It was evening. The throne hall was filled with nervous whispers—maids clutched their chests, guards tightened their grips on their weapons, attendants gulped, and some prayed to whatever deity was listening, hoping they weren't about to be called out.
And in the center of it all… Ryo.
Standing tall before the throne on the large carpet, his hands were in his pockets, eyes closed, silently waiting.
The heavy doors creaked open as a thick mist spilled into the room—and then, they arrived.
Sultan Malik, regal as ever, his cape flowing behind him.
Sultana Zafira, still looking worn with sorrow.
Shahira and Amina, walking beside them, their expressions serious.
As they stepped inside, Ryo slowly—ever so slowly—opened his eyes.
His head turned slowly to face them.
The Sultan opened his mouth, his voice steady yet firm.
"Mr. Detective, I've heard that you—"
"MY JAMIL IS INNOCENT, RIGHT?!" Sultana Zafira interjected, her voice filled with panic.
Before the Sultan could even finish his sentence, Sultana Zafira dashed forward, toward the center!
In the blink of an eye, she was grabbing Ryo's shoulders, shaking him violently.
"PLEASE TELL ME HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!"
"PLEASE TELL ME HE'S NOT A CRIMINAL!"
Ryo's brain rattled inside his skull as he was flung around like a ragdoll, his vision blurring.
A nearby maid gasped.
A guard covered his mouth in shock.
Ryo, still being shaken. "U-Uh, Y-Your M-Majesty—"
Sultan Malik, rushing forward. "Sweetheart, please calm down!"
Shahira, filled with worry. "MOTHER!"
Amina and Shahira pulled her off Ryo, who stumbled back, dizzy.
The Sultana collapsed to her knees, whimpering like a mother desperate for her child.
"Please... please... I want my baby back home..."
The hall fell silent.
Even the loudest whispers ceased.
Maids teared up.
Some guards looked away, their own emotions getting the best of them.
Shahira clenched her fists, her own eyes tearing up at the sight of her once-cheerful mother, now so broken.
The Sultan knelt beside his wife, helping her up. With slow, heavy steps, he led her to the throne. Amina and Shahira followed, and once the Sultan and Sultana were seated, Shahira stood next to the Sultana, while Amina took her place next to the Sultan. Sultana Zafira sat weakly on her throne beside her husband, still wiping away tears with a tissue from Shahira.
The air in the throne hall felt thick with emotion.
Then—
The Sultan cleared his throat while seated, trying to steady himself.
"Ehem! Mr. Detective, I heard that you have solved this mystery."
Ryo, still steadying himself from the Sultana's sudden shaking, nodded firmly.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
And then—
With the weight of the kingdom upon him, he declared. "And the thief, who stole the Celestial Compass, is here right now... in the throne hall among us!"
GASP!
Every single person froze.
The maids looked at the guards.
The guards looked at the attendants.
The attendants looked at the Sultan.
The Sultan looked at the Sultana.
The Sultana looked at literally no one because she was still whimpering.
A guard suddenly pointed at another guard. "IT WAS YOU, WASN'T IT?!"
The second guard, startled by the sudden accusation, replied. "BRO, WHAT?!"
A maid gasped so hard she fainted again.
Another maid whispered. "I KNEW it was someone among us!"
A chef in the back rubbed the back of his head. "Wait, why am I even here?"
The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a royal sword.
Sultan Malik shot up from his seat, his rage erupting.
"WHO IS IT?! WHAT EVIDENCE HAVE YOU FOUND, MR. DETECTIVE?!!!"
Ryo smirked—the legendary detective smirk, the kind that said, 'I know everything, and you're about to lose your mind.'
"Relax, Your Highness..." He slowly lifted his finger, and a hush fell upon the room. "I'm gonna explain everything right now."
Shahira, determined. "Okay, Ryo, please begin."
Ryo nodded.
And then—
Right next to the Sultan—
Amina internally screaming."OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, IT'S HAPPENING! THE BIG REVEAL! I'M LIVING IN A REAL DETECTIVE SHOW!"
She clutched her fists.
Her legs shook from excitement.
Her face? Pure joy.
Her soul? ASCENDING.
"PLEASE let him do the dramatic finger point! PLEASE let there be plot twists! PLEASE let him say, 'The real culprit is YOU!'"
