PUZZLE 2: THE PULLING TREES - ACT 1
The threads… Something's off about the threads…
When I think about my research board that was transported to the headquarters, something on there was moved without my permission… but what?
Hmm… There was a sketch of four trees on the left hand side. Each tree was planted in a square. This was Asaya's favorite spot to work in, as he was almost always in the shade.
But perhaps… they all served a darker purpose.
My research is trying to tell me something. The person who made the change is screaming at me, but I can't hear their words.
Think, Akemi. Think hard!
Hmm… The picture of the four trees had a thread connecting it to a photo beneath a book on horology myths. That's where I learned about Asaya hanging out beneath those trees. But alas… that thread is no longer there.
Instead, there's a… new thread. It's… moving more towards the left now… to a photo of a book on ancient torture devices. This had a chapter on how certain Satan worshippers were punished back then. I thought that book was gonna lead me no-where…
But, that thread… now connects it to the… TREES?
What is going on here?
"Argh!" I spring upright on my bed, panting with a cold sweat soaking my face. I frantically look around, trying to make sense of where I am.
A white room? Blinds on the open window softly moving with the breeze? This must be heaven!
Then, I notice Jun asleep on the chair next to me, snoring away loudly.
Or, maybe not.
Jeez… I can't believe she snores like that! I'm not inviting HER to any sleepovers anytime soon!
Hmm… she didn't snore when I saw her in my place…
I grab my phone from the bedside table, dial a number, and wait for an answer. "Yaeko! We have a problem."
"You mean your research board?"
"What? How did you-"
"Maiden discovered the change this morning when she checked a photo I took of it when I went to your place. It looks like the thread was moved just before we transported the board to headquarters. Forensics are checking it for any DNA now."
I anxiously rub the back of my head. "Um… Could this be a prank? A misdirection, maybe?"
"I don't think so. The torture devices in that book all use wood to some degree. And more importantly, there are coordinates written on the back of the sketch."
My eyes widen.
Someone broke into my place and planted a clue? That's unbelievable!
"Sister, are you well enough to get to the site? It's in a forest near Kyoto."
"Uh… yeah. No problem." I say, rubbing my bandaged arm.
"Good. I'm sending a helicopter to the hospital rooftop. Be up there in thirty minutes, alright?"
"Copy that." I put the phone down, and place my palm on my forehead as I think.
It couldn't have been Third. It took him forever to find the first puzzle, yet alone my place. There must be someone else after the Hades Watch, but they're just pointingn towards it. They want me to do all the dirty work, it seems.
I hear a loud gasp, and a pair of arms suddenly embrace me tightly.
"Oh my goodness, Akemi! My hero's not dead!"
"Urgh! Yeah, Jun. Totally not dead!"
She breaks away from me and pushes my cheeks together. "You can't be too careful out there, friendo! How about I get you something to aid you in self defence… like, I dunno, a gun!"
"Sure," I sarcastically squeeze out between her pushing palms. "Go nuts!"
⧗⧗⧗
I look out to the city from the black and red helicopter as it flies across Osaka.
A dread fills my bones as I get closer to the trees. I know they make up one of Asaya's gruelling puzzles…
I'm lowered by a winch from the helicopter, my feet touch the dirt, and I undo the harness.
I'm standing in the centre of a raised dirt mound in the middle of a river. Rooted in the mount are four tall, old oak trees, planted in a square shape - The North tree, East tree, South tree and West tree - just like in the sketch on my research board.
I look up, and see that the branches have spread out enough to be intertwining with each other.
As the helicopter flies away, Yaeko walks up to me. Kiasen and Gaku are standing behind her.
"Don't worry sister. You'll only feel that amount of pain the first time you're shot."
"Thanks, Yaeko," comes my sarcasm. "Any idea who moved the thread?"
She takes off her sunglasses. "There were two wings drawn next to the coordinates, so we know the group behind this. We call them the Angels. Once in a blue moon, they rarely tip me on more complex crimes we're investigating, but this is the first time they've involved themselves with something supernatural."
"Huh? Tip you… and no-one else?"
"Yeah. I wish I could tell you why. Trust me, I'm not associated with them."
I pause for a moment with my eyes squinted. I guess… I have to beleive her… but something's off.
I press my tongue on my cheek, then observe the forest around us. "We're in the middle of no-where. Even if some random person did walk past this mound, they'd never know that this is Asaya's work… Unless they were seriously into their horology."
"Or if they were informed about what exactly to look out for," Yaeko suggests. "We don't know the extent of the Angel's network, but considering how remote this area is, it may be pretty huge."
