The Detective Jr.

I thought maybe we could find a little light in this desolate valley, but instead, we stumbled into a nightmare.

"BUT THE HELL IS THIS?! KID, HOW ON EARTH DID YOU EVEN PROVOKE IT?!!"

We were sprinting for our lives, fleeing from a Dragon that seemed to have materialized from the very depths of the valley. To understand how we ended up in this situation, let's rewind a bit…

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"Loki, we're now entering the Valley of Death, so don't do anything reckless and just follow me, okay?" I warned, trying to keep my voice steady, though my pulse raced with unease.

"Yes, Dad!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement and mischief. The boy always had that look in his eyes, as if he could conquer anything. Our journey had been going smoothly, almost too perfectly, until we reached the cave.

"Loki, stay here. I'll go see if I can find some fruits nearby," I instructed, handing him a small pouch of foods. I knew this valley was dangerous, so I wanted to take extra precautions.

"Yes, Dad! Return back safely!" he called out, his voice echoing in the stillness.

"...It feels like I just jinxed myself again..."

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After gathering some wild fruits, I made my way back to the cave, only to find it… empty. Panic surged through me.

"Loki...? Loki?!" I shouted, my heart racing as dread crawled up my spine.

Then I heard it- a piercing scream. My blood froze. I turned just in time to see a massive red dragon, its scales shimmering in the sunlight, barreling toward Loki. The boy was running for his life, clutching a small chest overflowing with gold coins. What in the world had he done?!

"Dad...!! Save me!!!" Loki screamed, his voice filled with terror and mischief...?

"Save you?! Run, kid, run!! Dragons are immune to magic, and I'm not exactly a warrior!" I shouted back, my instincts kicking in as I rushed towards him.

I scooped up Loki, and we tore through the forest, the dragon's furious roar echoing behind us. The ground trembled beneath our feet as we darted between trees, desperately trying to escape the beast. But as we ran, the ground beneath us gave way. We stumbled, and before we could react, we were tumbling down a steep cliff. The world spun around us, and just when I thought we were about to meet our end, a dark abyss opened up beneath us, swallowing us whole.

We fell, the air rushing past us until we landed with a heavy thud on soft, shadowy ground. Dazed and disoriented, I blinked against the strange, dimly lit surroundings. The space was filled with swirling shadows and flickering lights that danced like fireflies.

"What... where are we?" I asked, my voice trembling with confusion.

Before I could talk again, a figure emerged from the darkness—a tall, ethereal being with an owl perched on his shoulder. The air around him crackled with an otherworldly energy.

"I am Skyler… the Deity of Darkness," he proclaimed, his voice smooth yet commanding. "You have fallen into my realm... Or rather, I called you into my realm."

I scrambled to my feet, pulling Loki behind me instinctively. "We don't want any trouble! We were just-"

"Yeah yeah, running away from a dragon…" Skyler's gaze shifted to Loki, and he frowned. "And Dad… Running away from the meeting again? Do you have any idea how reckless that was?"

"Dad-? What...?" I asked looking even more confused than ever.

Loki looked up, his expression shifting from fake fear to pouty and playful. "I had to see what was out there!"

But then, something changed. With a flicker of magic, Loki's form began to shift. His child like features morphed, and in an instant, he transformed into a striking figure with white hair that glowed like the moon and blue eyes that sparkled with mischief and wisdom. A glowing halo appeared above his head.

"I'm not just some kid, Linxi," he said, his voice now deeper and resonant. "I am Tei, the Deity of Mischief."

My jaw dropped as I took a step back, trying to process what I was seeing. "Loki... I mean, Tei? What are you talking about?"

Tei smiled, a playful glint in his eyes. "I've been watching over you. You see, I'm not just your friend. I'm actually your grandfather~"

I blinked in disbelief. "My grandfather? How is that even possible? I'm a robot!"

Tei's smile widened, and he leaned closer, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Are you sure, Leon?"

The name struck me like a bolt of lightning. Leon. It was my past life name, but how… I was just a human in my past life too…

"But how... I was just a human in my past life..." I stammered.

Tei nodded, his expression warm and encouraging. "No, my grandson, do you remember your parents?"

"...No...? I can't remember anything..." I muttered, feeling a strange emptiness creep into my heart.

"Yes, my grandson, but you see your parents were once powerful beings, they are Yukio and Raon... And though you may now inhabit a different form, your essence remains. You… you have the potential to wield great magic, just like your parents..."

I stared at him, my heart racing with a mix of fear and excitement. "Magic? But I don't know anything about it besides the fact that I only know cosmic magic!"

"That's your father's magic…" Tei chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. "But that's where I come in. I can teach you the Art Of Chronomancy, the Magic Of Time. Together, we can unlock your true potential and face whatever challenges lie ahead~"

I took a deep breath, feeling a surge of determination. "Alright, Gramps Tei. If you believe I can do this, then I want to learn. I want to understand who I really am."

Tei's smile broadened, and he extended his hand towards me. "Then let us begin this journey together, Leon. The path of magic awaits us."

"Well… My name now is Linxi," I murmured, hesitating slightly.

"Hm, that's true, but sometimes you've got to remember your old identity too~" Tei said, winking at me. "I can't wait for your grandma's reaction when she sees you."

"Grandma..." I said slowly, trying to piece together what this all meant.

"Let's go, Leon!" Tei exclaimed with a smile that seemed to hold a thousand secrets. He took a step forward, and I followed, still reeling from everything that had just happened. The weight of my new identity felt strange, unfamiliar, but somehow it also felt right.

As we left, I couldn't shake the feeling that we had forgotten something important. But the more I thought about it, the less it seemed to matter. We were on a new path, and what else could go wrong after all… right?

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"Seriously? They forgot I was still here…" Skyler groaned, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Unbelievable.... Let's go Orion" He gave a small peck to the Owl who transformed into an ethereal man, Brown hair with a beautiful feathered wings like an owl, golden eyes sharp like a spear. "Yes my dear"

With a flicker of dark magic, Skyler vanished into the shadows, his form melting into the abyss. His presence lingered, though, like an echo, and I couldn't help but feel that he was watching, waiting for the right moment to reappear. The mystery of his true purpose remained as hidden as ever.

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_To Be Continued_