Kiana shifted on her feet, her smile tight and uneasy as Kallen gave her a little pat on the shoulder.
"Have fun," Kallen said warmly before turning away, Chris falling into step beside her like a looming shadow.
Kiana watched them go, unsure whether "fun" was the right word for whatever was about to happen. She turned back and found herself facing Otto.
He stood there, hands clasped neatly behind his back, eyes unreadable. "I requested your help for the day," he said in that clipped, deliberate tone of his. "You've proven useful alongside Kallen… or at least, that's what I told her."
Kiana swallowed. "…Right."
He didn't say more — just turned and started walking. His boots clicked softly on the pristine cobblestone floor, each step perfectly measured. Kiana hesitated before jogging to catch up.
The building they entered was… massive. High ceilings stretched far above her head, the beams carved with intricate patterns she couldn't name. Rows upon rows of bookshelves loomed like silent sentinels, each one stacked with volumes whose covers were stamped with golden lettering in languages she didn't recognize. The air was thick with the warm, papery scent of old books, mixed with a faint trace of polished wood.
She let her gaze wander, her head tilting back to take in the towering shelves. "Wow… I've never seen so many books in one place."
Otto didn't respond.
Kiana frowned slightly but tried again. "Do you read all of these? Or… maybe you've got someone who—"
Silence. He was focused entirely on the small leather-bound journal in his hand, writing in it with crisp, deliberate strokes of his pen as he walked.
Kiana's shoulders slumped. " Great."
Eventually, they reached a small office tucked away behind one of the side corridors. The room felt… personal. A single large desk stood near the back, its surface neatly organized, and the walls were lined with more books — though here they were interspersed with maps, diagrams, and strange mechanical models.
Otto closed his journal, set it aside, and gestured toward a cushioned chair in front of the desk. "Sit down."
Kiana sat immediately. Something about his tone made "no" sound impossible.
Without another word, Otto crossed to a side table where a porcelain tea set waited. He began to prepare tea with the same meticulous care he did everything else — measuring leaves, heating water, letting it steep just long enough.
It was only then that he spoke again. "I would like to thank you for all the help you have given Kallen this past week."
Kiana blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… sure. I mean, I had fun too."
Otto glanced at her briefly, his expression unreadable, before returning to the tea. "What do you think of Chris?"
Kiana stiffened. "…Professor Gorilla?"
"Yes."
She hesitated, eyes darting toward the door as if it might open and rescue her. "…Why?"
"You are not in trouble," Otto said smoothly, pouring steaming tea into two cups. "Nor will you be. I simply wish to know."
Kiana's mouth worked silently for a moment before she sighed. "…I'm kinda afraid of him. He's… strong. Really strong. And this place…" She trailed off, glancing around the quiet office before finishing in a lower voice. "…is scary too."
Otto poured the tea with quiet precision, the liquid swirling into porcelain cups without spilling a single drop. Kiana sat there stiffly, not sure if she should say anything more.
. "Kallen and myself. We both came here… together." Otto whispered. "Making us guests… just as you are."
That revelation made her blink. It sounded important, but Otto's tone gave no room for questions just yet. He moved with that same deliberate grace, carrying the tea tray to the desk before sitting down opposite her. One cup slid toward her, the porcelain warm against her palms when she accepted it.
Then, from beneath the desk, Otto produced a chessboard — polished wood, with pieces of ivory and obsidian, each one carved with meticulous detail. The board was set between them with an audible click, the pieces already in their starting positions.
"Do you know," Otto began, his voice calm, almost conversational, "I understand your fear. Of this city. Of him."
Kiana glanced toward the window, where the distant streets shimmered under the morning light. "It's just… different," she admitted.
"It is more than different," Otto said, his fingers idly brushing over the black queen. "This city is… too perfect. It prides itself on a harmony that is without progress. It exists, but it does not grow. It does not aspire to reach beyond what it is."
He leaned back slightly, studying her expression before continuing. "All things here — decisions, disputes, lives — revolve around Chris." His tongue seemed to coil around the name like it was something foul. "His whim determines the flow of everything. That kind of system… is primeval. Outdated. And I despise it."
Kiana blinked. "But… doesn't it work?"
"It functions," Otto allowed. "But so does a pond — until it stagnates." His gaze lowered, sharpening as his words grew heavier. "Even the Kallen I admired… the Kallen who once had an innocent smile unburdened by the weight of this city… even she has begun to change."
Kiana's hands tightened slightly around the warm tea cup.
"Chris," Otto continued, almost spitting the name this time, "has shaped her into the ideal saintess he wants. Perhaps she accepts it willingly. Perhaps she thinks it's for the good of the people. But I cannot say for certain if she is truly happy." His eyes darkened. "And so I work in the shadows."
Kiana hesitated before asking, "Doing… what exactly?"
For the first time, Otto smiled — not warmly, but with an expression that was calculated and sharp. He reached forward, picking up a white pawn between his fingers. "I desire progress. To make life easier for the people Kallen adores. If she is happier, if her days are better, then perhaps she will reclaim some of that smile she has lost. But Chris…" His eyes narrowed. "…Chris stops me at every turn."
Kiana sat there quietly, her tea now forgotten.
"You see," Otto went on, placing the pawn down deliberately on E4, "Chris and I are opposed to one another in almost every regard. The only thing between us is Kallen — our sole connection. Without her, I suspect the two of us would already be… past words."
Kiana glanced between the chessboard and his face, unsure if he was actually inviting her into something or just monologuing for the sake of it.
"I hope," Otto said, his voice calm again, "that you might be the one to push this city toward the future I envision. One where progress is not a threat… but a duty."
The piece clicked gently into place.
Kiana stared at it for a long moment, her fingers tightening around the edges of her cup. Her eyes wavered slightly as she looked up at him, her tone quivering.
"I… don't know how to play chess."