ã€ŠThe Magical School for Chess Battlersã€‹


 1. The Sixteen Chess Players

    I was handing out resumes all day long, some of them sent by email as well. I was all alone, surviving on what little I earned from odd jobs and teaching chess online. Furthermore, I had run away from my parents and preferred not to contact any of the few relatives who possibly still remembered me.

    Arriving home, with my eyes pointed at an empty refrigerator, I detoured my walk, went into my room and locked myself in to play chess. I wanted to compete again, to be a high-level professional who could be talked about because of his skill; I had a lot of fun playing, but I barely had enough money to pay for internet. That night I only won two games out of the dozen I played. When I got depressed I played even worse.

    Without feeling the splinters of the rough edge of my desk, I fell asleep, either from exhaustion or a tendency to get depressed thinking about what a failure I was as a person. My parents had warned me years before, and I had been kicked out of college because I didn''t want to study. Being a good student in high school hadn''t helped.

    ¡°I''m a failure.¡± I thought between my dreams, which replayed the memories of my angry parents and the advice of my college teachers.

    The night seemed too long, despite how deep my sleep was. I woke up confused among blankets I didn''t recognize and on a bed too comfortable to be my own.

    ¡°Where the heck am I?¡± I thought, before repeating it a couple of times in fearful whispers.

    All around me, similar whispers sounded as well. I was frightened to such an extent that I worried about only two things; was I naked, did I have any weapon at hand?

    ¡°Hello?¡± I heard between sobs, the delicate voice of who I assumed was a little girl.

    I got up as slowly and quietly as possible. Likewise, I determined that I was not naked, for I retained the same sweatpants and T-shirt in which I had sat playing chess and in which I usually slept. To my disappointment, I found nothing nearby to use as a weapon.

    The little peace was disturbed, the murmurs turned into a barrage of questions and complaints that could not be distinguished. Suddenly someone said with determination ¡°Light! All rise!¡±

    The room lit up, and the room became irritating to me, a twenty-year-old fellow who never left the house unless it was to work... or look for work. In front of me I caught the presence of the little girl who was still making a tremendous effort not to cry, as she looked side to side in fear.

    It was a beautiful room, decorated with themes and images of chess pieces, with sixteen beds in all, arranged facing each other in two rows of eight beds. From each bed stood a different person, completely unknown to me.

    The voice that summoned the light from the room was now a man in guard attire, tall and firm, but with a gentle and seemingly friendly countenance, he looked over everyone quickly. As he passed my spot, his eyes flashed like a scanner.

    ¡°Where am I, who are you?¡± he inquired, angrily, a man about my age.

    I was too surprised that no one else seemed to want to talk. I myself wondered why I didn''t speak. Maybe I was waiting for the tall guard to explain something to us. Although I also believed, for a second, that we would be killed before we received any explanation. Then, the tall man spoke in the voice of an elegant military man.

    ¡°You may refer to me as the guide Izan... or simply Izan.¡±

    ¡°Have we been kidnapped?¡± Said a young, short, bespectacled man.

    After that, the sixteen of us there, including the little girl, kept silent without taking our eyes off the man. His gaze silenced us.

    ¡°If you will allow me, I will give the details of your situation.¡±

    The little girl hugged a stuffed cat that I was surprised she hadn''t let go in the commotion. Perhaps she realized I was watching her, because she returned my gaze and my frozen brain barely opted to greet her by waving my right hand.

    ¡°Your existence is not required on Earth!¡± Izan exclaimed, ¡°They are here because they have a unique link to chess and the power of The Challengers summoned them to this place, the White school.¡±

    ¡°What a load of crap, where are we and who the hell are you, who are you working for?¡±

    Izan moved imperceptibly and swiftly, standing next to the girl who had just spoken. He stared at her and spoke so that we could all hear.

    ¡°Miss Gabriela. Abandoned by your millionaire parents, abused at your university, surrounded by lackeys you call friends and with a messy life. But I am not allowed to judge you. I hope you will allow me to keep talking and never interrupt me again.¡±

    We all shook our heads, looked at each other in silence. The kindly guide who had been treating us formally now sounded like a dashing assassin who had just issued a threat.

    ¡°This is a chess school, magical if that''s what you want to call it. Your lives in human society are either worthless or you have been rejected so that you have been cornered into an existential void, and it has destined you for loneliness.¡±

    The man continued talking as he led us into an adjoining room, where he instructed us to change clothes in dressing rooms oddly suited to each of us. On mine was a picture of my family and one of my dog who had passed away a couple of months ago.

