Khan’s Dark Manor

Licht inquired with curiosity, "Whoa! What is this place?"

Bruno answered, "Why it is the 'Khan's Dark Manor' of course! I can't tell much about this estate, but suffices to say that by the looks of it, the building seems to be merely 20 years old."

Professor Heine elucidated, "I have read several books about this establishment; it is the residence of the Granzreich's wealthiest merchant Mr. Iqbal Haroon Khan, who committed suicide while he was jailed for killing his twin sons and attempting assassination for his eldest daughter in greed for her superpowers and other personal reasons."

Kai questioned, "Only, why would he try to kill his own children?"

Professor Heidi replied, "According to public records and other newspaper clippings that were released on an international scale, he was furious when he came to know that he was sterile and that it was biologically impossible for him to have three children. So the only conclusion one could come up with is that the children belonged to another father. This drove him to frustration, and a live video of him at the psychiatric clinic was shot and released worldwide. Soon enough, his wife ran away with the same man, who was the father of her children."

Leonhard screamed in excitement, "AH-HA! Now see, I don't know where do babies come from! And when I questioned Heine about it, he wouldn't tell me; he said that it's too soon for me to know-how. Now, drastic times like this call for drastic measures! Tell me now, Heine! WHERE DO BABIES COME FROM!?" Everybody was at a loss for words, even Leonora; who also knew the answer to this question.

Licha explained, "When a man and a woman--"

Brunia yelled, "STOP IT!! I don't want to hear this from you or Licht out of all people!"

Leonhard whimpered, "Why won't you let her tell me?!"

Bruno patted on his head and reassured, "You're my baby brother, Leonhard. I promise that I will sit with you and tell you everything you need to know when the time comes, okay?"

Leonhard responded with defeat, "Alright, if you say so, dearest brother."

Kaira continued, "Oh! I have seen that clip what the Professor is illustrating about! In that, it was mentioned that there were rumors that despite his attempt of assassination, the eldest daughter made it out alive, which angered the merchant!"

Brunia concluded, "So that means that there is a ghost in this house waiting for that girl to kill her!"

Licht suggested, "Why don't we go inside and investigate? We could actually find some clues that will lead us where his so-called daughter is!"

Leonora questioned, "What is the point of all this anyway, wouldn't the police investigate this matter years ago already?"

Professor Heine answered, "They have tried and failed, but out of fear, they never stepped into this house and decided to look for evidence."

Leonhard cried, "I WON'T GO THERE! THAT GHOST WILL KILL ME!"

Licht placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Why in the blazes will he kill you; what use will he make of a dunce?"

Leonhard pushed him away and yelled, "YOU CALLED ME A DUNCE AGAIN!!!!?? HOW DARE YOU!?"

Professor Heidi screeched, "ENOUGH! If you don't want to investigate Prince Leonhard, you can stay out here. Who is going in?" Everybody except Prince Leonhard and Princess Leonora raised their hands.

Leonora raised an eyebrow and asked, "How did you become so brave, Bruno?"

Bruno answered, "As a candidate for the throne, if I don't attempt to seek out the truth of the mysteries in our kingdom and serve justice, then what's the point of being king?" Leonora and Leonhard glanced at each other and were eventually convinced to investigate the Khan's Dark Manor with everyone.

As the door creaked open, Leonora jumped on Brunia and screamed, "Dearest sister, Brunia! I knew it! The ghost is trying to lure us in and kill us!"

Brunia affirmed, "Leonora, will you please relax?! The door opened because of the wind; WOULD YOU PLEASE GET OFF MY BACK!?" Leonora silently obeyed and descended her sister's back. Suddenly, the wooden floor slid open, and everybody fell into the ground! 

Everybody descended into the basement, screaming for help with all their might until they bammed themselves on the underground floor. Professor Heine asked in apprehension, "Is everybody alright?!"

Everybody answered in unison, "We're fine!" Except for Licha from whom a response didn't come from.

Kaira questioned, "Wait a minute... where's Licha?"

Kai screamed, "SHE'S UP THERE!"

It turns out that Licha was hanging from the ceiling and was shouting, "IN WHAT UNIVERSE AM I OKAY UP HERE?! SOMEONE GET ME DOWN!"

Professor Heidi responded, "I'm sorry, Princess, but I'm afraid you must take the plunge!"

Licht added, "Don't worry, I will catch you!" Licha leaped into thin air and successfully landed into Licht's arms.

Bruno screamed at the sight of that, "OKAY, LICHT! She's okay, you can put her down now!"

Licht silently obeyed and asked in curiosity, "Where are we?"

