aireneth

[aireneth]

Dimensional Shift

Wireless Strings Escape Room

Mini Task; 3rd of 3

As soon as Irene twisted the knob and stepped through the door, a chill ran down her spine. The room was engulfed in darkness, its walls pitch black.

Her footsteps halted when she noticed a single door at the far end. A sense of unease crept in—fear of the unknown. Instinctively, she turned back, only to find the door behind her locked, sealed as if it had never been an option.

Left with no choice, she pressed forward. With each step, an unsettling sensation took hold. The world around her didn’t simply shift; it twisted. Not in a circular loop, but in a way that made her feel as if she were inside a massive, shifting puzzle, a Rubik’s cube rearranging itself around her.

Then she saw it.

A figure stood ahead; her counterpart. The one she had fought to escape. The one she had feared.

Irene’s breath hitched. Fear wrapped around her like a vice.

“I told you, didn’t I?” the counterpart sneered. “Just give up. I'll take your place. You’ll be the one trapped here instead. How does that sound?”

Irene clenched her fists, shaking her head. “No. This time, I won’t run. I’m not afraid of you anymore.”

A smirk curled across her counterpart’s lips; sharp, cruel, full of malice.

Irene blinked.

And suddenly, the figure was right in front of her. Just a step away. A cold finger pressed against her shoulder.

“Really?”

Her counterpart’s voice dripped with mockery. “What if I do this?”

That was the last thing Irene heard before she was shoved into the abyss.

[aireneth]

The End?

Wireless Strings Escape Room O4; The End

The light was too bright, she doesn’t know why. Irene covered her face with her hands and closed her eyes. Too blinding, making her head throb.

When she opened her eyes, what she saw was her reflection. This... a mirror? She looked back, a mirror too. Is this a mirror hallway?

Her feet carried her, slowly, unhurriedly. There was a door there, written CODA Members.

After she got closer, she could see there was a section where she had to scan her identification card, and she did so. The door was open, and people were already inside.

Am I the last one?

There was a table where people gathered, with a camera in the middle. She chose to sit in the empty chair next to Ruelle before she poked the woman who was like her sister.

“What’s going on?”

Ruelle smiled at her kindly, “Everyone has a clue. Try looking at yours.”

16. EHT

EHT? Her eyebrow furrowed. Sounds like a laugh.

Oh. It’s THE.

She gave her code. Everyone thought of the right words, which should be arranged.

Seek the escape route, the path upward, where steel meets air. The final gate stands unbarred—not by key, but by those who know the way. Ascend beyond the threshold to the networking room, where signals hum and circuits intertwine.

Everyone thought, before finally someone said NETWORKING ROOM. She wasn’t sure, yet she kept walking. Her hand briefly held Ruelle’s for fear of letting go, and he walked with the others.

Is it... truly the end?

[aireneth]

Ain’t Gravity-ing

Wireless Strings Escape Room O3; Ain’t Gravity-ing

Irene felt sick. Not the ‘too-many-cheesecakes’ kind of sick, but the ‘if I open another door, I might actually vomit’ kind of sick. If she had known this was part of the job, she would have happily chosen nausea from signing paperwork over nausea from defying physics.

She grumbled under her breath, “No one trained me to be an astronaut.”

The moment she stepped inside, the laws of gravity had clearly resigned. Everything: books, chairs, and even a lone sock was floating around like it had somewhere better to be. Her gaze locked onto a medium-sized aquarium at the far end of the room. Carefully, she maneuvered forward, wary of the bookshelf hovering ominously above.

She ducked, narrowly avoiding it; only to be smacked in the head by a set of magnetic bricks.

“I HATE YOU!”

Grumbling, she finally reached the aquarium. The screen beside it lit up.

CODA-100: FAIRY WRASSE

She frowned. Since when did Tinker Bell get reincarnated as a fish?

Before she could process that absurd thought, a sudden jet of water sprayed her directly in the face.

“WHOEVER’S THERE, YOU BETTER FIGHT ME!!!”

Her eyes darted around the room. Fish. Fish everywhere. But not a single one had wings.

Navigating in zero gravity was a nightmare, but she spotted something close. A delicate, white jellyfish, its translucent body shimmering like fairy wings. Beautiful. Carefully, she scooped it up and placed it in the tank.

