Third-Person View
Leaving the garage, Leo headed straight to the airport. Just as he entered, his nose caught a deep and peculiar silver scent. Following the scent, he found the middle-aged man he was familiar with: Johnson.
Approaching him, Johnson's eyes caught something on Leo, and he stared at him for a few seconds without speaking.
"Hi there, Uncle. How are you? Any good news?" Leo asked, smiling as he shook Johnson's hand. He noticed a strange energy inside the man, close to the mana he used but distinctly different. The feeling was similar to the energy he felt in the bizarre world he visited at night.
Johnson didn't answer directly, but observed him for a second, then sighed. "Except finding that my little friend has become one of the rich people of the world and has awakened his ability? Nothing new."
At those words, Leo instantly tensed, earning a laugh from the man in front of him. "Relax, I know because your father was one too."
Leo nodded. "So, is your visit related to that?"
Johnson nodded. "That, and handing something over. Should we grab a drink?"
They headed to a nearby coffee shop and sat down to talk. After ordering, Johnson slid a round, green piece of glass across the table. Confused, Leo examined the object.
LIFE ORBCan be linked to one person to keep a trace of their condition (life, death, danger, etc.). It will alarm the holder if the linked person becomes part of the supernatural world, signaled by the orb turning green.Exporter vers Sheets
Seeing the surprised expression on Leo's face, Johnson placed a box on the table, seemingly pulling it out of nowhere. "Your parents handed me this box and the glass orb months before their death with only one sentence: 'If the orb turns green, and we are not alive, please hand the box to our son.'"
Looking at the box, Leo looked back at Johnson. "Are you supernatural? I can smell a weird silver thing on you, and I feel some energy radiating around your body, but I don't think you're a Shifter like me, or even a Vampire, as you don't smell sweet."
At this comment, Johnson's eyes widened, and then he burst into laughter. "HAHAHAHA! Good one, but no. Those are barely counted as truly supernatural."
Leo was confused. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Johnson shook his head. "In the supernatural world, there is a Tier System for every creature's power level. For example, the vampires you talk about, more known as the 'Gelida' or 'The Frozen Ones,' are a Level 5 Threat. The Shifters, or 'Bestia Spirits,' depending on the type, range between Level 3 to 10. By the way, the weakest supernatural is Level 2, and it's a parasite type."
Leo took a second to process this. "So, they hardly count as dangerous. And neither do I, I guess."
"No, no, you are not a Shifter," Johnson said, shaking his head in denial. "I don't know what your father was, but there was one time I asked him if he was one, and he took real offense at that, saying, 'Please don't compare me to those hormonal animals; that's rude,' or something to that effect."
Leo quickly calculated what he had just heard. "Quick question on that level scale. What was my father's level, and in your opinion, where do I stand now?"
Johnson sighed. "Well, as you are now, you are around Level 9, close to 10. As for your parents, well, they were an 'OOZ' level, possessing no warning or threat aura around them."
Leo looked confused. "Excuse me? Oz as in The Wizard of Oz?"
Johnson answered with a small laugh. "No, as in 'Out Of Normal Zone', or 'Out Of Zone' for short. The scale we use takes a lot of specifics for ranking, but in general, we have 40 levels. Any creature between Level 38 and 40 is called a Calamity. And anything higher than 40 is unscaled and classified as 'OOZ' because no normal supernatural below 40 can scratch them. Your parents were the kind that even a Level 40 would have to run from if they had bad intentions because they could smell it."
This massive info-dump made Leo's mind go numb for a second. He stood up, asking in agitation, "Then why the hell are they dead!?"
This outburst surprised Johnson. Leo noticed what he had done, sat back down, and apologized, "Sorry."
Johnson smiled, not minding his reaction. "It's okay. It would be weird if you didn't react like that. Back to your question: As I was the one responsible for that case, I know for sure they are probably still alive, as I found no trace of their death. So, my best guess is they were either forced into a situation where they had to disappear, or someone on the same level as them is involved. I'm not sure what happened, but I am still working on finding them."
The last part surprised Leo before he nodded. "If you need any help, please call me. Also, this," he said, taking a touchscreen phone and handing it to Johnson.
Johnson took the phone. "This is the first time I've seen a phone like this. New type?"
Leo shook his head. "No, something I made personally. It is five generations advanced over anything you find on the market. It has facial tracking, monitoring control over two kilometers around it, and many more features that will be of help in your job."
Johnson nodded in surprise. "It's more helpful than you think." With a smile, he continued, "But the supernatural world has something close to it—maybe three generations behind." This made Leo excited, as he never thought that the supernatural world also had advanced technology.
Looking at his father's friend, he asked, "So, what's the plan now?"
Johnson smiled and said, "I will head to Japan to see my wife and kids."
This surprised Leo. "You're married? I never knew."
Johnson nodded. "Yes. I am part of the Katagiri family. You will know about them later," he said while standing.
After paying, they left the coffee shop. Johnson pulled Leo into a hug. "I will see you later, brat. If you have time, visit us in Japan; you are always welcome."
Nodding at his words, Leo hugged him back before heading back to his car with the box.
Sitting in the driver's seat, he opened the box. Inside, he found a couple of things: a letter, a notebook, and two necklaces with lion fangs.
Leo opened the letter, reading it first before examining the rest. One thought stuck in his head: "Is this still the Twilight I know?"