The hall was silent but for the faint crackle of torches, their golden light casting warped shadows on the cold stone walls. The chessboard—massive and carved into the marble floor—gleamed as if alive. Each square shimmered faintly, pulsing with unseen energy.
A man stood at the board's edge, draped in black robes trimmed with silver. His gaunt face was pale, his sharp green eyes reflecting the glowing chess pieces arranged before him. Malrik Tharos, the Shadow King, reached out and placed a black Queen piece onto the board with a deliberate snap.
"She will come," Malrik murmured to the figure behind him, a woman with flowing dark hair and crimson eyes—Elysia Morvain. "The Pawn always does."
Elysia crossed her arms, her ruby lips curving into a skeptical smile. "And if she doesn't? This is a gamble, even for you. You've toyed with the pieces for years, and the kingdom still stands."
"It will fall," Malrik hissed, his voice like venom. He gestured at the board, where the black pieces seemed to twitch and hum. "The balance is broken. The King will falter. The Pawn will rise—but not as they expect."
"And the prophecy?" Elysia's voice was sharp now, her curiosity barely concealing her unease.
Malrik's lips twisted into a grim smile. "The prophecy is my weapon, not theirs. They see it as salvation. I will twist it into destruction."
The chessboard quaked beneath their feet as the black King piece began to glow. Smoke curled from its edges, whispering promises of power and ruin. In the distance, faint screams echoed—real or imagined, it didn't matter. Malrik lifted his hand, and the entire board froze. He turned to Elysia, his expression dark and triumphant.
"Prepare the game," he said. "The first move has already been made."
Far away, in a forgotten tower on the outskirts of the kingdom, a young woman lay unconscious on a cold stone floor. Her raven-black hair fanned out around her pale face, her breathing shallow. On her left hand, a faint glow emanated from a birthmark shaped like a chess rook.
The Pawn had been awakened.