Chapter 1:
Five minutes left
Five minutes. That’s all the time I have to solve this case. What on earth made me think becoming a detective was a good idea when investigations have to be wrapped up in so little time?
“Mr. Klein, I should point out that the numbers on your timer tick down faster and faster when you stop thinking,” my client tells me.
“Well, it’d be a hell of a lot easier to think if I didn’t have a bloody dragon standing in front of me,” I grunt back.
That’s right: my timer already shows just three minutes left. But… oh! I almost forgot—how stupid of me. I need to tell you what my job actually is before diving into the real story. We’re on planet E-1456. Sounds like a food preservative, I know, but don’t worry about that. For the past few years, crimes, murders, and all the lovely things that go with them have been multiplying here. To deal with the flood of cases and track down all the criminals, there had to be a massive hiring spree of detectives—pros and rookies alike. And so here I am, with my gadget: a timer, handed out to every single newly hired investigator. Just a big gray brick with a dial full of numbers—nothing fancy to look at.
What does it do, you ask? No, it’s not my alarm clock, though that would’ve been useful. I smashed mine the other day thanks to an enraged woman… but she was so beautiful, so… ah, never mind. Not the place for that kind of story—there might be children reading, who knows. Anyway, this timer has a special power. Because yes, as you’ve probably noticed, there are dragons on this planet—plus plenty of other strange creatures. Quite a fantastic world, don’t you think?
For five minutes each day, once activated, the timer lets its user massively boost their analytical skills—provided they focus entirely on their investigation during the allotted time. Handy, right? Even a clueless rookie turns into a prodigy. If the user resolve the case or find sufficient evidence to convict someone, the timer stops automatically. Investigators should use it at the right time during investigations to avoid wasting this precious time. Still following me? Good. Now, here’s the catch: if the user loses concentration after activating the device, time speeds up faster and faster. And if it hits zero… the user dies. We don’t know why it's like this but it doesn’t happen very often. A great power, which comes with the need to stay sharp and avoid doing anything stupid. Now that you know a bit more, let’s get to the action.
The case I’ve been handed today is a murder. That’s pretty much all we get around here lately. There are so many that it’s downright suspicious. But your detective, Luke Klein, is determined to shed light on what’s really going on. Usually, I don’t even need my timer, thanks to my natural talent as an investigator. So I head to the crime scene, confident as always. Except… I really shouldn’t keep fooling myself like this, and yet I do, every single time.
When I arrive at this abandoned lot, I expect to find a body riddled with bullets or slashed by a knife. But I don’t expect to find a corpse crushed to a pulp, bones shattered, an odor so revolting that without my scarf drenched in cologne to cover my nose, I’d be puking my guts out on the spot. This is nothing like what I usually see. Normally, all it takes is finding the murder weapon discarded nearby, still covered in prints, or spotting traces directly on the victim. But here? Nothing to work with. Just… human mush, really.
Not knowing what else to do, I decide to activate my timer. What a feeling! When it kicks in, your senses sharpen, your mind clears—it’s so good, especially if you haven’t felt it in a while. But just as I begin to think, I’m interrupted by a mysterious dragon. Fifteen meters long, razor-sharp teeth, pony breath and a terrifying silhouette. Bingo! Definitely a dragon. And that brings us back to the moment where I left you earlier.
The dragon stands right in front of me, and my timer ticks down at lightning speed, since I’m no longer focused on the case. Dragons are rare enough to see, and even rarer this close. Am I about to die? The dragon doesn’t budge an inch, but fear climbs inside me. I can’t make sense of the situation. Three minutes slip by without me being able to stop the timer. For the first time, I see my life flashing before my eyes, second after second, as death draws closer. But then, with just thirty seconds left, the timer stops. Not only the timer—my client, my body, everything around me freezes. I can’t move. And yet, a voice echoes in my head. The dragon?
“Dear human, you know our habit of hiding from your kind, since you can be dangerous when gathered together. But do not fear me—I come as a friend, or rather, a client. The other dragons and I have recently suffered a heavy loss. Our commander is dead, slain by some strange creature. That’s where you come in. We know you’re the greatest detective ever to set foot on this world, and we need your help to find the culprit. Forgive my methods for luring you here. That corpse you saw wasn’t a victim—just the remains of my meal. As for your client, she was nothing but an illusion, crafted from unicorn horn powder. I sent her to bring you here more easily. I’m counting on your help. Once you can move again, your timer will no longer be quite the same. I’ll explain later, because I’m going to guide you to our kingdom, the one in the skies, dear detective.”
My body suddenly starts moving again, and my skull slams hard against the ground because I can't feel my legs anymore. I haven’t felt pain like that in ages. As I regain my senses, I notice three strange things. First: my client—or rather her illusion—has vanished, leaving behind a sparkling powder, as blinding as the headlights of a car speeding towards you the wrong way on the road. Second: my timer has changed shape and no longer works the way it used to. I’ll have to wait to learn more. Third, and strangest of all: a man in a business suit now stands before me. Behind him, not one, not two, but three gigantic eyes are staring straight into mine.
“Hello again, Mr. Klein. I’ll be your guide. I hope I haven’t chosen a form that stands out too much among your kind,” says the man, spinning around to show off.
I frown. He talks like he knows me. Who the hell is this slick-looking guy? And where did that damned dragon go?
“Oh! You didn’t recognize me? Come on now, my dear sir—it’s me, the dragon!” the businessman exclaims.
I think... no, I'm sure I'm not at the end of my surprises with this case. Something here feels… different.
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