24 Riddle

My brother doesn't go to his class in the afternoon to keep an eye on me. Amia told him that Youngjae wants to talk with me. I scoff when he keeps following me from morning until I get home. It's really annoying when he's very protective. 

I attempt to escape from his side, yet I fail. Every time I escape, either Jinwoo follows me Daewool. They really don't want me to go. 

I don't perceive why they don't like Youngjae from the beginning. He's kind and sweet, always by my side to make me happy, unfortunately, he likes me in a romantic way. I can't give him a chance when I have someone inside my heart. A special guy.

I want closure between us so I'm determined to get to our meeting place and save our friendship. Is it too much to ask? He is my only friend so I'm desperate. It's already 4 in the afternoon. I bite my nails, nervous since I'm late at the meeting.  

'I can't believe it, I am late.' I scoff myself.

I go to Jungmin's room and see if he's around. Luckily, he's busy with his own business and carefully closes his door. 

"This is my chance to escape," I whisper to myself. 

I run inside my room to get my things and toss it out of the window. I take a deep breath and silently run out of the house. My things are ready to pick up beside the tree where I threw a while ago. 

I grab the cab and instruct him on the address. His eyes ponder as he looks straight to my eyes. I ask him yet he shakes his head and starts the engine. Afterward, my eyes observe the place and it's not a typical meeting place. It's not a restaurant, coffee shop, or on the picnic grounds. 

Suddenly, the driver tells me that I need to get outside the car since he can't go further to the place. My mind puzzles when the driver flinches as he sees the place. 

My eyes wander around and see the enormous gate in front of me. Inside, there's an abandoned mansion. I'm taken aback yet on the second thoughts, Jungmin is waiting for me. 

I slowly open the enormous gate and walk to the sidewalk. After a long walk, I finally reach the mansion and open the door.  As my eyes travel around the house, my body freezes when I feel the awful ambiance coming from the mansion. Yet, there's a light aura that gives me the courage to open the door. My eyes glimmer, looking at this glamorous mansion. 

"Indeed, this mansion is very glamorous and it feels like someone keeping this place as clean as new." I murmur with a smile on my face. 

The place has plants everywhere and some expensive paintings that come from different places. My eyes catch the attention of one particular painting, The Fallen Angel, showing his back where it cut off his wings as he's slightly looking into my eyes and the beautiful white wings scattered all over the painting. 

"He's like Taehyung." I murmur to myself and smile.

My feet lead to the living room whilst observing the place and my eyes land on the couch. My whole body freezes as my eyes widen when seeing the unknown persona. One of them standing behind the couch and the other one, sitting on the couch. 

They give me the creepiest smile I've ever encountered. I slowly back away to escape and reach the main door. I strive to open the door but sadly, it's locked. I turn around when hearing their voice echoing all over the mansion. 

"Before you leave this place. Why don't we play for a while?" I feel my heart drops when seeing them slowly walking in my direction.

"I-I d-don't want to p-play. I w-want to g-go home." I curse myself when I start stuttering. They're standing closer to me as their smiles never leave their face. 

"Smile for us, Princess. Why don't you smile? It is the best medicine." One of them mutters.

"Such a stubborn one! Just give us a pretty smile my princess." I feel a flinch down to my spine when they reach my hand and lightly touch it.

"Tag...you're it." They smirk and start to spread around the place. My body voluntarily flees upstairs, knowing that they are trying to catch me. My eyes wander around to search for my hideout while trying to figure out how I'll escape from this stupid game. 

"I wish I didn't go to this place so I'm not in this situation." I scold myself. 

"Princess...We know where you are... I'll give you a chance for you to escape for five minutes. I'll give you a riddle." A loud yet a low voice spreading all over the place. 

"I don't have time! I need to hide for now so I could escape after this damn game." I smile widely when seeing a big closet around the house. I carefully walk closer to the closet and slowly open it. I look back and hurriedly embark myself to hide when hearing their voice. 

"This is the riddle!" They exclaim as their devilish laugh echoing inside my head. 

"An angel fell into the hand from the merciless devil and to hell where no light couldn't be seen. Separated from anyone in light and the lucky person coming from the gloom hands and falls in love to....what?" A man asks. I slowly open the closet when I hear footsteps far from my location and slowly walk out and reach the terrace. 

"What...is the...answer?" I turn around and there, I see them standing closer to my direction. 

'What is the meaning of their riddle?' I asked myself. 

"I...I don't know." I whisper as I slowly back out behind the trap of the terrace. 

"That is not the answer, my princess!" One of them exclaims as they clap three times.

"The time is up! Try to hide, princess because I will try to get you so I could tell the answer." They blurt excitedly as they walk closer to me. I look at the grounds and take a deep breath. 'I'm not going to die. Just a scratch.' I thought to myself.

 "There's no way you could escape." 

"There is... and you two cannot catch me. So I win!" I smirk as I leap to the terrace and land on the grounds.

I wince when feeling a sting behind me but I ignore it, as long as I could run away from them. I look up and see them frustrating. They all walk out of the terrace and go inside the mansion. 

"I need to get out of here." I murmur and slowly stand up, easing the pain at my back and run away. 

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE FROM US PRINCESS! NOT NOW!" I hear a loud voice from behind. I look back and see them chasing me. 

"F*ck! I need to get out of here!" I cry out as my body begins to give up. After a long run, I reach the main road and call a taxi. I hurriedly open the car door and walk inside. He looks at me with a hint of concern but I just smile at him and give the address. He starts the engine and drives away from the place. 

After 20 minutes of travel, I give my money and slowly walk inside my house and straight to my room. I take off all my clothes to treat my injuries. My eyes wander to my reflection in the mirror. 

There's abrasion from my both shoulders down to my elbows and a huge purplish-red bruise on my back. After cleaning all the wounds, I place myself inside the bathtub with warm water and bubble baths. My tears fall through my cheeks considering the trauma I've experienced.

"W...why didn't I take Amia's warning? Why d...did Y...Youngjae betrayed me? Why?" I couldn't believe what happened to me a while ago. Youngjae places me in danger but why? Just because I didn't accept his feelings.

After a minute of silence inside my head, I realize about the riddle.

'An angel falls into the hand from the merciless devil. To hell where no light couldn't be seen and the lucky person coming from the gloom hands and falls in love to...what?' 

A riddle that couldn't find any explanation. A riddle that couldn't answer without any memories from the past.