"And I'm guessing their motivations aren't as clear as Third's?"
"Clear as mud, sister. You focus on solving this puzzle. I'll worry about the Angels and their business with the Hades Watch."
"Right." I take a deep breath, cross my arms, and look around the mound. "I'll need aerial shots of the site, photographs of each tree from multiple angles, and a landscape shot of the puzzle from the North and South river banks."
"And let's not forget the timings of the tide," the Professor adds, stepping forward. "In a few hours, this mound will be completely submerged!"
I walk over to the edge, but I'm interrupted by a huge arm moving up before me. I look up to Gaku's serious face, and he points to the river. After a short while, I spot a couple of crocodiles quietly swimming past us.
My shoulders tense up, and I step back to Yaeko and Kaisen. "Asaya risked his life to cross this river and plant these trees," I notion while staring at the ground. "I suspect he requires the solver to risk their own life here, too."
Yaeko sighs and rubs her forehead. "Akemi, you are not permitted to solve this puzzle yourself this time. Not in your state."
I turn to her serious face and smile. "I appreciate your concern, sister."
Yaeko's phone beeps. She takes it out and reads the text on the screen. "Akemi."
"Yeah?"
"It's Maiden. She's offering to let you stay at her place in Kyoto for a while."
I tilt my head. "Huh? She'd… let me into her home? She barely knows me."
"Hey, it's better than travelling three hours here and back every day while we solve this puzzle. Her words, not mine."
I feel my cheeks slightly blush. No-one's shown me that much kindness out of the blue before… ever.
⧗⧗⧗
My shoulders tense up as I walk through the modern corridor I've found myself in, pulling my wheeled, black suitcase behind me. Its doors are made of dark oak, the walls are painted optic white, and plants in fancy vases decorate the sides. I reach the apartment which I'm going to stay in.
KNOCK, KNOCK!
I wait for an answer.
Huh?
I see a figure in the corner of my eye, and I quickly turn to the junction in the distance.
No-one's there. That's strange… I didn't just dream that…
CLICK!
The door before me opens to reveal Maiden in a navy tracksuit.
"Oh. Hey, sister! Come on in to my humble abode!"
"Thanks, Maiden," I say with a light smile.
I enter, close the door behind me, then I take off my boots.
"Great timing, sister. Food's nearly ready! Leave your suitcase here, wear those slippers there, and take a seat at the table!"
She rushes into the kitchen, which is part of an open plan living area.
Her place is just as modern as the corridor, with more dark oak furniture, white walls, and various paintings of simple black shapes.
Who knew such a care-free girl would have such mature taste?
I sit on the floor before the low table, clueless as to what to do.
If I look at my phone, would that be rude?
If I switch the TV on, would that be crossing a line?
Maiden breaks my awkward silence by walking over, and placing a tray with two bowls of soupless ramen on the table.
"I hope you like Mazesoba style!" she exclaims.
"I don't like ramen, remember?"
"Bwaaaaaaaah!" she shrieks, slapping her palms on her temples. "Holy crap, I totally forgot!"
I close my eyes and smile. "Hey, don't worry, sister. Right now, I'll eat anything."
Her shoulders relax. "Oh, phew! I thought we'd have to order a pricey takeout there!"
I open my eyes, and I snap apart my wooden chopsticks. We say thanks for our meals, and we eat.
I've never had soupless ramen before. This is a bizarre, yet interesting experience for me.
I notice a photo on a shelf of Maiden saluting in her officer uniform.
That must have been when she graduated from her training.
Hmm… I can't see any photos of her family anywhere.
"So, how long have you worked for the Hell Police, Maiden?"
"Oh, ummm… I'd say around four years now. I'd always wanted to be a cop, just like my parents! But I, uh, failed all the exams for the regular police, heh-heh… So, I tried getting into the Hell Police instead, and just about scraped a pass with their entrance exams. Now I'm just getting my head down and following every order that's given to me. If I work my socks off, I'm sure to make Sergeant by this time next year!"
"Under Yaeko?"
"Yeah, absolutely! You've seen how she works. That lady can cut through anything!"
I smile and tilt my head. "Yeah. I guess so."
"And what about you, sister? Wanna join us after you finish university? The pay and pension's pretty sweet, you know!"
"Hmm…" I stare at my chopsticks and poke at my food. "Actually, I've not really thought about my future. My pursuance for the Hades Watch is curently unparalleled."
She giggles while covering her mouth. "Hee-hee! You talk funny!"
I smile at her.
