Rihan Daniel (7): Chess

A whip landed hard against my back leaving a pain and unbearable torment. This is the result as well as punishment that I have to accept for acting without Lady's approval.

"You don't usually act without my approval, Lucie. Are you feeling great already?" Lady asked furiously.

I didn't dare to answer.

"Answer me, Lucie!" Lady whipped again brutally.

"Didn't you say I could use any method to make her feel more alive? All authority is in my hands?" I look like I'm defending myself. But it's true, I was defending myself.

"Yes! Correct! But that doesn't mean you can go in at will and act recklessly!" Lady swung her whip twice and this time my back was no longer feel any pain.

"Lady, what do you think can make a subject feel more alive in the Samsara?" I said in a stuttering voice. "The feeling of being loved and protected… I was just trying to show it all to her." I answered by myself before fainted.

*****

I sat quietly watching the chess game in front of me. The whip wound on my back still ache, but I forced myself to continue playing the game that was starting to develop in an interesting direction.

Alvi's corrosive power. Then the blood of the Dragons awakened within me.

Luke, number 4 visited me today. He is the Dragons whose full name is Julius Aditya Kane. He is the eldest son of the Kane family. We've been close since the Samsara entrance test. But in Samsara's own circle we are only seen as comrades who are both Lady's favorite warriors.

Julius took off his blue half-faced mask with ornaments only on the right side. "Lady is still furious because of you." Julius complained.

I gave a faint smile. "Yeah, relate to Lady's favorite research subject. What can you do?"

"Are you planning on something?" Julius guessed with a very low voice so no one can hear except me.

To please Lady, of course." I replied without thinking.

"What about your heart? Your thought?" Julius asked probingly.

"Of course to please Lady." I gave an implied answer.

"Fine, then." Julius gave up to dig deeper. He looked at the chessboard in front. "You're still playing this boring game."

"Fun. What can I do?" I answered honestly.

Julius sat across from me. He plays a chess piece that has been removed from the game board.

"Daniel, the war is getting closer. Raka Gilbert will lead the attack. You might come face-to-face with him." Julius suddenly said with a serious intonation.

I raised my head to look at Julius. I did not position the chess pieces that had been raised as originally planned, but spun twice in my hands. "The 44th floor underground is very difficult to penetrate. Unless a spy leaks out Samsara's blueprint. But, certainly not you or me. We are both in Lady's mind-reader control. If there's any sign of betrayal, Lady will know immediately." I said.

"But certainly Lady can't read all your mind." Julius spoke up. He looked like he knew more than I expected.

"Well, until now both Lady and Samsara still thought I was a human without powers. Just like dad who saw me as a failure. Nullified managed to disguise everything." I said in non-serious tone.

"Joking again? Come on, Daniel, said something more convincing." Julius takes Rihan's words as a joke. He knew that Nullified power was an ancient that had disappeared thousands of years ago.

I only responded in the form of a smile that has not faded. "Do you think I could survive solely by luck and effort?" I asked.

"Nullified appeared after I just joined Samsara. That power wasn't an attacking type, but more of a protection. No one knows I'm a power user because all this time I've been fighting by relying on fighting techniques and the ability to master various weapons," I continued.

"Eidanwarg family, Frostfall, Rosenhill, Goldkin, and lastly Ragnvald. I can slay them all and become-invisible isn't just my pure fighting technique. But because of the nullified power too." I reveal the secret of my power.

Julius was seen clenching his fist tightly. He knew his friend had something to hide. But didn't expect it was the ancient and rare nullified power. Yet, Rihan Daniel chose to betrayed. "You've kept your power as secret for years. Then what's the point of you telling me now?"

I lean my back with my hand are still playing chess pieces. "What's your purpose in telling me the Dragons' plan and bringing up Raka's name while acting as you knew my secret?" I asked in a very cold tone.

"I have known you since joining Samsara. I want to believe in you." Julius said profusely.

"Want to believe me? On what basis?" I asked in curious.

"On the basis that we are both Dragons." Julius answered confidently. But instead I snorted sarcastically.

I placed the chess piece in my hand into the position I wanted. Then take the black horse chess piece and move it to the center of the chessboard. After that it was the turn of the white horse until these two black and white horses faced each other.

"As you can see. Even though they are both horses, they are on different sides. Even though both are Dragons, but I, you and Raka Gilbert are different," I said flatly.

"Daniel, here is not your place." Julius tried to reasoning.

"So do Tanah Agra, Julius." I replied in spontaneous.

"I don't understand why are you defending this place? What are you trying to protect in here?" Even though Julius is quite close to me, he doesn't know anything about me at all. About my goals and determination. About my suffering and pain.

I didn't answer. My hand moved to move the black horse to the front of the black pawn. For those who understand the game of chess, the move looks futile. Instead of protecting a strong piece whose position was threatened, the horse chose to protect a pawn—a weak piece that was never considered.

"Have you ever played chess?" I asked and this time I glanced at him with a pair of red eyes possessed by a dragon.