Heart of Justice: Chapter 2
4/9
Violet eyes snapped open as their owner woke from her slumber.
The train ride to Shibuya had been long and extremely boring, even for someone with Kyoko Kirigiri's patience. Dressed in the black blazer, plaid skirt and white turtleneck of her new school uniform, with a pair of knee high boots over her black leggings and a pair of studded black gloves covering her hands, pink-haired teen glanced upward at the source of her sudden awakening, the voice of the train attendant over the intercom.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us, today!" the female voice stated. "We will be arriving at Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines. The doors to your left will open..."
The flashing light of the windows passing the clear sunny skies awakened unpleasant memories in the girl.
Memories of the one, single night she'd decided to go against her grandfather's orders and go out. She paid for it long before he ever found out...
And pay for it, she did. It was why she was in this predicament, now. It was why she was sitting on this train, having had to uproot her life and plans she had and transfer to another school...
Her thoughts were interrupted by two gossiping teenagers nearby.
"What, are you for real? A mental shutdown?!" one of the girls asked.
"It's the truth!" the other girl responded, looking down at her phone.
"To another person, though?" the first girl asked. "That's gotta be a joke! You really love all that occult stuff, don't you?"
Fascinating, Kyoko thought to herself...
"Kyoko-chan, this has gone on for two years," her grandfather explained to her. "All over Tokyo. Unexplainable mental shutdowns. Strange fits of temporary insanity, also unexplainable. Yet every attempt I make to investigate further then what that boy on TV deduces, I find nothing but dead ends."
"Indeed. There seems to be no pattern to them," Kyoko replied, stroking her chin as she looked over the photos of each victim. Every incident seemed to be entirely random. Young and old, male and female, people at the top and people at the bottom. None of the victims were linked and no cause could be found.
"I must be getting old. Didn't think I'd lose my touch already," the old man scoffed bitterly. "I dare the police to tell me that's why they didn't come to me about this." The thought such a thing could happen before his prodigy granddaughter proved a worthy successor worried him more then anything else, especially after his son disappointed him so.
"There has to be something... a connection," Kyoko said suddenly. Despite everything, despite how there was absolutely nothing connecting a single incident or those involved, something kept nagging the girl whenever looked it over again that these were not mere coincidence. "Perhaps there are things being covered up by the authorities themselves."
"And what is your proof of that?" Fuhito asked, folding his arms and gazing down at the sitting girl.
Kyoko found she could not answer that. Proof and cause eluded her as it had everyone else, and all the authorities could do was react to the next incident and either hospitalize or imprison the one in the middle of it. She looked down, trying to hide her embarrassment that she could think of nothing.
"...None. It's..."
"A hunch, is that what you're going to say?" the old man asked sternly. "Are you counting on the police to follow claims based on your feelings over something? You'll be laughed out of the station for it at best. Our family name and tradition disgraced at worst for such claims."
Kyoko could only sigh in annoyance. Few things tried her patience more then when she had a hunch but nothing to go on, especially after this much time. There had to be something...
"You're getting frustrated, Kyoko-chan. Remember, detective work always comes first, but you can't accomplish it if you let emotions cloud your judgement."
He went to the closet to grab his jacket. "I need to pick a few things up at the store. I'll expect you in your room and in bed before I return. You're no good if your mind isn't fully focused..."
Things had only gotten worse that fateful night...
Kyoko chose not to think about it as she felt the train begin to slow down and come to a stop. Rising from her seat, taking up her bag, and stepping off, Kyoko continued on her way, taking out her phone and switching on the GPS after a slight hassle trying to figure out how to work it.
Finally getting the input command to come up, the teen began to type in her next destination, only for an image to suddenly pop up on her screen and interrupt her typing.
"Huh?"
Her eyes narrowing in annoyance, Kyoko stared as the strange image spread and covered the whole screen. It was a deep red, with a black jagged outline surrounding a red eye with a star in its pupil. As odd as it was, she did not have time for this.
Pressing her finger on the image, she attempted to close it, or delete it, or whatever she hoped the phone allowed her to do with it, but to no avail as the image remained exactly where it was.
It was at that time, Kyoko noticed what could only be described as a deafening silence had replaced the bustling chatter of the crowds around her, causing her to look up from her phone. Needless to say, she was unprepared for what she saw.
Everyone around her was completely frozen in place. There wasn't even the cool breeze of the mid-spring wind, it was as if time itself suddenly stood still and only she was unaffected. Worry began to overtake the normally composed teen as she looked around frantically for any sign of movement from the motionless masses that filled the silent streets. What is going on here?! she wondered. She was certain she was awake...
