Ryo leaned against the limousine, arms crossed.
Ryo: "I need to find a place where I can gather historical records of this kingdom—information on magic, and records of death incidents since the 5th century."
Amina blinked. "Death incidents since the 5th century?! Ryo, that's like… thousands—no, millions of people! Wars, famines, plagues—you name it! That's gonna be soooo impossible to track down."
Ryo nodded. "Hmmm… fair point. Okay, let's narrow it down. How about recorded mysterious deaths from the last 200 years?"
Amina tapped her chin, thinking. "I guess you could find that stuff in our public library, but… why are you suddenly interested in this?"
Ryo shrugged. "It's important to understand a part of this kingdom's history. I mean, I had no idea this place even existed ever since I came out of my mother."
Amina visibly cringed. "Uhh… at least say 'ever since I was born'—you made it sound so… graphic."
Ryo smirked. "Noted."
Amina sighed in defeat.
Amina: "Alrighty then! Back to the limo!"
After a 20-minute drive, they arrived back in the city.
Suddenly, the limousine slowed down.
A police officer signaled them to stop. His stance was firm, his expression strict.
The driver rolled down the window. The officer peered inside.
Police: "Routine check. Who's in the vehicle?"
Then, his eyes landed on Amina.
The officer immediately straightened up and saluted."Oh! Lady Amina! My apologies for stopping you."
Amina waved it off. "It's okay. The Sultan did enact a state of heightened security, after all."
The officer nodded, then glanced at Ryo. "And… who's the foreigner next to you?"
Amina leaned back casually. "Oh, him? He's a detective. Hired by the Sultan and the Princess."
The officer's eyes widened. "Oh! A Detective, I see. So, you're investigating this whole situation?"
Amina gave Ryo a subtle look.
Ryo immediately understood—anything related to the Celestial Compass must stay secret.
So, he played along.
Ryo: "Yeah… guess the chaos got so bad that even I, a foreign detective, had to step in."
The officer let out a deep sigh. "I see… well, I hope your efforts help ease the situation and solve this problem."
Ryo squinted slightly, scanning the officer. Then, out of nowhere, so casually—
Ryo: "Dude, you look like a half-melted candle. You good?"
The officer blinked. Amina gasped.
Amina: "Ryo—!"
The officer groaned. "Ugh… you have no idea. This entire situation has us working overtime like crazy. We barely get to go home. Normally, we have shifts, but now? We're stuck out here almost 24/7."
Ryo chuckled. "Damn, must suck for you, huh?"
The officer rubbed his face. "Yeah! So pleeeeease, Mr. Detective, I'm begging you—help me see my family again."
Ryo grinned. "Don't worry, officer, I'll do my best to get you back to that family gathering."
The officer sighed dramatically. "Forget a gathering, I just wanna nap without my radio blaring in my ear every two minutes."
Ryo: "I feel that. Back when I was a cop, I started thinking my uniform was my pajamas."
The officer perked up."Oh! To think I'd meet a fellow former officer!"
Amina looking at both of them, and out of curiosity. "You sure can talk casually with the police like it's no biggie, Ryo."
Ryo nodded. "Yup. Small talk with cops is basically a daily thing for me back in the days. Also, it's way less of a headache to talk like close friends instead of all the 'Yes, sir! No, sir!' nonsense."
The officer laughed. "Man, finally someone gets it."
Ryo smirked. "Alright, bro, just take care of yourself. You guys are doing a damn good job."
The officer grinned tiredly. "Thanks, man. And once again—"pleeeease" help me see my family again."
Ryo laughed. "Hahaha, I got you, bro."
He reached out his fist.
The officer, without hesitation, fist-bumped him back.
The officer stepped back, straightened up, and saluted. "Have a safe journey and good luck with the investigation!"
As the limousine drove off, Amina folded her arms. "Never in my life I've seen cops talking casually like that, except outside their working hours."
Ryo stretched. "Most people treat cops like robots in uniform. They forget they're just exhausted dudes trying to do their job."
Amina nodded. "That actually makes a lot of sense."
Their limousine sped off toward the library, leaving the exhausted officer waving behind them.
As they arrived, the limousine rolled to a stop, Ryo stepped out—and froze mid-step. His eyes widened, his mouth hung open, and he let out a dramatic gasp.
