But before Tyros began dealing the cards, he raised his hand slightly—as if recalling something important—and said in a more serious tone this time:
"Wait. There are a few more things you need to know before we start."
I looked at him with interest.
"And what are they?"
He leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head, clearly enjoying explaining the rules.
"If you win a round, your opponent is forced to discard both cards they used in their combination… while the winner only discards one."
I nodded slowly, considering the fairness of the rule.
"That sounds fair."
Tyros smiled, pleased that things were going smoothly, and continued:
"As for the thirty reserve cards… they're not just extras. They're a second chance. If two players draw in a round, both must discard their tied cards, then each draws two new ones from the reserve pile."
I glanced at the stack of cards placed at the center of the table.
Some of them were still wrapped in a thin glass-like covering, as if untouched.
Despite its apparent simplicity, the game seemed carefully prepared.
"I see," I said calmly. "It's good to have a backup in case of a draw."
Then I tilted my head slightly, curiosity creeping in.
"But… what's the name of this game? You haven't told me yet."
Luxian answered in a flat tone without lifting his eyes from his cards:
"Formis."
He said it as if the name meant nothing.
But Tyros, far more enthusiastic, picked up where he left off, gesturing as if telling a story:
"It's a game that spread recently—strangely fast. A lot of people started playing it to pass the time. One day, while I was working, I overheard some people talking about it… they were laughing, mentioning things like 'burned potato,' 'cut apple,' and 'fiery chair.' I didn't understand a thing—but they were clearly having fun."
He chuckled, then added:
"So I bought it out of curiosity. I wanted to understand what all the fuss was about… and once I tried it, I realized it deserved every bit of that hype."
He smiled, lightly tapping the wooden card box as if it were a small treasure.
"That's why I brought it here. While Luxian and I were guarding the third floor and boredom was eating us alive, I suggested we play… and he agreed. Eventually."
Luxian cleared his throat slightly and spoke in a dry, mocking tone:
"I don't find it nearly as entertaining as he does. I only play it when I'm extremely bored. Otherwise, I wouldn't touch it."
He turned his face slightly to the side, raising an eyebrow as if daring me to mock his taste.
I let out a quiet laugh.
"It looks fun—even if you don't like it, Luxian."
He replied without looking at me:
"I just don't get excited over trivial things."
Tyros smiled and said in a lighter tone:
"Anyway… shall we start?"
I looked at both of them, then at the cards being neatly arranged, and said with a faint, challenging smile:
"Let's begin."
…
Tyros began dealing the cards with precision.
All the cards shared the same color—a pale gray leaning toward white—with simple patterns, making it impossible to distinguish between them or cheat.
Each of us received ten cards and placed them neatly in front of us, like professionals—despite the game's simplicity.
I looked at my cards for the first time, examining them in silence and with a hint of caution, as if they were pieces of a puzzle I didn't yet understand.
The cards I held were:
Apple, potato, chair, scissors, fire, bread, cake, another chair, shirt, and grass.
A mix of familiar shapes.
Some didn't seem useful for combinations… or perhaps I just didn't understand the logic yet.
Despite it being just a game, I felt a strange excitement creeping into me.
As if I were standing at the edge of a symbolic battle.
It was my first time playing Formis.
Yet something about its simple rules and absurd components awakened an old desire for challenge within me… something I hadn't felt in a long time.
Luxian's voice cut through my thoughts, as mocking as ever:
"So? What are you waiting for? Play your two cards."
I raised my head and looked at him.
He was sitting in a slouched position, almost as if he were about to fall asleep—yet he held his cards like someone guarding the secrets of war.
I looked back at my cards.
I tried to think of a logical—or even random—combination.
In the end, I decided to merge scissors with fire.
It seemed like a good choice.
Perhaps something like a "heated blade."
I placed my two cards in front of me with quiet, partial confidence.
The others did the same.
Then, at the same moment, we revealed our cards.
We looked at the results:
Tyros: Pepper + Fire
Luxian: Stone + Scissors
Mine: Scissors + Fire
Tyros spoke in a semi-formal tone:
"So… the results are: heated scissors, over-spiced pepper, and petrified scissors…"
He leaned back in his chair and looked at us.
"Now… if these were to fight, who do you think would win? And be honest—no bias, no cheating."
Luxian let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Well… first thing we can all agree on is that your over-spiced pepper would lose immediately. That's obvious."
Tyros showed no annoyance.
He simply nodded.
"True. The pepper would be cut by either heated scissors or petrified scissors… so it's eliminated."
Then, after a brief pause, he added:
"But don't forget—your petrified scissors aren't guaranteed to win. Heated scissors could melt the stone and defeat it."
Luxian laughed again, more sharply this time.
"And who told you fire beats stone? My petrified scissors would break your heated scissors before they even get the chance to melt anything."
Their argument began to escalate.
It felt like it might go on forever.
So I decided to step in.
"Um… I think the petrified scissors would win."
They both turned toward me.
Tyros spoke first.
"And why is that?"
I explained:
"You're both from Earth, right?"
They answered together:
"Yes."
Luxian frowned slightly.
"What does that have to do with the outcome?"
I replied more confidently:
"Because you know, just like I do, that fire can melt many things… but stone is one of the materials that's hard to melt—especially if it's solid. So logically, the stone scissors should win."
A victorious smile spread across Luxian's face.
"Exactly! That's the logic I'm talking about!"
Tyros seemed hesitant for a moment, then sighed.
"If we're thinking realistically… then yes. Petrified scissors win."
Luxian laughed triumphantly, his arrogance unmistakable.
"Hahaha! I'm the best! Come on, you two—discard your cards."
I looked at Tyros.
He was clearly trying to stay calm.
Perhaps reminding himself it was just a game… or maybe boiling inside but refusing to show it.
As for me, I wasn't angry.
It was only one round.
But what truly bothered me was Luxian's arrogance—like he had won an actual battle.
Each of us picked up our two cards and set them aside.
Luxian, however, discarded only one card from his pair—and didn't show us which one.
Probably to keep his hand hidden.
A clever move… but expected from him.
And just like that…The first round ended.
Now, the second round began.