I wake up suddenly to a strange sound.
I slowly open my eyes.
The patch is in front of me, glowing a faint red.
I hear the voice again, this time clearer:
"You're finally awake, Silver."
I sit up in bed, putting my hands to my head.
"Who...who's speaking?"
"It's me."
I look at the patch.
"You?"
"Yes, don't be surprised. You touched me first, and that means you're my owner."
I stare at it silently.
"Your owner? What do you mean?"
"Simply put, I choose who touches me. And whoever touches me is bound to me by an unbreakable contract."
I breathe slowly and say,
"What contract are you talking about?"
"The blood contract. It's only for five years. After it ends, the final condition is fulfilled."
"And what is that condition?"
"To kill you in a way that befits you."
I feel my blood freeze in my veins.
"Kill me?!"
"Yes. Don't be afraid, not now. You have five years to live, to do what you want, to discover who you truly are."
I stand slowly and move closer to her.
"This is madness. I'm talking to a glowing chessboard."
The board laughs softly, a sound like a whisper from inside my head:
"Everyone who possessed me said so at first."
I ask her:
"Were there others?"
"Many. Each one had a powerful motive that made me choose them."
I breathe deeply and ask her:
"And what was my motive?"
"Blood."
I fall silent.
"You want revenge, don't you? Those who killed your uncle."
I look at her without speaking.
She knows. She knows everything.
She continues in a quiet voice:
"When you touched me, I felt your drive, your desire for revenge. That's why my colors turned red. That's my color when I'm led by blood."
I say sharply,
"And who made these ridiculous rules?"
"He did."
"Who?"
"The one who created me. A true genius, incredibly intelligent, but completely enigmatic. I never knew his name, only his nickname: The Player."
I sit down in the chair and put my head in my hands.
"The Player? What did he want?"
"He wanted to see how far a person can change when given power, how drives reveal their true nature when there's no one to stop them."
I look at her wearily:
"And what happened to him?"
"He disappeared."
"Disappeared? How?"
"No one knows. One day I was in his hands, and the next day I found myself here, in that abandoned warehouse, alone, without purpose."
"Until I touched you."
"Yes, from that moment on, you were mine."
"And can I get rid of you?" I say slowly.
She laughs again. "No, Silver. No one has ever gotten rid of me. Everyone who tried... disappeared in a way that suited them perfectly."
I move closer, placing my hand on her again.
"And what if I refuse the contract?"
"The contract doesn't need your approval. It's already begun."
"How will I know?"
"You'll know when the change begins."
I take a step back.
"What change?"
"Inside you. You'll start seeing things you've never seen before. Your anger will grow, your thoughts will shift. I'm not killing you right away, Silver. I'm reshaping you so you can be the ending you deserve."
A shiver runs down my spine.
I look around, the room feeling like it's closing in on me.
"What do you want from me now?"
"To play."
"Play?"
"Yes, it's a game, but it's not chess like you think. It's your life, and every move counts. Every decision, every drop of blood, every lie... they're all pawns on your board."
I ask her calmly, despite my confusion, "And if I win?"
After a moment of silence, she replies, "No one wins, Silver. Only the original player did."
"And where is he now?"
She answers in a low voice, "Perhaps somewhere waiting for all of us."
The board suddenly lights up with a brighter red, then returns to its stillness.
My silent friend,
I swear to you that at that moment I felt I had entered a game with no way out,
and that blood would be the first move on my board.