Riddle Me This/book Novels & Stories

Is it just me or did my brain not seem to understand what RE-ESTABLISH meant anymore? Come to think of it, why on earth would Riven have a book like this? "Could it be...?"

Roselle thought wryly. With a deep frown, Roselle flipped through and scanned the pages, but they were curiously blank. Thinking that there were some secret or hidden messages, Roselle tried to move the book closer towards the candle, hoping to catch a glimpse of something. Nothing appeared. She tried many other ways she knew but after almost turning the book upside down, Roselle could only give up. There was just no sign whatsoever that the blank book had something secretive hidden in it. But then, why was this book blank? Was it just some accessory? Who would put a blank book in a library?

“This. Old school. No code machines, no firewalls. Just symbols.” Liora pulled it closer, flipping pages filled with strange grids, numbers paired with odd markings—circles, crosses, even drawings of sea creatures. “It’s a cipher,” she murmured. “But not random.” Wren leaned over her mother’s shoulder, her small fingers tracing one of the grids. “That looks like the puzzle in the back of the book,” she said. Liora blinked down at her. “What book?”

They looked very old. I picked up the first book. The cover felt soft under my fingers. I opened it carefully. The writing was faded in places, but I could still read it. "My name is Althea of Whitemore," the book began. "This is my story." Althea. Who was Althea? Was this Noah's and Neal's grandmother? Why would her book be hidden here? Why would my locket open her secret room? I turned the pages slowly, my eyes growing wider with each sentence.

Some are rude jokes that make me laugh, others are random foods, and one is a riddle. As the river flows, I'm gone. You're confused if you think I'm a bird, but we share our lyrics. I smile and pick up the pen from the counter, staring at the riddle for a long time. I love riddles, Mike gave me a book of them and I spent several months figuring out the answers. This is easy. I write down the answer under the riddle and put the pen back before opening the fridge. Inside, there are dozens of meals in containers and a lot of beer in the lowest part, but nothing else and not a vegetable or fruit in sight.

"Come on Zita. I know that, if it's not with Zoey, then it's definitely with you. The Book of the Tranquil Realm of the Universe." Wait, what? That book? That's not possible.

"Yes. There are parts missing." "True. Recently, I found a book that might help us with that matter." "Let's find it." "A red covered book with golden inlays." "I found it." "You have a sharp eye. All the books in this section are the same." "Let's start. There is a free table." Surrounded by rays of candles, the two friends started reading the dusty, old tome. The first one started:

I smiled as he nodded again, his brown hair bouncing around as he leaned in a little closer. I opened the book and started flipping through the pages, looking for a good story or myth to read to him. I paused for a moment at the title page that read ‘The All Mother and the Sacred Four’, tilting the book towards Calix. He smiled and scooted closer, nodding again as I turned the final page and cleared my throat.

My second book is up on the app titled “Cielo: Chronicle of untold truths” Please check it out, you'll surely love it. Thank you all, and God bless!

Every moment is this. Without moment. This. The light that is. The love that is. The being that is. The this that is. Only this. The book never opened. Because there was no cover. The book never closed. Because there was no ending. The book was the opening. The book was the reading. The book was the read. All one. Without one. This. The final chapter is not final. There was no first. There was no sequence. Only this. Appearing as sequence.