"Yes, Akakios." Knox confirmed.

"Is this not your name?" He asked while watching the virtual cards shuffle.

Viktor questioned, "I mean, it is, but if you knew then why use it now?"

"Because this is where negotiations truly begin. The game, whether you like it or not, has begun. While not always necessary, there are moves one may always make outside of the board, and this is mine."

Waiting for the cards to deal themselves out gave Viktor just a few more seconds to think about it.

Right, so you definitely know me from before I was introduced to you, and haven't used it against me... Yet, at least.

Though you did go out of your way to tell me—why?

I don't think he has any such ability to determine something like that, though I could be wrong...

"So you know who I am of course, but I've only just met you very recently. Actually, you were playing this yesterday and this morning, too..."

Discarding a few cards, his confusion intensified.

"You also said you knew I liked it somehow, and even went as far to say it wasn't your favorite of the series... I just don't see how..."

Knox watched in glee as the game's coin was flipped to his favor and began thinking of his first move while he answered coyly, "Mmmh? Don't take me as some mastermind, that was your father's job, I'm just the middleman."

Middleman for what?

Viktor energetically asked,

"So you knew him then?"

Knox nodded his head and played one of his cards.

"I was acquainted with him for brief periods of time that lasted a while. He was a very eccentric man that I could never fully seem to grasp."

Viktor replied as the dice rolled in between them, "He was a magician, and a supervillian too. I wouldn't think that'd be too surprising."

"Hmph."

Supervillian, huh. Knox thought.

"Let me ask you something;—it's your turn, by the way—how many people do you think honestly place thier life goal as ultimate evil? Evil, 'just because'."

"Not too many, these days."

Drawing a card he expanded upon it, "But back during the chaos, a lot of people did unspeakable things. But I think that might've just been a consequence of the 'awakening'."

"I disagree." Knox proclaimed.

"There will almost always be unspeakable things, good or bad. It's the matter of who lives that decides such things. The first cause of the situation itself could very well have started before any of this.

"If you suddenly gained the power to change the many wrongs of your life, would you use it? And to that degree, how many wrongs does each person have? The only resulting effect must be chaos and even more wrongs."

"Wouldn't that mean it's better now since it's over though?"

"No, in fact it's worse. It wouldn't be called 'unspeakable' if everyone was talking about it, now would it? The chaos to come will be ever more..."

"But what should I do? just buy a bunker like this to live the rest of my days?"

Just then, Suzu reentered the space carrying a decorative wooden plate with three cups of tea, steaming hot, on top.

Knox went on after she placed it down between them and lovingly cuddled next to him.

"Tea?" He asked, holding out a cup for him.

Viktor courteously accepted it, before placing it in front of himself.

"Think about this game instead, Viktor-san. You should know now of its importance, and you are falling behind this man in his bunker."

Viktor looked at the couple infront of himself and confessed, "Maybe you're right. I was entering a virtual field anyway, it's not like I need to go anywhere or implicate myself in anything."

Knox frowned.

"That's what I'm worried about. I was never right, at least by your father. He was always proving me wrong every step of the way."

"Maybe. But I'm not him." Viktor replied.

Knox released a lengthy sigh before shaking his head and responding,

"Indeed, you aren't. But you are his son, and you are but destined to win this game, try as I might."

Quiet reigned while the holographic dice rolled once more.

"How can you be so sure?"

"As I said, I have yet to prove him wrong."

Viktor became puzzled.

"If he could tell the future, then how did he die?"

Knox scratched his chin in response, "A question I oftentimes ask myself. He told me once, that the prophecies he received were never complete prophecies, only nigh certainties. So there was always an infinitesimally small chance that they were wrong, though they never were, to my understanding. I suppose this game could be considered one."

"Did he say how I'd win?"

"Does it matter?" He asked with raised brows and half-lidded eyes.

His opponent sat with his face scrunched.

"Then does this game matter?"

"Yes. We have a deal, remember?"

Viktor's left eyelid began twitching while the gears in his mind slipped.

"I'm not here to dissect the platitudes of life with you Viktor-san, just play a game, give some words, and do my job."

Taking a deep sip of his tea, he suggested, "Have some tea while it's still warm. It's all-natural!"

With an indiscernible frown he drank a bit.

"Thank-you."

"Mhm."

"Nya."

Despite the phantom of existentialism breathing over his shoulder, Viktor took a second to absorb his surroundings once again since he hadn't till the start of the game.

The walls to his corner showed clear blue skies and the small goings of the city life below, the room smelt of traditional herbs and held the aroma of last night's sumptuous meal, and despite the small space, the way the Eastern-styled furniture hugged the floor gave the area a spacious and soft comforting feel.

There was always something to enjoy, even if predetermined.

So what's after this then?

Is he just going to tell me what to do next to live the life of my dreams?

What even is that?

I haven't really thought much about what I'd do if I suddenly became this wealthy, because the chances weren't even worthy of thought.

Most people live out their dreams in virtual reality.

I wonder how different it would feel to switch between the two doing the exact same thing. Of course, assuming that it was one of the more recent models.

Many of the compatible game reviews said that it was very similar, though the limitations were something more along the lines of implementation rather than hardware.

Another one of reasons that he was seeking employment as a concept artist, so that he could try one.

Soo expensive though...

