Chapter 5

Despite the laughs and frustrations, I was determined to keep learning. I knew that knowing different languages could be incredibly helpful when I finally had to leave the mansion.

But two big problems still hung over me. First, there was the unopened safe that I still couldn't figure out. And second, my food was running out fast. My carefully saved supplies were almost gone, and I knew I had to do something soon.

Oddly, the soldiers who used to patrol the mansion stopped coming after six months. Their absence should have made me happy, meaning I could leave without being caught. But I still felt scared, unsure of what awaited me outside.

The outside world was a place I'd never explored without my parents. Thinking about going out there alone was both exciting and terrifying. What dangers were out there? What secrets would I uncover?

As my one-year mark of being alone approached, I felt a growing urgency. It was time to solve the puzzles and make a plan to save my family. My new skills and determination were my best weapons, but the challenges ahead were still unknown. I was ready to face them, no longer just a sheltered girl but someone ready for anything.

The puzzle on the safe, which had baffled me for so long, turned out to be a Da Vinci Enigma. After months of thinking, I decided to look at it with fresh eyes. Maybe it was my new math skills or just the frustration of seeing it every day, but one evening, as I stared at the engravings, it hit me. The solution was so simple!

"How did I miss this?" I thought, feeling both silly and excited.

With shaking hands, I turned the mechanism, aligning the symbols just right. A satisfying click sounded, and the safe opened.

Inside, I found documents with different names and nationalities. There were passports for each of us, but with names I didn't recognize. There was a lot of gold, different currencies from around the world, and a ring with a strange pattern.

On top of everything was a letter from my parents, full of love and urgency:

"Dear Rima and Isma,

If you're reading this, something has happened, and we can't be with you. We love you so much and are so proud of you.

The contents of this safe are your lifeline. Use the passports to blend in, the gold and money for your needs, and the ring as a symbol of our family's strength.

Don't return to the Kingdom of the Lion Crown. If we're gone, it means the kingdom allowed it or couldn't protect us. Your safety lies elsewhere.

We believe in you. Use these resources wisely, trust your instincts, and seek the truth.

With all our love and hope,

Your Parents"

As I read their words, tears filled my eyes. My parents had prepared for the worst and entrusted us with the task of finding the truth and getting justice.

The weight of their words felt heavy on my shoulders, but I was ready. The world outside wasn't a place of fear anymore but a realm of challenges waiting to be faced. Isma and I were determined to face whatever lay ahead.