"The chessboard is not a game, but a mirror. Those who stare into it too long lose their soul."
The sun was slowly rising over the Royal Academy of Magic. A pale light bathed the stone corridors, awakening the banners hanging between the columns: Arca, Silhaen, Keralith, and Umbra. Each House had its colors, its symbols... and its secrets.
Ashen, now known as Caelen Sareth, walked alone through the Eastern gallery. The other students, stirred by rumors that had been growing for days, gathered in tight groups, exchanging words in hushed tones.
Something ancient was awakening.
Something none of them had ever known.
A tournament.
It was in the Celestial Amphitheater, at the heart of the Academy, that the official announcement was made. The students, gathered by House, listened to Rector Aernias from atop his promontory. His voice, carried by a resonance charm, was clear and sharp.
— "Today," he declared, "the Council of Mages and His Majesty have authorized the reactivation of the Sovereign Board."
A murmur rippled through the students like a wave. Some straightened up. Others turned pale.
— "The Tournament of Spirits begins."
He paused.
— "Each House will designate two champions. They will face off in duels on the Board. The final winner will receive the Right of the Sole Wish."
The Right of the Wish.
An ancient privilege, granted only once per generation. A wish that even the king could not deny, as long as it did not threaten the kingdom's stability.
The room fell silent.
— "But this tournament will not be played on an ordinary chessboard," added the Rector. "Each match will take place on the Sovereign Board, a millennia-old artifact capable of reflecting the soul of its players. Each participant will be able, once per match, to invoke their inner zone, altering the reality of the board to impose their mental world upon it."
Shivers ran through the crowd.
Ashen remained unmoved.
He knew what that meant.
In the Umbra tower, Maestra Venhal stared at her students, standing before the great round table in the common room. Her gaze was cold, precise.
— "You want explanations? I'll give them to you."
She conjured a magical map of the four Houses.
— "The power ranking here is very clear. It doesn't depend on grades. Nor discipline. But on political weight, magical purity, and the number of alumni who've reached high positions."
She pointed to a red crest:
— "House Arca. The most powerful. Descendants of the Academy's founders. Brilliant, brutal, merciless students. Their motto: Dominate or disappear. Their leader this year: Théon of Morholt."
A blue crest:
— "House Silhaen. The scholars. Precision before passion. Logic before emotion. Their magic is subtle, their pride immense. Their champion: Elaris Varn."
A green crest:
— "House Keralith. Less prestigious, but respected. Known for its alchemists, its illusionists. Their strength: unpredictability. Their leader: Elwin Telar, the 'lucid dreamer'."
She stopped in front of a black crest, cast in dark relief.
— "And finally, Umbra. Us. The nameless. The abandoned. The turncoats, the bastards, the students no other House wanted. The shadow others ignore... until it bites."
A heavy silence.
— "This year, Umbra will send two players. One of them is Caelen."
Eyes turned toward him. Some curious. Others hostile.
He had never played chess in public. And yet, he had defeated the best in the House, one by one, without uttering a word.
— "The second will be chosen after the final internal selections."
Venhal placed her hands on the table.
— "I don't expect you to win. I want you to break them."
The next day, the Sovereign Board was activated in the main courtyard.
It was a ten-meter by ten-meter chessboard made of living stone. Each square pulsed gently, as if it were breathing. Ancient runes surrounded the perimeter. Four obsidian statues, representing faceless mages, stood at the corners.
Caelen approached.
He immediately felt the magical pressure. This was not a simple playing field. It was a mind.
And this Board... was watching him.
As if it was already trying to read inside him.
The rules were posted in the announcement hall:
• Single-elimination tournament.
• Each House presents two players.
• Quarterfinals, semifinals, final.
• Only one winner.
• One zone activation per match.
• The Right of the Sole Wish granted to the victor.
List of participants:
• House Arca: Théon of Morholt / Haldric Veyr
• House Silhaen: Elaris Varn / Serah Liane
• House Keralith: Elwin Telar / Lexion Drein
• House Umbra: Caelen Sareth / Varlen Morth
Ashen read the list silently.
His first match would be against Haldric Veyr, from House Arca. A hot-blooded fighter, known for his dislocation magic and his contempt for the weak.
— "Him?" they were already saying in the halls. "The nameless against the heir of Veyr? He's going to get crushed."
But Ashen did not flinch.
In his head, the Board was already spinning.
He had seen shapeless pieces.
Chained pawns.
Broken kings.
Laughter.
The Board was not a game.
It was a battlefield.
And he... had already left his body there.