Arc 1, Chapter 4: Layla Princely

"Really? Using my name? Why didn't you just use yours? Or just pay him?"

"It's better to keep the work of a Krialin associate private from the public," she righteously put. "I also spent all my money on food on my way to Kria and slept in the Krialin station last night," she continued blamelessly.

Jotou barely batted an eye at this point… "Speaking of which, when did you get a badge?"

"I swiped it off of one of their desks on the way out. I'm pretty good at getting away with things you know," she flaunted her hair.

"Please, he was drunk—a chicken could lie to him."

With a shake of her head the brunette grinned, "You keep questioning my skills," she hid the badge in her pinafore pocket. "Yet, look at how much I've found out."

"Alright thief, what did you figure out?"

"Follow me!" Fumeko dragged Jotou by the arm through the surrounding area…

…for hours. By the time they finally reached their location, the sky had gone orange, changing into a light purple.

Jotou sat on a tree root that had grown out of the ground of the cemetery. Fumeko examined the gravestone labelled 'Layla Princely, Beloved Wife and Mother'. "Found it!"

"You dragged me through the same places for hours, how does stopping at a cemetery actually help us?" Jotou had her chin cupped in both hands, trying to ignore the rumbles of her stomach.

Fumeko turned to her, "If the funeral house is around here, then they'd bury their dead close by. If your funeral was here, chances are that your mom's grave is here and it is.

If the velatos work how I think they work, Mr Princely's nightmare should become real. If you're alive and you're not the velatos, that only leaves one other alternative."

"Not 'my mom'. And you realize that there might not even be a velatos here, right? How're they even defeated?" Jotou inquired.

"Only highly skilled magic users in the city have dealt with and taken out velatos. I'm not sure how though," she shrugged a shoulder.

"Does anybody know the cause of these velatos?"

"Not that I know of. It just happened and people had to deal with it. Many people think it's nature since well, nobody actually knows a lot about these things."

"Where do you get this information?" Jotou cocked a brow.

"What do you think I do all day? Help amnesiacs through cities I barely know myself? I got my hands on all the info I could about the Velatos Case in the Krialin Station.

It's one of the biggest cases in Kria's history with no apparent solutions or leads. Amazing detectives who're starting out like myself, see this as a golden opportunity to solve the case and become legend!" she replied.

"Sounds hopeless," Jotou retorted with a smirk. She then went silent… "Actually, you sound like me."

"Hm?"

"It's nothing," Jotou sighed. "If you think you can achieve your dreams, then don't let an idiot like me stop you," the purple shifted to dark blue as the stars took over the sky.

Fumeko faced Jotou with softer eyes, "I… Thanks…" She stared for a while, "I wasn't gonna let an idiot like you stop me anyway," she smirked.

The dirt she stood by rumbled under her shoes, abruptly ending her reign of confidence as she "Ah!" squeaked away.

Jotou leapt down from the root as the dirt began falling in and a… hand popped out? She felt goosebumps crawling on the back of her neck. The light of the stars and the moon barely hit it; like it absorbed all light into its shadow.

Fumeko inched backwards. The hand dug through until a skeletal body emerged… Its eyes ruby red and glowing, shadows beginning to surround its form.

'The hell is that!? No way, are you kidding!?' Jotou's eyes darted to the brunette. 'No, no, no, no; no more dying!' That car crash rang in her head much clearer now.

"Fumeko!" Jotou rushed towards her and put her left arm out in front of her. Fumeko did not protest and instead cowered behind, watching the scene unveil itself. "Fumeko, go!"

Fumeko nodded, dashing away with shaking knees. Jotou moved away slightly. 'Shit! What am I supposed to do against this thing!?' The sound of her footfalls got further as Jotou moved closer—her heart racing.

'You've killed skeletons before… In a game…' However, the corpse of Layla Princely ignored the closer target and rushed for the one running away in fear.

"Why is it after ME!?!" Fumeko ran faster.

'NO! I have to do something, come on! Come on! Come on!' Jotou's eyes searched all around, finding a large branch on the ground that she could pick up. "Guh…!" The branch proved to be a bit heavier than expected.

"Hey!" Jotou swung the large branch, puffing out breaths as she got closer to the skeleton till it brushed against the back of its smoking skull.

The skeleton turned, searching for what attacked it only to hone in on Jotou with a large stick in both hands. The skeleton dashed forward, a bony growl as Jotou backed up.

She kept the branch as defence till, "Woah!" her heel caught on a root, "Ow!" she used her hands to break the fall, but the branch fell over her stomach.

Seeing the opportunity the skeleton pounced, lunging onto Jotou. Only a branch stood in between her and the skeleton coming down on her. She gritted her teeth, trying to push the branch up, legs flailing to kick it from below.

The skeleton lowered its skull down, its bony shadowy body scraping against the wood as it opened its jaw and went for her head! "Jotou!" Fumeko screamed.

Jotou shut her eyes tight and turned her head to the side…

…

…Her eyes opened. She had the feeling of an inexplainable tingling sensation going from her head and down her spine. She saw… nothing; inky darkness, that was, shifting?

The skull had passed right through her face, like the skeleton had bit nothing at all. Jotou faced the creature, which itself pulled its head back and tilted its skull.

Her breaths became heavier as the fear seeped in. With all her might, she forced the branch up, pushing the skeleton off out of pure adrenaline. 'Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!'

The skeleton's limbs got entangled with the branch, twigs going through the gaps of its bones. The skeleton flailed, breaking and snapping the branch apart.

