Chapter 7 THE LETHAL CHESSBOARD

The rest of the guests were gathered in the main lounge and watched as Evelyn was escorted out of the room to the clinic. Mr. Blackwood left them to attend to Evelyn, while the masked men, also called the Silent Enigma,

stood guard over the rest of the guest. "You guys don't think she was in actual danger, yeah?" Liv asked in fear. "I don't think so. It just looked as though the fall made her sluggish a little." Lucky said, although doubtful himself. "It kind of seemed as though she was struggling with something other than the fall, though." Victor pointed out. "Yeah... it was as though she could not breathe very well." Izzy agreed. "I think you guys are just overthinking this. Professor, what do you think?" Lucky asked. "It's just a game. What harm could have possibly come to her?" Professor Samuel said, agreeing with Lucky.The door opened, and Mr. Blackwood entered, bringing the conversation to a halt. He stared at them while wearing his signature smile as though he was hiding something that only he knew. "Dr Evelyn, would be fine. We have one of the best health care workers in our clinic. She'll be back in no time." Mr Blackwood announced. The feeling that Victor had while he was entering the hotel suddenly rushed back to him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He felt a chill in the air, and his heart started to race. There was something wrong with this hotel, and he knew he had to leave. "I don't think I want this anymore. I would like to leave." Victor said to the shock of the guest. Mr. Blackwood appeared unfazed. He showed a look of concern and approached Victor. "Are you sure, Mr Victor?" "Yeah. I brought my car here, and I can drive back." Victor said, determined to leave the hotel. "Very well, sir. You can leave tomorrow. It's quite dark already." Mr. Blackwood offered. "I'm fine with the dark. I would like to leave now." Victor insisted and walked past Mr Blackwood towards the door.

Just as he approached the door, the Silent Enigmas walked forward to stop him. Victor, being brave, tried forcing his way past them, but just as he was about pushing one of them away, he felt a sting on his leg and noticed an injection being hidden away quickly in the pocket of the masked man. "I'm sure you must be feeling tired, sir. After all, you just came and haven't rested since you got here. You should take a rest before leaving tomorrow." Mr Blackwood offered. "W–What did.." Victor's eyelids grew heavy as the drug took effect, but he tried desperately to keep them open. His limbs felt weak and unresponsive. He tried to focus on staying awake, but his thoughts became fuzzy and confused. His vision blurred, and the room around them began to spin. He struggled to make sense of what was happening, but soon, the drug took hold, and, he was slowly slipping into unconsciousness. The Silent Enigmas caught him just as he swayed and stifled a yawn. "Please take Mr Victor to his room. He has had a long day." Mr Blackwood ordered the Silent Enigmas who helped Victor out of the room just as he finally fell deep into unconsciousness. "Whoa." Izzy managed to mutter. She felt frozen in place and was unable to act as the event unfolded before her. She didn't understand how Victor could suddenly go from being active to suddenly being so weak. It was weird and strange. "Apologies for what just happened. I hope you're having a great time. If you need anything, please let me know." Mr Blackwood bowed slightly and left the lounge. "That was weird." Liv commented. The rest of the guests nodded in agreement. The atmosphere in the lounge changed drastically in the wake of the event. The guests became subdued, as if they were walking on eggshells. There was a sense of unease in the air. As the hours passed, one by one, the guests retired to their rooms, each of them feeling a sense of uneasiness and fear. The hotel seemed to become still and silent, as if all the life had been sucked out of it. The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the clock, a steady reminder of the passage of time. The next day, they were all gathered for breakfast in the dining room except from Victor. Evelyn had returned with a bandage on her forehead. "Glad you're back. Hope you're okay?" Professor Samuel asked Evelyn. He was not able to sleep very well last night and had bags under his eyes. He kept on thinking about the events that happened the

day before, he tried to convince himself that it was normal but deep down something screamed at him that it wasn't. "Yeah, yeah. I'm good, I woke up with a pounding headache, though, and I can't even remember how

I got to the clinic." Evelyn said, rubbing her head. "What do you mean?" Liv dropped the fork she was holding and asked. "I can't remember anything that happened yesterday. The only thing I remember was checking into the hotel and waking up in the clinic. Everything else seems foggy." Evelyn explained. "You must have had a severe bump in the head then." Lucky said laughing but quickly stopped when everyone was staring at him. Mr Blackwood entered, this time wearing a blue suit and white tie. His smile still plastered on his face as though he was born with the smile. In his hands was the box where someone would have to pick a name to know what challenge to face. "Good morning, dear guests. We will be starting the second challenge this morning. Who would be kind enough to help us pick a name?" Mr Blackwood asked, ignoring the tense atmosphere in the

room. "What of Victor?" Izzy asked, seeing that Victor wasn't in the room. "This game requires two people, and Victor has offered to be the first person." "I thought he wanted to leave yesterday?" Liv highlighted. "He changed his mind." Mr Blackwood said through gritted teeth, losing his composure a bit to the startlement of the guests. "Now who wants to draw the name?"

