I was a woman with everything that everyone wishes to have. Money, career, fame, perfect family and a perfect love partner. I was a woman who was about to get married in a perfect church wearing a perfect gown.

Now I'm just a woman who woke up with nothing left and no one can recognize me.

Amon Enigma Black-Sun is a young phoenix, a duke and a sage visiting a foreign land with his disciple for the purpose of unraveling one of their realm's greatest mysteries and puzzles.

I just started living with Emiyo and I was still disappointed with my body since its way too much young and it doesn't grow faster, wait a second! Why the heck am I thinking like an 8 Y/o child. Anyways, according to the isekai anime I have to train my body so I can use some serious skills. I kept thinking and realized that I can probably access that system which keep popping in my mind. I sat on bed and tried to concentrate, I was able to see screen and the system's voice started echoing "You can't access system with current stats" Hearing that annoyed me. I felt so bad for myself but keeping my feeling aside I have to figure out when I can access the system, I need to focus again. I sat and tried to focus again, this time I tried to ask the system about when can I access it, so window popped in my mind with an echo like before this time the voice said "Dear host, raise you strength and IQ to the appropriate to access the system settings. Your current strength and goal will appear on screen now"
𝓗𝓸𝓼𝓽-𝓐𝓴𝓲𝓽𝓸 𝓐𝓼𝓪
~~~~𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓼~~~~
𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓽𝓱-5/50
𝓐𝓰𝓲𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂-??/??
𝓢𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓮-??/??
𝓥𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂-??/??
𝓘𝓠/𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮-7/50
𝓦𝓲𝓼𝓭𝓸𝓶-??/??
Seeing the stats, I realized that it would be really hard to raise up the stats. Well I'm really confused why system was doing this to me, why can't I become OP protagonist like isekai anime MCs.
I need to gather strength and train myself hard, I started thinking doing some work out. But, wait how am I supposed to run in this forest? I can do push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, etc. without an issue though. I also need to train my IQ stats, should I start solving some puzzles and stuff? But does this world have puzzle like we use to have on earth? I better ask Emiyo, I knocked her door and she opened it in no time. She asked "What's up Akito?" I answer "I want some puzzles to play, I'm really bored right now." her eyes had sudden sparkle in it and said "In that case, I have some good puzzles" she ran towards outside the house, I guess she have brother complex but I am not complaining about it since in my last life no one really cared much about me. Suddenly she appeared with a big box full of books, some looking weird Rubik's cube, some artistic pencils and whatnot. I was really shocked seeing those, Emiyo patted on my head and said "It's all yours now, you can enjoy it!" I smiled and thanked her from my heart, she exclaimed and said "OH! I forgot to say, if you need help or clue just let me know I can guide you in how to solve that puzzle, ok?" I happily replied "For sure Emiyo!"
I came back in my room and checked all the puzzles in the box, I was amazed to see this many puzzles and I kept exploring, I found many puzzles were same as the world I came from but some puzzles which look like Rubik's cube and some jigsaw puzzle were different. This Rubik's cube is really weird it doesn't rotate like the real Rubik's cube, rather it looks like a box with just a pen mark. When I checked the jigsaw puzzle it is sliding puzzle, and again it doesn't move lust like rubik's cube wasn't rotating. I decided to ask Emiyo, but I feel bad for myself since I am solving kid level puzzle and can't figure out what to do. I am almost 21 according to my previous life, but anyways I should try solving the one I can before I call her. 
_________________________________________
1 hour later 
HAHAHAHA it was damn easy, I could even solve it while sleeping. I solved around 12 puzzles out of 20, my IQ must've gone up at least a little bit. Let's check!!

A guy who killed himself due to some reasons and then got teleport to another world and get some serious OP skills which are most unique in that world. The new world is full of magic and fantasy stuff and looks literally like some anime/game world.

*Where sans went a long time ago when he went to Toriel's door door direction from Chapter Five* "Miss, I'm back... Hello? Miss? She must not be home? Or? Nevermind..." Sans is walking back to papyrus while saying. "And I have more jokes for her too..." *End of that part now back to the real story of this chapter* Frisk after CHARA killing the dogs couple continuing the journey... They have got to another puzzle, looks puzzled when they saw it... "Hmm... There's a sign over there..." "The sign says 'Turn every X into an O. Then press the switch.'" Frisk turned all of the X to O on that section, then pressed the switch and then when the spikes were down, they went accross on the down spikes... They got to the next section which it is harder, but they did it after 5 or 10 times. When they went across on top of those spikes, they met up with Papyrus and Sans again, and tiled floor... "HEY! IT'S THE HUMAN!" Before he finished with what he was saying CHARA made Frisk to walk to the middle of the tiled floor. "YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS PUZZLE! IT WAS MADE BY THE GREAT..." "... ARE YOU SERIOUS? SANS!!! HELP!!! THEY KEEP WALKING THROUGH MY PUZZLES! THEY'RE SUUPPOSED TO LET ME EXPLAIN THEM. THEN THREATEN AND BAFFLE THEM WITH DANGEROUS JAPES." "Well, maybe they don't like japes." "EVERYONE LIKES JAPES!!!" "What about Undyne? Doesn't she hate puzzles?" "SHE HATES PUZZLES. BUT SHE LOVES JAPES." "That makes sense." "HUMAN!! WHAT DO YOU THINK!? PUZZLES OR JAPES?... ... OKAY, THIS IS NORMALLY THE PART. WHERE YOU EITHER AGREE OR DISAGREE. AND DEPENDING ON YOUR ANSWER. WE SAY SOMETHING GREAT IN RESPONSE. ... HERE, WHY DON'T YOU DO THIS PUZZLE YOURSELF?" Papyrus turns to the machine then without doing anything goes away from the machine. Frisk goes to the machine and the machine isn't working... The page on the floor has illegible chicken-scratch...  Frisk goes to talk to Sans... "Hey... Puzzles might be fun. If you tried them." "The ones I actually got to do was fun..." Frisk responded then went on thier journey...