Suddenly, the evil spirit of an old man was perceived by everyone, who spoke, "Welcome to the Khan's Dark Manor! As you all have guessed it, I'm Iqbal Haroon Khan; owner of this haunted estate. As several commoners, I assume that even you have come looking for evidence in this house. However, I will pose a set of clues in your way! And if you fail to find the answers to all the clues, you will be locked up in here forever, and starve to death! But if you are successful, you will have the answers to your questions! Many people have failed at the first clue itself! The password of this safe right here will lead you to your first clue. Good luck to you!" After that, the spirit disappeared immediately.

Leonora screamed and panicked, "WHAT IN THE DEVIL IN THIS!? GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!" She started banging her head on the wall out out panic and frustration.

Bruno walked over to her, grabbed her shoulders, and yelled, "Leonora! Stop it! There's no point of doing this now! We need to get out of here, using the clues!"

Kai sought, "Where is the safe, then?"

Kaira looked back and answered, "It's behind you, Kai." Everyone advanced towards the locker, and as Leonhard tried to pull open the door, the system demanded a password.

Leonhard asked, "Does anyone have any guesses about the code for this safe?"

Professor Heine inquired, "How many digits is the password?"

Leonhard answered, "Six."

Bruno speculated, "This means that the password must be someone's birthday; two digits for date, month and year... usually elaborate systems like this must give out a hint."

Kaira asked, "How do we get the system to tell us the password hint?"

Professor Heidi answered, "Maybe if we enter the wrong code, the system will propose and offer, and we'll accept it. Just type in some random numbers, Prince Leonhard."

Leonhard obeyed Heidi's command, and the system asked, "This password is incorrect. Would you like a password hint?"

Everybody screamed, "YES!"

The system vocalized, "Alright, you hint is the happiest day of your life."

Leonhard yelled, "What in the blazes does that mean?!"

Leonora whimpered, "Maybe the ghost was right! We have no chance of getting out of here!"

Suddenly, a bunch of numbers started echoing in Brunia's mind. Her vision went whit for a while; her memory flashed with a man with a beard, who was merely saying a bunch of numbers with a smile. When her vision started to focus again, she advanced towards the safe and typed in six digits that were echoing in her head, and then, to everyone's surprise, the door flew open! Everyone squealed with delight as they proceeded with their first official clue!

Professor Heidi asked, "What number did you put in there, Princess Brunia?"

Brunia answered, "I don't know; for some reason, the number 220102 started echoing in my head."

Leonora remarked, "Dearest sister, Brunia! That is your birthday!"

Everyone stared at her with awkward silence until Brunia reminded, "Everyone! Do you want to get out of here or not!?" Everyone focused on searching for the first clue.

Licht screamed with amusement, "Hey guys; there is a piece of paper here! I bet this is the clue!" Everybody huddled together and examined the following words on the piece of paper:

"A pile of words;

Jackets of hordes;

Take a quick look at the history

In the place of the book that confides all the mystery."

Bruno spoke, "Wait... that's it! The next clue is hidden in the library!"

Professor Heidi asked, "Hold your horses, Prince Bruno. where on earth would we find an underground library?"

Brunia answered, "I think, I know where that is. Don't ask me any questions; if you want to live, follow me, people! They all followed Brunia and arrived at an immaculate library.

Licht asked, "In which, one of these books must the clue be hidden?"

Kai replied, "If they said to look at the history, this must mean that it must be hidden under a book that elaborates about the history of this place."

Bruno added, "While I'm at it, I'm going to scan that book!"

Professor Heine found the required book to find the second clue inside it. He read aloud:

"It is all in black and white;

I move with sound and might

The key is to sing on sight

The prize here does alight."

Professor Heidi answered, "This must be a piano! But where will we find it?"

Leonora spoke with arrogance, "Duh! It's not going to be inside the library, is it? Let's get out of here!" As they exited the domain, they followed Brunia, who also knew where the underground music room was.

Bruno asked in curiosity, "Brunia, how on earth do you know the whereabouts of this house?"

Brunia quickly replied, "I don't know, it's common sense, really." They entered the room to find a majestic piano idle. There was a note that was stuck on the keyboard illustrating the following words:

"Below are some musical notes;

Play them in the correct order, followed by the fact that this song is a duet.

Follow the critical instructions along with the lyrics of the song behind this sheet of paper, to reveal your next clue at the end of the song."

Professor Heine asked, "Now, which one of can play the piano? We need two volunteers to get to the next clue. Prince Bruno, I hear that you have taken lessons in music, would you like to give this a shot?"

Bruno answered with a gleam in his eye, "YES, MASTER! AS YOUR APPRENTICE, I WILL NOT FAIL YOU!"

