it easy and…"
She lowered her voice slightly and shot a quick glance at Emmy as Clark patted her shoulder gently.
"I know you'll look after her for me, Brenda," he finished, smiling gratefully at her, "Just be careful and if you see any sign of the sorceress just run away as fast as you can. We'll meet again in two hours…Good luck to you."
"Same for you too, Professor," Emmy answered as she turned to Clark, "Thank you-both of you-for—"
"No thanks are necessary, dear," Brenda answered softly, "As for you, Luke, you don't go copying your father here-got that?"
Luke just nodded and shot his parents a playful look as the professor began to walk down the road leading to the manor.
"See you later then!"
"Farewell and good luck, Professor!" called Bruno as he turned to Dominic and Jacob, "If you two would just like to follow me then I'll show you everything you need."
The men silently followed as Brenda turned to Emmy.
"So…where do you think is the best place to start? You're far better at this detective stuff than Clark and I!"
Emmy grinned a little in response; Luke's mother really did know how to make one feel better.
"Well…um…just walk around for a bit and wait for anything Laytonesque to crop up?" she suggested weakly.
"Sounds good enough to me!" Clark laughed, "Lead on, Inspector Altava!"
Keeping a smile on her face that wasn't forced, Emmy led the two adults down the road opposite them, feeling that perhaps there was hope that everything would be fine.
Chelmey and Barton watched them go their separate ways as Grosky coughed loudly.
"Well, I'm not going to just stand around here whilst people get killed! I'm going to rip up the whole village until I find her-and I bet my chest hair that she's watching us now. I'll meet up with you two later after I've done my exerci-business! Business in protecting the village! FOR THE YARD!"
Barton blinked rapidly as the inspector immediately zoomed out of sight, dust remaining where he had previously stood, as well as a few stray strands of chest hair. Barton tried to stifle a laugh but failed greatly.
"Um…I hope it's not rude to say this…but that man sometimes worries me…"
Chelmey grunted in approval.
"You're not the only one, Barton," he replied, "Sometimes I consider getting him a leash to make sure he doesn't run off on his own!"
"Well…I think it would be hard to get it on him…but very wise…"
"Good point, remind me to stop at the 'Paws-for-thought' pet shop the second we get back to London!"
"Professor…I think this is it…"
Layton and Luke paused as Flora pointed to the wooden door in front of her decorated in its usual dress of flowers. Part of the steps had eroded from bad weather but other than that the entrance to her mother's grave hadn't changed in the slightest. In truth, Flora had expected the sorceress to rip it to pieces until not a single flower nor stone from her coffin remained. However, it seemed that she didn't have the time…today at least.
"Are you alright, my dear?" he asked her gently as he pushed the door open and gestured for his daughter to enter.
The girl nodded quickly, being jerked out of the numerous memories that now played like old films in her mind. Luke slowly shuffled up to her, gripping her hand tightly as they cautiously walked through the door and entered the haven of beauty beyond the door. Layton smiled after the two teenagers; they really cared for each other and couldn't have made a more perfect match, in his own opinion at least.
Tears brimmed in Flora's eyes as she drank in every detail of her mother's grave for the first time in several years: not a single detail had been changed since she had last played there all those years ago. The flowers were still as beautiful as ever, blooming in a variety of all of the colours of the rainbow, in every shape and size imaginable. Each lush bud gave off a delicious scent, each one different to the last. The grass had grown slightly, but now that Flora was older she could see the different perspective; she used to see it as dense thick foliage of jungle when she was a child. Then again, her imagination liked to run wild back then, as it was at this moment. The air was pure; cleansed of pestilence. Even the rotting stench of the sorceress's latest warning, which the group could see was now nothing more than a few small drops of dark liquid, was covered up by the beauty of the place.
However, the most striking feature had to be the most beautiful object ever crafted in existence: positioned in the centre of the path of pebbles that led to the actual grave itself, there she stood with her golden hair barely touching her flawless skin, her eyes gently closed in a state of contented peace. Her smooth hands were brushing against her heart, stroking the elegant golden garments that clothed the statue of Violet Reinhold. The plaque, inscribed with her husband's final heart-warming lay at her feet as her smile radiated the whole cavern. Even as a child, Flora had wondered if her mother really did look like that in her grave, in her safe paradise of love…
The girl wiped her face as she stared at the statue; had it really been this long since she had passed?
"It's...it's more beautiful than I remembered…," Luke gasped in awe, gazing in wonder at the beautiful sights around the grave.
The professor adjusted his hat and smiled at his apprentice.