Three seconds later... SPLASH!

A bucket of water, seemingly from nowhere, upended itself onto her. A robotic NEEEEET noise followed.

At first, she had just wanted to wipe her face, but now she was utterly drenched. She inhaled deeply, forcing a smile to suppress her rising frustration.

“Should I just chuck the bookshelf at this aquarium?”

Despite her growing annoyance, she kept searching. Then, her eyes landed on a small, rainbow-colored fish. Stunning.

“Alright. If this is wrong, I’ll just shower twice.”

She placed the fish in the tank.

.

.

.

Immediately, gravity returned.

With a THUD, she collapsed onto a soft mat, followed by every single object that had been floating just seconds before.

She lay there in shock, blinking at the ceiling. Then, she sat up, staring at the aquarium with disbelief.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST CALL IT A RAINBOW WRASSE?!”

[aireneth]

9-to-5 Chaos

VELOURE

Day 5: Office Diaries

Irene dragged herself into the office, half-asleep, coffee in her left hand, and dark circles deep enough to suggest she moonlighted as a raccoon. At this point, she should just hand in her resignation letter as Brand Manager and be done with it.

She plopped into her chair, placed her coffee on the desk, and powered on her computer. Sticky notes were plastered everywhere, and documents would have been scattered across the desk if she hadn’t forced herself to organize them the night before.

After a deep yawn and a sip of iced coffee, she flipped open her notebook.

To-Do List:

✔️ Beg Killian for a signature at 9 AM.

✔️ Ryan: new product’s progress.

✔️ Contact Eva about yesterday’s disaster.

✔️ Survive a meeting with Lana and Seth.

She groaned as she cursed inside, already exhausted.

I hate 3 PM meetings. If I’m not home by 6, I’m punching someone.

Just as she was about to spiral into self-pity, Ryan strolled in, saving her from the abyss.

“How’s your progress?” she asked, rubbing her temples. “I won’t get mad if you’ve only done 10%, because I’m about to resign anyway.”

Ryan chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Should we do it together and leave the team?”

She sighed dramatically. “Let’s make it a grand exit. You draft the resignation letters, I’ll handle the farewell party.”

Ryan smirked. “And by farewell party, you mean disappearing without a trace and ignoring all calls?”

“Obviously,” she deadpanned. “Go big or go home, except we’re going home permanently.”

With a sigh, she grabbed a bottle of orange juice from her bag and handed it to Ryan. “For energy. You still have to develop YouVé’s first serums. Good luck. Meanwhile, I, have to face Killian and Shae.” She gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.

And with that, Irene left their small working room, mentally preparing herself for the battle ahead; first, getting Killian’s signature, then arguing with Shae over approving YouVé’s latest ideas.

“I’m not even making it to the meeting with Lana and Seth if I don’t survive Killian and Shae first,” Irene muttered under her breath.

Bracing herself, she exhaled sharply and pushed open the door to Killian and Shae’s office, already regretting her life choices.

[aireneth]

Time Glitch

Wireless Strings Escape Room

Mini Task; 1st of 3

Note. This took place after Irene escaped the first room, using custard as her passkey.

The moment Irene twisted the knob, a wave of dizziness washed over her, as if she were being dragged into another trap. Nausea crept in. Reality blurred. It was like standing on the edge of a dream, caught between the familiar and the surreal.

The room she entered resembled a simple bedroom, yet simple hardly suited the situation. She took a step toward the bed, reached out, and... she was back at the door.

She blinked.

The room twisted. Colors bled from the furniture. The ceiling warped. The door behind her was suddenly beneath her feet.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Irene inhaled sharply, panic setting in. She pressed her fingers against her forehead; wait. Was she... glitching?

A breathless chuckle slipped out.

“Ha... ha...”

She wanted to scream. To laugh.

“Wow. I must be crazy.”

Lowering her head, she reached for the doorknob now beneath her; only for her body to snap back upright, like an unseen force resetting her position.

At least give me a hint?!

Wait.

The door was down. The ceiling—

Her gaze flicked upward. Marionettes dangled from the twisted ceiling, their strings disappearing into the shadows above. Their carved faces stared, unblinking, an eerie echo of a childhood nightmare.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered. Then, to the marionettes, “And stop looking at me like that!”

