cosmic chaos ➣ a zodiac story

xi - the need to leave

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THE GAME WAS over. It was as simple as that.

Defeat was often hard to accept. People would dwell in denial while claiming the opposite. The game of life was the same. It's hard to accept when you've lost a game you played so hard or well at.

Kaede could not even muster one word as he stared at the two aces laying on top of his two aces.

Everyone was silent. Takara had to hold in her laughter (she had a knack for laughing when it wasn't appropriate).

He was sure he had won the game. He placed his whole gamble on it. He planned his victory!

He saw the board. The same chessboard he saw every time he played or had a plan. It was a visual interpretation for his mind to comprehend his thoughts, and it always gained him a victory of some sort. Senzo's king was almost caught in check. The game was supposed to be his. Kaede had the aces.

In president, with any amount of aces, you can easily become invincible. If anyone placed any amount of cards that was equal to the number of aces you had, you could win with the right beforehand planning.

With two aces in his hand and a gamble in the other, Kaede went for the win.

However, here he was. Handing his and Via's chips over to Senzo.

The scent of embarrassment choked him.

The view before him was terrifying. Senzo was on a throne. He was grinning. In his hands were the lives of Kaede and Via. He now had authority.

Kaede blinked and the scene changed.

Now, Senzo and Via stood beside each other. Senzo had a crown on top of him. Via had a ring on her finger.

The scene faded in nothing as reality hit him again.

Oh, I lost. What a surprise. Kaede thought to himself.

"Wonderful. I won!" Senzo clapped happily like a seal.

Via, although was half-expecting this, was always half-not expecting this. Winning wasn't unusual to hear, but Senzo winning against the king of gambling was. Kaede was simply the best of the best. His mind worked through thinking of strategies in the form of chess. Kings, queens, pawns, and all. That's how Kaede always won. With his tactics and strategies thought through a unique system in his mind. This wasn't a miracle, was it? How did Senzo win without losing his diamond chip at least? That was initially the plan. Via squinted out of frustration. Though she was proud of Senzo for winning, she still had muddled thinking.

"You won . . . " Kaede felt a cold feeling of realization.

Senzo nodded. "Indeed. I did," He said.

Tension grew thick in the air between the two males in the room.

"Uh, congrats?" Takara squeaked. Obviously, she was trying to ease the tension. Even so, it didn't falter.

Accept your defeat, Kaede. Don't go into denial. How did he win, though? It was like he knew I had two aces! Did he cheat somehow? No, Senzo would never. How then? Kaede simply couldn't find the answer.