Ryo took a deep breath—
Amina, her mind buzzing with excitement, exclaimed. "IT'S STARTING!!!"
And it started…
Ryo stood with his arms crossed. "When I first arrived in the kingdom, something immediately felt off. The airport—completely empty."
He shook his head slightly.
"At first, I assumed it was just a quiet day, but then a thought struck me… Why would an entire airport be deserted when no one in the kingdom was supposed to know about the theft of the Celestial Compass?"
He turned to Sultan Malik and asked calmly. "So what's going on, Your Majesty?"
The Sultan flinched. His expression darkened, and his eyes shifted downward, avoiding Ryo's gaze.
Ryo narrowed his eyes and smirked. "No need to answer, Your Majesty. I already knew. There had been an information leak."
He paced slightly as he spoke.
"If the people of Al-Munira had found out about the missing Celestial Compass, it would've caused chaos. The artifact's history is well-known—taught in schools. The entire kingdom would've fallen into panic."
He turned back toward the Sultan.
"So, as the ruler, you made a decision. You ordered a complete cover-up. To avoid suspicions, the public was told the airport was closed for 'maintenance.'
Sultan Malik sighed, as if caught red-handed, and slowly placed a palm over his face before nodding solemnly.
"I had no choice. To prevent suspicion, we announced the airport was closed for 'maintenance.' Only a handful of my most trusted guards and officials know the truth."
Shahira furrowed her brows. "Wait a minute… Father, you told me the airport shutdown was to prevent the thief's escape."
The Sultan remained silent.
Ryo grinned. "And how do you think I figured this out?"
The room grew quiet. Everyone in the throne hall exchanged confused glances, unsure of what Ryo was getting at.
Amina tapped her chin, trying to recall something.
"Hmm... oh yeah! On your first day here, when Shahira and I were guiding you to your room, you asked me for the palace WiFi password. I just assumed you wanted to watch some online videos to pass the time."
Ryo chuckled. "Well, I did test out a few videos... but that's beside the point."
He continued…
"While I was on the network, I noticed something interesting. This kingdom has a private server that prevents any foreign devices, like my phone, from communicating with the outside world without permission. Basically, no one can send messages or data out unless they have authorization from the system."
Shahira crossed her arms. "That makes sense. Our kingdom is hidden from all but a few wealthy individuals for business matters, so we have to ensure outsiders can't discover our location."
"Exactly," Ryo said. "And this also means that while I was inside the palace, I could only access Al-Munira's internal news. That's when I saw it—the airport maintenance announcement. But I knew it wasn't just maintenance."
Amina raised a brow. "How?"
Ryo answering. "Because this so-called 'leak' didn't just happen randomly. Someone caused it. And that someone had access to the kingdom's main servers."
The throne hall erupted into murmurs. The realization was sinking in.
Sultan Malik exhaled heavily, his face tense. "…You're right. The thief managed to breach the system and create a leak. I had to cover it up quickly to prevent outsiders from getting involved."
Ryo gave him an approving nod. "And you did a good job, Your Majesty. You prevented the worst-case scenario. But here's where things get really interesting..."
Ryo's expression turned sharp as he pointed upward. "The palace has its own main server, separate from the city's data center, correct?"
Sultan Malik nodded. "That's right."
Shahira's eyes widened. "Wait… are you saying the thief didn't just steal the Celestial Compass… they wanted to create chaos?"
Ryo chuckled. "Now you're getting it. This wasn't just about stealing a valuable artifact. This was about destabilizing the kingdom. The thief wanted the outside world to take notice."
Amina gasped. "Oh! So they weren't just after the compass, they wanted to start a whole crisis!"
Ryo snapped his finger. "Bingo! Their goal was to spread chaos through mass hysteria."
The room fell silent. The weight of Ryo's words pressed on everyone like an invisible force.
Ryo took a deep breath and locked eyes with the Sultan.
"Now," he said, his voice steady, "let's talk about the lost Celestial Compass."
"When Shahira and I went down to the dungeon to examine the vault room, I noticed something strange. The way the thief stole the compass was flawless—a perfect crime."
He turned slightly, addressing the entire hall.
"Shahira showed me the security footage from the vault room. No distortions, no glitches, no missing timestamps. The footage made it look like nothing happened. Yet, in reality, the vault had been opened, the box had been unsealed, and the compass was taken—all in a split second."