Irene clenched her fists, forcing herself to steady her breath. The marionettes hung motionless, but she could feel their hollow gazes drilling into her.

She swallowed hard. If the door was beneath her, then the ceiling— No. She shook her head. There had to be a way out. And if the room wanted her to look up, then maybe...

Slowly, she reached out.

The moment her fingertips brushed one of the marionette’s wooden hands, a pulse ran through the air. The room lurched as if reacting to her choice. The strings groaned, tightening slightly, resisting her pull.

Irene exhaled. She tightened her grip.

She tugged, gently at first, then firmer, coaxing it down. With each inch it descended, the warped colors of the room flickered, shifting between normal and distorted hues. The nausea returned, a suffocating dizziness wrapping around her chest.

Closer. Just a little closer—

The string gave way, and the marionette fell into her arms. At that instant, the room shuddered. The air grew heavy, like static before a storm.

She turned sharply, gripping the marionette, and reached for the doorknob still beneath her. This time, when she twisted it...

The world tilted. Everything unraveled.

The air cleared. The nausea faded. She blinked hard, adjusting to the sudden normalcy.

[aireneth]

Somewhere in Between

Wireless Strings Escape Room O2; Somewhere in Between

TW ╱ A bit of violence and harsh words.

A city? Was this really a city?

Irene felt like she had only blinked, and suddenly, she was here. The place was oddly familiar yet disturbingly foreign. The air itself felt wrong; too artificial, too curated.

The city bustled with life, or at least, what seemed like life. People moved effortlessly, almost weightlessly, leaping from place to place with unnatural ease. But were they really people? Their synchronized greetings, perfect smiles, and effortless apologies felt rehearsed, mechanical. Even humans struggled to apologize, yet here, it came too easily.

A shiver ran down her spine. Something was off. Not just in one place; everywhere.

She hesitated, then tried to mimic the way the others moved. At first, it was difficult, but soon, her body adjusted. Her steps led her to a shop, an unusual one. The glass door reflected the crowd behind her, yet something was strange.

Above it, a sign greeted her:

Welcome, Aireneth Yvonne

Wait.

Her reflection stood alone in the glass. Despite the people passing by, there was no one else reflected but her. Curious, she took a step closer.

When she smiled, her reflection smiled. When she frowned, it mirrored her expression. But when she stilled, deep in thought, her reflection tilted its head.

“You couldn’t live up to your family’s expectations. You didn’t run away to find your dream; you ran away to escape being heir.”

Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened in shock.

She stepped back, but her reflection didn’t. Instead, it leaned forward, out of the mirror, like door.

Slowly, it stepped into reality.

Cold fingers brushed against her cheek, almost tenderly. Then, they tightened into a painful grip.

“Right?”

Irene shook her head in denial, but its grasp only grew stronger. A sharp sting bloomed on her cheek; a thin, shallow cut.

“Stay here. Die. I’ll go home in your place and be the heir you failed to be.”

Its voice was eerily calm.

“Why should you live when I can do better? I am you, aren’t I?”

A deep, primal fear rooted her to the spot. It was as if her worst nightmare had materialized, her darkest thoughts spoken aloud.

No.

No, she wouldn’t let this thing take her life.

With all her strength, she shoved it away and ran. She didn’t look back, but the sound of its laughter clawed at her mind.

Her frantic steps led her to a small shop with a strangely shaped door; one that didn’t seem to fit the rest of the city. Then, she remembered.

The instructions.

Hands shaking, she fumbled for her ID card. The corner was broken, but she pressed the damaged edge into the door’s peephole.

The lock clicked. The door recognized her.

She pushed it open, just as her reflection grabbed her arm. Irene fell forward. Her other self grinned, gripping the door handle as if claiming victory.

No.

No, she wouldn’t be trapped here.

In desperation, she yanked off her shoe and hurled it at her reflection. The moment it struck, the figure vanished.

She didn’t wait to understand why. She ran through the door because whatever this city was, she knew one thing.

She couldn’t stay here.

[aireneth]

The Unlikely Allies

Wireless Strings Escape Room O1; The Unlikely Allies

At first, everything was pitch black when she opened her eyes. Slowly, her vision adjusted. Voices filled the air; some shouting names, others yelling out food orders.