"Of course, my boy, this place is very beautiful indeed…the last gift of an incredibly kind and unselfish man…your father must have loved her very much."
Flora nodded, gripping Luke's hand even tighter.
"Yes…I swear that all Papa would do was gaze into her eyes and…tell her how beautiful she was…and how he would always protect her until her last breath…," she answered as saw Baron Reinhold's face flash before her eyes, "They were both deeply in love…he loved Dahlia too but…I didn't really like her when I was younger; she scared me!"
"She'd have scared me too, Flora," Luke answered with a smirk as the professor bent down to examine the dark liquid that had been left by the sorceress's warning, "Professor, how do you think the Sorceress of Darkness got Lady Dahlia though? Like the inspector said: there were no signs of a struggle…oh my! You don't think…she gave herself…willingly to the sorceress to make her leave the village alone?! That's almost the same as committing suicide!"
Flora squealed slightly, throwing her hands to her mouth. Was that what had happened? Had she given her own life, even though she was just a robot, to protect the village?
"Possibly, but there are multiple possibilities," he answered seriously, "We've seen that this sorceress is capable of almost anything. She could've just taken her unawares…or knocked her out before taking her…I honestly don't know…"
"Do you think she'd have at least left some clues behind, Professor? Why was she coming down here anyway?" the boy asked, gently plucking a few flowers from the ground as he walked over to Flora, "Here. A flora flower-what you were named after-just for you, little flower."
Flora blinked back her tears and gratefully took the precious offering from the boy's hands, placing it securely into her hair. Layton beamed at the two as he peered hard at the ground as if expecting an intriguing clue to magically appear from thin air.
"That could be a mystery itself, Luke. Maybe she just felt like visiting…I really don't know."
Flora smiled at the professor and stroked her flower's silky petals gently.
"Thank you, Luke!" she replied as she kissed him gently on the cheek, "It's beautiful! I remember the times when Papa and Matthew used to help me make daisy chains. I'd wear them in large quantities and even put a few around my mother's statue…I guess the flowers died after a while…"
Luke walked slowly across to the statue of Lady Violet, placing the remaining flowers at her feet as he bowed respectfully.
"A token of gratitude to Lady Violet Reinhold," he murmured softly, "For bringing a delightful little flower into the world. May you and your husband be forever at peace…"
The teenager stood up and closed his eyes again, only to open them as a quiet chorus of sweet and delicate notes wafted into his ears. Spinning around in shock, he saw the young girl standing still with her eyes closed and tears leaking from them, her hands clasped together as her lips produced the enticing sounds for all of nature to hear. A tear almost sprang to the boy's eye as he heard her beautiful voice and he sniffled slightly, causing Flora to immediately open her eyes, looking rather startled.
"Oh! I'm…I'm sorry, Luke…," she stammered, "I didn't know you were…listening to me and…I do apologise if I was disturbing you in any—"
"Flora, don't be ridiculous!" the boy exclaimed, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger, "You have the most beautiful voice I've ever heard-you sing just as beautifully as the birds in the sky and believe me when I say that they know more than a tune or two!"
The girl blushed heavily, quickly wiping her tears out of her eyes.
"You…you…you really think so?" she asked, smiling a little and sniffling, "I didn't mean to make you cry…I'm crying myself now!"
The two laughed as Luke stared mesmerised at her pulchritudinous beauty.
"H…how do you do it?" he asked in interest.
"Do what?" she asked with a puzzled expression.
"Manage to sing like a nightingale…and the words! They bring tears to anyone close enough to listen! If you don't believe me then the evidence is in front of you!" he answered with a grin, gesturing to the tear stains on his face, "The emotions, the description…you are very talented, Flora!"
Flora looked around the area once again, bending down to examine a white orchid in more detail.
"Oh, I didn't write those words," she answered honestly with a smile, "My mother did: Lady Violet. Every night before I went to sleep, she would come to my bedside and sing those words to me to comfort me…it was the most beautiful lullaby I had ever heard."
"What was the true meaning of the words? What was it speaking of?" Luke asked, now more interested than ever.
"About a…world in a dream-a paradise, where everything is perfect: the trees and flowers bloom and make vast meadows, the mountains, lakes, beaches and landscapes are vivid with colour and alive with nature to the last detail. No one dies…no one suffers…and anything is possible," she explained as an invisible being softly whispered the words into her strained ears, "Whenever I look at this place…I think of the lullaby, the world of serenity that my mother may be in now, watching over us as we speak. It's almost exactly like what my mother described it as…only whenever she sung it…she seemed to get upset and I'd hear her crying when Papa turned the light out. I don't know why, but after she died, Papa never sung it…but the words were forever imprinted into my mind. There were eight verses in total…but I only remember the first five…Mother would get too tearful after that…"
Luke blinked rapidly, his eyes wide as she turned away and sighed again. He stepped even closer to her, the words already on his tongue before the girl could utter another word.