Her attention was suddenly caught by strange blue flames at the end of the street. The girl's eyes widened in disbelief as they slowly rose above the crowd, taking on a winged, humanoid shape. Kyoko knew in her gut that it was facing her as it began to draw closer, gliding over the crowd towards her as a pair of fiery orange eyes and a mouth appeared to form a face on it. A second later, the flames parted, revealing to Kyoko her own face looking back, glaring at her with intense gold eyes...
As if suddenly waking from a dream, Kyoko found herself surrounded by the chattering, and very much alive and moving citizens of Shibuya once more. Instinctively looking around, the girl noticed the apparition from before was nowhere to be seen. Looking back at her phone, however, she noticed the strange app was still there, blocking her GPS window. With a scowl, the girl pressed on it, this time getting a reaction from it as it followed the movement of her fingertip as she pushed it down to where a trashcan icon waited at the bottom of the screen.
That issue resolved, the teen punched in the last few letters of her destination.
Yongen-Jaya...
Emerging from the train, Kyoko took a look at her new surroundings. The subway station wasn't as big or open as the one in Shibuya and it opened up to a more quaint, suburban neighborhood that she gathered was Yongen-Jaya.
Indeed, the place had a quaint feel to it, much quieter and more sparsely populated then the busy streets of Shibuya she'd been in earlier. A few shops here and there including a thrift store and a general store, several homes along its streets and a parked bike or moped along the brick walls and buildings. Kyoko took in her surroundings and the people she passed along the way; a child playing with her dog, a young woman in a labcoat heading into one of the alleys, the occasional policeman patrolling the area, a few senior citizens out and about enjoying their day. Her gaze briefly fell on a movie theater around the corner that appeared to be closed.
Looking down at her phone's GPS screen again, her destination should be right around the next corner. A man named Sojiro Sakura, her grandfather had explained before she'd left. Doing her best to follow the arrow on the screen and nearly bumping into a patrolman, the pink-haired girl came to a stop as she found the nameplate outside a gated home. Pressing the doorbell, the girl folded her arms and waited. A few minutes went by and no answer.
"Hm, guess he's out right now," a male voice said, prompting Kyoko to turn around and see a young deliveryman holding a large package. "Looking for him? Probably at his cafe. Back down that way, first big alley on your left. ...Guess I can drop this off for him later..." he muttered.
"Thank you, I appreciate it," Kyoko said with a polite bow before heading back the way she came and looking for the alley, finding it a moment later, judging from the hanging sign over the door of the old-fashioned cafe. Taking a breath, the teen opened the door and stepped inside.
The fragrant smell of freshly-brewed coffee, and, if she was not mistaken, curry, quickly came to her as she looked around. Several chairs lined a bar table on the right where a yellow phone sat in the corner, several books in a small stand near it. Jars of coffee beans and other ingredients lined the shelves and a refrigerator and stove could be seen in a small room in the back. Several booths were positioned on the left side, one occupied by an elderly couple. A small television hung on the wall at the other end of the bar table, near a sink. Beyond that was a small hallway leading to a restroom door and a set of stairs going up. The inside had a homey, warm feel to it that brought a faint smile to the girl's face as she took it in. Kyoko could imagine her grandfather would have liked the place.
Sitting at one of the chairs on the bar table was a middle-aged, bearded man working a crossword puzzle, a black apron covered his dress shirt and khakis, Kyoko deduced he was the owner and therefore likely the man she was looking for. The girl opened her mouth to speak when she was interrupted by a sudden news report on the TV.
"A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it!" the anchorman explained, looking worried as he read the report. "The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up!" he stated. Kyoko folded her arms and brought a hand up to her chin, staring at the TV a moment then at the elderly couple as they gave their thoughts on it, the wife mentioning a similar incident happening just yesterday. Could it be...?
The manager did not seem to be paying attention, muttering to himself about the puzzle he was trying to solve.
Sensing the new arrival, or just recalling the bell jingle from the door earlier, he looked up at the girl standing at the door. "Welcome, may I help you, Miss?" he asked, putting the crossword puzzle aside on the bar table as the girl noticed she had his attention and put her earlier thoughts aside, letting her hands slide back to her sides.
"Sojiro Sakura, correct?" she asked.
"Yes, that's me," he replied.