    ¡°As you may have noticed, we know all about you. Don''t worry, you won''t be harmed, for now.¡±

    As he finished that sentence, some of us were walking out of the locker room, I felt a shiver run down my back and a tingling in my hands.

    ¡°You will notice that everything here is about chess. In effect, this place is an academy for chess fighters. Your skill will define not only your destiny, but that of many on Earth.¡±

    I didn''t instantly understand what he was telling us. I just tried not to lose track of the sixteen who by now were my classmates, on my way to the dining hall. We were all dressed in the only clothes we were given; long dresses for the women and suits with ties for the men.

    ¡°In these classrooms you will receive the necessary teaching to increase your playing ability and in the appropriate places you will be given physical training. And here, it''s the dining hall.¡±

    A crowd of people were making their way to the place, laid out with large square tables. Each table had a pillar in its center that lit up as the sixteen people in each group sat around it.

    ¡°Each table is for each piece, you are the sixteenth piece and I will be your guide throughout your training in this school.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Izan, how long will we be here?¡± asked the little girl who still would not let go of her stuffed cat.

    ¡°Miss Valentina, it doesn''t matter how long you are here, because no one gets old here. However, the biggest reason is that no one cares about you in the human world.¡± He looked up after kneeling down to speak to the little girl. ¡°As many would say, you are not loved.¡±

    Izan disappeared. The little girl accompanied us and sat down next to a girl who had not said anything during the whole tour, had not greeted anyone and did not seem upset by anything that had happened.

    After a brief moment some people from the group began to talk at the table. As the food arrived, in front of us, a few teachers were introduced to complete our induction.

    Information was pouring out and all around us the other groups were eating smoothly. They all looked experienced and confident. From the induction it was clear to me that there were only two ways out of there; die in game or be the champions of the interschool tournament. Ah, of course, if we died in that world we would also die in the human world.

    I found the situation terrifying, but, Izan was right, that''s why none of us were upset as one would expect, at the news of death. No one was in a hurry to return to the human world.

    Breakfast was delicious, I wouldn''t have complained. But, despite the comfort we felt in that place, my insides felt a nagging emptiness and intrigue. I tried to socialize as the others had begun to do, but I didn''t know what to say. Everyone seemed to have already assimilated the situation. Except for two people.

    Little Valentina was playing with her stuffed animal while she ate slowly. The other person, an impassive and silent young woman about my age, paid no attention to anyone''s greetings or gestures. They were both very strange.

    We had a break that allowed us to talk to each other and get to know each other better before class. I refused to keep trying to socialize and adopted the position of the girl and the silent young woman. As I did so, I noticed that the ages of the people there were very similar, except for some age differences that I managed to notice; a couple of elderly people were among the other pieces, a few teenagers in others and in ours was Valentina.

    A woman with long blonde hair directed us to a classroom. I felt like I was in college again, which was not pleasant for me. I waited for the others to sit down and ended up taking the seat between the girl and the silent young woman.

    ¡°I''ll be your teacher, I''m Susana. Don''t expect us to teach you the basics, we have books for that. You probably still have questions so what are they?¡±.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Silence fell over the place, though it didn''t seem to be out of fear. The attitude of my classmates and my own thoughts told me that no one there was really happy with their life; this school was giving us a motivation to live, if you could call it that.

    ¡°Your spirits must overpower your mind and if you decide to be so stupid as to intentionally lose or cheat. Their bodies and spirits will pay for it.¡±

    ¡°We were told that by winning we will also be rewarded. If we win the competitions what will happen?¡± Asked a woman ¡°What will we get?¡±.

    ¡°From now on they will be chess fighters. During practice, you will suffer damage and if you lose in the tournament with The Black School you will die immediately. There is really only one competition they must win to be awarded, the tournament against The Black School. And well, at the end of it all they will also get riches to ease their mortal lives.¡±

    Everyone waited anxiously for the teacher to continue speaking, although many were eager for the prize, I was just curious as to why we had to play and for how long.

    ¡°You will gain Focus, this is a score that will indicate your power level every time you defeat your opponents, but you will die every time you lose to one of The Black School. You may have noticed that there are fighters missing in some groups. You are the sixteenth piece, you are complete because you are newcomers. But, in piece two there is only one person left.¡±

    ¡°This is absurd!¡± Someone exclaimed holding back a shout.

    I could no longer contain my intrigue and interjected in explanation ¡°Why exactly are we playing, is there a reason?¡±

    ¡°Master Gabriel, you mean well, but you are a failure, that''s how you describe yourself. Finally, someone makes a useful intervention. It''s simple, disputes and fights in the human world are never resolved randomly, so...¡±

    I made a frown and my body shuddered. Suddenly someone moved next to me, the silent young woman stood up and held up a sheet of paper with a text she had just written.