"Please-sing it," he asked in a demanding but soft tone, "Please, Flora. I want to hear you sing. Please?"
Flora hesitated for a moment before she turned back to face him, closing her eyes.
"O…okay…," she stuttered, "Luke, I'm really nervous! No one has ever heard me sing before!"
"Don't be," he replied, "you have the most captivating voice…and it's time the world got to hear it."
Clearing her throat, she straightened her posture and placed her hands gently to her chest.
"Dawn is approaching, bringing new life,
Here the wind sings in harmony,
Vanquishing all of your worries and strife,
You'll find a world of serenity…"
The first verse instantly had the boy captivated as he stared at her, lost in a world identical to the one she was describing with her words.
"Meadows of flowers, a blanket of green,
Golden sand and glistening sea,
A haven of dreams with wonders no one has seen,
You'll find a world of serenity…
Gates lock out your troubles and keep them away,
Here you're loved, you're safe and you're free,
Across twinkling stars in night's dark cloak; rays of warmth-the gift of day,
You'll find a world of serenity…"
All became silent where the girl stood: it was as if nature itself had ceased life to hear her exquisite voice. The girl immediately felt confidence and lightness as a pleasant warmth spread across her shoulders.
"Misty tall mountains and valleys of gold,
Where rivers flow, fish swim gracefully,
Where happiness follows and you never grow old,
You'll find a world of serenity…
Be who you are and do as you desire,
Jewelled birds sing from every spring tree,
You can dance with fairies, fly winged horses that never tire,
You'll find a world of serenity…'"
The girl finished her lullaby quietly, the last few lines of it barely being audible. Silence once again filled the area, combined with the gasps of shock and awe from the two people who now stood around her. She opened her eyes, now free of tears, as the small boy stared, transfixed beyond words. The professor beamed at her, adjusting his top hat as he gently clapped his hands together proudly. Luke quickly followed suit, not wishing to let her unforgettable performance go unsung.
"T…that was just…beautiful, Flora," the professor stammered, still slightly shocked from the beauty of her voice, "You…you said that your mother sang it to you when you were a child…how do you remember it so clearly?"
She smiled modestly and patted her chest.
"It's forever been inscribed in my heart…the words…just had that effect on me…"
The professor smiled at her again, turning to his apprentice and frowning slightly at the way he was gawping at her.
"My boy, it is impolite to stare-especially at a lady—"
"Professor!" Luke interrupted, pointing at her, "Look!"
"It's also rude to point—"
"Her birthmark!" he exclaimed loudly, "It's glowing!"
Layton turned back to Flora, his eyes wide. Flora started shaking slightly, looking at the professor with wide eyes.
"Flora! What's happening to your birthmark?"
"I d…d…don't know!" she answered, staring hard at her shoulder with fright as a golden glow emitted from it.
The apple was easily identifiable as the golden shape gradually appeared on her skin, being inked in by an invisible marker as the light shone even brighter and extended outwards to light up the whole cavern, eventually stopping to rest on the cheek of Lady Violet's statue. The girl blinked rapidly, trying to take in what was going on. Luke looked at her seriously, a worried expression on his face.
"Your birthmark's showing again! How long has it been doing this?"
"Well…it only appears when I feel…incredibly happy and contented…," she replied, shaking her head in confusion, "but…it's never glowed before! This must…this must mean something!"
Layton patted her head gently, his peering at the spot on the statue where the light had rested. Something about it was odd…no shadow was cast; if anything the light was brighter…it was if the light was telling them something…
"Luke, could you go and place your hand on that spot just there?" he asked, gesturing to the now golden part of the statue, "I think that it might be telling us something…"
Luke nodded obediently and ran over to the statue, carefully placing his smooth palm against the warm glowing stone.
"Why would…why it would do something like this I don't know…" she responded, feeling slightly anxious, "It's making me frightened..."
"Don't worry, dear. We'll sort it out soon," Layton said softly, putting his arm around her, "This mystery is just getting more and more—"
"WOW! Look at this, Professor!"
The professor and Flora immediately ran to the boy's side, squinting as he thrust his finger at her cheek. Small gold writing in an elegant scrawl now covered the statue's cheek, just about being large enough to read. Flora gasped and stroked the writing with the palm of her hand.
