Ever since I was born, I had always had a knack for playing Chess.I remember first stumbling upon a half-completed chess game when I was a child.

Randomly, I nudged a few of the pieces around. There was no real meaning behind it, just a child playing around.

The next thing my parents knew, they walked in to a child playing a seemingly advanced chess match against himself.

They thought I was some sort of child prodigy. I attended lessons several times a week, spending hours toiling away in front of the chess board.

I enjoyed it sometimes, but those were a rarity.

Yes, at the start, it was fun. But hours and hours upon playing took the value away from those golden times of happiness.

I attended many competitions, but I never lost a single one. I don't even ever remember having trouble against another player of my age before.

Once I entered primary school, I joined the chess club. It was a very nice, calming place.

But still, I never enjoyed playing the game.

Until the one day when it all changed, the day I met her.

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"Checkmate." I sighed as I picked up the black rook in my fingers and moved it forward four spaces, checkmating the enemy king.

5 minutes. I counted in my head.

That was how long it took me to win this match.

It was kind of tiring, really. Although joining the chess club had been fun at first, eventually it starting becoming more and more liek a chore. As I played more against the other members of the club, they grew more and more distant. To them, I was less of a friend, a companion, and more of a role model, and example of what a chess player could be like.

That couldn't be any less true.

Good chess players don't actively try to avoid competitions as much as they can.

Good chess players don't fake illnesses to skip their classes.

Good chess players don't only play it to appease the people around them.

And yet, I did all three.

I picked a biscuit out of the basket and put it in my mouth, eating it with a satisfying crunch sound.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a book I was reading, flipping it open to the page I was previously on before continuing.

"Hey everyone." The teacher spoke as he walked in to the club room, "We have a new member joining us today. Please come in and introduce yourself."

At his words, a girl walked in. She had long, sleek black hair that ran down both sides of her face. Her eyes were dark grey – not completely black, but close enough.

She wasn't tall, by any standards, but neither could she be considered short. She lent more towards the lean side, and she gripped a large book in her hands as she walked into the classroom.

"Nice to meet you." She spoke bluntly, "My name is Sylphie. My likes are reading, playing chess, and studying."

"Alright, everyone, please welcome Sylphie." The teacher – I don't remember his name – spoke again as he pointed to the seat next to me, "You can sit there."

She silently walked and sat down beside me.

���Um, hi." I hesitantly waved to her with my hand, "How long have you been playing chess for?"

"A few years." She replied.

I wasn't sure why, but I felt like something was telling me to play a match against her. So I asked.

"Would you… like to play a match?" I hesitantly asked.

Ugh! This isn't like me!

She nodded, putting the book away.

"Sure."

I set up the chess board.

–––

~10 minutes later.

"Checkmate." Sylphie spoke as she moved the queen downwards.

The game had been over fast. She begun with an aggressive start that was the opposite of what I was expecting, and had managed to take both my knights in quick succession.

I had only managed to take a few of her pawns, one of her bishops, one of her knights, and both of her rooks.

In the end, it was an overwhelming defeat.

I think this is the first time I've lost in a serious match.

I smiled in a self-depreciating manner before bursting out into laughter.

It felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

Finally.

I wasn't the best, the unreachable pinnacle.

I had been degraded to nothing but a normal partcipant of the chess club, another one of the many people who I am sure would lose against her.

Sylphie looked at me strangely, tilting her head in confusion.

"Thank you." I said to her, still smiling.

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