Sultan Malik shook his head with a knowing look. "That's right. The thief stole the compass in a way that should've been impossible."
Ryo's gaze sharpened. "Not if dark magic was involved."
Gasps spread through the hall like wildfire.
The Sultan stiffened, his fists clenching. "Dark magic? Explain now!"
Shahira simply watched Ryo, arms crossed, her face serious. She already knew the answer—he had explained it to her days ago. But even then, hearing it again sent chills down her spine.
Ryo continued.
There are two main types of elements in dark magic—curses and illusions, as you, Your Majesty, have mentioned in your history lesson before.
Sultan Malik gave a slow, grim nod.
"And the magic at play here," Ryo continued, "the method our thief used to snatch the compass without detection—was illusion magic."
A deep wave of unease spread through the room. People exchanged nervous glances. Some guards instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons.
Ryo pushed forward. "By using illusions, the thief was able to alter what the CCTV cameras recorded, creating a false image—an illusion—that made it appear as if the vault had never been opened and the box holding the compass had never been touched. That's why there were no errors or anomalies in the footage."
He paused for a moment, letting it sink in.
"The reality? The thief destabilized the security system, walked in completely unnoticed, opened the vault without a care, unsealed the box, and took the Celestial Compass—without triggering a single alert."
A tense silence filled the throne hall.
Then, Ryo took a step forward, his expression darkening. "But that's not all."
Shahira tensed. She knew what was coming next.
Ryo continues. "When I was in the vault room with Shahira, I felt something. A presence. A sinister presence. Watching us. Studying us..."
Sultan Malik's jaw tightened. "Watching…?"
Ryo's voice dropped lower, almost a whisper.
"But here's the problem... when Shahira and I arrived at the dungeon where the vault room is, we saw no one else."
The eerie statement sent a chill through the air.
Ryo turned to Shahira. "Sha, that presence... it most likely followed us into the elevator. It descended with us—without us ever realizing it."
Shahira's face paled. She hugged her arms, trying to shake off the shiver crawling up her spine.
"What?! But we never saw anything!"
Ryo's eyes glinted as he delivered the bombshell.
"Exactly. Because it was using illusion magic to make itself invisible. That presence… it could have been standing right in front of us. Behind us. Even beside us—watching, listening... happily deceiving us the entire time."
The throne hall went deathly silent.
A deep sense of fear filled the room.
Shahira's hands trembled slightly.
Ryo exhaled. "And the only reason it didn't attack us that day… was because I hadn't gathered enough clues yet."
Everyone felt a suffocating weight press down on them.
Ryo, his voice steady. "Even though I didn't have all the answers back then, that presence—or should I say, The Ravens—already saw me as a threat."
A heavy silence filled the throne hall.
"And that..." Ryo continued, his sharp gaze locking in. "Is what led to the marketplace incident. With your maid, Lina..." He softened his voice, regretful. "And your son, Jamil."
The moment Jamil's name was spoken, Sultana Zafira snapped. She quickly stood up from her throne, eyes wide, desperation flooding her face.
"JAMIL!!!"
She nearly lunged forward, but Sultan Malik and Amina quickly grabbed her arms, guiding her back into her seat. Her breathing was erratic, hands trembling as she clutched the fabric of her dress.
Shahira, however, darkened her expression, her body rigid. The memory of what she had done—the moment she tore her brother's foot apart—weighed on her like a crushing force. Regret twisted deep in her chest.
Ryo continued, unshaken. "The thief has been using Jamil, Lina, and other Raven members to silence me—to hinder my investigation."
The Sultan's eye widened.
The Sultana's voice trembled, her eyes wide with shock. "Using… my son…?"
Ryo exhaled, his gaze dropping before looking back up at them.
"But before I get into that… Amina and I went to the prison hospital to interrogate Jamil."
Shahira's head snapped toward Amina, eyes wide. "Eh?! Amina! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Amina let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of her head.
"Well, Mr. Detective here was being super cautious. What could I do? And honestly? That was the first and last time I'm stepping into that hellhole."
Sultana Zafira, still filled with desperation, raised her voice.
HOW IS JAMIL?! IS HE OKAY?! IS HE EATING WELL?!"
Ryo smiled softly. "Your Majesty, you really are a loving mother."
Then, with a reassuring nod, he added. "We met him in the underground ward. He's… okay. Okay enough to complain about how he ended up there in the first place—despite losing his foot."
