#chapter9

[ardwick]

EDUX: Chapter 9: Page 3

The keeper of Mt. Kurgan.

Full View Here: https://reduxwebcomic.com/comic/chapter-9-page-3/

[dancacomigo]

Everyone at that part when Lucas grabs Ed’s fingers back into his hand.

[outdooradventureblissblog]

[3schia]

CHAPTER 7 

“In a Sudden” 

[SEPTEMBER 2013] 

As time passes, our bond becomes stronger.  

We had a lot of trips.  

This is our first time traveling this often.  

We’re traveling almost every weekend.  

Gray is just so generous to us.  

Faith also invited Gray to join us in doing charitable activities.  

And this has become our life since then. 

ISLA: We’re traveling every weekend. How about Raquel and Cherry? 

GRAY: I meet them the other days 

ISLA: Like after work? 

GRAY: Anytime during the weekdays 

ISLA: Are you working online? 

GRAY: I don’t work like you’re doing. I handle my own time. 

ISLA: So, what’s your work? 

GRAY: I have my own resto bar. 

ISLA: Ha? 

GRAY: Yeah. 

ISLA: Why didn’t you tell me? 

GRAY: You didn’t ask, right? 

ISLA: Oh, I didn’t expect that you’re rich. 

GRAY: I’m not. It’s just a resto bar. 

ISLA: What’s the name? 

GRAY: Gray’s Resto Bar. 

ISLA:  Oh... Is that the one? 

GRAY:  Yap. That’s mine. 

ISLA: You have such a good life, huh? But you’re so simple. Like... You’re joining us in feeding programs, even if it’s hot. 

Then Gray just laughed at me. 

GRAY: How about your parents? What do they do? 

ISLA: Dad is a software developer, and mom is a pharmacist. And your parents? 

GRAY: They are running a business. 

ISLA: What’s their business? 

GRAY: Do you know the Mcdowney Staycation? 

ISLA: Wait... Is that the one in Seville? 

GRAY: Yap. 

ISLA: Oh! Are you that rich? 

GRAY: It’s theirs, not mine. 

ISLA: They are your parents, tho. 

. 

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GRAY: Do you want to come there sometimes? 

ISLA: Of course! 

GRAY: I’ll be celebrating my birthday there on September 25... Wait, you’re a Pisces, right? When exactly is your birthday? 

ISLA: Hmmm. February... 28 

GRAY: Why did you think that long? 

ISLA: Ha? I’m thinking of something else. 

GRAY: What is it? 

ISLA: Nothing. Let’s party! 

*At a beach party~ 

Everyone is dancing... 

Wooooohooooooo!  

Party partyyyyy! 

*Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! 

. 

FAITH: This is like... one of the best chapters in our lives! 

ISLA: Yeah!!! 

FAITH: You know what?... 

I had a dream last week...  

Like...  

I’m in heaven. 

*Then I just laughed. 

FAITH: Maybe this is it! We’re living the life, Isla! 

ISLA: Yeah! Thanks to Gray! 

Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! Tugs! 

Cheers!!! 

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And that feels like a long vacation, thanks to the holiday. Thanks, Gray! 

--- 

Then, here we are at Gray’s Resto Bar. 

Happy 31st Birthday, Sir Gray!  

Woohooooo! 

Gray introduced us to his employees. 

GRAY: Here’s my girlfriend, Isla. 

And here’s my long-lost half-sister, Mercedes.  

And my beautiful niece, Faith. 

“Hi!” 

“Hello!”  

The staff greeted us. 

“How are you?”  

“How old are you?” 

“Where are you working?” 

Yeah, we are very welcomed by Gray’s staff. 

And this day is just so special for us, especially for Gray. 

ISLA: Gray, where are your parents? 

GRAY: We’ll have a separate celebration later at my home.  

ISLA: How about Raquel and Cherry? 

GRAY: After my relationship with Precious, I’m just keeping my relationship private.  

ISLA: Then, what is this? You just introduced me to your staff as your girlfriend. 

GRAY: Well, you’re an exemption. Because of you, I found Sis Mercedes and Faith. 

ISLA: Oh. 

GRAY: Yeah. You are special to me, Isla. 

ISLA: Hmm. Will you also introduce them to your staff? How about in your family? 

GRAY: Well, they are not asking to be introduced.  

ISLA: Oh. 

GRAY: Come with me later, I’ll introduce you to mom and dad. 

ISLA: No, I don’t want to. 

GRAY: Why? 

ISLA: Well, we are like.. very different. You have such a good life compared to me. 

GRAY: Sus! It doesn’t matter. 

ISLA: But still! I don’t want to.  

GRAY: Just tell me when you finally want to meet them. 

--- 

[OCTOBER 2013] 

* 

Due to busy schedules, there are still weeks that we don’t see each other. 

“Here’s a gift for you, Isla!” 

“Thanks, Faith!” 

“What’s Gray’s gift for you?” 

“Ahh. Ahmmm... A dress! Yeah, a dress.” 

“Where is he now?” 

“He’s actually busy... Ahm, I’ll go tomorrow to my family” 

“Alright, enjoy!” 

* 

--- 

Christmas is approaching!  

So, I bought gifts for my family, and of course, for Auntie, Faith, and Gray. 

Before going back to my family to celebrate Christmas tomorrow,  

I was about to leave my apartment to give my gifts to Auntie and Faith when Gray knocked at my door. 

“Merry Christmas, Honey!” Gray greets. 

“Wow! Merry Christmas! Thank you... I also have a gift for you.” 

“Thank you!” 

I received lots of gifts from Gray, Faith, and Auntie. 

I’m so happy! He gave me a phone, shoes, and bags. 

To have our advance celebration since I won’t be here tomorrow, we ate at a fine dining restaurant. 

Then, here I am in our province, with my family. 

Merry Christmas! 

I gave them lots of gifts. And I also received gifts from them. 

“You look so blooming, sister.” My brother said. 

“Yeah. Are you in love again?” My mom asked. 

“Ha? I’m not,” I answered. 

“Weh?” My younger sister said. 

Then, we celebrated Christmas. 