"My…birthmark is definitely telling us something!" she exclaimed, "It must have something to do with this! What does it say, Luke?"
He stood up straighter, clearing his throat as he read the words.
"Um…let's see…," he mused, muttering under his breath, "It seems like…some mystical riddle…I can't make a head or tail of it, Professor!"
Layton stepped forward, also scanning the riddle. A smile crossed his face as he stood up and peered at the statue.
"Hmm…I think that this riddle will hold something most helpful and promising when we solve it…wish me luck, you two…because this may have something to do with this mystery…"
Puzzle 11- The statue's secret (40 picarats)
'Since you are reading this, you are a true friend of the Reinhold Family,
Underneath my grave you will find something that should only be known when things are at their darkest in St Mystere. To find this, simply touch what, when closed, lets you see darkness and where a flower is exposed when opened...'
(Sorry if this puzzle sounds strange! However, get this right and you'll have 420 picarats)
The professor thought hard for several moments. What when closed lets you see darkness…but a flower is there when opened…maybe it didn't mean a literal flower…
"I've got it!" he announced, pressing his finger against the statue's eye as Flora looked on in disapproval.
"Um…why are you poking my mother's statue in the eye, Professor?" she asked as a loud grinding noise sounded from the statue.
The three of them watched as some unknown force gently pushed the statue to the side, revealing a large dark hole underneath with another wooden door. Layton turned to his daughter and smiled.
"I didn't mean to offend you or your mother's statue in any way!" he said, laughing a little as Luke squinted into the darkness, "The answer to the puzzle was 'eyes'. When you close your eyes all you see is darkness…and when you open them your iris is exposed. However, there is also a flower called an iris. That part was presumably designed to throw the solver off of the track..."
"Professor, what did it mean by…'when things are at their darkest in St Mystere'? Does this mean that she knew this would happen?" Luke asked, feeling like his brain cells would explode.
Layton sighed, carefully taking the two children by the hand as he gently lowered them into the tunnel and tentatively pushed open the door.
"I honestly don't know, my boy," he answered, "but I think that it is somehow connected with what's happening at the moment…maybe this was what Dahlia was visiting…if she knew how to bring it up…"
Loud gasps of astonishment and awe filled the room as the three cautiously stepped through the door: this was where Lady Violet herself was buried…but there was something other than that, which piqued their interest. The coffin lay in the middle of the room, furnished and decorated in countless wreaths of flowers that protected her from any kind of harm to ensure that she rested peacefully. There were two large areas either side of the coffin, one to her left and one to her right, covered with even more flowers. Candles flickered softly from either side; Dahlia had most likely lit them as a gift to the woman. The sweet aroma of flowers and sweetness filled the room, making it seem more like the type of room you'd find in a temple rather than a grave. Frames were balanced against the walls, depicting several images and portraits of the woman when she was alive, as well as some with her husband and Flora.
Luke and Flora gasped in unison, peering around the room with wonder.
"T…this was supposed to be a secret until the darkest days of St Mystere?!" Luke gasped, "Why?! This place is so beautiful…why should it be a secret?"
The professor bowed his head low as a sign of respect before he approached the wall to his right and knelt down by the candles, peering at the many portraits in front of him. Luke and Flora resolved to look at the display on the left, eyes wide with intrigue and disbelief. Tears sprang to the girl's eyes as she peered at the paintings, staring hard at the tiny child clasping her mother's hand tightly. How beautiful and youthful the woman looked back then. How beloved she was, smiling with Baron Augustus Reinhold and laughing with Bruno, Ingrid and a recently constructed Matthew…but upon peering at her mother's face, although she was smiling, there was an unmistakable sadness…
"You all look so adorable!" Luke commented with a smile, "How nice of her to have pictures of you and your father down here! Don't you think—"
He trailed off, his mouth hanging open as he pointed behind Flora. The girl followed the direction of his finger and saw it. She had to hold onto him to stop her from falling over with happiness: a small statue of purest gold and embedded with glistening garnets stood in the rightmost corner of the room, clutching onto a large flower in her tiny hands. Her hair was secured in its usual ponytail, the figure herself being clothed in a golden silky gown, failing to shine as brightly as her smile.
"T…that's you, Flora!" he exclaimed, "She's had a statue of you…to be by her side forever…that's…so sweet!"
Flora fell to her knees, trying to keep herself from crying, as she wiped the dust off of the golden plaque below her statue, with words written underneath that could only be from her mother:
'Flora Violet Reinhold
Heiress of the Reinholds
The Golden Apple who made my life so delightful
Who made me almost forget my troubles
May she have a long and happy life until the day she dies…
I know that you will make me proud, my darling.