Shahira flinched, her hand tightening around her arm at the mention of 'losing his foot.'
"But," Ryo added with a teasing smile, "that hospital seriously needs to improve their meal plans."
A small chuckle rippled through the room, but the atmosphere remained thick.
Ryo pressed on.
"When we talked to Jamil, he swore he doesn't remember anything about the marketplace incident. He doesn't remember how he got there. He doesn't remember attacking me."
Sultan Malik crossed his arms, skeptical. "Yes, that's what he claims. But we can't just believe him, Mr. Detective. We all saw the footage—the evidence is against him."
Ryo's eyes glinted. "That's because the thief casted curse magic on Jamil and Lina."
The Sultan's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
Ryo's tone deepened.
"Amina and I confirmed this when we questioned two supposed Raven members—Jamil and another man named Omar."
"Lina was unconscious, so we couldn't speak with her"
He paused, then raised three fingers. "And all three of them had the same thing in common—a black circular mark with spikes around it in their eyes."
Amina took out her phone and turned the screen toward the Sultan and Shahira.
The moment they saw the mark… their faces froze.
It was real.
Ryo continued. "Jamil and Omar told me a similar story. They were just going about their normal day—until someone came up behind them... and covered their eyes with a hand."
The hall grew deathly silent.
"And after that?" Ryo exhaled. "They don't remember anything."
He glanced at the Sultana, subtly hinting that her son wasn't to blame.
"They only 'woke up' after being painfully injured. It was like they had a time skip—one moment they were fine, doing normal stuff, the next, they were covered in wounds."
"But Lina," Ryo added, "was different. She didn't wake up immediately after being brutally wounded. Which means…"
Sultan Malik clenched his fists. "The curse on her was stronger."
Ryo nodded. "Exactly. The culprit made sure she wouldn't wake up right away."
Then, Ryo turned to face the Sultan directly.
"Your Majesty, I remember you once said Malakar used curse magic to strike down his enemies."
Sultan Malik stiffened.
Just hearing the name sent a shudder through everyone.
Ryo's voice was firm. "It looks like the culprit is using the same method—turning your own son, your trusted maid, and others affected by it into weapons against me. Because in the culprit's eyes… I'm the enemy."
The Sultan gripped his throne's armrest tightly.
"And whoever has that mark on their eyes," Ryo continued, "is being manipulated. They're nothing but puppets. Used as decoys. Ordered to take me down before I could solve this mystery."
His voice dropped into a deadly smirk. "Which they failed to do—since I'm still here, alive and kicking."
Before anyone could react, Sultana Zafira sprang to her feet, her fury exploding as she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"WHERE ARE YOU!? YOU THIEF!!!"
Her voice boomed through the throne hall.
"YOU'RE HERE, AREN'T YOU?! HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO MY SON?! HOW DARE YOU CURSE HIM?! I'LL F***ING CURSE YOU INSTEAD!!"
Every royal staff member flinched at the queen's outburst. Ryo flinched so sharply that he nearly stumbled backward.
Shahira, Amina, and Sultan Malik scrambled to hold her down again before she went into full rampage mode.
Ryo blinked, sweat forming on his forehead. "W-Wow… I hope she doesn't get sent to a mental hospital."
Meanwhile, everyone in the hall began glancing nervously at the person next to them, their eyes darting around in search—praying—that no one bore the cursed mark, as maids tugged at each other's sleeves, guards exchanged uneasy glances, and some even reached out, touching their companions' faces, checking their eyes, and brushing aside strands of hair.
Fortunately… no one had the mark.
Everyone in the throne hall let out a sigh of relief.
But amidst the sea of worried faces, hidden in plain sight, the true thief stood among them—a dark figure, its bloodshot eyes flickering with barely contained rage, its body tense and jaw clenched, having managed to remain unnoticed… for now.
But Ryo's sharp deductions had struck a nerve.
The thief could feel it—an invisible grip tightening around its throat.
The detective was dangerously close.
The Sultan, Sultana, and Shahira all checked each other's eyes, carefully scanning for any sign of the cursed mark, and even Amina, whom Ryo had already checked, was not exempt from the scrutiny.
Nothing. They were all in the clear.
Then, without warning, Shahira and Amina turned to Ryo, walked down the throne towards him, mischief twinkling in their eyes.
