...
I'm probably dead, if that body is anything to go by...Wait

I...

I remember...

My name is...

Professor Hershel Layton!

"How could I have forgotten?" Layton asked himself as he observed his dead body "I still don't remember how I died, how odd..." Layton squinted then remembered something "Wait! If I'm dead...Claire!" The spirit of the puzzle lover whirled around as he searched for his long-dead lover

"You won't find her here..."

"hm? And why is that?" Layton looked up, now looking for the source of the voice (Am I not truly dead?)

"You are dead from certain, but your Claire is not here, in the Land of the Living, nor in the the World of the Dead, she has moved on the the AfterLife" The world turned into a red swirling vortex as a small black kitten in a red handkerchief emerged from...somewhere... and sat down in front of the warily confused Professor of Archaeology "Now, let's see what we can do about your current situation..." the cat...spoke?...thought? as they lifted a paw

"Not here...hm...Wait, did you just-" (Did that kitten read my mind?)

"Not exactly, the World of the Dead has no secrets, I can hear your surface thoughts."

"Oh..Interesting..." Layton mused as he put a hand to his chin, and using his other hand to support his elbow in thought

"Huh...I thought you would be more shocked at that..."

"Well, considering im speaking to a cat, and the fact that I'm dead...It not really at that surprising." Layton pointed out as he grabbed the tip of his top hat with a small smile, like he just solved a small puzzle "Is there any reason why you're here?"

"Of course, I'm here to save you from death."

(Save me from death? Didn't he say I was dead for certain earlier?) Layton quirked an invisible eyebrow

"That I did, but i have a special set of abilities...called 'Ghost Tricks' and i plan on using them to save you!" The cat puffed up slightly then, everything changed