Heine thought, "Again, I never took you on as my 'apprentice' in the first place. However, we do need to get out of here, so he needs to stay motivated as he's the best we have got."

Professor Heidi inquired, "Now, which one of you girls are going to sing a duet with Prince Bruno?"

Licha squealed with delight, "OH! Let Brunie do it! She surprisingly knows her way around here, plus she's excellent when it comes to singing."

Leonora yelled, "Hey, Licha! Dearest sister Brunia is good at everything she does, okay?! Go ahead, my most beloved sister!"

Kaira encouraged her by saying, "I think you should go for it."

Brunia took a deep breath and placed herself next to Bruno, who was sitting and reading the musical notes.

After their spectacular performance, that was appreciated by everyone, the clue was revealed by an automatic disc player that was hidden within the instrument. Professor Heidi removed the piece of paper that was placed there and read aloud the following words:

"I can be read, feel blue

Make you green and yellow too,

During the day the sun makes me beam

In my corner, you must gleam."

Kaira squealed, "It must be a stained glass window! Let's go!"

Everyone rushed out of the room to find the window just outside the music room. Everyone's eyes widened with surprise as they saw the painting illustrated by the glass.

Leonhard screamed in frustration, "Great! How will we get up there!? It's physically impossible for us to jump and reach that height!"

Brunia speculated, "It may not be the task to accomplish on one pair of male feet, but how about five?"

Licht yelled, "Are you kidding me, Brunie-girl!? How do you think that the five of us can reach that!?"

Kaira directed, "By climbing on top of each other, you know. Kai, since you're the strongest, you be the base, then Leonhard, Bruno, Licht, and then Professor Heine." The five men piled on top of each other and were wiggling about the area.

Licht screeched, "Hey Kainie! Hold still, or we all will fall!"

Bruno yelled, "Quit the chit-chat, and let Master concentrate!" Professor Heine stretched as far as he could and grabbed the note.

He spoke, "I got the next clue, but how on earth are we going to get down?"

Professor Heidi responded, "It has to be a rough ride, Heine."

Licht shrieked with fear, "ROUGH RIDE!? WHAT IN THE DEVIL DOES THAT MEAN!?"

Professor Heine asked in apprehension, "Please don't tell me that I have to jump from here! Were you going to tell me that!?"

All the girls cheered in unison, "BINGO! Take the plunge, you can do this!" All the boys descended in order, and then everyone assembled together examined the following words:

"Go through the place

That hosts the chairs

The prize is hidden

On the ....??"

Brunia answered, "The answer is stairs! Maybe this is one of the final clues that will lead us out of here!"

Licha responded, "Alright, Bruine! Where are the stairs?"

Brunia yelled, "I'm not your tour guide!" Professor

Heine reminded, "You're the only one who surprisingly knows the way around here, so you're our only hope."

Brunia directed, "Okay, I think that the stairs are little ahead and then to the right from here. I think; I'm not sure."

Licht squealed, "Follow the genius, let's get the devil out of here!"

They arrived at the dusty staircase and scanned it to find another clue placed there. Brunia held it in her hand and read the following words aloud:

"I try to send a letter

But all I can do is receive

The port to all things is outside

I am wooden, I believe."

Leonhard stammered, "G-Guys, I-I d-don't really a-about this, b-but I-I think that the answer is t-the f-front door."

Bruno squealed, "Bravo, Leonhard! Let's get out of this basement!" Everyone climbed up the stairs and finally arrived at the main hall where the entrance was. Everybody charged on it to get out of the house. Surprisingly, the door was locked!

Licha yelled, "Come on! You have to be kidding me!"

Professor Heidi spoke, "Your Highnesses, it seems that there is another note here." She examined it and quivered with nervousness as she read the following words:

"No one can get to the end of the hunt

One of you must be the one I'm looking for all these years

Only one of you has a mysterious past

Confess it by being blunt

And I myself shall come to do the needful."

Leonora yelled, "What is the meaning of this? None of us have a 'mysterious past,' do we?"

Professor Heidi glanced at Brunia, who was fidgeting with her hands and was silent on the subject.

Professor Heidi affirmed, "Princess Brunia, I know that you have something to say about this note. You somehow were aware of the whereabouts of this manor, considering that none of the pictures this establishment were published and that you have spent your entire life in Cumsta, right?"

Brunia hesitated and stammered, "I-I-I h-have n-nothing t-to say about this, Mistress!"

Professor Heidi reminded, "Princess Brunia, you promised me that you will tell me the truth whenever you were ready to do so, and if you don't do that right now, all of us are guaranteed to die tonight!"

Brunia confessed, "Princess Licha, Princess Leonora, and Princess Kaira Von Vermillion... the truth is... I am not your biological sister."