[Prologue]

A massive table stood within a pitch black void.

On top of the table lay a massive map. The map had millions, if not billions of little lights glowing on it’s surface.

Some were white, some were red, some were gold. Some blinked, some glowed brightly, others instead disappeared, as if they were snuffed out like candles.

Onto the map lay many domino and chess pieces. Millions of them, all placed in a seemingly random order and too far from each other to cause a domino effect. Many would think of this as some sort of mistake, some would think this was to just set a base for the rest, and more would wonder why chess pieces were mixed in too.

But the beings around the massive table did not wonder such things. This was all done and prepared by them, calculation after calculation. Each chess piece was someone of slight importance, while the domino pieces were the roads planned out for them.

Each chess piece had dozens of paths ahead of them, the majority of them ended abruptly, some kept going for a long time, even mixing with the paths of other chess pieces.

“The pieces are almost set.” The Second spoke as a slightly ethereal golden figure appeared beside the table, holding a Knight Piece between two fingers.

The Knight piece was set down onto the map, causing it to ripple slightly as the domino pieces seemingly moved by themselves to get in front of it, almost reverently.

“This Game will be long.” The Fourth hummed, it’s azure form rippling into existence for but a second to gaze upon the hundreds of paths that had now formed in front of the Knight Piece.

“Should we remove some?” The Seventh asked, “The risk is high, chances of failure even higher. A single loss will erase centuries of planning.” The other beings stilled, finding reason within Seventh’s words.

“The greater the risk, the bigger the reward.” The Fifth spoke up, a glowing blood-red hand coming into existence above the map. A few seconds passed without any change, but then it came, causing a startled gasp to come from the other beings. “This is the last Game. We must not hold back.” The red dots on the map had now grown considerably, causing many other dots to disappear or grow dim.

“Fifth is right.” The Eight spoke, “Only the one that survives until the end will become the Ninth.” Ethereal emerald hands came into existence, holding a small rainbow crown between them, it’s radiance lighting up the endless black void.

The glowing crown was gently sat down at the very edge of the map, where very few domino and chess pieces were.

The beings paused, their gazes lingering on the crown, then moved across the massive map and the millions of pieces spread on top of it, searching for any mistake, or if something must be added.

“Let us not hesitate any longer.” The Fifth spoke up, their hand hovering above the Knight Piece that had been set down by the Second. “Let us start the Game.” He whispered, a sliver of excitement in their voice as their finger moved closer and closer to the first domino piece in front of the Knight Piece.

Click!

The beings paused at that sound, then slowly turned their heads to stare at the source.

A small domino piece in front of a Pawn had fallen. By itself.

“What is going on?” The Fourth asked as domino piece after domino piece fell down by itself, causing the beings to stare in confusion- and fear.

“It appears that the game has decided to start by itself.” The First hummed out, speaking up for the first time, amusement clear in their voice. “And it appears we do not control the board anymore now.” The other beings gasped, followed by some of them trying to interfere with some of the pieces, trying to remove or alter them, but all was for naught. Their hands simply phased through the pieces and the map.

“I have no recollection of that piece…” The Sixth spoke up as the beings surrounded the Pawn piece that started the anomaly. “Who set this down?” They asked, but the other beings simply shook their heads, causing the shock among them to grow even further.

With rapt attention, the First leaned in and gazed out into the scenery, their eyes narrowing onto a certain spot on the map. A large valley grew closer and filled their vision with a single push of their will, allowing them to lay their eyes upon green plains, where a massive and decayed city forgotten to time suddenly appeared out of thin air.

The First’s eyes widened with recognition, and a large grin soon spread across their face.

“How very interesting.” The First chuckled, their attention turning to the nearly destroyed royal palace standing in the middle of the city.

A gasp, and then a coughing fit, rang out from within the throne room littered with skeletons and rusty weapons.

In the middle of it all was a woman with jet black wings sprouting from the back of her waists.

She sat up, waving away at the dust that she kicked up and breathed in accidentally.

The coughing soon stopped, and the woman’s bright red eyes soon widened once she took in the dozens of skeletons around her.

“Huh…” Her shoulders sagged, then her bright eyes turned towards the throne, where a large skeleton without a head was sat, spears, swords and weapons of all kinds still being stuck into the rusted armor it was wearing. “What is this place…” She whispered softly to herself, her eyes trailing down to her body, inspecting it as if it was unfamiliar to her.

The First pulled back with a large grin spread across their face, having seen more than enough to satisfy their curiosity.

Their eyes trailed towards the still falling domino pieces, and they watched as they ended in the path of the Knight Piece, then trailed alongside it.

Straight towards a glowing Bishop Piece in the distance.

The grin on First’s face only grew bigger.

“Yes… This Game will surely be very interesting.”