AFTERLAND and The Cryptic Prophecy

06: The Frog's Holographic Riddle

A huge gate and fence, like what my dad said, stood in front of us. Copper brown paint covered the large fence and details in black and silver engraved on it. At the center of the gate, a frog doorknocker, made of platinum, shone by the rays of the sun.

"Iron Henry," Dior said while smiling.

She touched the gate and my heart leapt when a light emerged, enveloping the entire fence and gate.

I took a deep breath. "It's protected with a spell like what dad said."

Franco looked at me and said, "I think the golden ball of the princess is what he needs."

From my bag, I took the golden ball that my dad gave me. I raised it and asked, "How are we going to use this?"

"I think the person holding the golden ball should kiss the replica of the frog," Franco assumed.

"That's beyond gross!" I reacted.

Diordin tittered. "Don't worry, that's not how it works."

She took the golden ball from me and pressed its button. It became a crown, and Dior placed it on the frog's head. The platinum doorknocker reminded me of the story of Princess and the Frog or Iron Henry, where the princess kissed the cursed frog and turned into a handsome prince.

We heard a small sound of metal, then the frog's mouth opened. A light came out of it, and words glowing in golden yellow appeared in a thin air, something holographic.

It oCcuRs oNce iN A miNutE

tWice In a MomEnT

bUt nEveR iN an HoUr

tHat is My iDenTitY

"What is that?" Franco asked, looking at the floating symbols.

"I think it's a riddle," I said.

"That's right. We need to answer that to get inside," said Dior, then I recalled she came to visit the professor a month ago.

Franco took the moment to ask. "You went here last month. Don't you remember the answer to that riddle?"

"It's a different riddle last time," she replied.

I locked my eyes at Diordin right after a question cracked into my head. "Why were you here last month?"

Her face flickered with strange emotion, a countenance she rarely expressed. She slowly trod her hand to her neck, particularly to her golden necklace pendant, a sphere glass with tiny particles of red rose petal.

"Something happened to me. That's why we asked help from Professor Diogo," she answered.

"What happened?"

Hesitation flashed across her face. "We have no time to talk about it, Charlie," she said, and stared at the hologram.

I felt uncomfortable in her tone. I had never heard her talk like that. Perhaps her anxiety about her mom took control of her emotions.

"Okay then," I said, grinning.

"Professor Diogo should at least give consideration to us. After all, he's friends with our parents," Franco complained.

"That's the point why he created that riddle," said Dior. "Only those people who know him could pass the gate."

I crossed my arms and pressed my fist to my lips. "It means the answer must be something our parents knew about him."

"Then... what occurs in a minute that twice in a moment, but never in an hour that related to the professor?" Dior asked.

"Eating?" guessed Franco. He even tilted his head.