A genderless child fell into the underground and kill the monsters.

#
After school, Rivi met Dan at the edge of the town park.
"So, what are we doing today?" Dan asked, as they walked along a stone path into the park.
Rivi gestured to indicate that they should sit on one of the benches. She set the plastic box she had been carrying on the bench between them.
"Actually, before we continue our project, I was wondering if you know what these items are," Rivi asked, as she opened the plastic Tupperware box.
Inside, there was an assorted collection of brainteaser puzzles. Try-to-get-the-square-through-the-smaller-metal-hoop type puzzles. These puzzles were especially designed to frustrate and upset a person. They often have a tendency to make a person feel inferior, especially when someone else can figure it out, and you can't. Rivi knew that making someone feel inferior is something on which bullies thrive.
Dan must learn to have confidence in himself, Rivi thought to herself.
Dan picked up one of the puzzles and studied it.
"Yeah, I know what these are. They were a fad among students a few years ago."
"Miss Tate really enjoys them. When I found her collection, I asked if I could borrow a few. I thought it would be fun to try to figure some of them out," Rivi said.
"I've never been very good at them, but I'll try," Daniel answered with a smile and a shrug, and began inspecting the first puzzle.
Rivi smiled inwardly. She had deliberately not told Dan that this was part of the project. If Dan was ever going to get out from under the heel of bullies, he would need to start letting his mind help him out of sticky situations.
Rivi allowed her mind to wander into memories of Ankh and Enuet, giving her similar lessons to help her get over her fear of the Aruk. They had slowly helped her to realize that if she didn't give up, she would never be truly defenseless. Rivi also remembered Ankh telling her that, one day, she might meet the Aruk again. Rivi told herself that, when that day came, she would no longer cower from them like a child. Yes, memories of her past were still very painful, but the fear that ruled her when she first met Ankh no longer held her hostage. She would face the Aruk bravely and perhaps ask one simple question: Why?
"Why?"
Rivi was pulled back into reality.
"Why what?" Rivi asked.
"Why can't I figure this out?" Dan asked, frustrated.
Rivi looked at the puzzle he was holding. It was a wooden triangle pegboard. Every hole except one held a peg. Each peg was a different color.
"I need to get all of the pegs out but one, and I can't!" Dan explained, frowning at the puzzle as he ran his fingers absently through his short brown hair.
Calmly, Rivi took the puzzle from him and inspected the problem carefully. She then turned the board upside down, holding only one peg in its hole. All of the pegs but one fell out and into the Tupperware box.
"There!" Rivi exclaimed in triumph.
Dan laughed, which, to his surprise, relieved quite a bit of his stress.
"No. You have to jump over each of the pegs in turn and take them out one by one," Dan said, still laughing.
"Yes, but even though I didn't follow the rules, I still showed you that it could be done, right?"
"Yep," Dan answered with a smile.
"No need to feel inferior to a puzzle just because the solution eludes you. Don't let it bother you, and try even that much harder to outsmart it."
Dan closed his eyes in thought.
"You're referring to Bill and his sidekicks, aren't you?" Dan asked.
"Well, that is our project, is it not?" Rivi asked receiving a chuckle from Dan. "I do see that even though the triangle confused you, you have managed to outwit most of the other puzzles."
"Yes. You've been sitting there quietly for a long time," Dan began.
"Sorry, I was concentrating on some memories from my early days with the Aunantet," Rivi explained.
"That's all right. Hey, do you think you could help me figure out the rest of these?"
"They are a bit addictive, are they not?" Rivi answered, laughing.
"Yeah, I guess so!" Dan replied with a soft chuckle.
Rivi picked up one of the remaining puzzles, and before they tried to figure it out, Rivi showed Dan how to hypothesize the solution by inspecting the puzzle's design and not just the problem the puzzle created. She taught Dan how to think like the creator of the puzzle itself—to analyze why the designer created certain situations within the puzzles. Figuring this out enabled Dan to solve the remaining puzzles quickly.
"Wow, we finally finished them!" Dan exclaimed, as Rivi packed the puzzles away into the box.
"Yes. With a little perseverance and knowledge, it is amazing what a person can do," Rivi replied grinning as she lifted her head to smile at Dan, who smiled back.
"We should head home. It is getting late," Rivi answered with a tilt of her head. "Would you like me to walk with you?"
Dan's smile faded, as he turned forwards and looked at the gravel in front of the bench where they were sitting.
"Uh, no. I'll be fine. I could walk with you 'til you get to your house, though," Dan replied in a cautious tone.
Rivi narrowed her dark brown eyes and considered his reaction then and decided to back down for now.
"No, that's all right. Miss Tate will not worry about me if I'm out late, but your parents might."
"My parents have no worries where they are," Dan said, in a barely audible mumble.
Dan got up and with a quiet "See you tomorrow," he left, walking toward the direction of his home.
#
"Miss Tate?" Rivi called, as she entered the house.
"I'm in the computer room, Rivinaig," Miss Tate called back.
Rivi made her way past the living room and into the small computer room.
"Here are your puzzles," Rivi answered.
"Thank you. By the way, how is the project going?"
"We still have a few things to do, but we're close. Do you know where Dan lives? I was hoping to meet him before school tomorrow."
"Yeah. He lives at the end of Oak Street," Miss Tate answered, as she finished typing on the computer and closed the program.
"Thank you," Rivi replied with a smile. "I'm going to go upstairs for the night."
"Okay. Goodnight, Rivinaig," Miss Tate said as she opened another program on her computer and Rivi turned toward the stairs.
Suddenly, Miss Tate's computer froze. Sensing the machine's confusion, Rivi stopped at the foot of the stairs and went back to Miss Tate's computer room.
"Oh, come on!" Miss Tate said in frustration.
"I believe I can help," Rivi answered.
"You can try, but it has been doing this all afternoon."
Rivi smiled, "Never try. You either do it or don't do it."
