The fire started and crisped sounds of burning wood could be heard around the living room, it gave a homely atmosphere to the deserted room.
Suddenly a beeping noise from Li Li and Rye bellowed. It came from the biometric lock that was being operated.
One short beep followed by another short beep, then a long beep and another short beep. The series of beeping was rhythmical like it has a tune.
"It's an alphabet song tune," uttered by Terra.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
They were silently listening to the beeping sounds as it continued on changing from short beeps to longer beeps and back to short beeps.
The dozing boy on the couch instantly got up, looking for something.
"Lerrent, what are you doing?" Lith asked him.
"Paper. Have paper?" He stated in monosyllabic.
The young woman understood what he meant and assisted him on looking for a paper. They found a piece of paper by the couch and Lerrent took out his pen from his pocket, and started inscribling on it.
(. . _ .) (. .) (. _ .) (.)
(_ . . .) (. . _) (. _ .) (_ .) (. . .)
(. . . .) (.)
(. _ _) (. .) (. _ . .) (. _ . .)
(_ . _ .) (_ _ _) (_ _) (.)
The others neared Lerrent as they were curious at what he was doing. Some kind of light from the eyes of Kai Sun glinted.
"It's morse code!"
Han furrowed, "And its meaning?"
"Fire- burns- he- will- come," Kai Sun slowly read.
"Fire burns, he will come," Han repeated while nodding his head.
Hearing this, they were baffled, "He? Who's he?"
"Fire..." Lith whispered as she stared at the burning firewood, "Guys! We have fire here, burning."
They slowly understood and prepared themselves on who was coming. Footsteps outside from the only door which has a biometric lock on it was heard, Li Li and Rye stood infront of it, backing away for a bit.
The biometric lock lighted up and a mechanical voice sounded.
"Welcome, Henry."
A man in his mid-forties walked in, there's a friendly smile on his face while looking at the seven people but the words that came from his mouth was opposite with his friendly demeanor.
"If the clock strikes 12 three times and you can't find my poem then you will be lock up here for eternity. Hurry up, servants!" The man crazily laughed as he sauntered out of the room, shutting the door.
Li Li neared the door and tried to open it but it's locked once again. The words that the man stated made them quiet.
Kai Sun broke the silence, "Is this a play from our handler? Or are we really trap in a game?"
Lerrent just sighed and the others started finding the so-called poem.
"How can we find that poem and what poem is it?" Li Li asked. The two of them stopped working on the biometric lock as it was hopeless.
"Clock," Rye said while gazing to a direction.
"A clock appeared!"
"It has only one hand and the hand was a minute-pointer, " Li Li explained, "But it's a bit faster? Huh?"
The suspicious clock has vintage style on it and it's only hand was not moving like a usual minute-pointer hand. The watch on Han's wrist was moving the same with the clock.
"We're bounded by time," the youth concluded.
"If calculate it in our own time. We have five minutes before the clock strikes 12 and the overall time given to us is 15 minutes," Lerrent estimated as he stood from the couch and started looking for clues.
Kai Sun has a worried face, "How much time do we have?"
"12 minutes and 33 seconds."
"Then start looking, guys!"
After a moment passed while they were busy, the clock rang, it pointed to the number 12.
"Hello, my students," the familiar voice came from nowhere. It had a hint of smirk on it.
"Teacher!"
"Albino!"
They all turned around to Kai Sun while the youth was embarrased on what he spoke out.
Chun coughed from the other side while holding the microphone and looking towards the screen, catching their attention.
"I'll give you one clue. 'It can be made but not found' so that's it--"
"Wait, teacher!"
"Yes?"
"So you're saying we're fabricating his poem and give it to him?" Lith inquired.
"I don't know. You guess it. So that's it, I'll give another clue when the clock strikes 12. When the clock strikes 12 for the third time I will reveal to you the answer---" a laughter floated out followed by silence.
"Bye!" The voice was cutted off.
'Clock. 12. Poem. Third time' these words kept on looping on Lerrent's thoughts as he neared the suspicious clock. Looking intently on it, he used a chair to reach the clock and removed it from the wall.
"Does he need to mentioned it repeatedly that the clock would striked 12?" Terra asked while thinking, she suddenly thought something.
"Is that another clue---"
"There's a writing in the wall!" Lerrent exclaimed to them.
The six students gathered around the young man as he pointed to a part of the wall that the clock was previously located.
'I lost my heart to her. I want to express my unspoken feelings until my very last breath- Henry'
"A hint to what kind of poem we're looking!" Terra stated.
Lith suddenly recalled, "We're not looking for it, we're making it!"
"We don't have any stationary or a paper," Han said in a obvious tone.
"I have a pen," the sloth young man uttered.
'Paper' Li Li thought and took out the ignored blank black paper from the table.
"This kind of paper is made of Colded Tree, a type of tree that is resistant to fire," she explained as she put the black paper to the burning fire. The paper was untouched by the fire but it was producing smoke.
"And it will change colors during the burning process. Possibly, the color would be wooden white," she removed the paper using her gloved hands. As a mechanical genius, she always wore fireproof and waterproof gloves because of her fascination of making things.
The clock on Lerrent's hand rang again indication of the second strike.
"Hello, dear students!" The silver haired youth once again greeted her students.
"Oh, you already had a hint. You're almost there," she stated in a sing-song voice.
Meanwhile on the other side, after Chun finished playing with her students. She stood up from her chair and ordered Art.
"We'll be leaving. They're about to finish."
"I'll be in your shadows, young lord."
The silver haired youth walked out from the room and went to the admin building were Rin's office was located.
The admin building was located to the west of the building that she was teaching. Before she arrived, she bumped to many heart-eyed girls that were also students here. As a narcistic person, Chun plastered a smile while walking through the hallway connecting to the admin.
Someone blocked her path, it was a familiar clothing.
"Chun," Quin said.
"Master Quin, what business do you have with me?" The youth pleasantly asked with her lazy smile.
"Headmaster Spinther is inviting you to visit his office tomorrow."
"Why not now? I'm free."
"He's busy," The man indiffirently stated and walked away.
Is that really Master Quin? He's different during the simulation test. Chun thought to herself.
"Art, do you have any news about old Nana?" Chun mind linked her butler.
"Yes, young lord. She's in her flower shop."
"Okay. We'll be visiting her later."
The silver haired young man continued her way to the admin building, ignoring the students around.
"Instructor Chun, you're finished with them?" The young woman asked while her eyes was on the paperworks that she was working on.
"Yes."
"Then what are you doing here? You can automatically leave after teaching them, no need to report. Just come back tomorrow at 7," Rin simple stated.
Chun seated herself infront of Rin and uttered, "I'm curious to the simulation that I had passed."
The young woman stopped what she was doing and stared at the youth for a minute, after that, she went back on her job.
"You know, curiosity kills a cat."
"I'm not a cat."
She stopped her movements again then smiled while her attention was at Chun, "Well said."
Rin displayed a file infront of the silver haired youth and stated, "It happened three years ago."
On the other side, the seven people was concentrated on what Terra was writing on the wooden white colored paper. It did not gave off a burnt smell but it has a wooden odor on like pinewoods.
Terra was finishing her calligraphy.
"It's finished!"
'Traces of grief
Like a falling leaf
Day meets night
Life with light
Your meaning to me
Is melting me
I may lie and joke
But I only spoke
That I need you
Because I love you'
"You're good at poems," Kai Sun praised.
After she had written it. White light enveloped the paper and it vanished.
A mechanical voice announced.
"You completed the game, players! Congratulations."
"Sending out the players..."
The seven students heard it and sighed with their life. They went back on their class hall and tiredly seated themselves.