Like... Yeah... I’m so happy in this chapter of my life because of Gray. 

--- 

[JANUARY 2014] 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  

Cheers! 

Fast forward... 

It’s Friday night... 

Gray stayed at my apartment because tomorrow we’ll be volunteering to give relief goods to people... 

And we’re about to go to sleep... 

GRAY: You know what? I feel like random people are following me whenever I leave my sister’s home. 

ISLA: Ha? Maybe they have a crush on you. 

GRAY: No, they are men. 

ISLA: Oh. Maybe you’re just overthinking. 

GRAY: I hope so. 

ISLA: Or maybe they are ex-boyfriends of Raquel and Cherry? 

GRAY: Hmm. I don’t know. I’ll just ask for photos of their exes. 

* Raquel and Cherry sent the photos of their exes. 

GRAY: None of them look like the men who are stalking me 

ISLA: Oh. Just observe the next few days after you leave Auntie’s home to see if they are still stalking you.  

. 

Wait. You can check the CCTV records. 

GRAY: Right. 

--- 

And then it’s Saturday... 

A tiring day... 

but seeing people happily accept their goods is just so fulfilling. 

Everyone is just busy doing their things... 

“I don’t feel good today.” Gray said. 

“Why?” I asked. 

“I don’t know.” he answered. 

>>> BOOM!!! <<< 

A bomb just exploded... 

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LIKE F*CK? 

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Everyone was just in total shock... 

. 

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“What was that?” 

“Who da fvk did that?” 

People are complaining... 

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“Are you guys okay?” Auntie asked. 

“Yeah, we’re fine.” I answered. 

“What was that?” Gray asked. 

. 

. 

. 

Then Auntie asked... 

“Where is Faith?” 

. 

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“A woman is dead... A woman is dead.” a man said. 

. 

. 

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“Where?” 

. 

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“Three women are injured, and one is dead” 

. 

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“Where?” 

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“Where?!” 

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“At the parking lot” 

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Then we rushed to the parking lot to see the victims... 

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And... 

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I can’t say anything else... But, 

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MY FAITH IS DEAD. 

CHAPTER 8 

“The Root of All Evil” 

ISLA: I remember last Sunday, when we were all dancing at the beach, Faith told me about her dream. 

GRAY: What dream? 

ISLA: ... That she’s in heaven... 

GRAY: We must find the criminal. 

--- 

Faith’s case is now under investigation... 

INVESTIGATOR: Did Faith have a fight with someone else? 

ISLA: No, she doesn’t have a single enemy. Her life is just like.. work and church. Then travel. 

AUNTIE: Faith is too good to have an enemy. She must just be a victim of it. 

INVESTIGATOR: How about you, her family? 

AUNTIE: We don’t have. 

GRAY: Do you remember what I told you last week? 

ISLA: Your stalkers? Have you checked on them? 

GRAY: I haven’t... 

INVESTIGATOR:  What stalkers? 

GRAY: Since last month, I feel like there are random men following me whenever I leave my sister’s home. Can you check on it?  

Then, we checked all the CCTV records... 

INVSTGTR: They really are stalking you, sir. 

ISLA: They are all wearing hats.  

INVSTGTR: Do you have any idea who they are? Did you have a fight with someone else before? 

GRAY: There are only two people with whom I had a fight back then. The Chairman-CEO and EVP of VenZon Corporación, Steven Esperanza and Jazon Castro. 

AUNTIE: I know them, they are extremely rich people. 

ISLA: It must be them. Why did you have a fight? 

GRAY: They must have discovered that Faith is related to me.  

AUNTIE: I also had an argument with Steven before, I was a custodian in their company. I was accused of stealing his watch, costing around €82,000.00. They haven’t found any evidence, yet he fired me. After a few months, someone set fire to the apartment I was renting out. We were so stressed back then, but I couldn’t do anything. No criminals were found. The same happened to another custodian, her mini store was set on fire. I don’t know the exact issue, but there’s a rumor that it’s most probably because of Jazon. 

GRAY: Sir, please investigate them. 

INVSTGTR: Okay, we will. 

--- 

ISLA: Then, in my room, Gray told me something. 

GRAY: I remember something I didn’t say to the investigator 

ISLA: What? 

GRAY: On that day, a woman was rushing me to get the goods on that truck where the bomb was put. 

ISLA:  Then? 

GRAY: I was busy distributing the goods to people, so I asked Faith to get them. 

Then Gray just had a deep sigh.  

I feel his disappointment...  

like he carries all the burdens. 

GRAY: I hate myself. I really do. 

ISLA:  It’s not your fault 

May I know why you had a fight with them? 

GRAY: We were all friends from first-year college until our first work. I’m the only one who got a Latin honor among the three of us. 

ISLA: Then? 

GRAY: Jazon was happy for me, but I felt like Steven was not. But I just ignored it. Then, we all joined Corporación de Pio to gain some experience. Steven didn’t need to work actually as he came from rich parents and he’s the only child. After almost a year of working, Steven thought of an idea. 

ISLA: What idea? 

GRAY: He invited us to come up with ideas for a business plan, so we could have a business of our own. After a month, they both resigned, and told me they would find another company to work for. I wondered why they both became cold to me in the last few days. I asked them for updates about our planned business until they totally stopped communicating with me. I was hurt by what they did. After a year, I knew through my coworkers that Steven and Jazon had finally established their own company. After searching about it, I learned that the marketing ideas for their business were mine. And yeah, that’s the VenZon Corporación,  

the most popular coffee shop in Madrid, since it’s not a typical coffee shop, it’s a coffee bar. I was so angry at them during those times.  

ISLA: F*ck... 

[FEBRUARY 2014] 

Based on the investigation, all the volunteers were found innocent.   

However, they said that they couldn’t detect where all the people on that day came from, and their faces were blurred on the record. 

Gray and I did almost everything to find the criminal.  

GRAY: Steven and Jazon must be the only masterminds of it. They are just hiding the evidence, as the two could have given them millions to protect their identities. 