Shahira smiled seductively, leaning her face close to Ryo. "Let's check your eyes now, Ryo."
Amina grinned, rubbing her palms together. "Yeah! It's not fair that you checked mine without having yours checked too."
Ryo raised a hand defensively. "Wait, hold on—I'm the one leading the reveal here—"
Amina crossed her arms in front of her chest, making an exaggerated 'No' gesture. "Nope!"
Before Ryo could escape, both girls leaned in close, their eyes twinkling with mischief as they examined his eyes, giggling all the while.
Ryo froze.
Two stunning beauties, their faces inches away and breath practically on his skin, and the great Detective Ryo, completely glitched, his brain blue-screening in that very moment.
Shahira, now grinning, leaned back smugly. "Yup! Our detective here is clean—no mark!"
Amina, smirking, gave Ryo's back a playful smack! "My, my~ what a lucky guy! Two beauties up close to his face, all for the sake of evidence~"
Ryo's face twitched, turned bright red. "O-oi—"
Amina, taking the teasing to dangerous new heights, put a hand on her hip and grinned devilishly.
"How about we call all our beautiful maids here to check your eyes too? That way, you can really feel like you're in a harem!"
Shahira immediately turned to her troublesome friend, looking jealous. "Hey! Amina!"
The Sultan, watching this absurd scene unfold, blinked. Then blinked again. Then rubbed his temples like he suddenly had the worst headache of his life.
Ryo, completely defeated, sighed deeply. "Uhhh… can we get back on topic, please…?"
Shahira and Amina both nodded with mischievous smiles and returned to standing next to the Sultan and Sultana.
Mr. Detective here, who was this close to becoming a harem protagonist, quickly shook off his flustered state and snapped back to reality.
His expression turned serious as he cleared his throat. "Now, let's talk about the thief."
Everyone braced themselves.
Amina, practically vibrating in excitement, clenched her fists. "Here we go! Another awesome detective anime-like plot twist!"
Somewhere in the crowd, the real thief—hidden among them—was sweating buckets.
And then, Ryo dropped another bomb. "As for the thief… that person already knows how to activate the Celestial Compass."
"HAAAAAAAHHHH!?!" The throne hall erupted.
One attendant passed out. A guard accidentally unsheathed his sword in shock, only to drop it with a loud CLANG! The same maid fainted again.
Amina, who had been hyping herself up, nearly fell over. "I KNEW I was expecting a grand detective anime plot twist, but…. THAT WAS TOO MUCH!!"
The Sultan, drenched in nervous sweat, wiped his forehead with a cloth.
"B-B-But… Mr. Detective, if that's the case, then—"
Shahira cut in, gripping the armrest of her mother's throne.
"Then why hasn't the thief activated the Celestial Compass's needles yet?!"
Everyone turned to Ryo, their eyes demanding answers.
Ryo, with a smirk. "I've read a lot of books at the Grand Library, and I realized something."
The entire hall held its breath as everyone gulped.
Ryo continued. "There are certain conditions that must be met before the Compass can be activated."
The Sultan leaned forward. "And what are those conditions?"
But then—
Ryo, with master-level dramatic timing. "But before I get into that—"
"OH, COME ON!!" The room exploded in frustration.
Amina nearly threw her sandals at him. "PLEASE STOP WITH THE CLIFFHANGERS, RYO!"
A royal guard slammed his helmet on the ground. "JUST SPIT IT OUT, MAN!"
A female attendant in the back started sobbing. "I CAN'T HANDLE THE SUSPENSE ANYMORE!"
Even the Sultan looked like he was about to banish Ryo on the spot.
But Ryo? Unbothered. He crossed his arms, calm as ever. "What? You all are gonna love this next part."
Shahira sighed, narrowing her eyes. "And that is?"
Then Ryo's expression darkened, his gaze sharp, and in a low, chilling voice, he finally said…
"The Ancient Jinn."
The throne hall fell into absolute silence, the temperature dropping as a candle flickered ominously, and a distant thunderclap rumbled despite the clear night sky.
The same maid fainted on the spot.
Even Amina, normally the playful one, felt her stomach drop.
And the thief—hiding in plain sight—clenched their fists so tightly their nails dug into their skin.
Shahira blinked, staring in horror, before whispering shakily.
"...You're joking, right?"