1222-10-31
Aido Keiko:
Knock.
"Wake up," a familiar voice calls
I get out of bed. I make sure to straighten the blankets. Utsuho does the same before turning to the wall.
We changed into the clothes they gave us. Simple black robe with wide sleeves. A thin belt tied around the waist. The fabric feels rough, rougher than what I am used to.
Utsuho walks over to check my blanket. He gives me a smile and a thumbs up.
We open the door. They stand in neat rows, two by two, each pair clearly sharing a room. Their hands are raised in perfect salutes.
I raise my hand as well, copying them.
A man walks down the hall. He inspects the rooms one by one. His eyes move methodically from door to door.
Keenan tries to keep a straight face while making funny expressions at Utsuho. Riku looks at me with disgust, as if I am less than human.
Takao stops at the end of the hall, satisfied with our results.
"Today will be another rest day for you," Takao announces. "I need to speak with you individually. Starting with Keiko."
I salute again, trying to act professional before following him.
Behind me I hear shifting, whispers, and hidden hand gestures. I glance back. Riku is staring at me with an intensity that carries no trust. I do not blame her. In fact, I feel bad for all of them. But this palace is necessary.
The West Dragon deems it necessary.
An older woman passes us. She leans on a cane. Her steps are unsteady. She grips her side and limps forward. Pain from old battles never left her.
"This is H," Takao calls to the group. "Follow her instructions for today's assignments."
I follow Takao up the stairs to the right. He guides me into a small room that looks out over the courtyard. A desk made of vera-certis wood sits inside, its deep violet-brown surface catching the daylight.
A small chess board rested on the desk. As he took a seat, he began to fidget with the pieces.
I glance out the window. Below, the rest of the group begins training, though Hana gives no commands. They move because it is all they know, and all they will ever know.
Three stand out. Riku lies in the dirt, staring at the sky. Utsuho sits in meditation, murmuring to himself words I cannot make out from here. Kaede kneels, drawing in the dirt and catching the attention of the others.
Keenan, however, throws himself into practice with the same energy as the rest.
"My highness," Takao says, pulling my focus. "It is about that time, is it not?"
"It is," I answered. "It is time to choose a queen."
"And more importantly, select the rest of your pieces."
I sighed. "What are the scores from the event?"
Takao opens a drawer and lays out files. Each one carries details about the children of the orphanage. Their specialties, their birthdays, their strengths, their weaknesses, and most importantly, the spirits tied to them.
On the top of the page were the scores from the event. T spoke first.
"The results were… surprising."
He pointed to each name as he spoke. "Kaede, 200 Var. Keenan, 150 Var. Satori, 149 Var. Utsuho, 151 Var. Ren, 130 Var. Sora, 100 Var. Tatsuya, 50 Var. Riku, 22 Var. The rest either had 10 Var or none at all."
I frowned at Riku's score. "Why is hers so low? She was supposed to be one of the strongest."
T's eyes didn't waver. "During the event, Riku survived inside of an edict."
I blinked, catching on. "Is that why…?"
"Utsuho's edict," T said firmly. "A pure activation."
He leaned back slightly, voice calm but deliberate. "I know you already favor Utsuho, so choosing him as your queen might not be a waste.
"I've already been considering making him the queen myself."
I swallowed, trying to mask my surprise. "What are you thinking, T?"
He shuffled the files, pausing before he began.
He laid the first file flat, tapping it once with his finger.
He lifted the queen from the chess board.
"Utsuho. The queen. The rarest of candidates. His ability to become intangible grants him a near-perfect balance of offense and defense. Walls, weapons, even spirits lose meaning when he wills it. Few in history have carried such versatility. Except …"
"Aldric Kundra," I muttered, cutting him off as I glanced at the chess board.
"Exactly. He could tear through armies or hold an entire line by himself. A piece worthy of the highest seat."
The second file opened, his tone softening.
He lifted a rook from the chess board.
"Keenan. A rook. A stable, dependable force. His gift allows him to see the echoes of recent movement and energy, leaving trails like shadows in the air. This foresight grants him anticipation beyond most, making him a strong defender and a competent duelist. Reliable, though limited. He lacks the raw adaptability of others."
Another file slid across the desk with care, and the examiner's voice rose, reverent.
"Riku. Another rook. But unlike Keenan, she is no ordinary piece. She bends time itself, dilating it within her own frame. To her, a breath can stretch into minutes, a heartbeat into an eternity. Reaction, precision, adaptation. She is evolution made manifest. With enough mastery, she will stand untouchable. If Utsuho is the sword and shield, she is the immovable fortress. Together, they would reshape the world."
I scoff quietly. Fortress? She has been here longer than anyone else and still has not unlocked her edict. Some fortress.
The examiner did not seem to notice. He turned the page.
He lifted a bishop from the chess board.
"Sora. A bishop. Subtle, precise. Her dominion over sound allows her to guide allies unseen, or disorient enemies with discord. She is the whisper on the battlefield, steering the tide without being its center. A scalpel, not a hammer. But scalpel or not, every strike has weight."
Another file opened.
"Ren. A bishop. She brings restoration. Healing and endurance are her strengths, ensuring her companions remain standing long after they should have fallen. Without her, Riku would never have survived inside Utsuho's edict. Her weakness is clear. Her power is reactive, not proactive. Yet in long campaigns, her worth outweighs a dozen swords."