All of my love now and always…Mummy'
"I…I…I…," Flora stammered, lost for words, "Oh, Mummy! Thank you so much!"
Luke bent down next to her, wrapping his arm around her as he peered at her statue. However, out of the corner of his eye…he noticed something…that seemed quite strange…
"There are footprints here!" he gasped, pointing to the faint markings on the sandy floor, "So Dahlia was looking down here!"
He walked over to the wall and pointed to a small square object.
"Here! There's an empty box here! Someone's been down here recently!" he added as another thought came to him, "Maybe Dahlia came to find the thing that should've been kept secret until today…it could've been in the box-maybe that's why the sorceress took her!"
Flora turned her head around slowly, frowning.
"That's…that's strange," she said quietly, "Why would Dahlia do something like that?"
Upon hearing their conversation, Layton walked over. There was an unmistakable grave expression on his face as he focused on Flora. His eyes flitted to the footprints and the empty box before he trained his eyes on his apprentice.
"That's a sound theory, my boy," he replied as he squinted at the box, "It would make perfect sense…and the box itself looks old…the engraving looks familiar too…However, as for the footprints…you may be mistaken."
He gestured towards them again.
"Look closer; Dahlia's shoes are small and high heeled. They'd leave only small footprints. Judging by the size of these…I'd say they were made by someone wearing heavy footwear…like boots for instance…I'd presume she didn't get this far…but someone else did…"
"Who'd be able to get down here though?" Flora asked curiously, "Only a friend of the Reinholds would be able to get down here…"
"We can try to find out later," Layton said seriously as he took Flora's shoulder, "Flora, I think there is something over here that you should see…"
The girl's eyebrows furrowed in confusion but she obeyed and slowly followed the professor, shaking a little with every movement. Luke followed suit, equally perplexed. The professor stopped at the shrine on the right hand side of the coffin, the one he'd currently being examining. The two teenagers quickly scanned the area. It was similar to the other in every way: wreaths of flowers, candles, portraits and another statue. As far as they could see, there was absolutely nothing peculiar about it at all.
"What is it, Professor? It's exactly the same as the other side—"
"Look at this picture dear-and tell me what you see…"
Examining the picture brought a wave of shock on the girl's face; it was a similar family portrait to the one on the other side of the room, except that in this one Violet didn't have her unhappy expression on her face. On the contrary, she looked like someone who radiated every single second of life. Ingrid, Matthew and Bruno (who looked considerably younger) were all gathered around them along with her father. The couple were holding on tightly to a tiny girl with her hair secured in another ponytail, clothed in a dark purple gown.
It was exactly the same…until she peered harder at the picture. The girl's eyes were a darker shade, as was her hair. She still wore a beaming smile on her face, but that was lost by her thin and ghastly pale figure.
Her heart hammered; that wasn't her-so who was it? Why was she so strikingly familiar to herself? Luke appeared to notice it too, for he was now running through each of the portraits, being met with the same image of the same girl, from the way the light shone on her hair, to the vivid outlines of her veins against her pale flesh, to the dark look in her eyes. There was another where she was clasping the hand of another small girl, both of them smiling.
Luke and Flora found themselves reeling back, stunned.
"P…P…Professor?" Flora faltered, now feeling terror and dread creep through her.
Layton nudged her gently, keeping his eyes closed.
"I know…look at the statue…"
Moving in a hypnotic state, the girl staggered over to the statue, trying to avert her eyes from it and the fact that it matched the girl in the painting to the smallest detail. Her statue also was covered in gold, but amethysts and emeralds had been planted into this statue.
The plaque stood out in front of her, the words appearing blurry through the tears that clouded her vision:
'Here rests our enchanting princess,
Who had so many remarkable talents and took pride in every moment of her life,
Who made her parents the happiest beings in all of existence,
The illness you caught when you were just a few years old…how you never moaned,
How fate was so cruel, for you to be taken from us and never seen or heard of again,
Wherever you may be, we wish from the bottom of our hearts that you are at peace…and I look forward to the day we meet again on the other side…
Seryna Violet Reinhold -May you be at peace, my little apple,
Love now and always…Mummy'
The world spun before her eyes, each second bringing more and more confusion. As the tears streamed down her cheeks, the memory and the words that she had just read sank painfully into her brain.
"R…R…R…R…Reinhold?" she gasped, barely forcing the words out.
"Yes, my dear," the professor replied gently, resting his hand on her shoulder, "This girl…was the sibling…whom you were never…told you had…"