Ryo (stuttering): "A...A...Amina!"
Amina, already knowing exactly what was coming, quietly giggled at his over-the-top reaction.
Ryo (pointing at the massive structure): "Are you SURE… this isn't some gigantic historical site disguised as a library?! It looks like it… should have its own ZIP code!"
Amina burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, Ryo! Your reactions are always the best!"
She wiped away a tear of laughter before proudly gesturing to the grand building. "This, my dear detective, is the Grand Library of Al-Munira—the GREATEST and LARGEST library in the entire world."
Ryo's jaw dropped further. "NO WAY!"
Before he could spiral into another dramatic meltdown, Amina grabbed his wrist. "Come on, don't just stand there looking like you've seen a ghost—let's go inside!"
The moment they stepped in, Ryo's soul nearly left his body.
The towering bookshelves stretched so high they seemed to touch the sky. Golden chandeliers lit up the ancient texts, and the endless rows of books made the place feel vast and majestic.
Ryo, with his over-the-top reaction again. "Amina… are you ABSOLUTELY SURE… this isn't a museum?!"
Amina just laughed even harder.
But now it was time to get down to business. They approached the librarian's desk.
Ryo (casually): "Excuse me, where can I find books on magic, the history of Al-Munira, and any recorded mysterious deaths from the last 200 years?"
The librarian, an old lady, paused mid-blink. "Umm… mysterious deaths?"
Ryo nodded."Yeah, you know, the creepy, unexplained kind."
Then, as if remembering something last minute, he added:
Ryo: "Oh, and where can I find books on dark magic?"
Silence.
The entire atmosphere shifted.
Amina and the librarian SNAPPED their heads toward Ryo as if he had just declared he wanted to commit several crimes at once.
Amina (outraged, but in a whisper): "Excuse Me?! Dark Magic?! Why The Hell Do You Need That?!"
Librarian (horrified whisper): "Sir…! That's illegal!"
Both of them scolded him at the same time like a teacher catching a student cheating on a test.
Ryo, hands up in defense: "C..chill out, you two—!"
Amina: "How Can We 'Chill Out' When You Just Asked For Something That Could Get You Arrested?!!"
Ryo: "I'm a detective, not some evil magician! I just need it for my investigation!"
The librarian still looked skeptical. "Sir, we don't have books on dark magic. It's against the law to include them in our collection."
She then softened and offered a suggestion. "However… we do have documented stories about the consequences of using dark magic."
Ryo: "Oh! That'll do!"
Librarian: "Please follow me, and keep your voice down to avoid disturbing the other readers."
The librarian led them down endless aisles of books.
Ryo (groaning): "Great… and here I thought walking to my room in the palace took forever."
Amina snickered.
Finally, after what felt like a pilgrimage, the librarian picked out and handed them a mountain of books. Fortunately, they were all in English, which Ryo could understand.
Ryo and Amina took a seat at a nearby table.
Ryo dove into the books immediately, his eyes scanning pages at inhuman speeds, flipping past anything that wasn't important. His focus was so intense that his fingers moved almost too fast to see.
Meanwhile, across from him, Amina sat completely unbothered, flipping through a detective manga, waiting for him to finish.
Two hours passed.
Finally, Ryo slammed the last book shut with a smirk.
Amina noticed the look on his face. She lowered her manga and raised an eyebrow.
Amina: "So… figured anything out?"
Ryo leaned forward dramatically, his smirk widening. "Not just anything… but Everything."
Amina's eyes widened. "Wait, what—?!"
And then, Ryo dropped the bomb.
Ryo: "I know the identity of the thief who stole the Celestial Compass."
Amina nearly fell off her chair. "WHAAAAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
Librarian noticing her shout and snapped. "KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!"
Amina startled. "Ugh...sorry…"
Ryo continued (smugly): "Dead serious."
Amina leaned in, whispering urgently. "Then Tell Me!"
Ryo, still wearing that annoying smirk, simply stood up.
Ryo: "Let's head back to the palace first."
Amina felt like flipping the entire table. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME, RYO?!"
The librarian snapped even louder, slamming her palm against the desk. "QUIIIIEEET!!"
