The man said, "Now you can see it."
Ajin looked forward.
The wall beneath his hand turned transparent. Through the glass, the great sweep of the Milky Way unfurled before him, luminous and infinite.
A bright smile broke across Ajin's face and every trace of sadness vanished from his eyes. After a moment, he stepped back. The glass shifted into white stone again, while the opposite wall transformed into glass instead.
Two planets floated beyond it.
One was unmistakably Earth.The other resembled Earth from three hundred million years ago, when all continents formed the vast supercontinent Pangea—only this version was split almost perfectly in half by a wide river.
The man said, "One is your Earth. The other is Nirvana."
A black King chess piece materialized above Ajin's head, turning slowly.
"Nirvana is where the other six live," the man continued, "and where the game will be held."
His gaze dropped to the floor. A miniature replica of Ajin's home appeared, detailed and vivid. Through the tiny living room window, Ajin could see his Maa and sister sitting together on the couch.
"I will erase your existence from the world," the man said. "They will not remember you, nor the time they spent with you. I believe that will ease your heart. Now take the piece, and we will begin the game."
Ajin smiled faintly. "Have you forgotten? I haven't agreed to join this game."
The man chuckled. "As I said, I am everything. So I know everything in your mind."
Ajin crossed his arms. "I don't think so."
The woman tilted her head with a soft laugh. "Then tell us. What do you think we cannot know?"
"The future," Ajin said.
They both chuckled.
"You are right and wrong," the man replied. "I cannot see the future because it has not happened yet. But I know exactly how the future will unfold."
Ajin smirked. "A play of words. You really are like the myths describe. Care to enlighten me like they do in the stories?"
The man grinned. "I cannot know the future because it is unwritten. But I created everything, so I know how everything behaves. That means I can predict every outcome with perfect accuracy. I know the future because I know how all paths lead."
A long red thread appeared between them, stretching across the air.
"'Humans are simple. Human is complex.' That is how we made you. Because of that complexity, your individual futures are difficult to predict."
Miniature human silhouettes filled the space around the thread, millions of tiny shadows. Each was attached to the long red strand by countless fine threads.
"We created patterns in human lives—what you call fate. It is like this thread. When one person acts, his thread tugs the large one. It also pulls on the threads nearest to him. And so the pattern shifts."
The shadows rippled with each small movement.
"As the existence of all things, we know every pattern. Which means we understand every action and can foresee every path the world will move."
The thread and silhouettes faded, dissolving back into the white light.
Ajin folded his arms and asked, "Hmm… I think I understand it to some degree. Then what happens to that fate you described when I leave Earth to play your game?"
The man chuckled. "Do you think your existence plays a significant role in fate?"
Ajin met his eyes. "Then why did the Existence of Everything choose me for the game?"
The man's expression shifted, growing serious. "I did not choose you because you are worthy or something grandiose. In truth, no man is ever worthy in our eyes. I chose you because a twisted devil like you would entertain me far more than a normal human."
Ajin nodded slowly. "A normal person might believe that. But like you said, I'm not normal. I know hollow words when I hear them. And I'm certain you won't tell me the truth, even if I ask."
His lips curled into a smirk. "That's fine. I'll find the truth myself while playing your game."
He snatched the floating king chess piece from the air. "Now, will you explain the game?"
Immediately, the floor shifted beneath them, transforming into a massive chessboard. Pieces materialized across it, every one except the pawns already in place.
The man pointed to the Black side. "You are the King. The six you read about in the book belong to your realm. Each of you possesses unique powers, and you can use them to win."
He turned and gestured toward the opposing pieces. "These White pieces are your enemies. Like you eight, they have powers, though theirs differ from yours. And they are not human. They are beasts from that world."
Facing Ajin again, he continued, "As for the pawns: the White realm already commands an army of a million. Even their weakest soldiers can kill ten Nirvanians with ease. Your side, the Black realm, can turn any Nirvanian into your soldiers."
He lifted a hand, and the pieces glowed faintly. "The game ends with a war between realms. The Great War... You can rename it later if you like. The rules of the war must be decided by both realms."
"And if you win," he added, "and survive, you may wish for anything that does not interfere with the game."
Ajin examined the chess piece in his hand. "Will this give me immortality?"
"It will," the man replied. "Just as the book described."
Ajin's smirk widened, turning sharp and almost feral. "So in short: you want me to live in Nirvana, gather a massive army of Nirvanians, work with six—no, seven others like me, then lead a war between humans and beasts. If I win and survive, which I certainly will, you'll grant me a wish. Even a wish that destroys the entire Earth… or this universe, since it's not tied to the game at all."
The woman chuckled softly. The man allowed a faint smirk. "Precisely. If that is your wish, we will grant it."
Ajin nodded once. "You already know everything, including my real wish."
The man asked, "Shall we begin?"
Ajin held up a hand. "You forgot something."
Both waited.
"Erasing my existence from this world won't be enough to make me leave Earth," Ajin said. "You must promise to protect Maa's, my sister's, and Siri's smiles… add my father to that list as well but just keeping him alive is enough for me, no need to protect his smile. Only then will I play your game."
The man laughed. "Selfish human. You just said you wanted to destroy the entire Earth. Yet now you demand your family be protected and be happy at that."
Ajin shrugged. "Aren't you the one who created us like that?"
"Yes, yes. I created you like that," the man sighed.
He straightened. "I cannot promise all you want. But I can promise the protection of your first blood and their happiness."
Ajin's expression sharpened. "Why not Siri?"
The woman answered gently, "Erasing your existence will affect her life the most. Her future becomes unpredictable. Because of that, we cannot promise her protection nor her happiness."
Ajin shrugged lightly. "Anyway, Siri doesn't need protection. She can take care of herself."
The man tilted his head. "Do you have anything else to settle before you go?"
Ajin hesitated only for a moment. "Who will be the Queen?"
The woman let out a teasing little scoff. "Impatient to meet your wife already?"
Ajin gave her a thin smile. "I'm sure you know exactly how I feel."
He held her gaze, steady and unflinching. "Do you truly think someone like me, someone who has already lost one half of himself, is excited to meet a stranger?"
The amusement faded from her face. She said nothing, her eyes locked with his.
The man cut through the silence. "Let us make you the King and begin your kingship."
He lifted the chess piece toward his chest, but paused again.
"I don't think I can bring myself to call you gods anymore," he said. "So let me settle that before we start?"
The woman raised a brow. "Why not call us gods? Do we not look the part?"
Ajin shook his head. "Looks don't matter. To humans, gods are beings you can never meet. The moment I met you, I couldn't think of you as gods anymore."
The man sighed, long and dramatic. "Humans are always a pain. Very well. Call us Obero and Isha from now on."
Ajin nodded once, then pressed the chess piece to his chest.
It melted instantly into his skin.
Obero said, "A king is not only the one who stands above all others, but the one who endures everything his people endure, and still stands stronger than all of them."
Before Ajin could react, the piece fully dissolved.
His body convulsed once.
Then he collapsed, lifeless, onto the white floor.
Isha winced. "Isn't it too cruel to make him feel true death at such a young age?"
Watching Ajin's body begin to fade, Obero murmured, "He must become a god to a world that is ending. Do you think death will be a luxury to him?"
When Ajin finally vanished completely, Isha whispered, "I can't argue with that."
She turned toward the wall Ajin had touched earlier. The surface rippled into transparency.
Behind it, the naked form of a young girl appeared, emerging slowly as though surfacing from another world.
Isha's voice softened. "Let us begin now… the making of the Queen."