Chess in the Shadows

Alice had always been known as the most disciplined waitress at Bar Pagos. Calm, efficient, and never a troublemaker. But no one knew that behind her faint smile, she hid something far more dangerous: ambition.

For months, Alice had been recording every shady transaction that took place at the bar. Which guests paid in code. Who brought in illicit goods. Who was protected by the Pagos family name.

And tonight, she made her move.

In the underground storage room, Alice opened a drawer accessible only to the manager. Inside were confidential documents. Shipment records. Names that never appeared in the official system.

Alice (quietly): “Everything they’ve hidden... will become my weapon.”

She photographed each document with a tiny device hidden in her necklace. No sound. No trace.

Outside, Maros was cleaning tables. He glanced toward the basement, then smiled faintly.

Maros (thinking): “Even the most obedient pawn can become a dangerous piece.”

Alice returned to the bar as usual. But that night, she didn’t go home. She went to an old apartment on the outskirts of the city.

Someone was waiting for her.

Mysterious Man: “You brought what we asked for?”

Alice: “More than that. I brought their foundation.”

Man: “Pagos won’t fall with a single blow.”

Alice: “Then we’ll give them a thousand small cuts. And let them bleed slowly.”

Maros wasn’t someone who got surprised easily. He didn’t react to rumors, wasn’t shaken by conflict, and never showed emotions he hadn’t chosen himself.

But that night, when he saw Alice leaving the basement with steps that were just a bit too light, he knew: something was in motion.

He didn’t confront her. He didn’t ask questions. He simply began to play.

Maros (thinking): “If she’s betraying Pagos... then she’s already opened the door. I just need to guide the wind.”

The next day, Maros began shifting the bar’s rhythm. He swapped Alice and Vany’s schedules. He placed Alice in more visible positions, closer to guests with ties to the Pagos family.

Vany (confused): “Why is Alice always in the VIP area now?”

Maros (calmly): “Maybe she’s being tested. Or maybe she’s trying to show something.”

Vany began to grow suspicious. She started watching Alice more closely. But Maros gave her no answers. Only hints—as always.

On the third night, Maros sent an anonymous message to a member of the Pagos family.

Message content: "Watch your calmest waitress. She’s rewriting your history."

No name. No proof. But enough to spark a small fire.

And behind it all, Maros began approaching Alice. Not to threaten. But to offer something.

Maros (softly, as they stood alone in the glass room): “You know, Alice... betrayal is like wine. Bitter at first, but it can turn sweet if you know how to savor it.”

Alice (coldly): “I don’t need your advice.”

Maros: “But you need protection. And I know who’s coming for you.”

Alice looked at Maros. For the first time, there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

Maros (smiling): “Don’t worry. I won’t stop you. I just want to see... if you can survive when the game changes shape.”

That night, Alice approached Maros with a different demeanor. Not cold. Not suspicious. Instead... too calm.

Alice: “I want to talk. But not here. Too many ears.”

Maros looked at her, then nodded. Maros: “A quiet place, huh? Fine. I like places where sound disappears.”

They walked out of Bar Pagos, down narrow alleys, until they reached an old, abandoned park. The streetlights were dead. The wind whispered softly. Not a single soul around.

Maros (quietly): “A good place to bury secrets.”

Alice smiled. But not kindly. It was a smile with intent.

From behind the trees, four figures emerged. Their faces were covered, their hands glowing with magical symbols. A cold aura blanketed the park.

Alice: “You thought I was just playing, Maros? I know who you are. And I know what you’re hiding.”

Maros: “And you think four people are enough to bring down something you don’t even understand?”

Alice raised her hand. Magical symbols lit up in the air—red, blue, and black. The wind swirled. The ground trembled.

Alice: “We didn’t come to understand. We came to erase.”

Magic surged forward. Fire rained from above. Ice spread across the ground. Shadows slithered like serpents, trying to bind Maros’s body.

But Maros didn’t run.

He stood in the center of the assault, his eyes calm. His body began to be wrapped in black mist—not magic, but something older. Wilder.

Maros (softly): “You came with magic. But I... was born of curse.”

One of Alice’s gang lunged with a magical spear. Maros dodged with a movement nearly invisible, then touched the ground.

The black mist spread. Trees withered. The air grew heavy.

Alice (shouting): “Don’t let him activate his shadow core!”

But it was too late.

Maros stood in the center of the mist, his body beginning to shift. His eyes glowed deep violet. His voice echoed.

Maros: “You came to erase me? Then prepare... to be forgotten.”

Black mist engulfed the old park. The air grew heavy, as if time itself refused to move. Alice and her gang stood ready, but they knew: they were already too late.

Maros stepped forward. Each footfall cracked the ground, and the shadows around him moved like living creatures.

Alice (shouting): “Attack now! Don’t give him space!”

But Maros didn’t wait.

With a single motion, the shadows on the ground surged upward, forming massive claws that tore through two of Alice’s gang members. They were thrown aside, their bodies frozen in expressions of terror.

Gang Member A (screaming): “This isn’t magic... it’s... it’s a curse!”

Maros looked at Alice. Not with anger. But with judgment.

Maros: “You chose the path of betrayal. So I’ll show you... the price of that choice.”

Alice tried to cast a fire spell, but before the incantation finished, Maros’s shadow was already behind her.

Maros (coldly): “Too slow.”

He touched her back, and instantly her body was wrapped in black mist. Alice screamed, her magic bursting uncontrollably, scorching the trees around them—but not touching Maros.

Alice (gasping): “You... you’re not human...”

Maros: “I am the result of everything humans discard. Hatred. Fear. Lies. I wasn’t born... I was forged.”

He raised his hand, and the shadows on the ground formed a black spear that shot toward Alice. It pierced through her magical barrier, shattering the symbols she wore.

Alice collapsed. Her body trembled. Blood ran down her arm.

Maros (approaching): “This isn’t about winning. It’s about making sure you never try again.”

He knelt, staring into Alice’s eyes—now filled with fear.

Maros (softly): “You wanted to erase me. But you forgot... shadows can’t be erased. Only devoured.”

With a single motion, Maros vanished into the mist. The park fell silent once more. Alice lay broken, alone, her body shattered, her mind fractured.

And from the distance, Maros’s voice echoed.

Maros (from the shadows): “One pawn has fallen. But the game... has only begun.”