"Kyoko Kirigiri," the girl said with a polite bow. "Thank you for..." She noticed the elderly couple staring. "...the favor to my grandfather..."
The manager, Sojiro, looked her over, a hint of disbelief on his face expressed by the slight raise of an eyebrow. The girl before him didn't look or act like someone who'd have gotten in the trouble he'd been told. While her tone had a little coldness to it despite her manners, she appeared sincere in her words. "Professional" may have been the better word he was thinking of in how the girl carried herself, but all in all a far cry from a troublesome delinquent. Still, with the incidents that had been happening lately, and the fact he'd only just met this girl and would be watching over her for about a year... who could say.
"Right, they said it'd be today," he replied, getting up from his chair.
Sensing the manager had matters to attend to, the elderly couple stood up. "We'll be going, now. The payment's on the table," the husband said.
"Thanks for coming," Sojiro replied with a nod as the couple gathered their coats, the husband chuckled.
"Hey, this place is in the back alley, so no worries of a car crashing in here!" he joked.
"...A what now?" Sojiro asked, a little surprised by the old man's comment.
"There's been a string of those rampage accidents, you know," the elderly customer explained. "I just hope none happen around here!"
"It's none of my concern," Sojiro responded flatly, Kyoko stared, curious of if he'd paid attention to the earlier news report and didn't want to discuss it or had chosen to ignore it. Either way, his answer seemed to satisfy the old man as he and his wife put their coats on and headed out the door.
The manager sighed. "Four hours for a single cup of joe," he muttered, before looking back up at the girl before him. "So, you're Kyoko, huh? Thanks for waiting until they left. Yes, you'll be in my custody over the next year. Had no idea what kind of unruly kid was gonna show up, but you're the one, huh? Definitely not what I expected, I'll say that much," he said. "Don't know if you've been told. Your grandfather knows a customer of mine, apparently saved his life once, or... something. Guess he decided to pull in that favor and... well, none of that really matters, does it? Follow me."
Kyoko watched as Sojiro turned and headed towards the stairs in the back and followed. She recalled her grandfather mentioning having to pull in a favor with an "old acquaintance" to get her within commuting distance of her new school she'd be attending, but little else considering how angry he was with her over all that lead to this, which she didn't want to think about.
"This is your room."
Reaching the top of the stairs, Kyoko was treated to the sight of a dusty, cluttered attic. A mattress on crates sat in the far corner by the window, with some covers and a pillow she assumed to be her new bed, and a large box sat in the middle. The rest of the room made it perfectly clear to the young detective that it had been intended for storage as numerous bags and boxes were stashed about in piles in the corners, stacks of books had been placed all around on the floor, an old workdesk under a plastic sheet in the left corner, and on a poker table standing near an old couch. A ladder and a bunch of old gas jugs were stashed around a houseplant that looked like it'd seen better days in the right corner near where they were standing, and cobwebs adorned the ceiling.
"I'll at least give you sheets for your bed," Sojiro explained, before noticing Kyoko still looking around. "Huh? You look like you want to say something." he asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone.
"No. It will do," Kyoko replied in a neutral tone. This was hardly the best living conditions but beggars could not be choosers, least of all now.
"Well, I'll help you this once with the stuff I doubt you can handle alone, some of this can probably just go in the dumpster, the rest should be fine out back. The rest, however, is on you to clean up, though." Sojiro replied. His expression grew more stern. "Now listen, I'll be leaving after I lock up each day, so you'll be alone at night. Don't do anything stupid, because I will throw you out if you cause any trouble, understand?"
The girl nodded, her expression as neutral as her voice had been a moment ago.
"Now then," Sojiro continued. "I got the gist of your situation: You protected some woman from a man who was forcing himself on her, he got injured, and then he sued you, right?"
Kyoko's expression showed the slightest hint of a scowl as she turned her head, holding her left arm with her right hand.
"Well that's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between adults. You did injure him, yeah?" the man asked.
Kyoko's scowl deepened slightly. It was like reliving the lecture she got from her grandfather.
"...And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. Something not even your grandfather could prevent," Sojiro explained. "...Interesting a respected detective like him would be barred from looking into this..."
Kyoko said nothing. She'd heard it all before. This black mark on her permanent record, had thrown her biggest goal completely off the rails as well, her father probably found it the perfect excuse...
Sojiro shook his head. "...But it makes no difference. It is what it is. While you got lucky with only a year-long probation, the courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your grandfather went along with..."
It was then he smirked. "In other words, sounds like he got rid of you for being a pain in the ass."