She then closed her eyes and amalgamated with the computer, linking her mind to its systems.
"Virus," Rivi mumbled, as she followed the trail and destroyed the culprit file.
She then gave its description for further reference to the anti-virus program installed on Miss Tate's computer.
"Perhaps I need to get a new anti-virus program," Miss Tate suggested, as Rivi pulled out of the computer.
"No. You could update it more often, but there would still be a few that would slip by. It happens with every anti-virus program. However, your computer will tell me when there's a problem. It did earlier, but my mind has been preoccupied."
"Thank you," Miss Tate said, slightly dazed and confused.
"You're welcome. Goodnight," Rivi answered, retreating to her room.

When a group of aliens called the Aruk abduct Rivinaig and several other children, they are thrown into the adventure of a lifetime. The Aunantet, a benevolent race of aliens, rescue the children and adopt them into their culture and raised them as if they belong.
The children's new families teach them how to harness the full capacity of their minds, enabling them to defy the laws of physics and develop special mental abilities.

The past returns to haunt them as the Aruk plot revenge and regain control of their former captives. The fate of the entire galaxy depends on whether the children can maintain their freedom.

After assessing the scenario, the groups start discussing.

"So it's obviously Hansel and Gretel." Pierre starts.

"The plaque says the witch will come back, so we're probably under a timer." Sherlock adds. 

"Meaning we have to finish the task before she comes back," states Theodore and the groups nod in agreement. 

"So we have to make the witch a meal?" Pierre questions. 

Victor observes the fireplace, "Did you notice the scale attached to the caldron? I'm guessing we have to add a certain amount of weight to the pot. When we hit a certain weight, the scenario will be complete."

"The specific weight should be..." Kai looks towards the two in the cage.

"Sacrifice Hansel and Gretel?" Abel follows his gaze.

"But judging by the food on the table, there's probably other foods in all the cabinets and drawers. I'm guessing we'll have to solve puzzles to find more food and it'll take a lot of time, but it's a second, harder option," says Victor. 

Sherlock nods in realization," I see, they're giving us two options. This option, in itself, is likely a test to divide teammates depending on their morals."

"Those with less humanity would want to sacrifice Hansel and Gretel. Those with a strong sense of justice would want to search for food." 

"But we don't know how much food to put in even if we do manage to find everything?" Pierre questions. 

Theodore lifts up cage with one hand and gives an estimation," Should be around two-hundred."

Kai denies his solution, "We can't rely on an estimation. Plus, we don't know how much weight the cage is contributing.

While holding the cage, he's been investigating it," Then we'll need a key." He points to a keyhole.

Abel suddenly pipes up, "They haven't reacted to anything, meaning they're like the previous characters we've met."

"They'll probably only move when we do certain actions. They probably have on-command reactions to different situations." Sherlock contributes the theory he's been working on. 

"We need to find their weight and find enough food." Lucien concludes.

Victor wants Tih's input, "Boss, what do you think-" 

Everyone looks towards Tih as he rips off a piece of fruit roll-up wallpaper and stuffs it into his mouth. There's already a large portion missing from the wall, meaning he's been at it for a while. Tih hasn't really been paying attention to their conversation, instead focusing on the sweet smelling house.

"..." Sherlock is slightly embarrassed by his group's unprofessionalism. 

In the silence, they all hear munching coming from behind. They turn to see Basile munching on gingerbread brick he slid it out of the frosting that was keeping it in place. Basile munches on it like corn, spinning the brick on its sides. Frosting nips the tip of his nose but he has no hands to wipe it off, but he doesn't seem to care. His unfeeling red eyes stare at the brick as his chipmunk cheeks bulge. He doesn't seem to care about his appearance, much like Tih.

Sherlock, who no longer feels embarrassed, and the others look at the two foodies and admire their lax attitude before getting back on topic.

As the leader of four geniuses, Victor doesn't take much time to fit into his role. "Then let's split up and look for fruit and the key to the cage. Agreed?" 

Everyone nods and gets to work. Some start opening cabinets and other start opening drawers below the counter. They're starting with the doors without locks or puzzles on them. Some find food, codes, keys, or other puzzle pieces used for other puzzles they haven't looked at yet. Everything they find is placed on the countertop. 

While others are busy searching, Tih and Basile continue snacking on the walls.

Tih walks from one end of a wall to another, ripping the wallpaper off with him. He munches on it like cattle and it all disappears into his mouth. He walks near Basile to try a red and white circular candy. 

The albino breaks off piece of licorice and stuffs it inside his jacket. He continues collecting bits of confections and it all disappears inside his jacket, but no matter how much he shoves in, his jacket doesn't grow any larger.

"Eh? Was this always here?" The group turn to look at where Theodore is pointing. It's the wall Tih ripped. Behind the fruit wallpaper was a hidden code. 

"Looks like we need to search in unconventional places as well." Sherlock notifies.

Lucien questions, "Can't we use this?" He knocks on the walls, referring to the entire edible house. 

Kai explains,"Gingerbread is too light and candy would melt, so there's no point in putting it in the caldron. The floorboard beneath Kai creaks. Curious, he tries to lift it up. Underneath lies a code and a banana. 

After gathering all the clues in one small pile, Victor speaks up once more," Everyone take one thing and try it on everything until it works. Or if you think you can do it, try one of the doors with puzzles." Everyone either grabs a letter, number, or symbol code, a key, or a piece to a puzzle and start trying them on every door it might belong to. After opening one and grabbing the things inside, it would be sorted on the counter and the process would repeat. 

All the clues are different, they can't be used twice. There's one key thats end can be turned to create different patterns and enter different shaped holes .

Occasionally, there's also objects like magnifying glasses or wrenches. 

Pierre uses the wrench to unscrew a, too small to be done manually, screw made out of some kind of hard candy that can't be broken. 

