A Detective and a Middle School Student Work Together to Defeat Lupin

A few days after uncovering the dark tragedy from 45 years ago and restoring Chestina's memory, my life returned to the boring routine of a middle school student. Sleeping in class, relying on Kalet for math homework, and occasionally listening to new conspiracy theories from Chestina. I had hoped Lupin would give me a break. I guess my plea for peace didn't reach their ears.

That night, I was engrossed in playing games in my room. My headphones were at maximum volume, so I heard nothing but the sounds of virtual gunshots and explosions. Suddenly, my phone screen on the table flickered. A new message notification from an unknown number.

I took off my headphones. The message was an image. The image was a screenshot from online news. The news itself wasn't important, about a charity concert that would be held in the city center. However, what made me frown was the oddly conspicuous red circle, encircling a sentence unrelated to the news: "Lost laughter demands a price, where silent melody bears witness." And below it, a single sentence: "The stage is the canvas, the clock is the brush."

I knew this was Lupin's doing. And that meant I had to deal with them again. I sighed. The peaceful life I yearned for seemed to never truly exist.

My phone vibrated again. This time, an incoming call from Rose Claret.

"Have you seen the message, Arez?" her voice sounded cheerful, too cheerful for this hour.

"I just saw it, Rose. What is this again? 'Lost laughter demands a price'?"

"It seems Lupin has a new target," Rose replied, her tone turning serious. "The big charity concert happening this weekend. And it looks like they want us to play along."

"Why does it have to be me again?" I complained. "Why don't you handle it? You're the professional detective."

"Because I want to train you, Arez. Your brain rarely thinks; even in class you just sleep and accept help from your friends. This is one of the processes to accustom your brain to interacting with things like this," Rose said. "This is a test for you. I will still help you, of course. But you have to solve it. I'll give you a hint, but only if you're truly stuck."

I rolled my eyes. Of course. I bet she was just too lazy to solve this riddle herself.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll send you the location where they hid the initial evidence," Rose continued. "You have to go there alone and find the first clue. I'll be waiting at your house when you return."

"What?! I have to painstakingly solve weird riddles alone, and you just sit comfortably at my house?!" I protested loudly, instinctively standing from my seat.

"Consider this truly a training for you. Don't worry, I'll help you if you get stuck. This training won't go on indefinitely; there are only a few cases you have to get through," she said, as if treating this riddle lightly.

I could only sigh in resignation. It seemed my nap tomorrow would have to be postponed.

　　　　　　　◇

The next morning, Rose sent an address: an old, abandoned theater. I actually wanted to wear the uniform Rose gave me, but it was too flashy for my style. I arrived there around 10 AM, dressed in classic clothes. The building looked dilapidated, with gaping doors and graffiti everywhere. I went inside. My footsteps echoed throughout the empty hall.

In the middle of the dirty, dusty stage, an old projector was on, shining an image onto a torn screen. The image was a strange musical notation, seemingly random and irregular. Below it, there was handwriting that looked like song lyrics, but also random:

————————————————

Forgotten chime,

A melody without rhyme.

Among the silent notes,

Seek the face untouched by time.

[RANDOMLY APPEARING MUSICAL NOTATION]

A frozen smile,

In a mirror that doesn't reflect.

When night falls,

The truth will be revealed.

————————————————

I stared at the musical notation in confusion. I didn't understand music at all. The notation looked like random scribbles to me. "Forgotten chime, a melody without rhyme"? I tried to read the lyrics, but they made no sense to me. A face untouched by time? A frozen smile? These were all riddles.

I tried to find physical clues around the stage. I fumbled along the walls, checked under the stage. I found a small box under one of the collapsed audience chairs. Inside, there was an old pocket watch that had stopped moving, its hands pointing to three o'clock. And another letter from Lupin.

————————————————

Welcome to our symphony.

Time runs backward, notes whisper.

The stage awaits, the audience prepares.

Can you hear the unheard melody?

————————————————

I sighed. A stopped pocket watch. Strange musical notation. Confusing lyrics. This was much harder than before. So much information swirled in my head; I felt like it would burst. I tried to recall every detail from the messages and objects, searching for connections between them, but everything felt disconnected, demanding my full attention.

I tried to grasp the emotional meaning of every word Lupin provided. "Lost laughter demands a price, where silent melody bears witness." Was there a hint of sadness, or perhaps a hidden threat? What price had to be paid?

I also thought about who might be involved, or who would be Lupin's victim this time. What was their motive behind all this? Was this just a game, or was there a real target?

"A melody without rhyme." That phrase kept ringing in my ears. This wasn't just a word puzzle, but a language puzzle itself. I tried to flip phrases, looking for hidden meanings, but my brain just spun in circles. "A face untouched by time." Did this refer to a portrait, a statue, or something more abstract?

I tried to draw conclusions from every small clue I found. If the clock was the brush and the stage was the canvas, it meant I had to 'draw' something on the stage using time. But how could I do that with musical notation I didn't understand? My logic felt hindered by the complexity of this riddle.

I had to find a way. I tried various approaches, winding the pocket watch, examining every crack on the stage, looking for patterns in the musical notation. None of it worked. Every time I felt like I was about to find something, a doubt emerged and brought me back to square one. It felt like there were so many layers to uncover.

What strategy should I use? Lupin wanted me to hurry, but this riddle needed time. I had to plan each step carefully. I tried to imagine what Lupin would do next, what traps they had set.

I flipped through the musical notation paper, holding the pocket watch. I tried to manipulate the watch, turning its hands, but nothing happened. I tried to find hidden symbols. Nothing.

This was a riddle that drained all my abilities. I felt frustrated. Lupin was truly serious this time. I sighed. I had to think about it again. Maybe something was missed. Something very hidden.

I looked at my watch. It had been almost an hour. I had to get back home soon and report this to Rose. Maybe she had a crazy idea that could help.