Kyoko simply stared, her expression neutral again and her arms folded. Sojiro frowned a bit, it was clear the girl didn't have much of a sense of humor, or she may have just been sullen from the recollection that she was hardly in a mood to be amused. Hopefully she would stay out of trouble and try and make the best of her situation.
"Now listen," he began, his tone growing stern again. "It's best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, after all. Behave yourself for the year and if nothing happens, your probation will be lifted. Your sentence applies till next spring, if you cause any problems, you'll get sent straight to juvie."
The teen's grip on her arm grew tense. There was no doubt in her mind being sent to juvie would cause her grandfather to disown her completely, and she wouldn't blame him. He was already disappointed in her for the trouble she was in, violating probation would be the final nail in the coffin to the Kirigiri name and she'd be to blame for it. The next twelve months she'd be on thin ice.
"We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow," Sojiro explained. Kyoko nodded, recalling the name of the school she'd be attending. "We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you probably have your academic performance to thank for that or they might have turned you away..."
Kyoko gave a nod. She was at the top of her class before this, her goals of transferring into her father's academy would have required nothing less then that... Ironic that it had still managed to grant her this chance she otherwise might not have gotten.
Sojiro let out a sigh. "What a waste of my Sunday..." He looked over at the large box in the middle of the room. "Anyway, your luggage arrived for you a little while ago, so I brought it up here. Tell you what, I'll let you change out of your uniform and then I'll help you take care of some of this clutter. Only the things you can't handle by yourself, understand? The rest is up to you."
Another nod, and Kyoko walked over to the box while Sojiro headed downstairs to flip the sign around to Closed and wait until she was ready to start cleaning. The job had taken the rest of the day, but the work was worth it, and by the time the evening had since rolled around, the attic room looked far more presentable compared to its earlier state. The bed had been made, the trash bags and boxes had been taken out, things were more organized, and the cobwebs and dust had been cleaned out.
"I have to say, it doesn't look too bad," Sojiro remarked, looking around at their finished handiwork. "It's only natural to want a tidy room, I suppose," he added. "Now why don't you get to bed for tonight? I'm going to close up shop and get out of here myself."
"I'm no stranger to odd hours," Kyoko responded.
"And I won't be the one looking after you if you get sick from staying up too late, you got that?" Sojiro retorted. "You got a big day tomorrow. Get some rest, I'll be back in the morning." he responded, turning to head back downstairs but stopping and taking out his phone. "Oh, that reminds me, I should give you my number. Only call for emergencies, understand?"
Kyoko nodded, taking out her own phone and fiddling with the menus.
"What's wrong, don't tell me a teenage girl doesn't know how to use a phone," Sojiro remarked, noticing how long it was taking.
The faintest hint of a blush of embarrassment came to the girl's face. "My grandfather never let me have one until now. He must have decided it necessary since I'm no longer living with him."
"I see... " Sojiro decided not to prod. "Here, just take this, for now." Getting a pen and paper from the work desk, Sojiro wrote a number down and handed it to the girl. Right as he did, however, his phone chimed. Taking it out again, he saw he'd received a message. "Hm, I should get going," he said, reading the new message on his screen. "See you tomorrow. Be sure you're up and ready before I get here."
With that, he headed downstairs, and a moment later, Kyoko could hear the door close and lock downstairs. Looking back at her bed and feeling the fatigue from the day, she decided it was time to get changed and go to sleep.
Changing out of the dust-covered t-shirt and pants she'd worn while cleaning, Kyoko had put on a large sleeping shirt and pajama bottoms and sat down on her bed, looking quietly at her gloved hands. They had gotten rather dusty, and thankfully she always brought spares, but what came next she never looked forward to.
Slowly peeling them off, Kyoko winced slightly as she reached for another, simpler pair and slid them on, covering them up once again before sliding under the covers.
As tired as she felt, Kyoko's mind was still racing with thoughts as she lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling of her new room. The arrest... the trial... the criminal record... all thanks to that one night that changed her life completely...
Still, she couldn't bring herself to simply let it go...
Kyoko had taken a moment to breathe in the night air. It had been just what she'd needed after her attempt to investigate the incidents had gone nowhere. If only she could solve this...
Her father wouldn't be able to ignore her anymore. He'd have no choice but to concede and let her into his prestigious academy. He'd have no choice but to accept her. To face her and explain himself.
She'd chosen to walk around the neighborhood loop. Her grandfather wouldn't be back for a while, by her calculations, plenty of time to return home before he did, and he'd be none the wiser for it.
