The trio descended into a breathless hush, their gazes riveted to the boy as they awaited the return of his consciousness.
A few heavy heartbeats trickled by. Then, with agonizing slowness, Leon unfurled his lashes. His hand remained curled around the ceramic handle of his mug as he elevated it to his lips, drawing another measured draught of the dark liquid.
Leon blinked twice, his focus sharpening until it locked onto Conan with the precision of a predator.
Conan felt the weight of those sapphire and emerald irises boring into him. He remained motionless, his mind poised to catch whatever fragment of information might follow—a cryptic clue, a warning, or perhaps another impossible glimpse into the future.
Then, the silence was fractured. Leon's voice, fragile and rasping like dry parchment, emerged in halting English.
"…The divine punishment…"
The words hung in the air, cold and heavy. A collective shiver raced through the group. It was a haunting echo of the previous day's ritual, yet the phrasing had shifted into something more ominous. They found themselves repeating the words like a grim litany.
"The divine punishment…"
Sonoko's voice was a mere tremor. "L-Little Leon… w-what are you implying t-this time…?"
"…Tomorrow… art gallery… a knight's divine punishment will fall…"
The articulation was crystalline, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Once more, they echoed the prophecy, their voices overlapping in a dissonant chorus.
"Tomorrow… art gallery…" Ran whispered, her brow furrowing.
"A knight's divine punishment?!" Sonoko gasped.
"Will fall…?!" Conan finished, the final piece of the verbal puzzle clicking into place.
Leon maintained his unwavering stare, his eyes anchored to Conan's. Then, he slowly shuttered them, offering a solitary, microscopic nod before returning to his chocolate-infused coffee.
Sonoko and Ran exchanged a look of profound trepidation. Had this occurred twenty-four hours prior, they might have dismissed the child's ramblings as the eccentricities of a tired boy. But the scars of today's reality were too fresh. They had stood at the crossroads of his last prediction and watched it materialize. Now, as they stood on the precipice of a new excursion to the art gallery, Leon had cast another shadow over their path.
This time, the air of inevitability was suffocating.
Conan deconstructed the words, replaying them in an endless loop through his analytical mind. He couldn't yet assemble the full tapestry of the event, but the core was undeniable: a catastrophe was slated for tomorrow, and a knight was the catalyst.
His mind flashed back to the rumors of the sentient armor that Ran and Sonoko had been dissecting. With Leon's intervention, the supernatural gossip and the prophecy began to fuse into a singular, terrifying trajectory.
Conan pressed his palms against the tabletop, leaning forward with clinical urgency. "Leon-kun… is there anything else? Any other detail?"
Ran and Sonoko watched as the young detective pressed for more. Leon remained impassive, his focus tethered to his mug.
"…Pen…" Leon murmured, the word barely a breath as he finally set the vessel down.
"Pen?!" they repeated in synchronized bewilderment.
A pen…? A knight…? A falling punishment… does this portend a homicide? Conan sank into a dark labyrinth of deduction, attempting to tether these disparate concepts together.
Ran glanced toward Sonoko, her resolve wavering. "Are we truly going to proceed with the visit tomorrow…?"
Before Sonoko could utter a syllable, she felt a gentle tug on her sleeve. She peered down at Leon. "What is it, Little Leon?"
"Nee-san… do you believe the tribute Grandpa bestowed upon me is sufficient to acquire a museum?" Leon inquired, his voice small.
"Grandpa's gift? Oh, you mean the compensation for your Mona Lisa…" Sonoko clarified.
Leon offered a slight nod.
"Well, certainly. With those stacks of currency, you could purchase a gallery and then some. But why the sudden interest in real estate?" Sonoko asked, puzzled.
"Nee-san… may I accompany you tomorrow?" Leon bypassed her question, his eyes searching hers.
"Of course. I had every intention of bringing you along," Sonoko replied, reaching out to affectionately ruffle his shock of snow-white hair.
"So the plan stands… we shall proceed with the museum visit," Ran noted, observing the siblings' exchange.
"Naturally. Are you not dying to see if Little Leon's foresight strikes true once more?" Sonoko challenged.
"Perhaps we should involve the authorities instead?" Ran suggested tentatively.
"No, Ran-neechan. They would likely dismiss it as the whimsical prank of a child," Conan countered. "After all, we are dealing with a vague prediction. There is no tangible evidence of a crime, nor are we certain a human life is truly at stake…"
"Oyy… gaki… are you implying my Little Leon's prophecy is a mere prank?!" Sonoko snapped, her fingers migrating to Conan's cheek to deliver a sharp pinch.
Oy… oy… I am merely speaking the logical truth, Conan grumbled to himself.
"In that case… I shall request that Dad joins us tomorrow!" Ran declared.
"An excellent plan," Sonoko agreed, finally liberating Conan's reddened cheek.
Conan massaged the sore spot.
"Then it is finalized. Tomorrow, we explore the depths of that art gallery," Sonoko proclaimed with absolute finality.
Ran and Conan nodded in solemn agreement. They understood the stakes: if the morning brought a fulfillment of Leon's words, it would confirm that the boy possessed a faculty far more terrifying than his artistic genius—the ability to peer through the veil of time itself.
Their eyes shifted to the boy once more. He had tilted his head to the side, his small fingers twitching as he counted in Japanese, his heavy accent clinging to every digit.
"K-kawaii…" the girls whispered, momentarily distracted by the innocent sight of the child counting on his fingers.
Later that afternoon, beneath the imposing shadow of the mansion's gate, Ran and Conan boarded a sleek black SUV—the private transport Sonoko had commissioned for their return journey. Ran offered her farewells to the siblings, and Conan followed suit.
"Jā ne… see you tomorrow, Leon-kun," Conan said, waving from the retreating window.
Leon elevated his right hand in a slow, ghost-like wave. Sonoko stood beside him, mimicking the gesture with more energy.
The vehicle glided away from the Suzuki estate, carving a path toward the Mouri Detective Agency. Leon and Sonoko watched the tail-lights vanish beyond the perimeter before retreating into the warmth of the castle.
Sonoko looked down at the small boy beside her. "Little Leon, you must don the new attire Mother provided for you tomorrow. It is designed for your protection when we venture outside. Do you understand?"
Leon nodded. Then, his gaze drifted upward. "Nee-san… do you think Father will be incensed if I utilize the funds Grandpa gave me?"
"Of course not. That was your payment, fair and square, for the painting," Sonoko said, kneeling to meet his eye level.
"Then… is it permissible to exchange that money for a museum?" Leon pressed.
"A museum? But whatever for?" Sonoko asked, her confusion returning.
"That art gallery we are visiting tomorrow… I wish to purchase it, if it is possible," Leon replied, his voice devoid of emotion yet utterly serious.
AM N. NOT.(っ－＿－)っ♤♤DRAFT♤♤