Some of the many puzzles include sliding puzzles, ball-in-a-maze, brain teasers, anagrams, chess problems, a cross sums puzzle, a cryptogram, and a disentanglement puzzle. Often, there will be multiple puzzles that are interlaced together. The groups need to work together for those ones.

I’m sorry, but I can’t deal with this site anymore. I’m moving to a better place. Wattpad. Out of pure spite. I’ll be transferring and deleting chapters as I go.

i really hope that this year gets better than last year
im so bored i know i have puzzles but still i want something else to do
why does lindsay have to make me feel bad for liking toby 
he did nothing wrong to them at all
and its making me mad and sad tobys really nice once you get to know him
stewart called me a smartass so now im not going to be as talkative as i usually am starting tomorrow
i am a smartass he is right
i want to cry thats all i want to do right now is cry
this job giving me a headache
the wifi in my room is shit
the baby was knocking on my door which was so cute
i have 3 more puzzles to do yay
im also trying to catch up on my netflix shows too 
i watch my shows around 7 oclock until i go to bed
im killing 2 birds with 1 stone
but i still have 4 books to read too
hopefully I can get half of those things done before my birthday but i guess we will have to find out
11 more days till lindsay goes to florida
im being rushed to get my drivers liscense so i am taking the dmv exam the 16th of this month now its time to study
hey its been awhile
i got a dollar raise at work im even training to help out with qualityon first shift im still an operator the position that im training for is called gp12 it is to help out the quality when he/she doesnt come in to work one day i still get to train new operators
im so happy to help out with my shifta quality she really needs it
i got 2 days off of work plus the weekend to heal my mouthfrom my wisdom tooth getting pulled
i cant believe january is done already the year just started but hopefully this year will be better than last year but only god knows whats going to happen to us
welp i better get upstairs and finish my puzzle i have 2 more to do and hopefully when i get the puzzles done i can start on my storys again and start reading my books again too 
still got 3 books to read plus 1 book that needs to be finished up soon
im still in the process of trying to finish up my puzzle it just takes some time
i finished my puzzle 2 more to go
im getting rushed to finish my puzzles making dinner and getting my drivers licsene isnt that lovely it takes time to do all 3 ya know
i logged out of my snapchat im done doing streaks
i finished another puzzle i got 1 more puzzle to go yay finally
okay im officially done with streaks maybe i dont think i am but ill still log out of my snapcht just so i dont get distracted still
and man do i need to shave my legs gosh
i really hope that i dont get no more puzzles we dont have any room for more
i found some more cool hairstyles to do in my because im so bored of the things that i usually do in my hair
i might do them tomorrow after i shower
hopefully theyll stay in my hair till monday afternoon
i think i might go to bed now goonight
wow its the last day of january
1 month till my birthday
i dont know what to do...nevermind
i do have something to do

About my life and how I act when I'm alone.

Because Jiao Chen had raised and taught Xiaojiao. 
Time flies. At the start, she kept imagining that Jiao Chen was still around. Their happy family of three would eat breakfast and dinner together. 
And during bedtime, she would imagine that Jiao Chen was lying beside Xiaojiao, telling her bedtime stories while Su Yue leaned against the door frame, waiting for Xiaojiao to fall asleep. 
But now, she was slowly coming to terms with Jiao Chen's passing. She almost hurt herself a few times because she imagined that Jiao Chen was cooking together with her. 
So, she tried really hard to accept the harsh truth. 
Jiao Chen was no longer around. 
"Miss Su, today's fish is very fresh. I'll cook fish soup for Xiaojiao later, it's good for children." Their helper came back from the market and smiled as she showed Su Xiaojiao a fresh fish. 
Su Yan insisted on arranging for this helper to take care of Su Yue and Xiaojiao. 
Su Yue stared at the fish and said, "It's alright. Leave it in the kitchen. I'll do it."
She was solving puzzles with Su Xiaojiao on the sofa. 
They had been solving the same few puzzles for the past few days. Xiaojiao was starting to become impatient. "Mommy, don't want a puzzle."
The little lass pushed the puzzles away. 
Su Yue kept the puzzles and carried Xiaojiao. She smiled as she asked, "Then what does Xiaojiao want to play?"
Su Xiaojiao looked down and pouted as she remained silent. She blinked and her eyelashes became drenched with tears. 
Su Yue didn't understand why the little lass was suddenly so emotional. With her heart aching, she asked, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"Daddy brings me to the playground. Mommy doesn't love me." Su Xiaojiao peered up at Su Yue and bawled. 
Su Yue's heart clenched. She hugged her tightly and said, "That's not true. Mommy loves you."
Just then, their helper chuckled and walked over. She suggested to Su Yue, "The weather is good today. Many children are flying kites at L Square. Let's bring Xiaojiao over."
Kite-flying… Su Yue looked outside the window. The leaves were rustling because of the gentle breeze. Country M wasn't too scorching this season. Indeed, the weather was good. 
She asked Xiaojiao, "Xiaojiao, do you want to fly a kite?"
"Yes." Su Xiaojiao nodded forcefully. Then she wiped away her tears and affectionately hugged Su Yue's elbow. 
Su Xiaojiao rubbed her head in guilt. 
How did Xiaojiao have such sentiments?
Who else would she love other than Xiaojiao?
L Square was close to their house, so they didn't need the car. Su Yue held Xiaojiao's hand while their helper walked behind them, carrying a bag that contained Xiaojiao's snacks and water. 
There were indeed many children in L Square. Some were flying kites, ice-skating, or running around. 
Laughter filled the atmosphere.
The nearby convenience store sold kites and Su Yue brought Xiaojiao over.
Various kinds of kites were hanging by the entrance. 
Su Yue glanced at them and looked down at Xiaojiao. "Xiaojiao, which one do you like?"
"Butterfly," Xiaojiao said without hesitation. She pointed at the pink butterfly kite. 
"Alright." Su Yue nodded and said to the boss, "I'll have the butterfly kite."
"Okay." The boss took a brand new butterfly kite from the storeroom and passed it to her. "That'll be thirty dollars. Have a good day."