The cool wind blew through her long, pink mane as she continued along the sidewalk, the faint sound of a neighbor's dog or two barking in the distance, she wasn't sure how much time had passed but it was the most relaxed she'd ever felt in a long time. If only she could do this more often...
"Just get in the car!" an angry male voice snarled up ahead, causing the young detective to freeze in her tracks.
"Stop it!" a woman's voice cried out, coming from the same direction. Kyoko looked around, and listened. It was coming from the street to her right. It sounded like a man and a woman were arguing nearby. Dogs started barking from the commotion, Kyoko for a moment considered leaving things be. Someone would likely call the police, this was not her business.
"How dare you cross me!" the male voice said, his tone seething.
"Stop it! Let me go!" the woman's voice pleaded.
As if on instinct, Kyoko turned and walked over towards the source of the arguing quickly. Whatever was going on, it sounded more and more clear the woman could be in serious danger.
Up ahead, near a parked car, Kyoko saw a tall man in a suit with a shaved head and glasses grabbing a struggling young woman by her wrists. It was dark, however, so she couldn't make out any more of their features. The man was pulling the woman towards the parked car and she was trying to fend him off, but to no avail.
"N-no! Stop!" she pleaded, sobbing.
"Don't give me that shit!" the man growled, his voice sounding slightly slurred, by Kyoko's guess, he was likely intoxicated.
"Ow! Please, stop!" the woman cried as the man pulled her very roughly towards the car.
Kyoko's fists clenched tightly as she felt an anger boil up within her, ignoring the pain it brought. There was no way she could just ignore this. Her grandfather could scold her for it as much as he wanted later she would have felt far worse about it if she simply walked away and left the woman at this man's mercy.
With that in mind, she began to approach them.
"You're a waste of time!" the man said, his grip on her not loosening despite his intoxicated state. "You think you're worth causing me all this trouble? Huh?!" he demanded.
"I'll call the police!" the woman protested, struggling for her purse. The man chuckled.
"Go on, call them if you want!" he snapped. "The police are my bitches! They're not going to help you!"
Kyoko grimaced and came to a stop just several feet away from them. She had no idea who this man was but that was a rather bold statement to make, especially with a witness now present to testify.
Sirens suddenly blared in the distance, causing all three of them to look in the direction they'd come from.
The man looked livid. "Someone called the cops, huh? Get in the car, NOW!" he snarled, tightening his grip on the woman. "Incompetent fools like you need to keep your mouths shut, and follow where I steer this country!"
At that moment, the woman noticed Kyoko and their eyes met, the man noticed this and let go of the woman as he slowly turned, the light reflecting off his glasses as he glared dangerously at the young detective. "The hell you lookin' at, kid? Get lost!" he snapped. "This ain't a show!" The man looked back at the woman. "See? This is all because you're so damn slow! Get in the car!"
Snatching the woman's arm again and causing her to cry out, the man attempted to push her into the open car. "PLEASE! HELP!" the woman screamed out, struggling against his grip.
That was all she could take. Scowling, Kyoko stormed forward, grabbing the man's shoulder. "Leave her alone!" she hissed, giving him a firm tug to pull him off the woman. The man stumbled back in surprise from the girl's intervention, but it quickly faded into a look of absolute rage. Kyoko immediately positioned herself in front of the woman like a shield, glaring at the man.
"I told you to stay outta this!" he snapped, coming at her with his fist drawn, but in his drunken state he had failed to notice the sidewalk and tripped over it, and promptly fell. Kyoko glared down at the man as he slowly got up, nursing a cut on his forehead as he looked at the young detective with pure hatred. "You damn bitch! I'll sue!"
At that moment, the woman seemed to have found her confidence. "I-if you do that, then I'll report about the money! Is that fine with you?"
The man sneered. "All I have to say is that you did it on your own, and it's over," he retorted.
The woman's confidence deflated quickly. "But... I just did what I was told!"
"And who do you think I am?" the man asked coldly, causing Kyoko to wonder what exactly she'd gotten herself involved in, as she noticed how terrified the woman was becoming again.
"Hey, make this statement to the cops: "This kid suddenly attacked me," got it?" he asked in a tone that sounded more like an order. His pained expression quickly hardened into a dangerous glare. "If you even try to say anything else, you know what will happen to you, right?"
Kyoko folded her arms and glared back at the man. "You're clearly intoxicated, sir. You fell on your own," she said bluntly.