And with that, they left the library—one of them smug, the other on the verge of losing her mind.
Back at the palace…
The halls were tense and eerily silent, even with guards, maids and attendants moving about.
A dark figure lurked among them, shifting seamlessly between roles—sometimes a guard, sometimes a maid, sometimes an attendant—blending in like a shadow, unseen yet always there.
It spread baseless fears, fueling the unease around them. The maids whispered in concern, and the guards exchanged wary glances, never realizing they were engaging with something… inhuman.
Then, its gaze fell upon Shahira.
She walked through the hall, her expression burdened with worry, unaware of the figure watching her from the shadows.
A wicked grin spread across its face.
It whispered, its voice no longer human—twisted, layered, unnatural.
"The time is close… for this kingdom… no, this entire world… to meet its doom."
A sharp shiver ran down Shahira's spine.
She froze.
A surge of fear hit her, every instinct warning her of danger.
She snapped around.
"Who's there?!"
The hall was empty.
Heart pounding, she took a few cautious steps forward. She peeked around the nearest corner—only to see maids, calmly dusting shelves and arranging flowers.
One of them noticed her pale face.
"Um… Princess Shahira, is something wrong?"
Shahira quickly masked her unease.
"Oh, uh... it's nothing. Keep up the good work."
The maid bowed and resumed cleaning.
But Shahira couldn't shake the feeling.
She clenched her fists, a drop of sweat sliding down her temple.
"Could this be... what Ryo meant?"
The detective had told her about the strange presence he felt at the vault room. "Was this... the same thing? "
Determined, she hurried toward the royal chambers.
She pushed open the heavy doors to find a scene that made her heart sink.
Her father, King Malik, sat at his desk, his face buried in his hands, looking as though the weight of the kingdom had finally crushed him.
Her mother, Queen Zafira, lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Her face was pale. Her lips dry.
She hadn't eaten. She hadn't slept.
She was wasting away…
"Mother!" Shahira rushed to her side. "You have to eat something! You don't look well!"
But Zafira barely reacted.
She muttered softly, her voice distant—like she wasn't even here.
"Jamil… oh my dear baby Jamil… I'm very sorry..."
Shahira's breath caught in her throat, her chest tightening.
Her father finally lifted his head, his voice hoarse.
"Your mother's grief is understandable." He exhaled heavily. "She misses your brother… our only son."
There was pain in his eyes.
A pain Shahira hadn't seen before.
She bit her lip.
"But what he did… at the marketplace… and what he did to Ryo…"
Malik's expression darkened.
"My dear daughter… imagine one of your children commits a crime. As a parent, how would you feel?"
Shahira froze.
She had no answer.
Malik continued, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"But as Sultan, I cannot grant Jamil special treatment. He committed crimes—terrible ones. The deaths of innocent people… he is no different than a murderer. He must be imprisoned. He must atone for his sins."
The words weighed down the room.
Shahira felt her throat tighten.
Her mother, still lost in sorrow, whispered over and over—
"Jamil… my baby boy… I miss you… I miss you…"
Tears welled in Shahira's eyes.
Her father, once so strong, now looked like a man crushed by regret.
Her mother, once so full of life, now looked like a woman who had already lost everything.
The pain was suffocating.
King Malik, after a long silence, finally spoke again.
"Anyway… where is the detective? I heard he regained consciousness."
Shahira straightened herself, brushing away her emotions.
"I heard from your trusted guards that he went out with Amina to continue his investigation."
Malik sighed. "I see… let's hope for the best."
Shahira lowered her gaze, her fingers clenching into fists.
"Yeah…"
Outside the royal chamber, the dark figure listened.
It leaned against the door, unnoticed.
It grinned.
It could smell their despair. It could taste their hopelessness.
It fed on it.
And it was delighted.
In a voice unnatural and warped, it whispered to itself—
"Hehehe… that useless detective won't be able to do anything."
Its grin widened, stretching inhumanly.
"I will find another way to get his head… and I will have my vengeance on this kingdom very soon."
It licked its lips.
"The time is close!"
And then—
It vanished into the darkness…
The palace courtyard was full of movement and noise.
Then, a guard's loud voice echoed through the grounds.
"Lady Amina and Detective Ryo have returned!"
Shahira and King Malik stepped forward and turned to the window.
