Elyandra walked through the corridors of the Academy still thoughtful. The gleaming floor showed his blurred reflection, something that, in a way, mirrored his mind. "What do I want to do? Goals and objectives, where do I start?"Rambled. She stopped in front of a parlor door, not looking in, her eyes reflecting a rather uncomfortable curiosity. He looked from the corner to the window and saw the fields of the academy lightened by the light of the afternoon sun. "Today there were even fewer people here, apparently many have already been disqualified. What will these people do after that?", he pondered, putting his hand under his chin as he turned his face up. "Damn it... Things are simpler in games. Living is something very tiring... I want to play something."
As she rolled her eyes from side to side, a little bored, Elyandra noticed the room she had stopped facing earlier. It was a large leisure hall. The girl's eyes widened.
"What do we have here?" She murmured, euphoric.
The girl entered the room, her curious eyes sweeping the surroundings. She saw some students talking in groups, others studying at tables with extremely diverse bookshelves. The hall itself should be stupidly large, in heavenly and striking colors. Elyandra watched everything with curious eyes until she reached a part with empty tables. Next to the tables, there were boxes. The design of both was practically mystical, in white marble. Elyandra approached a table and sat down in an equally chic chair. She looked around and noticed that there were some people playing games. Their eyes lit up as they saw that they were playing board strategy games. The girl smiled a little.
Glancing quickly at the box next to the table, Elyandra stretched out her arm, touching the surface of the box, which opened mystically. She looked inside and came across several small boxes that she knew well what they were about. Her hands went through the boxes and picked out a white box with gold ornaments, pulling it to her. Subtly, he placed the box on the table and opened it, revealing chess pieces along with a board of mystical and seductive aspects.
Elyandra's golden eyes sparkled as she set up the board on the table. "I should have come here earlier. I'm sure Armand showed us this place, but at the time I was so distracted thinking about the evidence that I didn't even remember the existence of this place. But look at these pieces, not even my boards have such unique pieces!", he thought, the stars dancing in his eyes. She finished assembling the board and stared at him with a warm smile.
"Really, this board gives a very anesthetizing feeling of grandeur.
At that moment, Elyandra put her hand to her chin, thoughtful. "Okay... But why did I set this up if I don't have anyone to play with? Damn, if anyone sees me keeping this now I'm going to give a depressing vision." Her face remained the same on the outside, but on the inside, she felt a blushing agony.
Suddenly, a sound of a chair being pulled caught Elyandra's attention. She looked ahead and saw a candidate who was taking the test sitting in front of her. He looked her in the eyes.
"Good morning, Lady Valemortis. Can I play with you?
Elyandra stared at that student, her curiosity piqued.
"Of course, it would be a great joy to me," he replied. "Who's this guy?"Thought.
This question was not answered, because at the same moment, Elyandra noticed that some candidates were gathering near her table, watching the game. "Why did these people come here?", she wondered.
The boy in front of him said:
"Can I be the black pieces?"
Elyandra turned her eyes forward.
"Oh yes, of course. I stick with the white ones.
They then decided who would start the game, and the boy made the first move. The match between the two went smoothly. Elyandra thought: "This boy lacks strategy, he is not a challenge. I would say that this is like stepping on an ant." In a few plays, Elyandra gave the boy a definitive checkmate.
The boy then smiled.
"You're very good, thank you for leaving."
Elyandra stared at him.
"Not so much, but thank you for playing with me.
The boy stood up, and Elyandra began to arrange the pieces. "Anyway, it was nice to play a little bit." This thought was abruptly interrupted when a girl sat down in the chair, already saying:
"My turn!" My turn!
Elyandra was surprised, her eyes wide. The girl continued:
"Can I start?!"
Elyandra gave a slight laugh.
"Sure, sure... I stick with the white pieces.
Elyandra's new match against the girl has begun. Again, Elyandra played against someone who didn't quite exceed her expectations and beat her quickly, only for someone else to sit in the chair ready to play against her again. And so it went, with Elyandra defeating one after the other and an audience forming next to the girl.
After another checkmate, Elyandra thanked the boy for the game and thought: "How depressing, I didn't even have a challenge here, how I miss Callen, it would be cooler to play chess with him." Elyandra's thoughts drove away the praise of the candidates around her, who created a certain uproar as they watched the noblewoman's departures.
It was then that a presence passed by them, causing them to fall silent. Elyandra, on the other hand, with her eyes closed, thought about how cool it would be to play with Callen again, until the sound of the chair being pulled out and someone sitting down caught her attention. She sighed, thinking, "Well... I think I'll play just this one more match." She then opened her eyes and came across a girl with black hair covering one of her eyes. She looked Elyandra in the eyes.
"It seems that you are a little bored, Lady Valemortis.
Elyandra came across Seraphina. The noblewoman's presence gave off an aura of defiance that made something flicker in Elyandra. She smiled.
"Would you like to play with me, Lady Vancroft?"
Seraphina looked around, surveying the curious crowd that formed around the chess table.
"You got a big audience, didn't you?" She said, her lips curling into a subtle smile. "One of the benefits of being an influential noblewoman.
