CODE. (only the dead escape)

I got home very late and I made sure to properly dispose the clothes I had used.

*Harper, along with solving this case, I hope you're thinking of leveling up*

*Yeah Chris. I haven't forgotten why I'm here*

*Good*

'I have a question Chris'

'Go ahead'

'What will the gamekeeper gain in return for us playing his games. We gain something from him but what does he gain and why did he build the game in the first place?'

I had wanted to ask that question for so long but I didn't have the courage to.

'Why did you suddenly ask this question Harper'

'It just came to me'

'I'm afraid I can't answer your question Harper and I'll advice you to stop thinking of such things. It could be very harmful for you'

'How?'

'I can't explain that now'

'Okay. I got it'

Chris sounded really upset with my question so I decided to leave them for another day. Right now, I had more important things to do.

*** THE GAMEKEEPER

'Looks like player number one is really curious huh?'

Natalie stood beside the gamekeeper with an anxious look on her face.

'Sir, we should eliminate her immediately'

'Nah. She's doing good, it's just not fun yet'

'Okay sir. Do you still want to go inside the game sir?'

'Yeah. I need to go back, I am bored'

'Sir.....

'What is it?'

'N.....nothing sir, I'll get the portal ready'

'Go on'.

Natalie could only grit her teeth in anger as she left.

'The boss really dotes on her huh?'

She suddenly laughed crazily.

'I wonder what he'll do after finding out what I'll do to his precious Harper'.

Her expression changed abruptly and then, she got scared.

'What if the boss kills me? No, no, no, he wouldn't do that. I've stayed longer with the boss, he definitely wouldn't choose that b***h over me'

She comforted herself and looked around to make sure nobody was with her. Then, she adjusted herself and left.

Just like that, Harper had another enemy on her list.

*** THE NEXT MORNING

****Harper***

I did not wake up until very late because my shift was in the evening.

Another janitor had been employed to work in the morning.

*Chris, are you up?*

*Yeah. What are we doing today? Another mission?*

*No. We're going to explore dad's office today. I need to know the truth*

*Okay*

Luckily, mom was not at home. Maisie had gone to school and Elias.....well, I DON'T CARE.

I opened first through the case file I had stolen but before I could take a glance at it....

'Harper! Come out here!'

It was Elias. Ugh! What does he want now?

'Harper, I suggest you leave here for now, he's headed towards your door!'

That was not good. I rushed out of the room to meet him before he comes into my room.

'Whoa. Why are you running? Are you hiding something?'

'That's none of your business, Elias. What do you want from me?'

He was being annoying once again and he had this smug look on his face which I really wanted to slap off him.

'I called you here for Maisie's birthday plan'

'Birthday plan?'

What was he saying? Maisie's birthday is still quite far.

'Yeah. Maisie's birthday plan or did you forget? She loves you the most you know so it won't be good if you forgot her birthday'

'What are you even saying? Maisie's birthday is like three months from now'

'So? Does it matter? The earlier we plan for it, the better'

What he was saying really didn't make sense to me. Elias didn't like talking much but he was saying quite a lot now. It seems like there are two Elias now. One likes to annoy me while the other just want to fight with me. Which one of them is my brother?

*Chris, do you think he's telling the truth?*

*I can't detect anything from him Harper*

*That's not supposed to happen right?*

*Yeah but, It's all part of the game*

I decided not to be a part of his birthday plan.

'listen Elias, I'm really sleepy. Please leave for now, we'll talk about it later'

'Ok'

Strangely, he agreed and left even though it was quite obvious that I had just woken up. I think he only came to annoy me.

Something was definitely wrong but I'll have to come back to his situation. I had just nine days left to find Sophie.

I sighed and went back into my room. Aunt Samantha had sent me a message.

'How is your investigation going Harper?'

I didn't know what to say back to her so I decided to ignore it.

I went back to the secret room, this time, I pulled the curtains shut, and switched off the overhead light. Only a small desk lamp illuminated the room. The room still needed cleaning but it was bearable to stay in it.

'Alright. Let's see what the mayor's been hiding.'

Chris floated above my shoulder, unusually silent.

I opened the file.

The first page was a mess of symbols, lines, and strange markings.

I blinked. Then smiled faintly.

'You've got to be kidding me.'

'What?' Chris finally asked.

'It's coded.'

'Like some encryption?'

I shook my head, eyes scanning the page.

'No… it's something my dad made up. For just the two of us.'

I reached into the drawer and pulled out a tattered notebook. I flipped to the back — and there it was. A hand-drawn symbol-to-letter translation chart, filled with strange shapes and childish doodles.

'I used to think this was just a game, But Dad… you were preparing me all along, weren't you?'

I immediately went to work.

One line at a time, translating slowly. ,My fingers moved across the paper, writing down each decoded word.

And then—I paused.

'Chris…'

'Yeah?'

'You might want to sit down for this.'

The decoded lines stared back at me.

> 'Evidence of illegal child extraction, relocation, and identity erasure initiated through Project Eden. Government funding approved via backdoor channels. Operatives embedded in orphanages, hospitals, and border patrol. Testing grounds located in Zones 4, 7, and 12. Total known abducted minors: 312.'

I stared at the number in shock

312 Children.

'Chris… this is… this is way bigger than just Sophie.'

I reached for my bag and pulled out the crumpled photo Uncle Mark had shown me— the one of Sophie tied to a chair.

I brought it under the light. My eyes zoomed in.

At the edge of the frame, half-obscured by shadow... were other figures. Small. Bound. Some barely visible behind metal bars.

'There were more kids there.'

'But that incident with your father was long ago, it can't be that again'

'I think it's the same thing again.

'Harper, I…'

Chris couldn't finish his sentence.

The room suddenly felt colder.

I flipped through the rest of the file. More reports. Dates. Locations. Codenames. All carefully hidden behind layers of code — now slowly unraveling under my fingertips.

'They've been doing this for years. Using government resources to abduct children for... what? Experiments? Labor? Trade? I don't even want to imagine.'

I turned back to the page that mentioned Project Eden.

A name that sounded pure, serene — but this Eden was soaked in blood.

'They killed Dad because of this, because he got too close.'

'Harper, we have to be careful. If someone finds out you've decrypted this—'

'They won't.'

I closed the file gently.

'I'm not showing this to anyone yet. Not until I find out who's responsible.'

'You think there's just one person?'

'Yes. There has to be. The whole government can't be rotten. Someone orchestrated all this. Someone gave the orders. Someone is still hiding in the shadows. Whoever killed my dad is responsible for all these but who? The Mayor?'

I looked at the photo again — this time, not just at Sophie, but at the blurry outlines of the other children.

' I made a promise to find Sophie. But now I know it's bigger than that.'

I stood up, clutching the file tightly.

' I m going to find them all. Every last child. And when I find the person behind this…'

My eyes hardened.

'They'll wish I never picked up this file.'