*It's still unbelievably short... Oh well, it's been improved. I need to hurry to a game of minimafia, so excuse this short author's note. Please review at the end!*

Chapter 3
Shinichi's POV

The first thing I was aware of was the feeling of wind rushing through my hair, rustling my clothes, making me cool and comfortable. Opening my eyes after what felt like eternal sleep, I noticed my feet weren't on the ground. In fact, none of me was on the ground. I was falling.

I instinctively panicked, flailing wildly before recalling my circumstances. The last thing I remembered was pain- lots of it, like burning at the stake. It was followed by the memory of the poison, and the tall blond man who had hit me down before slipping in the deadly capsule. Wait a second- deadly? Doesn't that mean...

Oh no, I thought, realizing the cold truth. I- I'm dead! Then, where the hell am I? Limbo?

The sky- or at least what looked like the sky- was half dark midnight blue, starting to give way to hues of golden yellow and pink. It reminded me of a sunrise. I'll never be able to see another one, I mused, no emotion in the thought except maybe bitterness. I'll never see the stars, the sky, rain, the ocean ever again. My parents, my friends, Ran- I cringed, her face appearing in front of me, smiling, the violet eyes twinkling with her happiness, pure and untainted. That caramel hair tracing the outline of her face, then cascading past her shoulders like a waterfall. Her smile, a light-hearted grin, meant for me, one that would make me heart flutter and my face flush. Ran, never again. Lost to me forever...

I hit a soft, cushion-like item I presumed was the ground, and immediately examined my surroundings. The pillow-like surface seemed like clouds; cottony white stretching for what must have been thousands upon thousands of miles in all directions. Nothing else in sight.

Looking down at myself, I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt the color of snow, accompanied by very light gray pants I almost mistook for white. The color of an angel's robes, I thought sarcastically, more than slightly annoyed. Please don't tell me I have fake wings and a halo as well.

Checking my back and head, to my relief, I discovered the offending items were not presence. I don't know why, but the very thought of having them, even with nobody to see, is embarrassing. The word 'nobody' reminded me of my loneliness.

I once again scanned the horizons, searching for another sign of life- I mean death, I mean- oh screw it, you know what I mean- and was disappointed. What is this place? I wondered. Why am I here?
As if to answer my questions, the wind began to stir, creating a sound like the scratch of crisp autumn leaves against frozen soil, clouds rising to form a solid mass, still amorphous, and grew darker to the point where they were almost black.

Lightning boomed as a voice rang out, omnipotent as it echoed through my head, completely controlling my attention. "Kudo Shinichi, we have decided to give you another chance on earth. You were not supposed to die today- however, fate sometimes changes itself in ways we cannot forsee. There were things you were meant to do, important things that required you."

"What are you talking about?" I screamed over the screech of the wind, which was getting more powerful by the second. "What was I meant to do?"

As if ignoring me, the voice continued, tolling out in its thunderous tones. "Even we do not have the power to revive you entirely, but your spirit can be restored. However, it needs a living vessel to contain it, a willing person who is willing to share the space of their heart and mind. There is only one person for the job. This person is none other than Mouri Ran."

"What?" I exclaimed, confused at the sudden offering of life, and the mention of Ran.

"We will not force you to return, but if you stay here, you will never receive another chance. If you return on the other hand, it'll be without the knowledge you would have been granted had you decided to stay. It will be up to you, through Mouri Ran, to solve the mystery of your murder, and bring down the ones who did it. Once the case has been ended completely, you will promptly leave earth once more, that time for good. Staying here will grant you access to the next world, but will give you no information about it. Will you make a choice?"

"I would like to return," I answered, confident and loudly, yet hardly able to hear my reply over the wind.

"Then may luck be with you, Kudo Shinichi." With that, I was swept away back into the darkness with the blowing storm.