Elyandra, who had no idea that this would happen, disguised her surprise with a touch of irony in her tone.
"Do you think so?" I believe they are just a curious audience.
Seraphina reached out, catching one of the pawns. As he analyzed it, he said:
"Curious... I stick with the black pieces.
"Of course, I'll keep the white ones," Elyandra replied, a subtle smile playing on her lips. This time, it was Elyandra who would start the match.
However, the opponent she faced was different. Seraphina began to pressure Elyandra little by little, play after play. Elyandra, surprised, thought: "What is this? Am I being pressured?"
"Chess is a game of intellect, but it's also a game of liars," Seraphina declared, without taking her eyes off the board.
Elyandra in front, intrigued.
"Liars?" What are you talking about?
The girl made her move, aiming at the king of Seraphina. Seraphina moved a piece and said:
"Yes, only liars can fool their gambling partners. Want to see?
Almost at the same moment, Seraphina cornered Elyandra with an unexpected move and continued:
"You lie your strategy and attract the opponent's attention just to devastate him.
At that moment, Elyandra's expression changed. Seraphina's move practically stopped her advance, it gave her a feeling of being trapped waiting for a hunter to come to take her life. She felt pressure fall on her shoulders.
"Devastating enemy strategies is a breeze when you know how your opponent thinks," Seraphina finished, her eyes fixed on Elyandra's.
Elyandra felt those words as a clear offense. "Who does she think she's talking to? Do you think you know how I think?" Inside, Elyandra wore an almost evil smile, which she hid under the mask of a somewhat fearful noblewoman. An inner glow flickered in his mind.
"You know, Lady Vancroft," Elyandra said, her voice calm but with a new tone of defiance. "Strategy is not about reading the opponent, it's about reading the game.
Seraphina raised an eyebrow, a sign that the phrase had intrigued her. She then began an attack aimed at a quick checkmate. Elyandra smiled. Her gaze became a vague mix with a shadowy presence that Seraphina noticed, feeling somewhat apprehensive.
The game between the two continued, with Seraphina starting to see her advantage gradually slip away. With each piece she took from Elyandra, she lost another and began to be cornered, the positions reversed.
"Reading the game is simple," Elyandra explained, without taking her eyes off the board. "Of course, knowing how your opponent thinks is important, but knowing how the game plays out is what matters. When you realize how the game unfolds, then it's simple to change the way you behave, you just need to change the way you play and everything changes together.
Seraphina put her hand to her chin, reflecting.
"Change the way you play?"
Elyandra turned the tables, cornering Seraphina decisively.
"Change of style. It's a bit simple when you're used to playing.
Seraphina looked at the board and thought for a few minutes. Elyandra rested her hand on her chin and leaned on the table, staring at Seraphina thoughtfully, until she smiled, a smile of recognition.
"Impressive." I thought and rethought, but I didn't get anywhere.
"Do you still want to continue?" Elyandra asked, her voice soft.
"No, my moves are over," Seraphina replied. "It was a great match.
Elyandra smiled, a genuine satisfaction on her face.
"Yes, it was an excellent match.
The candidates who enjoyed the game did not understand how that game had ended. On the other hand, even on a board that seemed to be halfway through the game, Seraphina already understood that she had nowhere to go. In this way, she accepted a defeat in the middle of the match.
The girl stood up and held out her hand to greet Elyandra. She stood up and held out her hand, squeezing Seraphina's.
"Thank you for leaving, Lady Valemortis," Seraphina said.
Elyandra, already wearing her noble model mask and smiling serenely, replied:
"Lady Vancroft, I must thank you, you were excellent.
Seraphina sorriu.
"Would you like to accompany me?"
Elyandra olhou in a curious way.
"Of course, let me just arrange the pieces."
After arranging the pieces and putting them away carefully, the nobles left the hall under the admiring gaze of other nobles who watched them play. As they walked through the corridors, where both clearly drew attention, Seraphina broke the silence.
"Have you figured out what your goal might be, Lady Valemortis?" The question resounded in Elyandra's ears.
With a short smile, she replied:
"I can't say.
Seraphina looked a little disappointed. Elyandra then continued, a faint laugh escaping:
"I want a lot of things, actually. I made promises that I don't know if I can keep. The strangest thing about all this is that I have good paths to follow, but I don't know if I want to follow them.
Seraphina stared at her, somewhat surprised.
"No goal is simple, is it?"
Elyandra stopped in front of a window, looking out, and Seraphina stood beside her, watching her. Elyandra recalled her promise to Callen, her daydreams of world conquest, and her current situation and status.
"Yes, nothing is simple," Elyandra said. "That's what makes a game fun.
"A game?" Seraphina asked, intrigued.
Elyandra stared at Seraphina, a twinkle in her eye.
"Yes, a game.
She then continued to walk, and Seraphina stared at her with a thoughtful look. In Elyandra's mind, she thought, "I'm thinking too much, but yes, I need goals. I don't want to be a liar or someone as vague as I was before, so let's go by part, first, I need to keep my promise."