Ruby Fridays

Chapter 23: A Gift Beyond Enigma

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N O W P L A Y I N G

» [ Enigma - Jemma ] «

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───── ❝ R U B Y F R I D A Y ' S P O V ❞ ────

║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 13 - 2027 ║

║ Wednesday║ Class Day ║

The dusty chalkboard in the dimly lit classroom seemed to glow eerily in the moonlight. As the moon rose higher, casting its pale glow upon the scene before me, the faces of the words I was perceiving began to take on a strange, sinister glow of their own.

The clock struck midnight, but the classroom was still abuzz in dead silence with activity. The dim candlelight cast eerie shadows on the walls as I feverishly scratched out symbols and jotted down notes. 

Our weird professor paced between the rows, peering over students' shoulders and muttering under his breath. He watched over us like a malevolent crow, urging us to go further down this dark path of forbidden knowledge.

While strangely enough, as if without minding anything in their surroundings — the rest of my classmates sat silently, poring over their own coded puzzles. The flickering flames illuminated their faces, their eyes wide with fear and excitement as we delved into secrets best left forgotten. 

While for me, I sat at my desk, struggling to decipher the cryptic riddle written in the professor's spidery handwriting, with my fingers even tracing over the strange symbols carved into the old wood. 

The grandfather clock in the corner ticked ominously, each second bringing me closer to midnight. When I took a fair glance over it, a chill ran down my spine as I saw what time it is already — it read 3 A.M. This only means that we had been at this for hours, solving one sinister puzzle after another. 

I knew we were in a race against time, yet with each new clue revealed, a deeper sense of dread crept into my bones. The stakes were high and the consequences of failure too ghastly to speak of.

We pushed onward, deciphering codes and solving riddles that would break the minds of mere mortals. I could feel the dark forces at work, tempting me to give in to the allure of forbidden knowledge. But I resisted, focusing my will on the light at the end of this tortuous path. 

While secretly sighing in between my works, I saw in my peripheral vision as our professor stood at the front of the room, watching us with an eerie smile. He stalked between the rows of desks, eyeing our work with disdain, "Faster!" he roared, "You must learn to think like a criminal if you want to catch one."

I swear, his voice fucking echoed eerily through the dimly lit classroom, and with it, I can't help myself but to shift uncomfortably in my seat, wishing I could be anywhere but here. Yet I remained, like all the other frightened students, forced to attend these sinister classes in the dead of night. 

Getting lost in my hazy thoughts, I ought to looked up at the window, barred with iron rods. I realized as I gaze around it's prison-like structure, that there would be no escape tonight. 

I had come seeking answers, but found only more questions. Darkness pressed against the barred windows, seeping into my very soul.

I had willingly walked through the ominous gates of this school, lured by promises of unlocking mysteries and gaining forbidden knowledge.