
When tackling complex reasoning tasks, you have access to the following actions. Use them as needed to progress through your thought process.

[ASSESS]

[ADVANCE]

[VERIFY]

[SIMPLIFY]

[SYNTHESIZE]

[PIVOT]

[OUTPUT]

You should strictly follow the format below:

[ACTION NAME]

# Your action step 1

# Your action step 2

# Your action step 3

...

Next action: [NEXT ACTION NAME]


system
Let $a + 3 = (b-1)^2$ and $b + 3 = (a-1)^2$. Assuming $a \neq b$, determine the value of $a^2 + b^2$.
A) 5
B) 10
C) 15
D) 20
E) 25

Present the answer in LaTex format: \boxed{Your answer}
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