ISLA: That’s what I’ve also thought of since the moment the investigator asked you with whom you had a fight before. I noticed that he suddenly became quiet after knowing that the Chairman-CEO and EVP of VenZon Corporación are the only people with whom you had a fight... They are f*ck*g rich, so I wasn’t surprised by your assumption. 

- 

ISLA: Do you believe in bad luck? 

GRAY: No, I think the only thing that has true luck is in quantum mechanics, where there is true randomness. Otherwise, everything that happens is because some entity acted on something to make it happen. Even when you roll a die, if you can calculate the exact force and trajectory of your dice throw and if you have exact control of your motor function, you can determine how it will land before it actually stops rolling. Why do you ask? 

ISLA: Nothing. 

GRAY: How about you? Do you believe in luck? 

ISLA: I believe in both good and bad luck, even if I don’t know exactly the explanation behind this belief. 

GRAY: That’s one reason why religion and science cannot coexist. 

ISLA: So, what’s your religion? 

GRAY: I don’t believe in the existence of a divine being. How about you? 

ISLA: I belonged to two religions back then. I belonged to the first one for more than two decades, and the other one was just for a few months. 

GRAY: But you’re doing charitable activities in that church? 

ISLA: I’m just doing it for people, but I don’t belong in that church, just like Faith. GRAY: Oh, you also don’t believe in God anymore? 

ISLA: Well, I’m not like you. I still believe in God, but I decided not to belong to any religion anymore.  

GRAY: Why? 

ISLA: That’s one thing I just want to keep to myself. I felt better when I chose spiritual independence. 

--- 

GRAY: I will make them pay for what they’ve done to my only niece. 

ISLA: I’ll join you. 

GRAY: You have no idea how risky it is. 

ISLA: You have no idea what I’m capable of doing. 

GRAY: Let me think first. 

ISLA: This is not an exchange for the favor you’ve done to me.  

GRAY: No, leave it to me. 

ISLA: You have 24 hours to make it official that I am part of that mission. If you don’t, I will make my own plans to destroy them myself. 

GRAY: You’re in. 

ISLA: I will do  e v e r y t h i n g  to get our revenge. 

GRAY: This is not revenge, only justice. 

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ISLA: Who else will join us? 

GRAY: We can’t have other people’s loyalty since they will know that Steven and Jazon are the ones we are going to destroy. They will only be scared. Besides, most people’s loyalty is invested in money, not in people. They will only betray us. 

ISLA: Yeah. We can’t trust anyone else. 

GRAY: Will you be loyal to me? 

ISLA: Not to you...But to our mission. 

GRAY: Good. 

~ 

GRAY: Most lives are uninteresting... 

  So, why don’t we make a thrill? 

ISLA: What kind of thrill? 

GRAY: This will take a long time to finally accomplish the mission. 

ISLA: Then? 

GRAY: You know... We must live together to make the plans. 

ISLA: Then? 

GRAY: We may fall for each other, like.. we may love each other for real. 

ISLA: What makes you say that I will love you that way? Just to remind you, sex is just sex for me. 

GRAY: Oh, common! 

ISLA: Okay, deal... So, what kind of deal are we having? 

. 

. 

. 

Wait, I have thought of something. 

GRAY: What? 

ISLA: If I’m the first one to fall in love, I’ll pay you €100,000.00. And if you do, you’ll pay me €1,000,000.00 since one hundred thousand will just be easy for you. Deal? 

GRAY: Deal! 

. 

. 

. 

Wait, next week is your birthday. How are we going to celebrate that? 

ISLA: Ha?... Ahhh. Yeah. February 28! ... I don’t want to celebrate it. I’m still sad. 

GRAY: No, we should still celebrate it, Isla. 

“Happy 24th birthday!” 

“Thanks!” 

“So, you’ll go today to your family?” 

“Ahh. Hmm. Yeah. That’s why I took a leave today.” 

“Okay. Let’s eat!” 

. 

. 

. 

“Thanks. You make me happy today.” 

--- 

[MARCH 2014] 

GRAY: This time, I'll be the mastermind 

ISLA: And I'll be your ally 

GRAY: Until when? 

ISLA:  Till the end.  

GRAY: How can you be useful to me this time?  

ISLA: I will do everything... I will make us win... No matter what  

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GRAY: Will you follow my ordinances? 

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ISLA: Mhmm! 

So, what’s the 1st ordinance, Master Libra? 

#Heaven 

#ForFaith 

CHAPTER 9 

“BECOME A CHESS MASTER” 

ISLA: Why should I? 

GRAY: It’s part of the plan 

ISLA: Can you explain? 

GRAY: This time, I’ll be the mastermind. You just have to do it. 

ISLA:  Alright! 

GRAY: It takes strong dedication to become a chess master. You’ll have to spend at least 10,000 hours of constant practice. 

ISLA: That long? Who will teach me? 

GRAY: Pack your things and move to my home as soon as possible. 

ISLA: So... 

GRAY: Yap. I’m a chess master.  

ISLA: Oh. 

GRAY:  So, pack your things and move to my home. 

ISLA:  Aye aye, Captain! 

--- 

“Hey, tender a resignation.” Gray asked. 

“Oh. I can’t do that; I like my work. And I’m giving money to my family.” I replied. 

“Hmm. If that’s the case, then let’s just rent the nearest apartment in your office. So, we could maximize the time.” 

“Mhmm!” 

“Okay. Let’s organize your schedule.” 

“Can you tell me now all the plans?” I asked. 

“This time, I’ll be the mastermind... and?” 

“I’ll be your ally.” 

“How many hours do you sleep?” Gray asked. 

“Eight” 

“Make it seven. How many minutes do you prepare for work?” 

“Thirty minutes” 

--- 

Then, we transferred to our chosen apartment near my work. 

“You are at the office nine hours a day, from Mondays to Fridays. It only takes 10 minutes to and from your building and around 5 minutes for you to get to and leave your office.”  

“Yeah.” 

“You’ll eat your breakfast in the car while I’m driving. 

We can get home at 5:15 and we have 15 minutes to eat our dinner every day.” 

“Mhmm! That can be.” 