"I'll pick." Lucky volunteered. With a deep breath, Lucky slowly reached into the box and began to move his hand around, feeling for the single piece of paper he needed. His fingers brushed against the other papers, shuffling them around as he felt for the one that felt right. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his fingers closed around the desired piece of paper. He pulled it out and revealed a name. "Professor Samuel."

He read out. Professor Samuel stood up with his heart beating frantically. Mr Blackwood smiled at him and motioned for Professor Samuel to follow him. Professor Samuel is led into a room dominated by a massive chessboard, its pieces intricately carved and lifelike. Before him stands an eerie, life-sized chess set. Victor stood on the other side of the chess board, on the box where the King chess piece was supposed to be. Instructions on the wall read, "Play your way out or become a pawn in this deadly game." They both soon realize that they must engage in a life-sized game of chess. However, there's a terrifying twist – each move they make corresponds to a real-life action. If they move their own piece forward, they must take a physical step forward, and if a piece is taken, they must enact the capture themselves.

The stakes are high, and they must outwit the chessboard, avoiding traps and attacks by the

opponent's pieces. "The rule of the game is simple. It's like a normal chess game, except you are both the kings of your respective sectors. Professor Samuel represents the King of the White Piece, and Mr Victor represents the King of the Black piece. The goal is to checkmate your opponents. The movement of

the chess piece is automated. All you have to do is call out your moves, and the chess piece would move." Mr. Blackwood explained. "Professor Samuel, please step on the box where the King is supposed to be." Mr Blackwood said. Professor Samuel swallowed his fear and worries and stepped on the empty box on his side. Immediately, he stepped on it. His legs were cuffed and chained down to the box to prevent him from going away. "Hey!" Professor Samuel exclaimed, seeing that he was unable to leave the box. "Goodluck." Mr Blackwood gave them a sly smile and left the room. "Do you understand what's happening now?" Victor asked, his eyes red from trying to fight back tears after having figured out the ruthless nature of what he had walked into. "What are you saying? It's just a game." Professor Samuel said, trying to convince himself. "I don't think. It's just a game." "Stop spouting nonsense, and let's play the game so I can finally be free from this place." As the game commenced, they began to call out their moves, their voices echoing across the room. The knights and bishops moved gracefully, the rooks advanced with powerful strides, and the pawns

followed in determined ranks. The tension in the air was palpable as the game progressed. Each move was carefully considered, and the chess pieces responded with precision, their metallic bodies gliding across the board. The guests

watched in the main lounge in awe as the battle of wits and strategy unfolded before their eyes.

As the game reached its climax, Professor Samuel made a daring move, sacrificing one of his knights to gain a strategic advantage. Victor countered with a brilliant manoeuvre, putting Samuel in a precarious position. Victor called out, "Checkmate!" His rook descended upon Samuel. As Victor's rook descended upon Samuel, there was a chilling realization that this was no ordinary chess piece. The once-majestic and regal figure, now imbued with a gruesome fate, stood frozen in an agonizing moment.

"Mr Blackwood, the game is over. Victor has won, can I leave now?" Samuel called out to the

cameras in the room seeing the rook towering over him. His insides were twisted in knots and his heart was beating erratically.

"I'm sorry." Victor mouthed, tears pooling down his face as he knew what was about to happen.

"What? What are you saying? Get me out of here!" Samuel yelled, trying to rip the cuff away from his leg to no avail. "What's happening? The game is over, get them out of there." Lucky confronted Mr . Blackwood who only gave a sinister smile. "The game is not over. Mr Leo." He said in a chilling voice. With a swift and merciless strike, the rook's metallic form pierced through the chest of Samuel. The sound of flesh tearing apart rang out as the blade punctured his heart, and his guts spilled out. The room was filled with a cacophony of mechanical whirs and grinding, a grotesque symphony of destruction. Blood oozed from the body staining the once-pristine white square with a dark and haunting reminder of his gory demise. Professor Samuel 's scholarly countenance twisted in anguish. His limbs jerked and twitched, a futile attempt to stave off the inevitable. As the rook withdrew its blade, the lifeless body crumpled to the ground, a mortal carcass devoid of the vitality it once possessed. The grand chessboard, once a battlefield of strategy and intellect, had borne witness to a gruesome spectacle, a stark reminder that in this world, the line between the

game and reality was blurred, and victory came at the cost of a gory death.