Kai and Mei settled at the small, worn table, the dim light of the safe house casting long shadows across the room. Between them lay the board for a game called Corona, its surface worn smooth from repeated play but still holding the intricate grid that defined its challenges.
Unlike ordinary chess, the game demanded more than strategy — it demanded intuition, misdirection, and a careful reading of your opponent.
Each player had three special pieces, each with unique moves and abilities, which they had to place carefully on the board. The objective was deceptively simple: locate the opponent's pieces while keeping your own hidden.
But the simplicity was a lie; Corona thrived on deception, forcing players to anticipate and manipulate, to think several steps ahead while constantly reevaluating every move.