A winning tune snapped him from his thoughts.

"Victory!" Could be heard and viewed plastered across his vision, with small bits of confetti and trumpets.

Likewise, Knox's diodes emitted red light; surely the scene of defeat—but how? He'd been ruthlessly assaulting him the whole game.

Knox himself was nodding his head in agreement about something, taking off his headpiece and whispering to himself,

So it would seem...

He poignantly ran his hand through his wife's hair, careful to avoid her ears while Viktor caught up with him.

His golem, all but mere chunks at this point, had been beaten senseless to a sliver of health, yet remained standing. Looking through the recent match history, he could see that one of his cards, "Purifier" managed to achieve its legendary ability due to a high roll. Its normal and legendary effects were as follows;

'Heal one health. Each time this card is discarded, decrease the amount needed to activate its legendary by one.

Legendary: Heal missing health. If this card was discarded at game start, then deal missing health as damage to the enemy golem instead.'

It was one of the few cards still left in the game that had a scaling legendary effect. All cards had one, but the vast majority required that the twenty-sided die land on a natural twenty. Moreover, he luckily drew it on his first turn that game.

"So I guess that's it then?" Is all the young adult could ask his head-shaking elder, as he too removed his headgear.

"Yes. But like most things... No. From one game we learn and move to another."

He finished his tea with an audible sip and endured, "Avante told me the true meaning of this game twice, and it perplexed me both times. How could something so simple based on probability tell you about something so complex and unpredictable? Would you like to know what he said?"

Viktor nodded along.

"'In pieces.' The game was carefully designed with rules which would show glimpses of the future, though for how soon or far is uncertain. It's quite interesting that it only applies for the older cards though, which is why I set the game's version back a bit.

"I had intended on using the wooden board and pieces your father gifted me, but...-'

Looking down at his now sleeping cat-woman with a smirk he continued,

"-Life happens."

He motioned towards a shelf on the wall on his back-right, "I'm sure you saw the rock golem on the shelf here walking in. It's authentic, you know. They had to scan both of them for the models when they added the game online. I still have the other, and I'll be giving that to you today with something else."

"Really?" Viktor added with a chip of delight.

"Mhm. One-of-a-kind."

The Japanese man tilted his head in thought, mirroring the way a certain feline might before asking Viktor, "Anyway, would you care for some breakfast? Unfortunately I'll have to ask that we not go outside just yet, I promised Suzu I'd stay here, and I'd hate to leave you out there for too long. Not safest of places on the surface..."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I can eat here, but I'm actually not too hungry at the moment. I'm accustomed to eating later."

"That's good! Let's move onto that liquidation then. I'll be covering all of the dirty work on that, you just tell me what you want to keep. Now after that—with your permission—I'll probably reinvest it all for you in my business. How does an annual five percent cut sound?

"At the current rate, you'd probably be making much more than that in my hands rather than real-estate, and cheaper too, but I'll just take that as the working fee. I'll even waive your down-paymet if you agree not to withdraw past twenty-five percent for the first year!" He finished with a raised finger.

"Unless you think you can burn through twenty million that quick, at least."

"Heh. Not in my life. I'm sure I could if I tried though!"

"Ah, don't be soo quick now! This is but the first card your new life has dealt you. It's still anyone's game."

"You think I'd burn twenty million in less than a year?!" He asked with exasperation.

"Oh no, not if you had a choice. It's just that this game of life doesn't always give you one..." He remarked while looking at the device he removed earlier.

Viktor sighed in dejection.

"Yea I'll take the deal, it is my favor after all. But that was about the future, wasn't it?" He asked.

"Hahaha! You sound a lot like how I did! Don't worry, I don't think you'll have to get used to it like me though. Your father was indeed a busy man, and even this, as well-planned as it might appear, was but a contingency. I suspect he tried his hand at fate, but we already know what happened there."

"So what's the problem?"

The jovial man turned dead serious to look him in the eyes.

"I can't tell you."

"What?"

"I can't tell you. Doing so would endanger our lives, mostly yours."

"How? Aren't we really far underground, cut off from just about everything?"

"Yes. But I unfortunately cannot. It's not worth risking."

"Then how am I supposed to avoid this danger?"

"By trusting my next advice. Spend your money! Go buy an island or two out in the south pacific and make it your home. There'll be a few challenges to overcome, but you'll be safe there."

Viktor sucked in a cold breath of air at the already high expenditure.

"But, that's not before you see this doctor I'm sending you to." He added, while sending the message over to his Holoject.

Dr. Patrick M. Davis...

He was mentally sobbing at this point.

"I can only go so far as to give you that name and ask that you give him this,"

Handing him an envelope.

"But what abo-"

"The one you are looking for to protect you will be arriving here tomorrow. I think you'll like them, going by Avante's words. Also remember that you'll have to be blindfolded while they take you in, and maybe even with some hearing protection."

Out of the frying pan, and into the fire... He thought with grief.

"However, It's still all up to you, Viktor-san. The cards are in your hand. Oh!—Sorry, most of them. Forgot to give you one!" He said while carefully nudging his wife awake before ambling off.

He returned just as quickly with another envelope, this time clearly aged but well-kept. It was completely unremarkable bare those features and a single name, but it weighed heavy in his hands once carefully received.

Upon the front in immaculate cursive ink read simply,

Viktor.