“Then I’ll start teaching you at 5:30, for 4 straight hours, and then we’ll have a 10-minute break after. We’ll continue at 9:40, then stop at 12 midnight. You can wake up at 7:15 if you’re preparing yourself for 30 minutes.” 

 

“Alright!” 

“That will give us 6 hours and 20 minutes of practice every day.  

That’s equivalent to 31 hours and 40 minutes in 5 days. 

For weekends, I’ll teach you from 8 AM to 12 noon.  

We’ll continue from 12:20 to 3 PM.  

Then we’ll have a 10-minute break after, a 15-minute dinner, another 10-minute break, and then we’ll stop at 12 midnight. So, your body clock won’t change.  

That will give us 30 hours. 

Overall, in a week, we can have 61 hours and 40 minutes of practice. But just expect that this schedule cannot be perfectly followed since there will be days when we’ll not be in the mood to practice. Hmm.  

In a month, that’s almost 247 hours. We can have more than 3,000 hours of practice in a year, given that there are holidays. I’ll let you watch online tutorials as well.” 

“Yap!” 

“It will take us more than three years if you won’t resign from your job.  

But I respect your decision.” 

--- 

Then, here we start... 

“Okay. Let’s start with the basics. 

Set up the chess board with a white square in the bottom right-hand corner. 

Put all of the pieces facing each other on the back two rows of each side.  

Put the pawns in front, then line up the other pieces symmetrically with the king and queen in the middle. 

Then each player controls 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 bishops, 2 knights, 2 rooks, 1 king, and 1 queen.  

Each type has its own way of moving across the board and potentially capturing your opponent's pieces as it goes. 

Okay, let’s start with the pawns. Per turn, pawns can be moved 1 square forward, except on your first turn when you can move forward 2 squares. Pawns capture other pieces diagonally, moving one space diagonally forward, and they cannot be moved backward. 

Next, the Rooks. Using Rook, you can go to as many squares as possible, either horizontally or vertically. If one of your pieces is in the way, it must stop at the square just before it. And if one of your opponent's pieces is in the way, capture it using your rook and stop exactly there. 

Next, the Knights. Using a Knight, you can move 2 squares horizontally or vertically, then 1 square to the right or left of that second square. Knights are the only pieces that can jump over other pieces, and they only capture an opponent's piece if it's on the final square of the move. 

Next, the Bishops. Using a Bishop, you can go as many squares as possible diagonally. Like the rook, a bishop must stop at the square before one of your own pieces, and it captures an opponent's piece and stops there. 

Next, the King. It is the most important piece, as the game ends if it's captured. The king can move 1 square in any direction. You cannot move the king into any space where one of your opponent's pieces could capture it. 

Last, the Queen. The queen can go as many squares as possible in any direction. Like the rooks and bishops, the queen must stop before one of your own pieces, and it must capture an opponent's piece and stop there.” 

Then, it gets harder and harder. Yeah. But I must do this. 

--- 

“Today, I’ll teach you the special moves that can be made by pawns, rooks, and kings.  

Let’s start with the Pawns.  

If your opponent moves a pawn 2 spaces on its first move and it's sitting right next to one of your pawns, on your next move, you can capture it with your pawn —but only on your next move. Okay?  

Also, a pawn gets promoted if it makes it all the way to the back row of the other side of the board.  

That means you can change that pawn to any type of piece other than a king.  

Most players promote a pawn to a queen, of course, since the queen is the most powerful piece. Right? 

Next, Kings and rooks.  

If there are no pieces between your rook and your king on the back row, you can actually move your king 2 spaces toward your rook.  

Then, immediately move the rook over to the other side of your king.  

This special move is called castling.” 

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. 

. 

“Are you ready to play?” Gray asked 

“Yeah.” I answered. 

“Okay. The player with the white pieces always makes the first move. You know that, right?” 

“Yeah!” 

“You and I, as your opponent, may flip a coin to see who gets the white pieces.  

The one who got the white pieces has a slight advantage, mainly because with white you get to attack first.” 

I chose the head, and he chose the tail. 

Then, we flip the coin... 

Tadaaa! It’s head. So, I got the white pieces. This time I had a slight advantage. 

 

“So, Chess is just like any other turn-based board game, we have, of course, to take turns to move one piece. Consider the different moves that all the pieces can make when thinking about the move you want to make. Take note that there's no "pass" in chess. When it's your turn, you must move something. 

At some point, as the game progresses, I, your opponent, will likely put your king in check, or perhaps you'll put my king in check. This just means that if nothing changes, I will capture your king on my next move. 

When I announce "check," you must do something to get out of check.  

This time, you have 3 basic options: block, evade, or capture.  

To block, move one of your pieces in between the attacking piece and your king.  

To evade, shuffle your king over one square so I'm out of the attacking piece's line of attack.  

To capture, use another piece to capture the piece I am attacking. With that, the threat will be eliminated. 

Your goal is to checkmate me and protect your king so that I can't checkmate you.  

This may seem simple, but due to the many pieces in play, the strategy and planning can get complex. Since you're just starting out, focus on always protecting your king. 

Sometimes we play to a stalemate, that's the opposite of a checkmate when neither of us has any legal moves left. It usually happens when most of the pieces have been captured. 

And when you're playing in a tournament, there are other ways the game can end, such as if you run out of time. But you don't need to worry about those yet since you’re just a beginner.” 

--- 

Another day, another chess tutorial, another games... 

“Today, let’s focus on the strategies. 

Here... 

You must control the center of the board as quickly as possible. This gives you the upper hand and allows you to make attacks while defending against my attacks. When you have control over the center of the board, you can maximize your ability to move while also limiting your ability to move without being captured. 

Then here... 

Since chess isn't a game that you can play one turn at a time, try to think of a move or two ahead. Consider all the pieces and their possible moves, and make your move based on what might happen a move or two as you go along. 

Of course, you must protect your king. If I put your king in checkmate, that's the end of the game, so protect your king at all costs. In every turn, evaluate your king's position and where it might be vulnerable. As a beginner, it's always better to make a move that protects the king's defenses than to attack. 

