Chapter 42 - Clues

"I... I see numbers!" Reya exclaimed. It was a joyful moment they were able to finally find clues to solving the sign.

"Tell me what you see,"

"The left corner has a small 40, and the right has a….. It starts with 7 continued by….. I'm not sure it's smudged." She mumbled. She tried to magnify the image furthermore, but the smudged corner was not clear at all.

"What else?"

"There are some numbers in the center…. A large 2 and a smaller 9. That's it… that's all I see," she whispered and gazed up at him.

Clive nodded. He had already noted everything in a small notepad. As for what the numbers were, he still had to figure them out.

"Good, numbers? Why did a supposed goddess send you messages in codes rather than saying "'oh your wish is granted?' She sends you number instead?" He whispered with a frown.

Even though problem solving was his thing, he was quite bad at riddles. It took him very long to think and figure it out. After all, not all puzzles involve logical reasoning, they are mostly random. And that randomness is what scared the heck out of him.

He bit his nails and peered at him, hoping something magical will pop out. Regretfully nothing like that happened. He sighed had gazed down at her. Reya was looking at him with anticipation.

"I am bad at riddles…" he whispered inaudibly.

"What? I can't hear you?" Reya whispered and stepped closer.

Clive stepped back and adjusted his glasses. "This riddle sucks. It's very hard to solve….yeah very hard," he lied. Precipitation ran down his collar, but he subtly wiped them away.

Reya watched him for a long time, then started tearing up. "Uwaaa, my last hope is gone…. What shall I do now? Goddess Artemis, please send the answer to this sign as well," she cried, gazing skyward. but this time no miracle happened. It was just the ceiling above her, no magical flowers, no butterflies….

"We can figure something out. Trust me," he patted her trembling shoulders. He felt extremely guilty lying to her, but his vain pride stopped him from admitting his shortcomings. Clive did not know why, but he only wanted to show all of his strengths to her. He wanted her to depend on him, only on him. It was a weird feeling for him.

Clive held his suddenly pounding heart and sat down. 'Do I have heart problems? Maybe I need to get myself checked up,' he thought up at her.

With the printed paper in one hand, Reya was striding around his room with an anxious look. "There has to be something… what if it's like Sudoku? No, that's not possible Sudoku has too many boxes. What if it is an alphabet corresponding to the number?"

She swiftly drew a small table of alphabets corresponding to their numbers. But she hit her first block there. There are only 26 alphabets.

"Fuck, there is no forty in that table." She cussed and tore the paper up. She scurried around trying to find any other ideas.

Softly, the door creaked. "Maybe it's a location," a soft voice whispered.

Reya gazed at the door with her eyes wide open. Mina stood there in her nightdress; she looked quite energetic unlike how she was bedridden just hours ago.

"Mina baby, its bed time already, let's get you to bed shall we," Reya tugged at her hand, but Mina firmly stood by the doorway.

"I am not a baby. I love it that you are trying to protect me, but Reya, I am not the same child you knew before the end of the world. I am mature too, so please share your grievances with me. Don't hide anything it makes me worry even more," Mina whimpered with a wronged expression on her face.

Reya gazed at her, eyes wide. Her little baby sister did not stutter even once. Her sister who always spoke with a slur and a stutter did not falter when she spoke. "Even so, you are my baby sister… I… I will always try my best to protect you,"

"I am not telling you not to. But please… please share with me what you do. Don't act stupid and put yourself in danger. Please… you are my only sister," Mina whispered and gripped her hand tightly.

Reya squatted down next to her and hugged her tight. "Yes baby, from now on I will share everything with you," she whispered.

Mina giggled and nuzzled close. "By the way those are longitude and longitude, not Sudoku number hehe," she laughed out loud.