    ¡°That''s right, ladies and gentlemen, as Abigail rightly says, a game of chess in this world is a fight in the human world. Simply put, you will resolve the fate of humanity in every game.¡±

    I sat with my arms hanging off my body, leaning my back against the seat and controlling my breathing. I whispered ¡°is someone''s life up to me again?¡±.

    ¡°Every time you play a game, a fight between two brothers or a war between two nations will be unleashed. So the outcome of your game and the way you play will decide who triumphs and who loses, will decide who lives and who perishes, who suffers and who does not.¡±

    ¡°Stop! Does that mean that the events of our lives have been decided by chess games in this world?¡± one man asked.

    ¡°No, some events are left to the mercy of human decisions, which are usually stupid. But, when there is a relevant event in the human world, a game in this world is influencing it.¡±

    ¡°Wars, massacres and massive disasters.¡± I whispered.

    ¡°You are correct, Master Gabriel.¡±

    ¡°Interesting! But why us?¡± Gabriela said, the most determined and sociable, from what I noticed until that instant.

    ¡°Miss, your skill at chess is remarkable, besides, I guess they already told you that you are not relevant in the human world... but here you will be.¡±

    ¡°Well, finally playing chess is of some use to me.¡± Gabriela said.

    The teacher Susana explained the workings of our school, only what we seemed to be allowed to know. On top of that, she gave us a one-sentence lesson to end our day class and leave us alone in the classroom.

    ¡°Don''t expect help from others, because in the end you will always be alone, is that the lesson?¡± Little Valentina said into the air, hoping perhaps that someone would help her understand.

    I had thought we would be taught chess theory or sent to solve tactical exercises. However, all we got was the phrase that Valentina didn''t understand and the recommendation that we be never late.

    ¡°Don''t worry girl, we''ll be fine.¡± It was the only thing I could say to the girl, who upon hearing my answer shrugged her shoulders and spoke to me lightly sketching a smile.

    ¡°My name is Valentina, I''m seven years old.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Valentina. I''m Gabriel, I guess you''ve already heard it from the teacher, do you like chess?¡±

    ¡°It''s the only thing my dad was able to teach me before he died.¡±

    I hesitated. ¡°I''m sorry, what about your mother?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, she left us when I was three or four. I don''t remember her.¡±

    My breathing felt a brief interruption in its normal rhythm, my chest felt tight. I was used to seeing horrible things in the world, still that little girl had kicked me in the heart.

    The silent young woman on my other side touched my arm to get my attention. Then she slid her diary in front of me, with a message written on one page. ¡°What do you hope to accomplish by asking such questions of a girl you don''t know?¡±

    It didn''t seem to me that she had done anything improper. The girl seemed to want to talk to someone, but at the same time she looked scared. I also didn''t think she minded being alone and in a strange place; she didn''t cry or get upset at any point during the induction.

    ¡°You don''t need to write messages, you know? The teacher gave us permission to do whatever we want until the afternoon.¡± I said to the young woman handing back her diary.

    The young woman looked at me angrily, then looked down, wrote in her journal and slid it back on my desk. ¡°I am mute.¡±

    I passed saliva, asked to be excused, and continued talking to the girl, who had begun painting in her journal. We had all been handed one along with a pencil that, as we wished, would change color. ¡°For a girl her age that must be great,¡± I thought.

    I kept silent, pondering what had happened so far. I couldn''t help but consider the possibility that I was dreaming. However, the very realistic sensations and the information they had about us made me doubt it. It seemed impossible to me that my mind was simulating all that during a deep sleep.

    ¡°This will be our destination by the looks of it, and it looks like fun!¡± Gabriela said approaching me.

    ¡°I don''t put much stock in fate and few things amuse me, so I don''t think we''ll match. But, good for you.¡± I said.

    ¡°Don''t be a spoilsport. We''ll get everything here, no one will bother us, and we could win a lot of things.¡±

    ¡°You did hear that to win the prize we have to risk our lives and kill our rivals from the other school, right? Not to mention that we''ll be unleashing chaos and death on Earth.¡±

    ¡°I don''t like that.¡± Said Valentina, who had been listening.

    ¡°Wow, does that matter to you, Gabriel. Did you notice that we have almost the same name? Dale, let''s go tour the school, they''ll go too.¡± Gabriela said, ignoring Valentina and pointing with her hand to some classmates.