"Hey, I'll go get us some dessert!" Maiden picks up her now empty bowl and takes it to the open plan kitchen behind me. I look back at my own bowl.
"Don't you think my obsession is weird?" I ask.
She calls over to me from behind her opened fridge door. "Are you doing it for her or for yourself?"
I take a deep breath as my answer constructs. "For her."
"I thought so!" comes her enthusiastic reply as she rummages.
For her.
Of course it's for her.
If I did it for myself, every step I'd take would feel like walking on torrid lava.
But, in fact, I'm ascending a staircase into the light.
Hey, wait a second…
I talk funny?
⧗⧗⧗
The next day, I'm back on the mound with Kaisen, Yaeko and Gaku.
I see Hell Police officers on the North and South banks, watching out for Third's forces, or even the Angels if they turn out to be hostile.
The four trees around me are so old that they're creeping me out.
"According to some very old documents I've found," the Professor begins. "These trees are referred to as the Compass Trees, for obvious reasons, of course."
Yaeko looks at the river surrounding us. "Are these the same trees Asaya worked under before?"
"Not at all, detective, these are separate ones planted by him many decades ago. Like a replica."
"Hmm… Can you prove that?"
"Well, back then, the local villagers suspected Asaya's lover of being a witch. They decided to leave her fate to luck by tying her between two oak trees in his original setup, and cutting the trunks to see if the trees would fall the same way or the opposite ways. Unfortunately, one tree fell left, and one tree fell right, and the woman tied between them… well…"
"Jeez," Yaeko mutters. "There's no way she could've survived that."
"Indeed," Kaisen confirms. "There are numerous poems written by Asaya that display his grief and mourning over his late lover."
"How tragic," Yaeko quietly comments. "So there's no way these trees are those ones he'd worked under. And is he… trying to tell us something, here?"
"We're standing on his lover's grave," I state.
Yaeko and Kaisen stare at me, unimpressed.
"Where'd you pull that out of, sister?"
I look at Yaeko emotionlessly. "We're standing on her grave."
My straight-faced repetition is enough to make her tense the side of her mouth for a moment, before she makes a phone call. "Hi, Rin. Get me a heat vision of this mound, pronto."
I walk over to the river, but remain away from the edge. "Professor, what time does the tide rise over the mound?"
"Why, after six PM every day."
I look up to the touching branches in between the four trees. "Judging by Asaya's story, and our inability to stay on this island over a twenty four hour period, the puzzle must be solved in the branches up there, away from the water."
I then lightly jump on the ground to test the density of the soil.
⧗⧗⧗
That night, I place my phone on Maiden's counter in the centre of her kitchen. My screen shows a photo of a mainspring and balance wheel in a diagram of a watch's clockwork. Akemi and Maiden lean over it.
"The mound is slightly fragile, and I suspect it's only being held together by the roots of the four trees," I determine. "I believe the puzzle is inspired by the mainspring balance mechanic in a watch. Beginning in the 16th century, watches were mechanical devices driven by clockwork, powered by winding up a mainspring, which, when released, activated its moving balance wheel to keep constant time. The mound is like the balance wheel, and the trees are like a mainspring which must be wound to be activated."
"So, essentially, if the trees are moved in a certain way, they'll affect the composition of the mound?" Yaeko asks.
"Right. The mound is at its weakest when submerged in water, so any attempt at imbalancing the mound should only take place at night."
I take out and stand four dominoes in a square on the table. "Someone must be tied to two of the trees in the centre as the tide rises, then both sets of branches are pulled together to activate the imbalance. In theory, as long as the person is connected to the correct two trees, the pulling would eventually topple the other two on the mound, just like the ones Asaya's lover was tied to, which should create openings at both sides of the mound." I topple two parallel dominoes. "The person tied to the trees still standing would then wait for the tide to go down, bite the ropes to free themselves, then go into the mound at one of the openings."
Yaeko takes a step back from the table, looking as if she'd just seen a demon. "But… we have no idea which two trees are safe…"
"Yeah," Maiden coldly adds. "If that person is tied to the wrong trees and pulls, that person would die, regardless of how those trees fall."
"Correct," I respond. "Asaya's lover apparently died by fate, so perhaps the solver will also be subject to the same luck."
"No!" Yaeko sternly affirms. "There has to be a clue somewhere that clarifies the solution."
"The chance of that is low, sister," I state. "There's no evidence to suggest that his lover's trees were sabotaged in any way. They were both cut horizontally and at the same time, so there was no way to determine which way they would fall."