Are they hungry?

Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the red-glowing chips on people’s shoulders. Instinctively, she reached for her own, then turned to a nearby mirror. There, on her shoulder, she saw the word: DRATSUC.

Her forehead scrunched. Dracula? Draft?

Then it hit her. Custard.

Am I supposed to eat custard? Fight custard? Worship custard?

A long sigh escaped her lips. Rubbing her temples to shake off the dizziness, her eyes landed on a neatly arranged row of coffee cups in the corner. A smile crept onto her lips.

She grabbed two cups, just as the lights in the room dimmed even further.

Oh, great. Now I can’t see clearly.

Panic set in. She quickened her pace, weaving through the crowd in search of her team. She had to hurry before... well, who knows what would happen?

Hopefully, I don’t trip.

She tripped.

Time slowed as one foot hooked around the other. The world tilted. And then SPLASH. The coffee, once safely contained in her cups, now decorated the shirt of an unsuspecting victim.

A tall, very unamused victim.

“Oh my GOD, I’M SO SORRY!”

Silence. Her victim exhaled, slow and controlled, like a man coming to terms with his life choices.

“For real! I swear I didn’t mean to!” Irene blurted, scrambling to salvage the situation. “The room is dark, and I’m, uh... clumsy by birth!”

A sigh. Then, finally, mercy. He forgave her.

Irene let out a breath of relief, then quickly refocused. “I’m looking for something, no... someone. Actually, a whole team. TART, I think? That’s my group.”

“Well, lucky you,” he said. “I’m Brian.”

“And I’m Killian.”

A grin spread across her face, “I’m Irene.”

A woman, slightly older than them, hurried over. She had the air of someone who had just realized she’d made a terrible mistake, “TART?!”

“Honestly speaking, I thought I was in the pastry team, not the tart team!” she exclaimed.

Irene tilted her head. “What did you get?”

“Titan Treat!”

Killian chuckled, “You mean Tatin Tarte, silly!”

As laughter rippled through the group, another figure emerged from the shadows; this time a younger girl.

“Um… yeah, so apparently I’m in TART too,” she muttered.

“Elara, right?” Brian asked, and she nodded.

One more left.

Killian and Delilah took charge, scanning the room. It didn’t take long before they found a girl casually sipping tea in the corner, completely unfazed by the chaos.

"The last tart!" they cheered, practically dragging her over.

With the full team assembled, they gathered at the input station. Killian took charge, carefully entering their codes. The air grew tense, everyone holding their breath.

BRIAN - MARINGUE

DELILAH - TARTE TATIN

IRENE - CUSTARD

KILLIAN - TART

ELARA - JAM

VALENTINA - QUICHE

Green. SUCCESS.

Relief washed over them, followed by wide grins. They did it.

[aireneth]

PRELUDE.

An envelope containing a letter rested on a small table in front of the wall, designed specifically to showcase family portraits. Her gaze slowly drifted from the letter to the frames, her eyes filled with a quiet sadness as she studied the familiar faces.

Rows of frames lined the walls, each capturing a different generation; grand opening nights, gala events, and family gatherings, each photograph a testament to the hard work that had built their empire. There, among the sepia tones and faded smiles, were images of her younger self, laughing with her siblings, her father’s arm around her mother, and the family as a whole, united in those fleeting moments of happiness. Her name was inscribed in the corner of the frame, a subtle reminder of her place in the family’s legacy.

Aireneth Yvonne.

As she stood before the framed photo of her younger self, tracing her fingers over the glass, she could almost feel the weight of her name etched into the family history. It was a name tied to a past she couldn’t escape, a future that felt too predetermined. She longed for the unknown, for the chance to carve out a life of her own, outside the framework of tradition and expectation. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her family. She did, deeply. But the future she had always imagined was out there, somewhere beyond the walls of her family's legacy, and she was ready to find it.

[aireneth]

DISCLAIMER.

This Tumblr account is made solely for roleplaying purposes. In accordance with X's rules and policies, I want to clarify that the writer behind this account is not the real Lu Yuxiao (卢昱晓). All content shared here is credited to the official 卢昱晓 and 卢昱晓工作室 on Weibo, as well as the other respective owners. Please note that everything posted on this account, including names, locations, events, and other details, is purely fictional.