"Shut it, brat!" the man snapped. "You're done for! You have no idea what kind of hornet's nest you just went and kicked over!" he chuckled darkly. "You're gonna learn what happens when you cross me!"
Before Kyoko could give a response, a pair of policemen approached the small group.
"Excuse me, folks. We received a complaint about an argument here. Is something the matter?" one asked.
The man immediately turned to face them, and both officers immediately looked surprised.
"O-oh! I-it's you, sir!" the officer that had spoken earlier said, his voice trembling slightly. Immediately Kyoko grew more concerned. Just who was this man?
The man looked back at the woman, his glare returning as he looked her dead in the eyes. "So, what happened? Explain it to the good officer," he ordered, making no effort to conceal the threatening tone of his voice.
"Don't..." Kyoko stammered, noticing how shook up the woman was becoming.
The woman looked over at her, then at the ground, shame and fear all over her face. "We were t-talking... Then this girl... she suddenly attacked him. Sh-she shoved this gentleman to the ground," she explained, her voice trembling as she spoke. "...And this man... got injured."
The man smirked as he looked over at the stunned Kyoko. "It's exactly as the woman says. Also, make sure you deal with this so my name isn't mentioned at all. You understand what that means, correct?"
"Y-yes, of course, sir!" the officer said readily. "Cuff her!" he ordered his partner. Before Kyoko could react the two officers were already pinning her to the ground and cuffing her...
...That's what I get for trying to do the right thing, Kyoko thought to herself. Maybe her grandfather and Sojiro were right...
No. Despite what happened, despite all that had been said to her, she'd have no right to call herself a detective if she'd willfully ignored something like that. Whoever that man was, he would have had to be extremely well-connected to be able to get away with all of this, and cover it up this effectively that even her grandfather was powerless to change anything.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a chime of her phone. Pulling it up in confusion, the teen detective noticed the weird app from earlier that she distinctly remembered deleting had somehow returned. Odd...
Before she could do anything about it again, however, she could feel her eyelids getting heavy as she suddenly drifted off to sleep.
Kyoko's eyes snapped open at the feeling of a dank air and the sound of a rattling chain. Looking around, she found that she was no longer in her attic bed, but in a prison cell. She was laying on a cheap cot with a worn mattress, a small dripping sink and toilet her only companions in the cell that she noticed sported blue padded walls, matching the odd blue light that everything seemed bathed in. She tried to sit up, and discovered that her wrists and left ankle were shackled, the teen grimacing when she saw her hands were bare. She looked away at them, and sat herself up, gritting her teeth for the impending pain only to notice she felt no sting. Looking down at her hand that she'd used to prop herself up, she suddenly heard a soft giggle.
Glancing over to the barred door at the source of the noise, Kyoko noticed a young girl, maybe ten or so, dressed in what looked like some kind of blue prison guard uniform and her almost white-blonde hair up in a braid, holding a clipboard in her hand and wearing a stoic expression on her face. At that moment, another girl came over from the other side of the door, this one was dressed the same way with identical features except her hair was in twin buns and she wore a condescending smirk. Another thing Kyoko noticed about them was their respective eyepatches they wore, the girl on the left wearing one over her right eye, and vice versa, and the fact the girl on the left's hat had the letters "O Y O O" embroidered on them, while the girl on the right's read "X M R N". The young detective looked back and forth at them. Oxymoron? she pondered as she put the letters together. She didn't know what it entailed but that was hardly her biggest priority at the moment.
Kyoko stood up, feeling the tug of the chain around her ankle that led to a weighted iron ball. Fortunately there seemed to be just enough chain that she could make it to the door, which had been chained and padlocked shut. The two girls standing outside promptly turned, facing one-another but not taking their remaining eyes off of the teen behind the prison door before turning around completely to reveal who... or WHAT... was seated at a small, old-fashioned wooden office desk atop a large blue and gold carpet decorated in golden laurel and a large letter V, behind them at the center of the prison.
It looked like an old man. He wore an antiquated gray suit and tie, with white gloves, and was balding safe for the shaggy tufts of white hair above his long, pointed ears. Coupled with his bulbous forehead and large bulging eyes, impossibly wide grin, and especially his unusually long, beak-like nose, the entity at the desk looked anything but human. Kyoko had no words for what she was seeing.
The being chuckled in a deep, gravely voice and extended a hand to the stunned young detective, his grin never wavering in the slightest as he then spoke. "Trickster... welcome to my Velvet Room!"