Chương 358: A Friends Support

Vale stared down at the emerald grass beneath his feet, his gaze utterly vacant and devoid of recognition or purpose. His eyes remained fixed upon the blades swaying gently in the morning breeze, yet he did not truly see them. His thoughts were elsewhere, collapsing beneath the unbearable weight of the memory he had witnessed. Every attempt to make sense of it only dragged him deeper into confusion, until a single question repeated itself over and over, refusing to loosen its grip on his mind.

'If I truly died... then why am I still alive?'

"Wanna play a game?" The unexpected voice finally broke through the haze. Vale stirred slightly before turning his head toward the familiar speaker. Across the weathered wooden table sat Eskar, looking much the same as he had when Vale had discovered him deep within the forest. One arm was still missing, one eye remained an empty socket, and beneath the torn skin of his shoulder, molten veins pulsed with an orange glow that resembled flowing magma far more than blood.

Some irrational part of Vale had hoped all of it had merely been a nightmare born from poison and exhaustion. Seeing Eskar sitting there shattered that hope. A faint, sorrowful smile tugged at Vale's lips.

"What good would that do?" he asked softly, his voice carrying so little strength that it barely sounded bitter anymore. Eskar simply sighed before reaching beneath the table and producing an old wooden chessboard. He unfolded it with practiced ease, carefully arranging the carved pieces one by one without any hint of urgency. Only after placing the final piece in its proper position did he finally answer.

"Not everything needs a purpose to deserve existing," he said calmly.

"Some things simply exist... and that's alright." His lone blue eye lifted from the board to meet Vale's.

"So," he asked again, "will you play?" Vale didn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze wandered beyond the table toward the clearing where the young forest drakes chased one another through the grass, snapping playfully at each other's tails while their cheerful growls echoed throughout the camp. They knew nothing of forgotten memories, deaths, or lives that no longer made sense. Watching them stirred something inside him. Eventually, he looked back toward the board. Without speaking, he gave a small nod.

Eskar's expression softened imperceptibly.

"Have you ever played before?" Vale slowly shook his head.

"No." A flicker of surprise crossed Eskar's face before disappearing just as quickly.

"Then we'll keep it simple." Patiently, he began introducing each piece one at a time. He explained how the pawns marched forward, how the rooks controlled straight lines, how bishops crossed the board diagonally, and how knights moved in their peculiar pattern, unlike anything else. Finally, he explained the queen before resting his fingers atop the king itself. Though Vale hardly looked interested, Eskar never rushed.

Occasionally, he demonstrated a move, repositioning a piece before returning it to its original place, making certain the rules were understood before continuing. Only when he was satisfied did he lean back slightly.

"Ready?" Vale stared at the perfectly arranged board for several long seconds before exhaling through his nose. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"As ready as I'll ever be... I guess." Eskar nodded once.

"Then let's begin." He claimed the white pieces and calmly opened the match. For a while, the only sounds were the soft clicking of carved wood against polished squares and the distant laughter drifting through the camp. Then, without looking away from the board, Eskar quietly spoke.

"So... you died." It wasn't phrased as a question. He finished moving his pawn before glancing back toward Vale.

"Your move." Vale's eyes widened imperceptibly. For several seconds, he simply stared at the board before cautiously pushing one of his own pawns forward.

"... I think I did." Eskar answered with another move.

"And now you're wondering why you're still alive." Vale nodded faintly, never taking his eyes from the game.

"Pretty much." A quiet chuckle escaped Eskar.

"I suppose that's only natural." Another piece moved. Vale mirrored it. His brow slowly furrowed.

"What do you mean?" he asked, fingers lingering over one of his pieces. After a brief hesitation, he finally looked up.

"Have you... Ever died?" This time, Eskar didn't answer right away. His attention remained fixed upon the board as though carefully considering several future moves before calmly advancing his knight.

"I have." The simple admission sent a chill crawling down Vale's spine. His hand froze above the chessboard.

"... Then how are you alive?" Silence lingered for several moments before Eskar finally answered.

"I got lucky." Vale's jaw tightened.

"Lucky?" He frowned.

"Can you give me a real answer?" Eskar let out another quiet sigh before nodding.

"Very well." He made another move.

"My Enigma revived me." Understanding flashed across Vale's face.

'Of course.' What else could it have been?

'Then mine...'

'Kealix revived me, too?' The realization settled uneasily inside his chest, raising even more questions than it answered. Before he could disappear into his thoughts again, another sharp click echoed across the board as Eskar calmly placed another piece into position.

"However..." His voice became noticeably firmer.

"Do you intend to spend this second life dwelling on what happened... or do you intend to live the life your Enigma returned to you?" Vale stared silently at the chessboard.

"I... haven't figured that out yet." Eskar nodded once before making another move.

"You have people here, Vale." Another piece advanced.

"Friends. Comrades. People who would gladly risk their lives for yours." Only then did he raise his eye to meet Vale's.

"So tell me... are you truly willing to throw all of that away chasing a past that may never return?" His queen slid gracefully across the board.

"Checkmate." Vale barely noticed. His thoughts had already begun spiraling again. After forcing himself to refocus, he eventually found a move that escaped the immediate threat before quietly answering.

"I just want to know." There was something almost pleading beneath his voice now.

"I want to know who I was." Eskar answered with another measured move.

"Even if learning the truth destroys everything you've built?" Vale's jaw slowly clenched.

"You speak like you already know the answer." His voice had become noticeably sharper.

"But you don't know who I used to be." He pushed one of his own pieces forward with considerably more force than necessary.

"What if there were people waiting for me? What if I had parents? A brother. A sister. A family that actually loved me?" His breathing gradually became uneven again as emotions he had kept buried for months resurfaced all at once.

"What if I had all of that?" He met Eskar's gaze directly.

"So why should I stop searching?" Eskar remained silent for several moments. Then he asked only a single question.

"And what happens if you find them?" Vale opened his mouth. But no sound came out. The answer should have been obvious. Instead, he found himself completely speechless. Eskar watched him quietly before continuing.

"The truth is much simpler than you think." He advanced another piece.

"If everything you just imagined turns out to be real, you'll leave." Vale's eyes flickered.

"You'll leave behind the people standing beside you today. You'll leave behind the life you've built. You'll leave us." A bitter laugh escaped Vale before he leaned forward across the table.

"So what?" His frustration finally surfaced.

"You want me to stay here forever without knowing who I am?" Eskar slowly lifted one of his pieces between two fingers. His expression remained calm.

"No." He gently placed the piece back onto the board.

"I want you to understand... that there is more than one road forward." His remaining hand rested lightly upon the king.

"You spend so much time staring behind you that you've forgotten to look ahead." With one final movement, he slid his queen into place.

"Checkmate." Silence settled over the board. Neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved. After nearly half a minute, Eskar quietly rose from his chair and walked around the table before stopping beside Vale. Resting his remaining hand gently upon the younger man's shoulder, he looked down at the defeated chessboard before speaking one final time.

"I'm not telling you to stop searching for the truth." His voice had softened again, carrying the quiet certainty of someone who had already walked a similar road.

"I'm telling you not to become so obsessed with the man you used to be..."

"... that you never give yourself the chance to become someone even better."