Jotou got on top of the branch, not realizing her bare feet sinking through the shadowed bones of the skeleton. Jotou pushed the branch down and rolled it up to its skull, "Fumeko, a little help!?"

Fumeko ran towards her and jumped, landing onto the branch and- "CRACK!" At first the skull did not seem to break. "Crack… crack… PUFF!" But fortunately, it shattered after a few seconds of constant pressure the two put onto it.

Fragments of the skull scattered like broken vase pieces. The shadows and smoke dissipated into the air and the glow of its eyes went out, leaving mere bones.

Jotou got up panting. "Are you okay!?" Fumeko looked Jotou's clothes over.

The fresh white was stained with dirt and the skeleton had made rips in the garments, but not a scratch on her body; merely the dirt and dust in her blonde hair from falling down and the cold night against her skin.

"I'm, I'm fine… What happened? Do the velatos not actually hurt anyone and are just fears!?" Jotou put a hand on her chest, feeling her heartbeat calm down.

"No! The reports say they very much hurt people! What just happened, I have no clue!" Fumeko stuttered alongside.

"Hey!" a Krialin passed by with a lantern, alerted by all the fuss the two made…

_

"You two, defeated a velatos, with no magic?" the commissioner narrowed his glance.

"They did sir; there were traces of bones coming from a grave that seemed like it was dug out from the inside and the bones have been examined by the scanner to confirm the presence of a velatos," the guard vouched.

"You heard him. Don't be afraid to thank us," Fumeko shifted her hair behind an ear and placed a hand on her hips.

The commissioner had his fingers intertwined over his mouth, "Actually Fumeko, you have been rejected from working with the Krialin. A bartender from Veers reported a badge in the hands of someone he did not recognize to be a Krialin."

"Ha!?" Fumeko's mouth went agape, the sounds of her dreams shattering like a mirror.

"Getting away with things huh?" Jotou snarked.

"In addition to that, due to your recent actions of taking alcohol whilst not meeting the minimum age in Kria, recruiting an arrested suspect to investigate a sensitive case before my permission and impersonating a Krialin, you must face charges as well," he continued.

"HA!?!?" sweat began to drip down her brow.

"However, these matters will take place tomorrow and the both of you can go back to your residences for now."

"But we- I guess I technically do; she doesn't have a residence and I don't think I have anywhere to go," Jotou told.

"I'm aware, that's why-" the commissioner was cut short.

"Well, well, if it isn't the two new velatos killers," a man's voice came from behind them. Flowing black hair, a muscular figure and wearing full leather armour; his darkened skin and scars marked his experience.

"-he's here..." the commissioner sighed.

"The name's Moren Mataya and you two, are invited to join Kria's Adventurers Guild," he pointed. "If you've got the skill to take down a velatos with no magic, then you'll fit in perfectly!" he chuckled.

'Uhh… skill? You mean by pure chance?' "I don't know… That's a lot more danger than I need and I still have a lot I don't understand," Jotou put her hands out.

"I wanted to be a detective not an adventurer!" Fumeko turned to the commissioner in a cry.

"Guild members get free residences and food at the headquarters-"

"We're in," Fumeko decided for the both of them.

"Wait, when did I give you my vote?"

"This way we get to keep investigating and not die of starvation-"

"We're in," Jotou agreed.

"Great!" Moren grabbed both of them and clapped their shoulders together with force. "Let me show you to the headquarters. Being the leader, it's only fair I show the newbies around!"

"Actually," Jotou held her head still vibrating from being jostled, "I need to go somewhere first…"

_

"May I sit down?" the feminine, songbird-like voice asked John. There were a few less beers on the table and some white visible in his grey eyes. He nodded, pointing to a seat. Fumeko sat next to Jotou as she confronted her 'father'.

"Listen, it's only fair that I tell you. And I guess you too Fumeko if I'm going to be working with you," Jotou inhaled and exhaled.

"What is it?" Fumeko leaned on the table. John sat up to listen.

"I'm not sure what happened to Anastasia Princely—your daughter. My name's Jotou Howllett and I was twenty-one years old before, I think I died…

But I didn't go to heaven or hell or anything else people said to me. I ended up here—in a different body, in a different world. My life used to be in a different world and I think I was 'reincarnated' into this one.

Why in your daughter's body, I don't know. However, if it makes you feel any better, I have no memories of her and don't feel her presence or anything like that. Which means, she's passed on and that funeral wasn't for nobody…"

'Yeah, that'll make him feel better Jotou. Whatever, be serious, he needs to know the truth.' "I'm sorry you didn't get to protect the people you loved and didn't get to see grandchildren. I do intend to use my new life for something good, I hope; and not cause any harm.

I wanna get to the bottom of this matter to understand why and figure out a way to go home. I just want you, John Princely, to know your daughter's not here.

And I'm sorry I can't be her. No velatos plagues my body and no evil trick is being played on your mind. I hope you don't mind that I'm stuck like this…" Jotou forced a smile.

"You're from another world!?" Fumeko slammed her hands on the table, eyeing Jotou up and down.

John Princely faced down, taking a deep breath, "…I understand. May whatever magic or being that did this, give you the reason; and may you return that answer to me as well."

"I'll certainly try." 'I'll figure it out.'

"From another world huh? Well, that's a whole other thing I want info on later, so cheers!" she clinked on one of the empty bottles of beer, hers brand new and full.

Jotou narrowed her eyes, "Who gave you booze!?"