Wen Xuxu is a tenacious, talented, smart and brave woman who was fostered by the Yan family at the age of four when she lost both her parents. 

Brought up to be the successor of a huge conglomerate, Yan Rusheng is an aloof, intelligent and arrogant man who is the most sought-after bachelor in the capital city. 

Despite growing up together, both of them seem to treat each other as an eyesore. She labels him as a jerk and womanizer while in his eyes, she is a shrew. 

Over time, they fall for each other, but they continue to conceal their feelings for each other. By a twist of fate, they are forced into a marriage. And unknown to everyone else and Yan Rusheng, she has harbored a deep secret for many years… 

Keywords: Childhood sweetheart, Womanizer, Aloof, Soulmates, Forced marriage, Orphan, Secretary 

Sugary Scene： 

Suddenly, Wen Xuxu stretched her hand to clutch his wrist and pulled him forcefully. 
Yan Rusheng was caught off guard and he lost his footing. He fell on the bed and then his breathing became sluggish. 
Young Master Yan was afraid that he might lose control of himself and do something to Wen Xuxu... the woman he loathed. So he hastily raised his head. 
But he had barely moved away when Wen Xuxu stretched out her hands and put them around his neck. "Don't leave."

We have a Patreon which you can support us at:

https://www.patreon.com/elitedotingmarriage

We have advanced chapters to offer, as well as goals to increase our weekly release rate!

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

Eleanor Roosevelt

***

RIELLE

The gunman almost got me! Halos mahimatay ako sa sobrang kaba lalo na nang sumabog sa harapan namin ang ulo ni Miss Ryanne.

Nakakaloka! Parang hindi ko na kaya. Hindi ko alam kung pusa ako sa past life ko o sadyang swerte lang ako dahil umabot ako sa 7th floor. I survived twenty three floors! 

All those that happened for the past four days. Were those part of perfectly plotted massacre na hindi ko mawari kung ano ang dahilan? Ayokong gambalain pa ang iba tungkol sa naiisip kong baka naipit kami sa gitna ng isang business war o mafia wars dahil baka nag-isip na naman ako ng kawirduhan. Mina wouldn't like it. Everyone in this floor wouldn't be pleased. Magmumukha akong baliw sa mga teorya ko --as usual.

But sometimes, if not always, my guts are true. Maraming beses ko nang napatunayang ang kutob ko ay almost accurate. 

Halo-halo ang laman ng isip ko habang hinahabol namin pababa sa seventh floor si Larry --ang killer na siyang may pakana ng lahat. Pero sigurado ako, hindi lang siya ang killer. Hindi lang sina Mildred, Maddie at Satana. Someone more powerful was behind this.

The whole set-up --the puzzles, subways, secret doors, riddles. Everything was created by not just five people but many. Kaya naniniwala akong may sindikato sa likod ng mga kaganapan. 

But to what extent?

Papaano nila naatim na pumatay ng halos limampong katao? Hindi kaya terorismo ang nasa likod nito? 

Gulong-gulo ako!

"Stay five meters behind!" Malakas na sigaw ni Andreas na tila naalerto at sinapian ng isang sinaunang assassin. Hindi naman ito ganito sa mga naunang floors. Naalerto lang siya kanina nang namatay si Miss Ryanne. Mukhang matagal na siyang nagpipigil na ipakita ang tunay niyang pagkatao --isa iyon ay ang pagiging alerto at maliksi niya. 

Hindi nakinig sa kaniya si Zyril, isa pang misteryosong babae. Bumaba hanggang sa paanan ng hagdanan si Zyril habang si Andreas ay hindi mapakaling ikinalat ang tingin. His knuckles were hardly gathered together. Mukhang doon niya inipon ang lahat ng gigil niya sa katawan. 

"Why are we even looking for Larryson here? Hindi ba't sa plenum galing ang bala? He's definitely upstairs!" Dinig kong giit ni Mina. Nakahawak pa rin ito sa braso ko na tila takot na takot sa muntikan ko nang pagkamatay. 

Narinig ko namang sumagot si Vladimir mula sa likuran namin. "We only have less than sixty eight hours to get down. Satana mentioned that we must get to the ground before we ran out of time."

"Tama si Vlad, we're not running after Larryson. We are running to beat the time. If he gets on the way, there is nothing better we can do but kill him." Andreas agreed. Humakbang ito papasok sa seventh floor habang nakawarning sign pa rin ang kaliwang palad nito. 

Nagbago ang aura ng mga tao sa paligid. Maliban sa kaibigan kong si Mina na poker face lagi, naging mas seryoso ang kanina'y warfreak na si Andreas. Tila naging isang ahente naman ng NBI si Zyril pati na rin si Vlad. 

Had they been this way since this massacre started?

"Let's keep going. Watch each other's back while Zyril and I try to figure out how to get to the ground before all of us turn into dusts here." Untag ni Andreas na patuloy sa pagmamasid sa paligid. 

Nasa likod niya ang tapang-tapangang si Zyril na alerto ring pinapakiramdaman ang paligid.

"H-how can Zyril and you solve those riddles and puzzles then?" Hindi ko napigilang sambit. I always urge myself to speak if I wanted to mean something. This time, I mean it. "Vlad and Mina almost solved all puzzles on the upper floors. So p-"

Hinigpitan ni Mina ang hawak nito sa braso ko saka seryoso itong tumingin. Bahagya itong umiling-iling, then she gave me a warning stare as if speaking further can really put me into a great danger. 

"We can trust Andreas and Zyril. If they need our help, we're easily alerted." Vladimir's statement seemed to save me from doom. Mukhang kumalma naman ang kanina'y iritableng reaksyon nina Andreas at Zyril. 

Hindi na ako umimik pa. Minalyn had sacrificed a lot for me to stay alive. Marami nang namatay and I should not waste the chance of getting lucky with my big mouth. I should trust Mina. Always.  

