ZUGZWANG

Every year, thousands of people vanish without a trace. They are not dead. They are claimed by the Keyros Protocol. A colossal, merciless chessboard-world where cities resemble endless marble grids, and every living being is nothing more than a piece on a divine gameboard. In this kingdom, each “invited” is branded with a Piece Mark carved into their flesh. This mark can manifest into a weapon, define their rank, their movements… and most importantly, their sacrificial value. Here, survival is not a right. It is a rule of the game. And every victory grants power in the real world. But every defeat does not merely kill—it erases. Draeven never sought glory or destiny. Broken and hollow, he stood on the edge of oblivion when Keyros chose him. But within this cruel game, he will learn an inevitable truth: in Keyros, losing is not an option… it is a sentence.