    ¡°I''ll pass, thanks for the invitation.¡± I replied angrily.

    People left the classroom, only Valentina and I were left. I told her let''s go out to learn more about the place and not get lost later. We did, we walked down some hallways and found the bathrooms.

    ¡°Come please!¡± Valentina said as she came out of the bathroom shaking the water off her hands.

    As we entered the women''s restrooms I was met with a familiar scene. Gabriela and a couple of henchmen were forcing the young mute to remove her clothes. The victim was also wet from head to toe and was hugging her dress tightly.

    Holding back my fury and trying to ignore the past in which I had received similar treatment in high school, I shouted ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°You''re not very smart. You should know what''s going on here, you can stay and enjoy the show if you want. The mute isn''t that ugly.¡± Replied one of the women accompanying Gabriela.¡±

    ¡°Get out if you don''t want to suffer!¡± It was the only thing that came out of my mouth at that instant. I didn''t think about it, it just came out.

    Gabriela walked up to me, raised her hand and threw a slap that would have caused me quite a bit of pain had it not been for my protector. In class, the teacher explained that we each had a being who would protect us from harm in that place, except during a game of chess.

    The bully''s hand was stopped by a shield around me, Gabriela winced, shook her hand and, along with her group of bullies, took flight. Though, before that, she allowed herself to challenge me in a low, defiant voice.

    ¡°This afternoon we will play against each other, as the teacher said. We will choose our opponents. Don''t expect a friendly game... I''ll make every damn bone ache until you wish you''d been on my side from the start!¡±

    Without responding to the threat, I signaled Valentina to come over, she helped me lift the young mute, fix her dress and carry her into the room.

    ¡°Why didn''t your protector work?¡± Valentina asked the young woman inside her dressing room, after she had bathed.

    The woman came out, very beautiful, in a black dress ready for the afternoon event. The rest of my colleagues were arriving to change their clothes. I had already done it, while Valentina helped the young girl change her clothes and get dressed. The girl changed her dress and we left.

    We were checking books in the library where we would meet for the games the teacher had announced. As we enlisted earlier, we had time to talk and read. Though in all that the mute young woman was not answering our questions.

    ¡°What''s your name?¡± Valentina asked the woman.

    ¡°They''re coming. I know you don''t want to say anything, but would you mind telling us what happened in the bathrooms? We''re supposed to have a protective spirit that protects us from any harm outside of chess games.¡± I said.

    The woman sighed, looked at us with her eyes as if obscured by an opaque varnish and wrote in her diary. ¡°The protector only works if you don''t want to allow harm against you and I thought using it would harm them... and my name is Abigail.¡±

    The huge place, crammed with books, had now filled with students, chess players or fighters as many called them there. It was not a dark place, but it was serious and formal, with no extravagant or overly colorful decorations. Everyone remained silent, accompanied by their guides. Izan appeared almost at the same time as the others.

    ¡°Piece sixteen, ready.¡± Izan said, after another guide who had said the same thing and followed by another who repeated the same phrase, each mentioning their respective piece.

    ¡°All the pieces are in, it''s time to play!¡± Shouted the teacher Susana, accompanied by a man I assumed was a teacher, old and with a long beard.

    The library shuddered, the room expanded, the floor changed color and the different pieces were separated one from the other to be elevated on platforms that let us see, from the height, the tables and chairs that emerged from the floor among shiny ash.

    The teacher waited for the place to quiet down, though the murmuring from some in our piece did not stop until she began to speak again. ¡°Welcome, fighters of piece sixteen!¡±

    All around me everyone, in every piece, on every dais, looked majestic. Absolute elegance, challenging smiles and gentle faces could be seen. We could also hear murmurs that did not speak well of us newcomers.

    The teacher shouted from her podium. ¡°Pairing! Now, those who want to play must say so, declare their desire to play.¡±

    Suddenly, dozens of voices, each on their own side, announced their intention to play. Among all those declarations, I heard the voice of one of the elders and the voice of another girl about Valentina''s age.

    ¡°I declare I want to play!¡± Gabriela, the bully, exclaimed decisively, who gave me a glance out of the corner of her eye before vanishing from our dais and appearing immediately after, standing next to one of the tables.

    No one else on our dais had dared to launch the statement. A part of my being wanted to play, this was the closest I had ever come to fulfilling my dream of playing in a high-level tournament. However, this was hard to believe, it was magical and... the other part of my being was afraid of failing, as always.

    The teacher looked up, which had been fixedly watching the tables. ¡°No more declarations! Now, summon a rival.¡±

    My fearful, insecure, distrustful self-made my feet take a step back. I already knew what that meant.

