I had only a chance for two questions. "Bring it on, demon." I said, with my chest slightly moved upwards. Since there was no way I could escape than partaking in the game, I wanted to. I wanted to revenge my loved ones' death, including Adrian.

I still couldn't believe he could be dead. How was that even possible?

The demon looked at the ceiling and smiled as if it has just found the trickiest of all the riddles. I already knew the kind of riddles he would be plotting. He would be plotting riddles that require simple thinking. They weren't really hard, you just needed to think gently. Riddles that require no depth thinking are kind of tricky. I had over thought the first riddle and given out an incapable answer. If I want to save my eye, I should just think properly and well.

It started, "Only one colour, but not one size."

"Say it gently please, you said you are not going to repeat." I reminded and he paused.

only one colour but not one size. Only one colour....but not one size. What could it be? Could it be darkness?

He continued, "Struck at the bottom, yet easily flies."

Struck at the bottom and easily flies. Darkness is something that could travel everywhere, what does it mean by struck at the bottom?

"Present in the sun, but not in the rain. Doing no harm and feeling no pain. What is it?"

Present in the sun? Darkness is only present without sun. Present in the sun? Wait... It's a shadow! What could be present in the sun and not in the rain? It's a shadow! But...'don't think too far, I reminded myself."

The last statement. Doing no harm and feeling no pain. A shadow is just like a dark reflection, which could harm nothing and feel nothing. "Simple." I smiled, "It's a Shadow."

"That's right. The last question wouldn't be easier."

"Yeah, bring it on." I demanded.

Now I only had a riddle and a chance.

He smiled and looked at the wall. I darted my gaze to it and shock grasped me as I saw a feather writing itself.

Why didn't the demon ask me with his mouth? Why did it need to write it down?

"Why don't you say it?"

"That's because, I know you would never get the answer till you die. I'm patiently waiting to feed on you before taking you to our master."

I stood up, trying to see what was beyond or above the feather and trying to see if there was maybe any invisible person writing that.

A feather can't certainly write itself, right?

I faced the demon, "Your master? You are taking me to somewhere after now? Why?"

"Our master is the only one who could free you. We came here due to his request. He is the only one whose torture and pain would ignite the power in you to set yourself free."

I was getting more confused and frustrated, "What power? Why is your master kind....wait torture?"

"Yes. So, Amelia, the riddle has been written."

I looked at the wall and saw that the feather had disappeared and left the wall with gold ink. It was bright and shiny.

But these riddles? They were too long and require three answers. Jesus! Oh my! I have no answer for this.

The demon saw my confused state and read out, "Three gods, A, B and C are called, in some order; True, False and Random. True always speaks truly, False always speaks falsely but whether random speaks truly or falsely is completely random." He paused, I took that chance to look at the remaining four demons whose gaze were bewildered. They were all the same. "You must determine the identities of A, B, and C by asking three Yes-or No questions and each question must be posed to exactly one god. The gods understand English, but will answer all questions in their own language, Da(Yes) and Ja(No). You do not know which word means which."

I wouldn't be overreacting if I fainted. Trust me, but it wasn't coming. I was just stiff and speechless. They really meant business. How could they? I was just eighteen!

In a riddle, the more the clues, the simpler the riddle becomes. The more the clues, the longer the riddle becomes. The longer the riddle, the harder it becomes. That was the trick. It would require much time to be able to break through each word separately and combine them to the right path. That was the reason I was already planning escapism. I didn't mean to fly through the window or anything related. I only meant to gather my riddles. Make it as long as ever and confusing so...so that he would be confused. That way, I would pass these whole test.

"You have fifteen minutes to think for the right answer."

Fifteen was too long! I would have to sit here and stress my brain. I was already sick and dirty. There was no way I could think properly again. I was hungry. I...I hadn't even eaten since dawn. Wait, I was right. I was hypnotised by my friends in the morning, woke up in the night, taken to Adrian house and now its midnight.

Couldn't Adrian's mother check on us? What would she do if she sees the demons and her child dead? Would she say she didn't hear the groaning and the glass shattering? I was more confused than I had ever been.

I decided to ask them, "What about Adrian's mother? What would all of you do if she comes and sees you?"

I knew so well that my fifteen minutes was already counting. Anything to save me from the burden. There was no way I could rack my already damaged brain.

Their deep and resonated laugh cracked my skin. The demon who was standing at my right hand side answered me, "Adrian's mother has been long gone."

What? They killed her when Adrian was still alive?

"His mother was killed like yours."

