The moment Kael's evaluation stabilized, the core released a deep pulse that spread across the entire board, and for the first time since the beginning of the trial, everything stopped moving at once.
The shifting squares froze, the distant screams disappeared, and a heavy silence covered what remained of the participants.
Daeven felt it immediately.
Something had changed.
Not the danger.
The stage.
Lyria looked around slowly, her voice low.
Why did everything stop?
The boy swallowed nervously as he scanned the empty board that was now filled with far fewer people than before.
How many are left…
Daeven didn't answer, but his eyes moved across the field, counting, estimating.
Not many.
Then the core pulsed again.
This time stronger.
A light spread across the board, connecting every remaining participant through thin glowing lines that appeared beneath their feet.
Lyria gasped slightly.
What is that?
Daeven's gaze sharpened.
Selection.
At the same time, the screen above the core changed once more, and a new message appeared in large, unmistakable symbols.
[ PHASE 1 COMPLETE ]
[ TOTAL SURVIVORS: 5000 ]
The boy's eyes widened.
Five thousand…
Lyria whispered the number again as if trying to understand it.
That means…
Daeven finished her thought.
Everyone else is gone.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Final.
But there was no time to process it.
The system continued.
[ INITIATING PIECE ASSIGNMENT ]
The moment those words appeared, the light beneath each participant intensified, and the lines connecting them began to shift, reorganizing themselves into a massive pattern that resembled a real chessboard for the first time.
Kael suddenly reappeared next to them, her body stabilizing as if she had been placed back into reality.
She looked around once, then at the screen.
So it's over.
Daeven glanced at her.
Not yet.
The air changed again.
A pressure descended on all of them at once, forcing every survivor to remain still as something invisible began to press against their bodies.
Lyria winced slightly.
What is this…?
Daeven didn't move.
It's starting.
Then—
Pain.
Sharp.
Sudden.
It spread from the back of his hand, like something was burning its way into his skin.
Lyria cried out softly, grabbing her wrist.
It hurts—
The boy fell to his knees, panicking.
What's happening to us?!
Kael clenched her jaw but didn't make a sound.
On each of their hands, a symbol began to appear.
Not drawn.
Carved.
Engraved into their very existence.
Daeven looked down at his hand, his breathing slowing despite the pain.
A mark.
Dark.
Sharp.
Incomplete… yet powerful.
The screen updated instantly.
[ CHESS MARK INITIALIZATION ]
[ EACH PARTICIPANT WILL RECEIVE A PIECE ]
[ YOUR PIECE DEFINES YOUR PATH ]
Lyria stared at her hand, her voice trembling slightly.
A piece… like in a chess game?
Kael smirked faintly despite the pain.
So we're not just players.
We're pieces.
Daeven's eyes darkened slightly.
No.
A pause.
We're both.
The pain intensified for a few seconds before suddenly stopping, leaving behind only the mark.
The light across the board faded slightly.
Then—
The final message appeared.
[ DISTRIBUTION COMPLETE ]
[ RANKING WILL BEGIN ]
The boy looked terrified again.
Ranking…?
Kael cracked her neck slightly, her expression returning to normal.
Now it gets serious.
Lyria looked between them, still trying to understand.
So… what does the piece actually do?
Daeven looked at his mark one last time.
Then at the others.
It decides everything.
A pause.
How strong we become.
How we fight.
And how we survive.
The core pulsed one last time.
And somewhere deep within Keyros…
The real game began.