Nakasunod ako kay Mina,  Natas, Bella, Vlad, Andreas at Zyril habang tinatahak ang kabuuan ng seventh floor. Alerto ang bawat isa saamin. Pigil ang aking paghinga habang nakakapit sa mangas ng damit ni Mina. 

"Just stay close Rielle. Do not ever open your big mouth. Stay alert and we'll get through this." Mahinahon at mahinang sambit ni Mina habang naglalakad kami kasunod ng iba pa.

"If it's my time, well for sure you wouldn't like it, it's really my time. If the end of me calls to saving you, I'd end me and let you live." Wala sa sarili kong nasambit. Those words just automatically came out from my mouth. Like a divine power had the total control of me to say it.

Hindi umimik si Mina. Pero napansin kong may halong takot at lungkot sa mukha nito habang patuloy kami sa paglalakad patungo sa gitna ng seventh floor. We were feeling the same amount of fear -the fear of losing each other.

Ilang saglit lang ay tumigil sa isang punto sina Andreas at Zyril. Napatigil din kami sa paglalakad nang bumungad saamin ang nakalapat sa sahig na limang math puzzles. Mga logic questions at mga numerong hindi ko maintindihan.

Sa baba ng limang mumber puzzles ay may isang digital device din na may limang puwang sa screen at isang kwadradong numeric keypad.

Vlad stepped forward pero pinigilan siya ni Zyril.

Andreas kneeled down as if he already got all five answers. Muling pinasadahan ni Vlad ang mga number puzzles. Saka kinapa ang numeric keypad. Walang alinlangang pinindot nito ang mga numerong 10723 na marahil ay sagot mula sa limang number puzzles.

Isang malakas na kalabog ang narinig mula sa ilalim ng lupa. It's as if something was about to move or open.

Laking gulat ng lahat nang biglang napunit ang carpeted floor at nahila sa magkabilang dako ang isang kwadradong bahagi ng semento. The opening revealed the sixth floor.

Most of us gasped for what was shown but I wondered for something. How did Andreas answer the five number slash logic puzzles so easily? All I knew was he's a hardheaded fool who knew nothing but punch another fool on the face.

I was wrong.

Nagising lang ang diwa ko nang marinig ko na ang mabibilis na yapak ni Zyril pabalik saamin. No hindi ko namalayang tumakbo ito para maghanap ng malaking lubid na magagamit namin pababa ng sixth floor.

Vlad, Natas and Andreas quickly created a knot in the rope. Ang mga buhol na 'yon ang magsisilbing kapitan namin pababa. I can easily jump on the lower grounds pero mukhang medyo mataas nga ang ceiling ng bawat floors ng building.

As Zyril finished hitching the rope around a nearby post, Andreas started to test the rope and later on went down first. Matamang naghintay ito sa sixth floor habang sinisenyasang bumaba na kami. Bella went next bago kami ni Mina. Sumunod si Natas at Zyril at panghuli si Vlad.

Nakahinga ng maluwag ang lahat nang makababa kami sa ikaanim na palapag.

Mina's slightly relieved face gave me an almost convincing smile. Then she said, "Six more and we'll be back to normal. Just stay close."

Tumango ako.

Nauna nang naglakad palibot sa sixth floor sina Andreas, Natas at Zyril. Nakasunod ako kay Mina. Bago ako humakbang ay muli kong tinanay ang malaking kwadradong lagusan mula sa seventh floor.

Then.

What I saw made me see death for the uncounted times --Larryson with his gun. Nakatutok iyon sa nakatalikod nang si Mina. Napansin ko ang mabilis na pagpihit ng mga daliri ng lalaki sa gantilyo ng baril.

Wala sa sarili kong tinakbo ang kinaroroonan ni Mina. Napasigaw ako. Gulat na gulat na lumingon si Mina kasunod ng pagyakap ko sa kanya.

Then the entire sixth floor heard the sound of death. Dalawang magkasunod na putok ang narinig.

At first I wasn't feeling anything. Hanggang sa maramdaman kong lumusot ang mga bala sa aking likuran.

Larryson was a certified killer. He knew every human's easy kill are the kidneys. Ang he was able to shoot them. Bulls eye.

Naramdaman ko ang pangangatog ng aking buong katawan kasunod ng pagbagsak ng aking mga tuhod. Pakiramdam ko'y biglang binawian ng lakas ang aking kalamnan.

"Rielle!" Histerikal na sigaw ni Mina na kaagad akong nasalo sa kanyang mga bisig. At dahil may kabigatan ako'y pareho kaming bumagsak sa sahig.

Hindi ko magawang magsalita. Narinig at nakita ko ang mabilis na paglapit ng mga kasamahan ko sa kinaroroonan namin.

"Rielle." Mina's tears suddenly rolled on her cheers. Mahigpit ang pagkakahawak nito sa kaliwang kamay ko. "Rielle, please don't. Please don't leave me. You're my only family."

Doon nagsimulang umagos ang mga luha sa mata ko. It felt like I disappointed her again for leaving her. I know how hard it was for her to lose her loved ones. Now her friends. "M-Mi-Minnn-aa." I whispered. Nanlalamig na ang buong katawan ko.

"Why did you save me? Why?" She was crying. Nonstop.

I saw Bella behind her in tears as well. Vlad was in pain and Zyril felt it too.

Pinilit kong ngumiti. My tongue felt numb already. Hindi ko alam kung diretso pa ang pananalita ko pero sinubukan ko pa rin ang magsalita. "Y-you alw-ways save me. I owe y-y-you m-my l-life. I w-wont r-regret d-dying j-just because I s-saved y-you."

Humagulgol si Mina. The more I felt the sadness, the pain and longingness. Hindi na ito umimik pa.

"I f-feel cold." Nasambit ko.