Outside, a limousine came to a slow stop.
The doors opened.
And then—
Time. Stopped.
Ryo stepped out like he was the main character of a high-budget action movie, he slowly walked toward the entrance, his hands pocketed.
His trench coat flared dramatically, caught in an imaginary gust of wind.
His hair shimmered under the sunlight.
His eyes gleamed with unshakable determination.
The guards gawked.
The maids gasped.
A random bird squawked and flew away in shock.
Even the palace itself seemed to tremble in the presence of Detective Ryo.
Amina, following behind him, staring at him and cringing at his theatrics.
"Woah… get a load of this guy…" she thought, her eye twitching.
As Ryo stepped through the palace entrance, a dark presence lurked nearby.
In the dimly lit corridor, the mysterious figure watched him with a sinister grin.
It waited.
It watched.
It enjoyed the sight of the detective—its victim.
But then—
A single second changed everything.
Ryo's eyes flickered.
His gaze snapped sideways—directly at the figure.
Like a hawk locking onto its prey.
The figure's smirk vanished.
"Oh shit!"
It rushed, diving behind the corner of the corridor like a guilty kid caught stealing cookies.
But Ryo didn't react further.
He just kept walking.
The dark figure, still hidden, breathed heavily.
"Did he realize it was me? No… impossible… right?"
At the same moment, Shahira sprinted down the staircase.
She nearly tripped over her dress but kept running until—
"Ryo!" she called out, panting as she reached him.
Ryo, as casual as ever: "Hey, Sha. Long time no see."
Shahira panted. "It's only been two days, you idiot."
Then—
She grabbed both of his hands.
Her expression softened.
"Ryo, at the marketplace… I might've scared you after what I did."
Her voice wavered.
Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm really sorry. I… I must have looked like a monster to you, didn't I?"
Ryo didn't flinch.
He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.
"It's okay, Sha. You have nothing to apologize for."
His grin lit up the room.
"You went that far to save me, right?"
And then—
Without hesitation—
He messed up her hair playfully.
"So it's okay. That terrifying nature of yours? It's a lifesaver!"
Shahira turned red.
"R-Ryo… I…"
But before she could finish—
"BOO!"
Ryo and Shahira jumped.
Amina, standing behind Ryo, pouted with her arms crossed.
Her cheeks were slightly red.
"Seriously, Ryo, you sure like making girls jealous!"
Ryo blinked. "Huh?" And then, realizing what she meant, without saying a word, his eyes shifted to the left. "oh…"
Shahira flushed even harder. "A-Amina! W-What are you saying?!"
Before things could escalate into a full-blown romantic comedy disaster—
"Calm down, you two!" Ryo blurted, waving his hands in panic.
Then—
He took a deep breath and exhaled.
His expression shifted.
His eyes sharpened.
His voice turned serious.
"Shahira. Amina. Gather everyone in the throne hall."
Amina raised an eyebrow. "Define everyone?"
"The King, Queen. All the guards, attendants, and maids."
Shahira hesitated. "Ryo… could it be…?"
He smirked.
"Yup."
With a dramatic flick of his wrist—
SNAP.
Ryo's fingers clicked like a gunshot through the silence.
"I am about to reveal the true identity of the thief who stole the Celestial Compass."
Silence.
Then—
"GASP!"
Not just Shahira.
Not just the guards.
Not just the maids.
EVERYONE.
A random cat outside meowed dramatically.
One of the guards dropped his spear in shock.
A maid fainted on the spot.
And then—
Amina.
She clutched her chest.
Her eyes sparkled.
Her fists shook with excitement.
Her entire soul screamed.
"OH MY GOOOOOOOD!!! IT'S HAPPENING!!"
She nearly jumped like a fan at a live concert.
"Ryo, do it! Do the dramatic anime finger point! The dramatic accusation! The evidence breakdown! The final 'The culprit is YOU!' line!"
Ryo blinked.
"Huh? I was just gonna say it normally—"
"NOOOOOOO!!!"
Amina grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Don't you DARE ruin this moment! This is your time to shine! Our time to witness PEAK DETECTIVE STORYTELLING!"
Ryo, sweating: "O-Okay???"
And so, Ryo's revelation is about to begin.