Two files remained, lifted together.
He lifted a knight from the chess board.
"Satori. A knight. Quiet, unnoticeable, her very existence slips from perception. Invisibility, yes, but deeper than that. Erasure from awareness itself. She is the shadow of the knight, striking from places no one remembers were even there."
"Tatsuya. A knight. His ability twists perception outward, clouding how others see and understand the world. Enemies lose their grasp of reality itself, leaving them open to mistake and manipulation. If Satori is unseen, Tatsuya ensures that what is seen cannot be trusted. The perfect counterpart."
T stacked the remaining files into a neat pile.
"The rest… pawns. Useful, perhaps. But pawns nonetheless."
"I agree with everything you've said, T. However, I believe Riku would make a better bishop. She doesn't trust her king, and we both know what happened last time."
A sad tinge appeared on his face.
"Who do you have in mind for your rook?"
I paused, as if I had made this decision a hundred thousand times.
"You're right. She is the best decision."
"Thank you, princess."
"I would also consider Yua for a knight instead of Tatsuya."
"Yua? That's an odd choice," he said, pulling out her file.
"What makes you want to choose her?"
"Just a hunch. I believe she lowers her scores on purpose."
"It's your decision, so don't let me change a thing."
"It's time they learn the truth, the true essence of this palace and what my father's father built it for. The future is coming fast."
Even as I thought it, my memory of the last time felt hazy, blurred at the edges. I remember only fragments. Her goal was to survive, to endure until the palace meetings, to speak with him. I hope that once I drink the Vera-Certis juice, my vision will sharpen, that the path will finally make sense. It gnaws at me.
No matter what choices we make in any reality, I always find myself here, watching the same outcomes play out.
When will he ever give up? What was his name again? Why won't he give up ? What is his edict to do this to the world? Why do I remember? I can't remember what he looked like. Sometimes he appeared male. Other times female. He shifted like a shadow in my memory.
When my pieces drink, will the knowledge strengthen them, or will its weight crush them before they even understand?
I left the room. T making some notes.
I step into the courtyard. The sunlight is warm on my face. The others move quietly through their routines. Some practicing, some watching.
T follows behind. He brings each person into the room one by one. I watch them peek from the second floor, some seeing it for the first time, eyes wide with admiration. A childish awe lingers in the air. By midday, everyone is in place, the courtyard calm, but I can still sense his quiet control threading through it all.
T walked out of the room, voice calm. "Now that we are finally done, why don't you rest for now."
Riku jolted up. "Rest? Are you kidding me? Every day we push ourselves to the edge, injured and sore, and now she just gets to stop? Why is it always like this? I'm sure the others are asking the same questions. What makes her so special?"
"Are you not happy you can rest…"
Her voice rose, shaking the walls. "Our pain never mattered! Every day we train, over and over. Some of us are still limping from yesterday's drills, bruised and exhausted, and yet she appears and suddenly we get breaks? No, T, I will not tolerate it!"
T's explanation was simple. "She was brought here because she activated her edict."
A collective gasp rose.
"Beside Utsuho and the supreme leader, she is the only person in history to activate an edict before ten years old."
Ren leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "I want to see it." Tatsuya nodded in agreement, calm but eager.
"That still makes no sense."
"Why, Riku?"
"I remember the day after Utsuho used his edict. We trained until our hands bled. We pushed ourselves even though we were exhausted. We pushed ourselves even though our bodies ached. And then she appeared."
Sora spoke quietly, calm but firm. "If it were about edicts, wouldn't Utsuho be treated just as favorably as her?"
"Maybe," I yelled, frustration heating my voice, "it's because my edict is so far more powerful than anything you could imagine!"
Riku scoffed, crossing her arms. "I don't believe you. I've yet to see you do a single successful pushup."
I shot back, my cheeks burning. "You're assuming things without proof."
Tatsuya leaned against the wall, a faint smirk on his face. "That's true, Riku."
Riku snapped. "You think just because you talk about your edict you're stronger than everyone else?"
"And you think you're the measure of strength?" I countered, stepping closer. "You've barely shown anything either!"
Tatsuya clapped slowly, tilting his head. "Riku is the strongest among us. She has proven herself time and again."
Riku glared at me, jaw tight. "I don't need your approval. I've proven myself enough."
"Fine," I growled. "Then stop hiding behind words and fight."
Tatsuya's smirk widened. "Riku, she actually thinks she can beat you."
"You shouldn't fight," Utsuho finally said. "We're on the same side, after all."
"Maybe I don't want to be on the same side as this ...," Riku shot back, her voice low and sharp.
My eyes narrowed, a cold glare locking onto hers.
Her eyes flicked toward me. I met her gaze, steady and unwavering.
"All your yelling… for this? If I wasn't so disgusted, I might actually feel pity."
"Fine, I'll humor you and fight you."
"What do I gain if you win?" she laughed..
"You can leave and never return. And if I win…?"
"If you win," She said, "I will obey you fully."
I stood before my defiant rook, the tension thick in the air. I took a deep breath, focusing.
Riku gripped her sword. My pieces moved aside.
I clasp my hands together.
"EDICT: Diverging Oath!!"