"I don't like this!" Maiden exclaims, a bead of cold sweat rolls over her brow.
Yaeko shakes her head. "Neither do I. The risk is extreme, to say the least." She points to us. "No-one is to be tied to those trees until we're absolutely sure which ones are safe. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sister," Maiden responds.
Yaeko shoots me a cold stare as I reluctantly pause.
"Yes, sister," I also say.
"Good. Right now, we have time. Let's take advantage of it. See you both tomorrow at the puzzle."
Maiden and I salute her, and Yaeko salutes back. She walks over to the front door and opens it.
PSSSSSSSSSSTT!
"ARGH!"
"Huh?" I look at the door, and see a woman with long blonde hair, a long white and gold cloak, and a white statue mask over her face. She continues spraying Yaeko with her aerosol.
The detective coughs violently, then suddenly passes out on the floor.
"Yaeko!" I yell.
The masked woman calmly walks into the apartment and closes the door behind us. She creepily turns her head to Maiden and I.
I feel a hand pull my shoulder.
"Get down!" Maiden shouts, ripping out a pistol with a silencer from a kitchen drawer.
I crouch down behind the kitchen counter as she fires at the masked woman, but the woman dashes to the side fast and all six shots miss.
"Dammit!" the operator cries.
The masked woman then makes a break for us. I grab a stool from underneath the counter, jump onto the counter, then leap forward.
SMASH!
The stool collides with the top of the masked woman's skull, smashing the seat and leaving its metal legs in my hands. She slams face first onto the floor with a bounce, then goes still.
I toss the legs away, kneel down next to the woman and grab the side of her mask.
Suddenly, she elbows me hard in my stomach, and I'm shoved away. Enough space is created between us for her to kick me in the chest and I land on the ground.
I see Maiden grab a knife from the kitchen, and she throws it at the masked woman. The woman rolls to the side, and the knife jams into the wooden floorboards.
I force myself onto my feet while holding my torso in pain.
The woman kicks her legs out, and flips herself up. All three of us stand frozen, the trespasser between Maiden and I.
Dammit! She's looking at ME and tilting her head, and I know exactly why!
Can't hesitate… Here I go!
I place my left thumb on the round bezel of my watch, and the woman launches at me.
"Sister!" Maiden shouts.
I rip my left arm back, and my watch's dial spins, creating flames above it.
Just as I'm about to punch and hurl my embers at the woman, she reaches me with astonishing speed and knees me in the face, knocking me onto the ground once again. "Urgh!"
"Arrrrghhhh!" Maiden lunges at her with another kitchen knife, but the woman grabs Maiden's wrist with both hands to stop the stab, then twists her arm to make the weapon drop. The woman pulls Maiden in and headbutts her hard, causing Maiden to fall to the floor. She's now barely conscious, just like me.
The woman takes out her aerosol again, and sprays me in the face.
"Argh! No!" I cry. "Maiden…"
The world steadily turns black around me.
⧗⧗⧗
"Ungh…" I open my eyes, and all I can feel is a searing pain in my chest and face. I force myself to look around me.
With only the kitchen lights in the distance illumating the place, I just make out Yaeko asleep on the floor, but she's my only company.
"Maiden!" I grunt. "Maiden, where are you?"
I cough out some blood, take out my phone from my trouser pocket, and dial a number.
"Sergeant Gaku," I force out. "Maiden's gone missing. Come to her apartment and get Yaeko and I!"
"Copy that, sister," comes a gravelly voice. "Please standby."
I hang up the phone and lie on my back, exhausted. As I stare up at the darkened ceiling, I ponder where Maiden could be.
Argh!
Who am I kidding?
I know EXACTLY where she is!
Later on, around midnight, Yaeko and I ride in the back of a police jeep, with Gaku driving. Its siren blares out as we race through Kyoto city at night. I look to Yaeko beside me, who silently stares out of the window, holding an ice pack to where she bumped her head when she fell.
Her fear is outweighing her pain.
As the jeep finally reaches the river bank near the puzzle's island, we all step out into the cold, dark forest. The jeep's headlights illuminate the four police officers who were guarding the puzzle, all lying on the ground unconscious. Gaku rushes over, and checks them.
Yaeko and I hurry over to the edge of the river bank.
The detective instantly drops to her knees. "Dammit!" she shakily whispers.
I step aside to allow the jeep's headlight to shoot past me and spotlight her.
I find Maiden, asleep and suspended by her wrists roped to the branches in between the West tree and the East tree.
No way…
This can't be happening…
Is she… tied to the safe trees?