Then... Involve all your pieces in the game. While you don't necessarily have to develop your queen too early in the game, your other pieces can come forward to build a strong defense and lay the groundwork for future attacks. Consider leaving space open for your queen to enter later. Then, maximize her power and use her to the fullest of her potential. 

There's nothing wrong with sacrificing pieces from time to time, but avoid unnecessary sacrifices. Since a piece lost can't be regained, and if you get too far down, you'll find it hard defending against a multi-pronged attack from your opponent. 

Then, every time I make a move, ask yourself why I made that move. If you can figure out what I’m trying to do, you might be able to make moves that will disrupt my plans, or if not, at least make them more difficult to pull off.” 

--- 

Here I am... 

In this chapter of my life, I have met plastic coworkers at different levels.  

They seem very friendly to each other but are constantly backstabbing each other. 

Here’s Maya, a petite, simple woman with undeniable beauty and two professional licenses: MBA and CFMS.  

Then, here’s Brenda, an attention-seeker with inappropriate body proportions and an undeniable ugly face, but, for fairness, with an MBA title. 

During my stay in this company, I didn’t hear any bad comments about the work performance and attitude of Maya from our coworkers, with whom she directly worked and is currently working. I also had my own observations of Maya.  

She’s just really working hard and is very quiet.  

I am also having some talks with her about our love life, family, etc.  

She’s just really nice. I can’t say anything else. 

One day, we’re given a new project, and we are composed of ten members. 

While doing this project, there were days that I heard rants about Maya, led by Brenda. 

“I can’t understand Maya sometimes.” 

“She’s like a fool.” 

Bla bla bla - 

Then, my coworkers are not responding to Brenda every time she’s backstabbing Maya. Because there is really nothing wrong with the latter.  

Besides, for the record, they didn’t have a project where they had to work together. So, where are the rants coming from? 

What’s funny is that they are having lunch together. XD 

One day, Brenda was ranting again, but here’s an unbiased, straightforward girl, Natalie. 

“What’s the problem with Maya?” Natalie asked. 

“I can’t understand her sometimes.” Brenda answered. 

“With what?” Natalie asked again. 

Then, Brenda just acted like she’s busy with what she’s doing since she can’t give justification for her rants about Maya. 

A sad thing is that Maya obviously likes Brenda more than Natalie since the latter is not approachable to her. I even saw in the social media stories of Maya some photos of her with Brenda XD  

Like wtf?  

I feel sad for Maya for thinking that she’s with a friend when, in fact, she’s with an insecure, backstabbed, ugly bch. 

WaaAaAaaahhhHHH!!! 

What kind of world do we live in? 

What am I discovering about human nature? 

I feel sad for both Natalie and Maya. 

--- 

[MID OF APRIL 2014] 

Fast forward. 

GRAY: What are you watching? 

ISLA: K-Drama 

GRAY: You’re supposed to be watching chess tutorials. 

ISLA: Later, master. 

- 

GRAY: Ready to play? 

ISLA: Yap. 

GRAY: Who do you think will win?  

ISLA: The Libra 

GRAY: Ha? 

ISLA: I mean... the Pisces, of course. 

GRAY: Good! 

And yeah. Here’s the battle.  

Gray is just so serious.  

I prepared for this, so I am confident that I will win. 

The battle is intense... 

“Check!” 

“Congrats, Master Libra.” 

“More practice, Miss Pisces.” 

“I’m getting curious about the second ordinance.” 

“Hmm. It will definitely take you more time to master chess. Our planned timeline will change, especially if you don’t resign from your job. Hmm. But I can tell you the second ordinance, so you won’t get bored.” 

So, what’s the 2nd ordinance, Master Libra? 

#TheFirstOrdinance 

#IslaTheFutureChessMaster 

[sa-characters]

King Mijararos (Amphytrionas)

GENDER - Male

AGE - Young Adult

King of Manthos

ASPIRATION - Rambunctious Scamp, Super Parent, Leader of the Pack

TRAITS:   Angelic, Vegetarian, Insider, Self-Assured 

SIGN: Libra

PARENTS - King Ifiklis, Queen Memilia

PARTNER - Queen Euthalia

CHILDREN - Radhamanthos

Download: Not available

Story: Once Upon A Time - The first ones

Family tree: The first ones

YOUNG ADULT: The problems with the neighbors was large test for Mijararos. It aged him, but it also gave him experience. Now, in the best years of his life, he feels he can handle most problems that should come his way. He is still uncompromising about certain things, but he is also more pragmatic and relaxed as to what he can achieve. He has a good relationship with his wife, which he respects and admire. It might not be a passionate marriage, but that's fine.

TEEN: If you knew his father Ifiklis you can't help but notice how incredibly similar Mijararos is to his father on the outside, and yet how completely different he is on the inside. He is strong and decisive, but find it vulgar to use violence when it's not strictly necessary.

CHILD: He lacks the usual bloodlust of his male relatives, and typical for royalties at this era. He is teased for it, but he stands his ground. He does not want to hurt neither man nor animal, and his parents wonder (and worry) if he will fulfill his military education. Is he fit to be the next king?

TODDLER: Like his father he is very handsome, almost too pretty for a boy. But very unlike his father he seems to have a good compassionate heart. A little angle in human form, isn't he?

INFANT: He was kept well hidden from the public eye the first year of his life, so we really don't know much about his development.

[becausesomething]

Chapter 9 - Secrets revealed

Sabaody headcanon, all the supernovas in one palce for the 1st time!

warning: lesbian relationship, kid situationship, law colorful relatiosnship, feelings, confrontation, fight

Kid POV

I still tried to fall asleep but without success, I decided to go take a shower and when I come back I had a tray with a glass of orange juice and a plate of eggs sautéed with bacon and bread.

-KIDDDDD, how's that hangover?

– Killer shouts as he enters the room.

- You want your death sentence, I swear it will happen one day. Doesn't that woman know how to be silent either?! – the bath had helped the headache, but all that screaming made it come back.

-ihihih, job done – Killer closes the door as quickly as he entered.

I hear screams in the hallway, I bet those two are fighting with each other again. I don't care, I mean yes I do, or maybe it would be better not to.

