*Yuuka's Pov.
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15 years ago,
In the financial hub of Ethereo, the bright city of Kutch. A festival was held after the big defeat of the rebels in a major attempt to overthrow the royal regime. The rebels all around the nation felt defeated, and the revolution was lost.
In this chaotic situation, all the significant rebels met at a bar. In them were two of the many prominent figures of the revolution, named Kakui Asina and Frey Ken, who met with adopted kids on the run from the royal troops.
That was the first time their eyes met and a moment that would change their lives.
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I was walking with Uncle Frey during the nighttime carnival of light and celebration. People were drinking all around, but we didn't drink and kept walking straight. He held my hand tightly so I wouldn't get lost.
I saw a few soldiers with spears and swords in their hands walking towards us. Before I could say anything, he gave me a look that told me to walk straight ahead.
We reached a bar's door with a guard standing at its front. The guard stood still and watched us with a piercing look. Frey whispered something in his right ear, and the guard let us in.
We entered the bar, and there was just one other man playing chess with a little girl. The girl had silver hair, blue eyes, and a bored look.
"Hello there." The other old man greeted us; from his tone, he was indeed a good friend or partner of Frey, but I had not met this man in my life.
"Well, nice to meet you, Kakui." Frey also greeted the other man and bowed my head in a way to greet them. In return, the little girl also stood up and bowed her head.
"I am Milize Asina, daughter of Kakui Asina." The daughter informed us about them together. I spoke in response, as it felt like an obligation.
"I am Yuuka Sakaguchi, son of Yamatsu Sakaguchi." I told them my name and my father's.
"Well, we already know who you little kids are." Frey said that he knew about the girl, and the man knew about me.
The two adults nodded to each other, maybe as a signal. I knew they were going somewhere.
"Well, we currently have more important things to deal with, so why don't you play a chess match? This miss here is quite bored because she is alone."
The old man named Kakui was serious and asked me and Milize to play chess.
"I don't want to." I immediately refused the proposal to play with her.
"Well, that's harsh, Yuuka. Can't you play with her a little? We have more important things to talk about, so you aren't allowed."
"I am not playing with her, not because I don't want to; it is because she won't be able to win against me." I claimed victory and said that she stood no chance against me.
Milize's look became angry and frustrated, but she kept quiet, and I could see her fist clenched.
"Wow, that's harsh; you might not know, but she's a genius at chess. Play a game with her and clear your mind of that arrogance."
It seemed her father had spoken the exact words she wanted.
"Well, you should, because we'll be going now," Frey said, leaving with Kakui through a different door.
The two of us were left behind, and Milize was already setting up the board for a match.
"I can't back down now."
We finally sat side by side, and our eyes were filled with different emotions. I had a bored, gloomy expression, and Milize's eyes were filled with retribution.
and so the chess game begins. With me having black and Milize having white pieces, She moved her pawn forward.
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"Ahhh.." Milize bit her lip in frustration, as she lost the whole game in less than 15 minutes. It was the first sound from her mouth after she introduced her name.
"I told you you have no chance against me," I stated to her again.
"How did you do it? I had better moves and more pieces at all times." She didn't understand her mistakes and weaknesses and was now in denial.
"You simply didn't attack the king; that's it."
"Huh.." My words made her rethink her moves, and she remembered all the blunders she made.
"I opened a small part of my defence to lure you in, and you went straight for the king and lost. You need to think before doing that. Can your enemy read your moves? and yes, I can easily read your moves."
The whole explanation went into her head, and she calmed down.
"So, you need to watch your moves, right?"
"No, there is more to that; think like your enemy, know the best move for each side, have a backup if things go south, etc.—all these things that make you win in chess and warfare."
"Warfare?" She went into deep thought and asked me a simple question.
"Tell me everything you know about chess and warfare."
"You want to fight in the war?"
"Yes, I do. I will stand on top of this country after we win the civil war and be the new queen."
"Your dreams will never come true."
"Do what you are asked to do here!" she lashed at me for a bit, and then I started thinking about warfare and chess and the relationship between the two.
We talked for a long time without thinking about food, water, or anything and said our minds out. It was the most exciting conversation I had in a while. While talking, we played chess, and Milize lost again, but it was much harder this time.
"Come on, your knight saved you there." She picked up my knight, holding it in frustration.
"Well, you lost, but you did quite well compared to earlier." I held her kingpiece in my hand, showing my victory.
"??!!"
Suddenly, Frey and Kakui came running from the other door, caught hold of us, smashed the front door, and started running.
I was struck by shock and didn't know what happened in that instant. I could see guards chasing us from behind in the rushed crowd.
As for Milize, Kakui held her and was running alongside Frey and me.
We ran past the streets loaded with people, bumping from one person to another.
All the while, the soldiers kept chasing our backs, and the distance between us and them slowly became less and less, and what I was fearing came true.
"Guh...hhhh"
"Father!!"
I heard Milize scream at the top of her lungs as I turned my eyes towards the two.
"Aaahhh..."
A blade pierced right through Kakui's stomach. He shouted out loud, but Frey did not look back; he kept running, and the two were left behind in the crowd.
I could do nothing but watch, in shock, as we abandoned them. In the middle of the enemy ground, we left an old friend and ally behind, and not just that.
We reached a safe spot in a small hut in a place I wasn't aware of. Frey put me down and was breathing very heavily.
"Are you okay, Yuuka?"
"Yes, I am fine."
That was the best response that I could muster up. Frey nodded at my words and held his back against the wall, his breath still heavy.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Under his breath, he kept repeating those words. It looked as if he was really sad about abandoning the two of them.
" Lies."
I kept those words in my head because I saw one more thing before Kakui was stabbed.
"Uncle Frey pushed him back."
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The commander had held that king's piece in his hands since that day and was ready to play a final chess match with the queen.