MUNA

PART 13: THE ICE-BREAKER

If you spend your time hoping someone will suffer the consequences of what they did to your heart, then you're allowing them to hurt you a second time in your mind.

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"Let's do something fun tonight. All three of us."
"Ah, TJ I'm not in the mood."

"Oh, come on, Muna, don't be boring. You haven't even heard my suggestions."

Muna had not texted Audrina since the day of the outreach and she wanted to check on her but she was still hesitant. The last message from her was a bit vague and Muna planned on finding out why that was so. Hanging out with TJ wasn't part of her plans tonight.

"Is it not you again? I can guess what you've got in mind." She was eating some Toblerone chocolates.

"Oya, tell me what I had in mind." He crossed his left leg over his right ankle and looked at her intently with a soft smile on his face. He wasn't expecting her to say anything about clubbing but he had it in mind.

They were in TJ's house and Dave was laying on the sofa, comfortably playing Uncharted 4: A Thief's End on TJ's playstation 5 and he seemed to be stuck in the game as there was a puzzle that dropped in suddenly during Chapter 2, right when you're getting into the platforming. He was somewhat frowning, as he had tried this particular level four times now and it was getting relatively difficult for him to put his thinking caps on.

He hit pause and looked towards his sister and his best friend, who were arguing in the lounge area. TJ's house was massive.

"Guys, a little help here."

Muna and TJ headed to where he was and stared at the screen.

"Guy, this puzzle dey muzz me too, oh." TJ wasn't ready to rack his brains now. He wanted to go out.

Muna looked at the instructions and thought for a while. She had played this level before. As it happens, Nathan arrives in Joseph Burnes' cell, and you have to figure out which brick on the wall to push.

"Oh, I've got it."
"Are you serious?" Dave asked as he sat up on the sofa.
"Yeah, let me tell you. I played this level with a friend a while back." She sat close to her brother and began explaining to him. TJ watched from behind.

"This particular zodiac symbol puzzle was confusing at first but I figured it out."
"Mad oh. Oya, what am I to do?" Dave was full of zeal all of a sudden. He'd been in the same spot forever.

"The trick is to fold Burnes' letter, which reveals two symbols."
"Okay." Dave was pressing buttons on the controller and Muna watched.

"Okay, wait."

"Now what?" Muna looked at what Dave had done and then continued directing him.

"Inspect the walls to find them, and you'll see the Roman numerals "X" and "II." Put them together to get "XII" and push the brick inscribed with this number."

Dave was trying to pick out the correct Roman numeral numbers, as she'd said but it wasn't quite easy for him. He was getting impatient.

"Give me the pad, D. Let me just do this last part."

Dave handed the controller over to Muna and watched as she solved the puzzle like a pro. His elbows rested on his knee with his fingers interlocked.

She made the 'XII' bricks and tapped 'O' on the controller to push them in place and the game produced a dialogue box stating that the puzzle had been solved.