-Kid, are you awake? That idiot Killer doesn't know what a beating he's going to get when he catches him. – Like Killer, she opens the door and suddenly enters the room.

-Eriss, don't even think, enough confusion. Did you get any information? – I take the tray and go sit on the sofa.

-Yes, there will be a human slave auction today. And I heard rumors that some celestial dragons would be present because of a mermaid being captured. Scum. – she leans against the edge of the door and starts playing with the choker pendant.

-Let's investigate, we'll leave in 4 hours, inform the rest.

-Yes captain! – she bows and that makes me roll my eyes, I don't know if I interpret it as respect or just provocation.

Eriss POV

It was the first time that all the supernovas were in the same place, the presence in that place was impressive, and by instinct, I got closer to Kid. I feel his gaze on me, I hope none of Kimi's marks are visible, and it's just because I'm looking for a little protection.

On the other hand, several times my gaze meets Law's, I wish I could talk to him and tell him the news. I guess I'll have to wait until later.

As expected, a battle began between the most talked about trio, Kid, Law, and Luffy, against the navy. Between insults, it was impressive their skills and how strong they had become.

Killer had pulled me to an area hidden from the sailors' view and we were left to absorb that epic battle that was going to start revolutionizing the world. It started as quickly as it ended.

Kid comes towards us - Let's go back and prepare to set sail, the navy will be at our heels soon, it's not safe here anymore.

We started running until I heard a voice calling me.

-Eriss-ya, are you okay? - Law runs up to me and gives me a hug.

-Of course, she's fine! - Kid shouts.

-I wasn't talking to you Eutass-ya, get out.

-You don't give me orders!

-It's better to leave the insults for later, the navy discovered us. - I point behind them.

Not even running, those two were able to stop insulting each other. The navy begins to gain ground and both begin to use their powers to slow them down. We ended up at a dead end, but luckily someone opened a door for us.

We entered a kind of warehouse. I was catching my breath when I felt lips touching mine, it was Kimi, I let myself get involved and forget about the situations I had behind me.

-Eriss!

-Eriss-ya!

I heard them both saying my name in perplexity, but my attention was only focused on her tears.

-Kimi, why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?

- I wipe her tears and hug her against me.

-No, I was worried about you when I found out that you were involved in the mess at the auction. I couldn't let you go without saying goodbye.

I feel Kid's fury flooding the room and a whistle disguised as Killer's laughter. I turn to them and Kimi wraps herself around my arm.

-This is Kimi, a friend. - I say, trying not to blush at the embarrassment and my secret being revealed.

-Eriss-ya talked a lot about you, it's good to know that you're alive. - I look at Law and he smiles slightly. Our looks said everything that needed to be said at that moment and that made me relax.

-Are you able to explain? How does this Dalmatian head know more than me? - the veins on Kid's forehead begin to show.

-She's a friend, didn't you hear it the first time?

-But the kiss? What does that mean? Since when?

-Damn Kid, I'm bisexual, Kimi was the first woman I was with. I thought she had died, but she was able to find me. Happy now?!

Silence settles.

-We can't stay here long, the navy is still looking for us. - Law approaches me and whispers to me - you need to say goodbye.

I look at Kid who looks away, I wanted to explain everything to him but it wasn't the right place or time.

I grab Kimi's hand and pull her to a corner so we have a little more space and privacy. I didn't want to say goodbye to her, not now after we had met again and the night we spent together. Between hugs and tears, we accept reality. One last kiss with my first crush.

I go over to the boys, I touch Law's arm, and whisper to him a thank you. He looks at me deeply, as if reading my soul, he knew what that moment meant for me.

-Kid, I'm ready. - he looks at me sideways and mumbles between his teeth.

[revserrayyu]

One HSR Character a Day Day 22: Himeko

[roxetta23]

The 3rd and last commission art for @ouch-ness illustration to PF fanfic : Dragonkin Chapter9 The fic is finished, read it, I recommend! (In case you're interested, see my commission sheet)

[foreverisntenough]

NEW CHAPTER OUT NOW!

Go read ⇨ Chapter9 - His Angel

The ninth chapter of my newest Jude Bellingham fic ‘Act II’ is out for you to enjoy :)

🪩🫶❤️‍🔥🍹🌞🍒 Act II Index 🍒🌞🍹❤️‍🔥🫶🪩

[ardwick]

REDUX: Chapter 9: Page 6

The servant.

Full View Here

[bihanarms]

Presentation and Table of Contents.

well hello there,

just a 22-year-old young woman who is a fan of video games, particularly fighting and horror games, and I find solace in writing fan fiction, one-shots, and more related to the worlds of Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, etc. So, welcome to my blog filled with fan fiction and stories featuring your favorite characters!

feel free to send me requests via DM, although I can't guarantee that I'll be able to fulfill all of them ;)

Table of contents.

1.LUISXREADER : (finished).

chapter1

chapter2

chapter3

chapter4

chapter5

chapter6

chapter7

chapter8

chapter9

2.KRAUSERXREADER : (finished)

chapter1

chapter2

chapter3

chapter4

chapter 5

chapter 6

chapter 7

chapter 8

chapter 9

chapter 10

chapter 11

3.RE ONE SHOTS

leonxreader : moonlight

carlosxreader: a former love

luisxreader: not so dangerous curiosity

4. HEADCANNONS

jack krauser 1

5.STREET FIGHTER ONE SHOTS

jamie siuxreader : midnight embrace

jamie siuxreader : whispered teasing

6.RANDOM CONTENTSxREADER

dalton lambert x reader : os the artist secret

7. MORTAL KOMBAT OS.

johnny cage x reader : unveiled passion

[miyaniacs]

Corrupted by Darkness

- Chapter 10 -

Chapter9 ; Wattpad ; AO3

A/N: hello … sorry for not updating, but I was busy with life tbh. But here it is and I finally have some ideas and motivation again to continue this story ^^ so I try to update more in the future :) thank you all so sooooo much for all of your feedback and the Votes - it means so much to me and I'm so thankful that you’re supporting me <3 

Noctis POV

I was shocked, I did not knew how to act or what to say. 