Mina held me closer to her. Naramdaman ko ang mainit na luha nitong bumagsak sa pisngi ko. Pigil ang paghagulgol nito habang kinakanta niya ang theme song naming matalik na magkaibigan.

Oh, why you look so sad, the tears are in your eyes,
Come on and come to me now, and don't be ashamed to cry,
Let me see you through, 'cause I've seen the dark side too.
When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do,
Nothing you confess could make me love you less,

I'll stand by you,
I'll stand by you, won't let anybody hurt you,
I'll stand by you

Ang boses ni Mina, sintunado a rin. Pero kahit gano'n pa man, iyon parin ang pinakamagandang kantang narinig ng diwa ko.

###

30 Doors


50 people inside a cage;
Many were invited
Few were not.
30 doors to get through;
29 doors to unlock
10 puzzles
8 full of riddles
Seven rooms of death
Four to survive
One that saves life.

50 strangers inside a room
49 to kill
One mastermind
29 unsafe
10 missed the puzzle
Eight failed riddles
Seven fatalities
Four to survive
One that ends life

30 rooms
30 floors
30 doors of survival.

Edward found the cuffs that bound his arms behind him uncomfortable. The metal was cold and Duke and placed them very tight on his thin wrists, cutting off their circulation. For some reason, Edward didn't quite mind the pain; it wasn't excruciating, merely an uncomfortable pinch. The dull lighting of the room glinted on his glasses, Edward glancing at his new psychologist, a pretty woman, relatively young and in good shape. She had a lovely smile too, very polite, her lips shining in the dull lighting of the room. An idea began to form inside Edward's head since he was going to be in here for a while, he might as well have some fun, messing around with his new psychologist. The key to not freaking them out was to slowly dip your two into the water, not dive in headfirst. Leaning back in the cold hard metal seat, Edward cocked his head as she asked him the pitifully predictable question, a smirk on his face, his long thin face morphing in glee.
"I'll answer if you can correctly guess the answer to my riddle, doctor," he proposed. "Riddle me this, I am greater than God, more evil than the devil, poor people have me, the rich need me, and if you eat me, you will die. What am I?" he asked, a wicked glint in his eyes.
Edward was not one to talk about his past, preferring to keep it a secret to himself.  He had always been smart, even as a kid, but for some reason, his parents decided to abuse him, mocking him for his intelligence. Edward could still remember the contest at his school that had changed his life, oh how hard Ed worked to master that puzzle, working for hours on end. For some reason, he had thought winning would aid him in his quest for friendship; in the end, he had only picked on more, but his bullies were no longer a problem; Edward made it a priority once he had started his life of crime to bring them to a bitter and abysmal end. What they truly deserved.
Jess could tell Edward was feeling uncomfortable with the cuffs on with his arms behind his back. He wasn't complaining about them through which he relaxed in his chair. She observed his casual behavior though it would be because of the fact it was day one. She listened to what he was saying, hearing he wanted to ask her a riddle, which she knew was to test her intelligence like the rest of Gotham people. Didn't bother her, to be honest, since it happened to be his ammo and would be alright with answering it since she listened carefully to the riddle. Thinking on for a while, making sure she had the right answer.
"Alright, Mr. Nygma, I'll answer your riddle," she said, agreeing, "The answer to your riddle is nothing. Nothing is greater than God; Nothing is eviler than the devil, poor people have nothing, rich people need nothing if you eat nothing you'll die."
She felt confident in the answer because she knew that it was right. Of course, it would be cocky of her to get overconfident or get pig-headed quickly. Keeping her outside appearance casual and calm, she wanted things to go smoothly. Jess, not wanting to upset him in any way, figuring that playing along with his riddle game would keep him at bay. Though no one besides Batman had figured out his riddles, according to Edward, Batman cheated to figure them out.
Did she figure it out? How? No one could've solved his riddle that fasts without cheating? Doesn't make any sense? A smile found its way on the brunette man's face. It was always a refreshing change of pace to find someone who could figure out his puzzles and riddles without cheating like the fucking caped crusader.  
"Well done, Doctor," he praised the smaller pretty woman who sat before him.
The gears were turning inside his head. She was smart. Not quite as bright as him, of course, nobody was, but she was intelligent. He found intelligence a rather attractive trait, a more relaxed expression on his face as he leaned back in his chair.
"To answer your previous question, I am doing fine. The food here isn't the best, the cots are rather hard, but for some reason, I am just in a good mood," paused for a second, eyes glinting with malicious intent.
Edward had never been dominant on the dating scene, women finding his obsession with riddles and puzzles a little odd and his appearance to average. Shaking his head, he mentally scolded himself. He should not distract himself; he had to devise a plan to escape the asylum; he needed to figure out who the real Batman was. However, it couldn't hurt to have some fun along the way now, could it?
"Your the first person to figure out my riddles that quickly without help, say now Dr. De' Vil, are you a fan of puzzles?" Edward asked, tilting his head to the side a bit like an eager puppy might.
Puzzles and riddles had changed his life; the prize for completing one at his school had been a lovely book of puzzles and riddles to solve, the book becoming a comfort to the boy, a warmth that had turned into his life. It had brought him peace and happiness after prolonged beatings and wretched days at school. It had helped him discover who he was, why Edward was the prince of puzzles, a title he would gladly carry to his grave. Edward leaned in closer to her, not to close though; he was merely dipping his toe in the water, not diving headfirst.
Jess looked over at Edward, seeing he was smiling relaxed her mind listening to him praising her for figuring it out. She nodded when he was alright though he didn't enjoy the place's environment was healthy for anyone, even the people who worked here. Hearing that Jessica was the first person not to cheat was something. Assume was a compliment, something she would expect from The Prince of Puzzles and Riddles himself. She smiled upon his head, tilting to the side like a puppy. It was cute.
