After an anxious night of nightmares, I transported myself to the head quarter. The graduation ceremony wouldn’t be anything big, but Genie had promised to see it.

I arrived in the conference room as the first and sat down to wait. After a while Genie arrived, followed by Jolin, and then Jiro and Aaron. I saw Genie scowling at him.

Jack stepped in as the last.

“Miss Wu and Miss Tsai, please step forward,” he commanded. He led his hand in a curve over his head, and coloured lightning started shining from invisible lamps in the ceiling.

“Miss Tsai, based on your Skills, talents and...”

“Wait a minute!” a very familiar voice yelled.

Rainie walked in with her usual firm steps, not smiling. But Ella, Selina and Hebe were, as they walked in after her.

“Oh yes,” Jack said, and waited for them to come closer before he continued.

“Miss Tsai, based on your Skills, talents and the courage and qualification you have shown on mission, I hereby give you the title; Y12.”

Jolin smiled and stepped back.

“And Miss Wu, based on your Skills etc., I hereby give you the title; Y8.”

Surprised, I also stepped back and looked at Aaron. Genie was clapping, as the only one, which paid her a killer gaze from Rainie.

I hadn’t expected to get such a high rank on my first graduation, and I wasn’t the only one. But they seemed to accept it, even though Rainie started a whispering discussion with Jack when they all left. I had to repack my over-filled bag, so I told Genie to wait for me in the cafeteria.

I noticed that Aaron also dawdled, but concentrated on my backpack. At last, he and I were the only ones left in the room.

“Congratulations,” he said.

“Thanks.”

“You know, becoming a top 10 Y Coder isn’t bad at all. It makes you on the top 40 in the whole organization.”

I didn’t answer, as I tried to find the right angle to say what I needed to.

“Aaron? How soon can I quit?”

 “What did you say?!”

“I want to leave this, Aaron. Now that I’ve graduated.”

“You can’t,” he determinedly said. I had kind of expected this reaction, but not prepared myself for it.

“I can’t stay either. My health is damaged.”

“Your health will be used to it after a few missions. And you can’t deny your Skills; they’re stuck to your finger.” He tried to stay calm, but I could hear he was upset.

“I don’t want to be used to attacking and hurting other people. It’s not me.” I zipped my bag.

“It could be you!”

“No, I’m not strong enough! Not mentally, not physically. I will be the one hurting.” I couldn’t hide how uneasy I was, but I tried to keep my voice steady.

“As I said, you’ll get used to it.”

“Don’t you ever care about how others feel?” I turned around to face him.

“I try not to show it.”

“Do you know what? Showing concern for other people would gain you much more respect than acting like a cold jerk. What’s your problem?!”

And with these words, I ran out.

George and Genie were waiting for me in the head quarter’s cafeteria, and Genie had just told him about my graduation. But when she saw that I was on the verge of tears, she told him to leave.

“What’s wrong?” she anxiously asked when I sat down.

I told her about my conversation with Aaron.

“So you’re finally getting back to your senses about him?”

I thought about it. Thought about him.

“Only in the way that I’m now certain he’ll never like me,” I sighed. Genie dropped her jaw.

“Okay, if you insist on liking him... But please, Gui Gui, please consider how much you’d gain if you let it be past.”

But I couldn’t imagine my only purpose in life being to get married and live happily ever after with some rich business-guy, even though it was the only thing the world expected from me. I sometimes wondered why they even sent me to school when I wasn’t supposed to ever get a job. I was supposed to rely on my husband for the rest of my life, which was probably the most repelling about it.

It reminded me of my promise to Alien.

“Master Na, I have a request.” I had just stepped into his office, and he looked up at me.

“Speak.”

“Can I... can I not have any more missions from now on?” I stammered.

He straightened his back.

“Why?”

“Because... I mean, I’m done with my training, and I’m still in school, so I need more time to study.” I hadn’t planned to make up an excuse, but it actually seemed quite reasonable.

“I see. Mr. Z9 told me that you wanted to quit.”

I nodded.

“You can’t, no matter how much you dislike fighting. I also think Mr. Z9 informed you that you’d get used to it.” He said it all in a friendly tone, but I sensed the command.

“But don’t you have enough Coders for missions? I don’t see why I have to.”

“Then look at your hand.”

I didn’t do it, ‘cause I already knew he referred to my ring.

“Can’t I just go on a long vacation?” I continued to plead.

“No. No other than you can take on the missions you need to go on.”

“Why?”

“Because only the owner of the Silver Ring can collect all of the rings.”

“I know,” I sighed, “but I don’t want to collect them.”

“I know,” he smiled, “but you have to. No choice. Your first job will be to find the Rings.”

This just couldn’t be true. I didn’t want it to be true.

“Why do I have to?” I whispered.

“That isn’t important right now. You should ask a Z Coder for his – or her – assistance.”

“But I don’t have the slightest idea how to find them!”

“That’s why you have to “find them” and not “take them”.” Didn’t he sense my panic?

“No, I can’t! I couldn’t fight anybody even if my life depended on it. I didn’t want this from the start!”

I had achieved the complete opposite of what I wanted, and had even gotten more worries. Who should I ask for help?

Couldn’t I just ignore it?

I could maybe go on with my life and never visit the head quarter anymore.

But... it would still be with me, the task, hanging over my shoulders, stuck to my finger. I couldn’t escape.

Why did everyone always expect me to do what I wanted the least?

Where should I start? Where should I seek?

What the hell should I do?!

“You look tired,” Alien said. He and Show followed Genie and I to ballet training.

“Thank god we have vacation soon. I need a break from school work,” I responded.

He looked suspiciously at me.

“Remember what you promised me?”

“I... yes.”

He then smiled, and his paces got new energy.

“Oh, I need to buy something at the kiosk. Can we take a detour?” This from Show.

“Of course,” Genie said. “What do you need to buy?”

“Guy stuff...”

He led us through some small paths through a park to get faster to the kiosk on the other side. When we walked, my eye caught something on the ground.

“Wait!” I shouted, and bowed down.

“What is this?” I lifted the small piece of paper up. It was scented, but old and crumpled.

“It looks like... a poem, or... a riddle?” Genie also looked at the paper.

“Hey! Are you girls coming or what? Did you find a puppy or something’?” Show was impatient.

I crumpled the paper into my pocket and walked on.

I reread the text on the small piece of paper for god knows what time. Of some reason, it seemed important.

“No partner, no smith

No extravagance

A way to the aim

A part of the bunch

When it comes to luxury, I’d be without

Wood is where I’d be around

Forest high, north due

Not far from the ocean blue

Friends are worth searching for

Will find one another

But in the deep and dusky dark

Light is true a leader.”

Riddles had been my addiction since I was eight and read one on the back of my cornflakes package. One of my childhood friends had been excellent at making them up, and he wrote them all down and told me to solve them. Many hours had been spent that way.

But this riddle... I didn’t know the “genre”. No clue.

But I could figure out as much; the first verse described what it was. The second described where it was. And the third described how to find it.

I sighed and took my watch off. It was ten pm. I needed to take a shower before sleeping.

***

Preview:

-

I had seen that mark, that sign before. But where?

And I was sure the drawing hadn’t been there when I went to sleep.

-

“I’m sorry,” he said. And then did something I had never expected him to do.

-

“No! It’s impossible!” I shouted, happy that it wasn’t.

“Can you recognize me? Lord, I hoped I had changed...”

“A bit uglier, maybe,” I laughed.

***

Hey again :D

Last chap was a bit boring. Hope this one didn’t disappoint you (:

Please write a comment and tell me what you think (:

- Blitz