I haven't seen those eyes in centuries and now they are starring up at me. 

A nostalgic feeling rushes though my veins. All the good memories we shared, when humans and fae weren't even in their early stages, come back to my mind. Her eyes were full of joy, hope and light. I could stare at them for ages and get lost in the thousands of universes they showed. When the first fae walked this earth she was enlightened, happy to help them with their needs and they worshipped her. I knew it was wrong, I knew that things could turn, yet I couldn't bring myself to stop her, seeing her so happy was all I wished for, 

But now, those eyes hold nothing from that light anymore. All those years spent in isolation made her go mad, made her loose any sense of what's right and what's wrong. 

Nea... even though she took control of her body, she has to be in there somewhere. 

Reaching through the bond, I try to find just some glimpse of her, but all I see - or all Sanguis shows me - are memories... memories of all those dying humans and fae, how she burned them alive, showing me how much fun she had doing it. 

I couldn't control myself anymore. Rage clouds my mind, rage that I held in my heart for all those centuries. A rage i once held against myself, blaming myself for all the wrongs which happened. Now that I feel how much she enjoyed it, how much she enjoys torturing and using Nea's body... It all shifts to her and I can't stop the fire inside of me. 

Something blue catches my eye and in less than a second my flames hit the ground, where Sanguis stood just before. 

Azriel? Why would he be here and save Sanguis?

No... No... not Sanguis. Nea. 

Immediately my mind becomes crystal clear and I realized what I did. Sanguis couldn't burn... but Nea can. 

Sanguis knew exactly what would happen if she keeps on provoking me, trying to get me to kill Nea... something she can't do apparently, otherwise I'm sure she would have done it herself. 

Her powers... when she settled in Nea's body all those years ago, she must have accidentally given her some of her powers - Sanguis would have never allowed her to be able to control her blood manipulation skills. It's an ancient power which only runs in her family. 

But if she lost some of her powers, that means... 

Taking a deep breath I channel all of my powers into this one command I thought I've never say to her. 

"LEAVE"

Power rushes through me, into the bond and straight into Nea's soul. 

I was right. Sanguis was weaker that she used to be. Immediately the ghost of a white dragon leaves her body and flys out into the sky. 

"So you choose her?" A whisper of her voice echos though the wind. 

'I do.' I think to myself and close my eyes. Deep inside of my heart, I knew that I lost her now, even though I may have lost the real her all those centuries ago. 

But now, something inside of me shatters and I feel our connection crumble until there is nothing left. 

A pain I've never felt before, consumes every cell of my brain and I cry out. 

The ground and the mountains around us shake, rocks start falling to the ground, but I couldn't stop, I couldn't stop until l there was nothing left anymore. No pain, no hope, no light, just darkness. 

Darkness and a small little light, showing me that at least I didn't lost my bond to Nea. 

As I open my eyes again, I see various humans rushing from the college towards us, next to me crouching over two lifeless bodies, is Rhysand and some other Illyrian Fae. 

The two body's belong to Nea and Azriel. 

But no... she can't be dead. I can still feel our bond. 

Desperately I look for it inside of my mind, look for the small light - but it's not there anymore. 

Darkness rushes out of me, surrounding the whole college. 

I killed her. 

Sanguis won.

Xadens POV 

'WAKE UP NOW' Sgaeyl screams. 

My bed shakes, the walls around me shake, the whole college seems to shake. 

And the there is this deep roar shaking up every vessel inside if my body. 

Jumping out of the bed and grabbing my jacket I sprint out of the room. There is only one dragon powerful enough get the whole college shake. 

Small pieces of stone fall onto my head, other riders rush out of their rooms, horror written on their faces. 

"Xaden!" Garrick and Bodhi run towards me while I make my way out into the night. 

"What is happening?" Bodhi asks and sprints down the corridor next to me. 

"Noctis." I scream over the voices of the other students. 

"Are you sure?" Garrick asks as we finally set our foot on the grass outside and see the whole disaster. 

The college is breaking down. 

"If he doesn't stop now, we're all going to be buried under rocks here." Bodhi whispers, fear shown in his eyes. And he was right. One of the towers starts to slide towards the ground we are standing on. 

"Oh no.. no no no-" Garrick grabs my arm and drags me backwards. 

But before the tower falls to the ground, Noctis stops. 

"What the hell" Liam, who arrived next to us with Imogen, Rhi and the others, voices what we are all thinking. 

'Sgaeyl?'

'I'm fine, they are on the flying grounds.' 

"Where's Nea?" Rhi asks and looks at me, "She wasn't in her room, I thought maybe she was with you.." her voice is laced with panic as she realizes that Nea wasn't with me. 

"Flying Ground." I reply. 

But when I'm about to start running again, darkness wraps around us. 

Pure Darkness. 

I lift my hand, holding it right in front of my face but my eyes aren't able to see anything. 

It's a kind of darkness I've never seen before. 

I scream out for the others, but nothing. 

There is no sound.

Nothing. 

Searing my mind, I try to find the door connecting me to Nea, yet it's gone. 

'No.. No, No.. - Sgaeyl, tell me this isn't the reason for his outburst.'

'I'm so sorry... I - I don't know. We're stuck in the same dark as you are.' Her voice is barely a whisper inside of my head. 

'Is it shielding our magic too?' 

'It is.' 

[whinlatter]

Hello! I loved the sneak peek of chapter9 and I cannot wait to read it! Can you tell us, without any pressure, how it is coming along, if I’m not rude :) I can’t wait to see the party and what costumes everyone choses 😁

not rude at all — i’m hoping to have it with you at some point next week! (you’d have it earlier but my mother invited herself to stay. please direct any and all complaints to her. she recently announced she is midway thru a deathly hallows reread a propos of nothing so clearly she’s fandom girlie and yet she is yet to give me any kudos on ao3… sus)

[spotted-owl-sketches]

BW Diary Index

Updates on Wednesdays and Saturdays 12pm ET!