"Well, Mr. Nygma, I do enjoy riddles and puzzles if I'm bored at times. The books I enjoy are Sherlock Holmes novels. My favorite one is the Hound of the Baskervilles. I chuckle at the moments when Holmes gets over-excited about something he figures out. I honestly have been fascinated with crime shows when growing up to understand why people act the way they do instead of others. I understand how some people have never helped because of their fear of not thinking anyone could understand. Indeed, not everyone could ever understand certain situations without experiencing themselves, but I would like to think some people could relate to someone's pain. Since the pain we all feel is the same regardless of the situation one has been through," she explained, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "It's what made me get into this field; I believe there are reasons to a criminal's motive for living this life. Most of the time, it's because of repressed memories of one's past triggered in their adult years that causes them to snap, or they have passed down mental illness from family bloodlines. They all have pain that's similar though ones who weren't giving a chance to tell anyone about their problems."
Sherlock Holmes had always been some of his favorite books to read. Sir Arthur was a mastermind when it came to writing mystery novels. The tale of The Hounds of Baskerville had also been a favorite of his; he could remember this first time he had read it, the story had kept him on the tip of his toes only to find out, in the end, it was Stapleton in the end. Edward could remember convinced it was the butler, oh how young and foolish Edward had been all those years ago. Moreover, times have changed, and as he re-read some of his childhood favorites, Edward could quickly figure out the plot with ease. 
"Have you ever read The Murders in the Rue Morgue?" Edward asked his doctor, "If you haven't, one will surely surprise you," he said with a chuckle.  
In Edgar Allan Poe's short mystery novel, no one could suspect that the gruesome murders had committed by an overgrown monkey, how-how that one had surprised him. It was a nice change of pace to find someone who shared his interest, who didn't seem to write him off as just a foolish criminal. Her words were very well put together. Edward even found himself nodding along to her.
"Everyone is a puzzle. Everyone has secrets they try to hide, thinking they are complex and complicated. However, most people can figure out in minutes," Edward said.
Hooking his foot behind his chair, Edward scooted closer to the table, leaning forward a bit as he stared at his doctor with a curious look on his face. A few things he could tell about her right off the bat was that she was wealthy; however, he knew the amount psychologists made, and from her outfit, she either had a well-paying job before this or was born into a wealthy family. She had a long graceful body, a proportionate face, a particular type of effortless beauty. He had seen her walk as she made her way to the chair; her body had a specific kind of step to it. Perhaps she had been a dancer or a model of sorts?
Jess listened to what he was talking about, along with him getting lost in his thoughts, probably seeing a smile. Something happy, which would be nice to see him like this since he usually would be in that cell thinking about how to take down the Batman or wonder how he cheated. Hearing him get excited and talk like this was better than always talking about his crimes. She wanted to have relaxed to ask him personal questions. She wanted to know about his interests and hobbies. Things about him, people never thought about asking him. Knowing about a person's identity and self was just as important as the crimes. Smiling at him and nodded, she knew it was Edgar Allen Poe since the author interested her.
"The House of Usher, The Pit, and the Pendulum, Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven. Classics, I have heard about that one though I haven't had the time to read it. I have the complete collection of Edgar Allan Poe in one big hardback book I have in my office. I love The Raven. I remember in 8th grade it was in our literature. For Halloween, the teacher asked us to pick out a poem or story from the book. Then read it in class and read it. Honestly, people don't know what that is about; it has to do with a man meeting his end in the story, for he talks about his departed love Lenore. How he misses her and the Raven is the omen of death. When a Raven has seen, it has to do with someone is dead or someone is going to die," she explained, noticing his expression was curiosity now, "Yes, they do as you have proven is that no problem is too complex to crack. Though at the same time, you have a secret too, one no one else has intended to crack. What caused you to take the life of crime? And I do believe I've figured it out. Unfortunately, for you, it would cause you to talk about your childhood. I know people don't want to talk it and kick it to the side, especially dark. You want to know a secret, you're crazy, but some of the best people are. I do like the line from Alice in Wonderland. I'm not stating you are; I was quoting a line, anyway, would you like to hear what I think about your reasons for becoming the Riddler?"
Literature had always been fascinating to him; the way some people thought and created complex stories in their head always seemed beautiful to Edward. When he was a young boy, perhaps four or five, he had thought of becoming an author, but he lacked the creative element that authors required to create vivid and complex characters and bring them to life, the ability to create worlds just as real as our own. Edward had never been the artsy type, and his brain was more left than right, preferring the comfort that puzzles brought him. From jigsaws to trivia, to complex calculus, they were like his security blanket that would help fuel his thirst, his thirst for knowledge, power, and superiority, a chance to prove he wasn't as weak as people made the wiry man out to be. The mere thought of those moronic bullies pushing him around, pinning his arms behind his back as they pummeled his stomach with their fists, taunting him and calling him a nerd and geek was enough to make Edward grit his teeth in hatred. He no longer had to worry about bullies anymore; after all, they had been far too slow to figure out the puzzle that ended their lives.
Edward wasn't the biggest fan of murder, but he wasn't afraid to do it when needed. And who wouldn't want to kill their childhood bullies, revenge for all the pain and humiliation they had caused him. Well, look who ended out on top. Edward perked up as Dr. De' Vil spoke, her tone calm and understanding, a pleasant change of pace from the dull psychologists who hated him. Her words perked him up a bit as he sat up in his chair; well, this should be good; the little doctor already thinks she knows what drove him to become the man he was today, the mighty Riddler? The Prince of Puzzles? How cute, sometimes Edward himself wasn't sure what drove him to the green mask he donned to commit crimes, why he bothered with all the elaborate riddles. Perhaps it drove from a need to prove himself, to show the world he was stable and better than all of them, a fact he knew deep down. Perhaps not, though, Edward wasn't very keen on the idea of spilling out all his dark secrets and daddy issues, preferring much more to toy with people.
"Go ahead, Dr. De' Vil, tell me what you think," he said with a smirk etched on his face, wanting to hear what the woman who sat before him had to say.
Perhaps if she guessed close, he would give her another riddle to solve, dodging each personal question she threw at him. Edward was everything, if not persistent, very set, and determined in his ways.

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