What? I just understood what he was talking about. I meant, what Adrian was saying all these while. I could recall that he said. He had no one to love him. Who...who then was the woman who came to tell us to come for dinner?

"You have twelve minutes."

Okay, I think I would just attempt the riddle.

It said, Three gods, A, B and C are called, in some order;

True, False and Random.

True always speaks truly, False always speaks falsely but whether random speaks truly or falsely is completely random.

Hmm. I needed time to process. The first trick, you don't need to assume that A, B and C are respectively True, False and random, it was stated.

We have three gods who are not completely truthful. Only one speaks the truth, the second speaks the false and the latter speaks either truly or Falsely.

The probability was that, they either speak True, False and False or True, False and True.

How could one know you would need mathematical skills in some point in life!

How?!

I would have taken maths class serious. I wouldn't have bullied all the meticulous students I have!

I looked at the wall and read the remaining, " You must determine the identities of A, B, and C by asking three Yes-or No questions and each question must be posed to exactly one god."

Okay. Understood. I would ask each god a Yes or No question inorder to determine which one says the truth, false or just speaks randomly.

I continued, "The gods understand English, but will answer all questions in their own language, Da(Yes) and Ja(No). You do not know which word means which."

Processed. Another trick, which I must have stated earlier was processing each statement in the riddle. A riddle is long so it would confuse you because when the human brain sees something long, it would immediately be disturbed else that particular human brain loves reading long stuff.

"I think three of you should pretend to be the gods. Discuss who is who amongst yourself. I need to practicalise it."

The middle demon smiled and stated, "Done."

But when? I didn't see them whisper to each other. I wanted to see or at least hear what they would say so I would easily guess who was who.

The three demons walked to where I was standing and I tried not to be too timid.

To be sure three questions would cover what I needed to know, I would have to know if that exact three question could cover it. That was No.

Three questions wouldn't cover three identities. Then the factorial comes in. Three factorial is six. I would have to ask the three gods six questions. But would they question me?

No. I needed a trick. I would just ask each of them two questions in such a way it was only one question but two.

I should thank my brain for discovering that.

I asked the demon A, "If the Sun is a star, does it mean B is true?"

He was taken aback and I didn't know what to say anymore or if I asked the right question.

"Ja."

It said. Ja. I didn't know when I burst into laughter. It was exciting to at least it freed my brain from pressure.

He said Ja like he was truly a god. Jeez!

Ja meant No.

Hmm.

The Sun is a star right? And god A said No.

It meant god A is either false(the one who speak lies) or B is actually true(the one who speaks the truth).

I asked the second demon, B. "If the earth was round, does it mean C is random and A is true?"

"Ja."

Wait. It only meant C isn't Random? Or it meant demon B is actually the one who speaks the false? If B is false then god A can never be false.

It seemed I needed to ask more questions than asking six questions. I hadn't known who is who and the last question is the one hanging. Let's say B is the false. I needed to assume to get it right. Let's assume B is the false. I needed to assume that C was random too.

I asked demon, C, "If adults have thirty-two teeth, does it mean B is false and C is random?"

"Ja."

Wait, what?

"That was thoroughly unfair." I screamed. "Did you tell them to speak nothing but false?"

"Amelia, tell the answer. Tell which demon is which."

When I asked Demon A. He jerked. He was taken aback. It meant Demon A was actually the one speaks the false to cover himself up.

How do the detectives spot out lies? They notice irregular gestures. If Demon A was the false guy, it meant the sun is a star. Of course, he said no to that. And he also said No to B being true. It only meant. A is False B is true and C is random. That was it.

I just needed to watch their reaction and get to my final destination.

I need not bother about anything anymore.

I had glasses in my forehead and I was almost naked. I needed to end all and revenge my parents' death.

"The answer to the riddle is, god A is false. god B is True and god C is random."

Really?

I think I should just plan to ask the riddle because I'm not sure if I was right. If I was wrong it meant, I needed to ask a really tough riddle. And if this demon gets it?! Then one of my eyes serves as his food.

"Correct, Amelia. You are such a smart one."

With just that, darkness overshadowed me and my brain remained blank.

I overcame.

I won the game.

I won it.

I won my very first game.

I would revenge my family's death and also the nerd's death!

I would do everything to save my loved ones.

Certainly, not with my eyes. I wouldn't sacrifice my eyes.

I solved two out of the riddles. Part of me wanted to fail the last question so that I could ask the riddle but...what if the demon didn't fail?!

It meant I would forever have an eye!

God forbid!

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