Read below for the chapters and their pages ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Chapter 0: [page 1-2] [page 3-4] [page 5-6] [page 7-8] [page 9-10] [page11-12] [page 13-14] [page 15-16] [page 17-18] [page 19-20] [page 21-22] [page 23-24] [page 25-26] [page 27-28] [page 29-30]

Chapter 1: [page 1-2] [page 3-4] [page 5-6] [page 7-8] [page 9-10] [page11-12] [page 13-14] [page 15-16] [page 17-18] [page 19-20] [page 21-22] [page 23-24] [page 25-26] [page 27-28] [page 29-30] [page 31-32]

Chapter 2: [page 1-2] [page 3-4] [page 5-6] [page 7-8] [page 9-10] [page 11-12] [page13-14] [page 15-16] [page 17-18] [page 19-20] [page21-22] [page23-24] [page25-26] [page 27-28]

Chapter 3: [page1-2] [page3-4] [page5-6] [page7-8] [page9-10] [page11-12] [page13-14] [page15-16][page17-18][page19-20][page21-22][page23-24][page25-26][page27-28][page29-30][page31-32][page33-34][page35-36]

Chapter 4: [page1-2][page3-4][page5-6][page7-8][page9-10][page11-12][page13-14][page15-16][page17-18][page19-20][page21-22][page23-24][page25-26][page27-28][page29-30][page31-32][page33-34][page35-36][page37-38][page39-40][page41-42][page43-44][page45-46][page47-48][page49-50][page51-52][page53-54]

Chapter5: [page1-2][page3-4][page5-6][page7-8][page9-10][page11-12][page13-14][page15-16][page17-18][page19-20][page21-22][page23-24][page25-26][page27-28][page29-30][page31-32][page33-34][page35-36][page37-38][page39-40][page41-42][page43-44][page45-46][page47-48][page49-50][page51-52][page53-54][page55-56][page57-58][page59-60]

Chapter6: [page1-2][page3-4][page5-6][page7-8][page9-10][page11-12][page13-14][page15-16][page17-18][page19-20][page21-22][page23-24][page25-26][page27-28][page29-30][page31-32][page33-34][page35-36][page37-38] [page39-40][page41-42][page43-44][page45-46][page47-48][page49-50][page51-52][page53-54][page55-56][page57-58][page59-60][page61-62][page63-64][page65-66][page67-68]

Chapter7: [page1-2][page2-3][page5-6][page7-8][page9-10][page11-12][page13-14][page15-16][page17-18][page19-20][page21-22][page23-24][page25-26][page27-28][page29-30][page31-32][page33-34][page35-36][page37-38][page39-40][page41-42][page43-44][page45-46][page47-48][page49-50][page51-52][page53-54][page55-56]

Chapter8: [page1-2][page3-4][page5-6][page7-8][page9-10][page11-12][page13-14][page15-16][page17-18][page19-20][page21-22][page23-24][page25-26][page27-28][page29-30][page31-32][page33-34][page35-36]page37-38][page39-40][page41-42][page43-44][page45-46][page47-48][page49-50][page51-52][page53-43][page55-56][page57-58][page59-60][page61-62][page63-64][page65-66][page67-68][page69-70][page71-72][page73-74]

Chapter9: [page1-2][page3-4][page5-6][page7-8][page9-10][page11-12][page13-14][page15-16][page17-18][page19-20][page21-22][page23-24][page25-26][page27-28][page29-30][page31-32][page33-34][page35-36][page37-38]

[chloezara11]

View this post on Instagram

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Hello September… Here’s to Chapter 9! 🤎🍁🍂 #september #helloseptember #welcomeseptember #september2023 #newmonth #newseason #autumn #fall #newchapter #chapter9 #letsdothis #favouritetimeofyear #freshstart

[actualbird]

The Sad About Chapter 9 Anon(TM) again - from reading your thoughts I realise what made me so sad. the fact that the team is hostile towards each other and haven’t had the growth during their personal stories!! i really like them as a close knit unit that Cares about each other and seeing the team all hostile and not happy hurt!! i’m currently reading your fluffy stuff to cheer up and i have one question for you (from writer to writer): how do you balance the canon with your fics?

hi again, Sad About Chapter 9 Anon™ (thats such a hilarious and delightful mouthful of an anon nickname HAHAJHVKJA)!!! im glad that my main story 9 ramblings cld help u figure out the Sorrow because AGH...YEAH...SAME!!!!! as someone who loves the team dearly, seeing them fractured like this really hits me hard in the feels ;w;

i hope u enjoy my tot fluffs, wahhh!! and that they help out in soothing the post-chapter9 anguish :'D

now, onto ur VERY INTERESTING question

thank u for asking btw it's a nice question and it really made me think, because my gut reaction answer is.....i dont?

kJHVAFHVASKJFHAVKFAJHFA

like, as a whole, i tend to use fanfic as the medium for which things Outside of canon can happen and be explored. if i was too caught up in canon, after all, i wouldnt really be able to immerse myself in non-canon ships like mariluke or nxx polycule, wouldnt be able to speculate on what-ifs as much or out-there AUs, etc etc.....But

in saying that, it does imply that i Do Very Much Take Canon Into Account. i use canon not as a constraint or a weight to be balanced, but as my jump-off point for tot fic

i think the Biggest thing in canon that i draw from is the Over-Arching Characterization of the characters. that, to me, is an immensely important bedrock that i need to see developed in canon before i can even start writing any fic of my own for a media. but eventually through time, i know that My Subjective Interpretation will affect the starting point characterization. which is why sometimes i feel like how i write tot characters isnt completely loyal to canon. i dont think Any fanwork is completely loyal to canon. the moment it passes through a fan's mind towards whatever the fanwork is, our fingerprints are on them and have skewed them one way or another. and thats not a bad thing to me idk, i love it. im fully aware that the Luke That I Write, for example, can be someone unrecognizeable to somebody who interprets him a different way from the canon that we've all seen

so uh.....tldr summary: i dont worry too much about balancing canon. canon is the raw material but im chucking it into a big pot and tossing more ingredients in there as i please to concoct hopefully powerful fanfic broths and whatnot HAHA