    ¡°I summon Valentina, from piece sixteen!¡± Said the girl who had declared she wanted to play. Valentina quickly looked at me in awe, hugged her stuffed animal tightly and appeared downstairs in front of the little girl who had summoned her.

    The little girl kept looking at me after giving little nervous glances at her rival. I feigned assurance, nodded my head and raised a fist in a show of strength towards her. The girl nodded back, grabbed her stuffed animal with one hand and offered the handshake to her rival and then sat down.

    The invocations kept booming, my head was getting dizzy with so many voices and my heart was beating too fast. Never before had I felt so worried about having to play chess. So, I clenched my fists, pounded my chest, stood up firmly and closed my eyes. I was ready to be transported to Gabriela''s table.

    Gabriela''s voice, irritating and loud, reached my ears. ¡°I summon Abigail, from piece sixteen!¡±

    I flinched, opened my eyes and turned to look at Abigail who was already fading away to appear downstairs. Gabriela looked at me, smiling. I mumbled insults at her and expected the worst. ¡°That bitch is going to hurt Abigail again.¡±

 2. The Bloody Chess Games

    I gritted my teeth during my moments of silence, which were many and long. I was very concentrated watching the departures of the two people who, up to that moment, I liked.

    Next to me, suddenly, a sort of glowing pillar of smoke rose up and solidified into the guide Izan. ¡°You should have played, practice and endurance are the first things to master here. It''s necessary to get used to the pain.¡±

    ¡°Pain?¡± I asked with my eyes widened to the limit.

    I had forgotten that we would suffer damage while playing, but what kind of damage? In the midst of my musing, a piercing scream caused me to unfocus my gaze from Abigail''s departure. I searched for the source of such an agonizing noise.

    Henry, the young man wearing glasses, was hugging his abdomen. We had a scroll on each dais that functioned as a screen. On this one we saw that the protector of Henry''s rival transformed into a horrible looking beast that attacked him with its claws; the cut was deep.

    Usually protectors were animal-like beings. Ours appeared in the classroom. The teacher Susana had explained that they would take the shape of animals that were related or similar to us. My protector was a wolf, although I had assumed it would be a dog because of my deceased pet.

    During our visit to the library, before the chess games, Valentina had named her protective cat Fabulous, Abigail''s protective dog Fortune, and my wolf Cute. They seemed ridiculous names to me; more so, considering that Abigail wasn''t exactly fortunate in the bathrooms and my wolf looked aggressively serious.

    The teacher reminded everyone that they were to continue playing until her body was unable to continue the game. Henry held one hand over his wound and with the other continued to play.

    Behind us Izan''s voice came as a whisper. ¡°That is why you must gain endurance and strength. No one will die, for now, but the pain and wounds you suffer will be real, will take time to heal and will make it difficult for you to play again the following days. You need to play and improve your skill, otherwise the pain endured will be in vain.¡±

    ¡°Defeats are painful, but if we endure and improve, then will we start winning?¡± inquired one of Gabriela''s minions.

    ¡°Probably.¡± Izan replied.

    In front of us the screen showed us a message in red. Henry had fallen, his hands loosened on his legs as his head hit the back of the chair. Blood gushed from the wound on the side of his abdomen.

    ¡°Henry, of the sixteenth piece, has lost!¡± Announced the bearded old man accompanying Master Susanna.

    In an instant, Henry dissolved into a cinder on the chair, it faded to the floor and his opponent struggled to his feet. He coughed a couple of times, had bruises on his face and a slight cut on his chest, after that he collapsed on the floor.

    After our colleague''s rival disappeared as well, Izan mentioned that both of them would be in the infirmary. Wishing Henry was well, I wanted to go back to watching Valentina and Abigail''s games, but not before taking a look at Henry''s game. The position of the chess pieces was too difficult.

    ¡°Mr. Izan, excuse me, did Henry lose because of his wound? I don''t see checkmate, and it looks like the position is too close.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel, you are perceptive. But it wasn''t because of that. The young gentleman Henry thought about agreeing to draw, however, just considering that option in the mind intensifies the pain and hurt in the body. Henry lost by wanting to draw, and his body did not withstand the consequences.¡±

    ¡°Consequences? Then it is forbidden to tie.¡± Intervened a companion in my piece.

    ¡°No, you can always draw if you want to... but you will have to resist what comes with the draw. Henry didn''t reach to offer the draw to his opponent before collapsing, which gave him the loss.¡±

    Izan glanced at all of us, as if assessing which of our expressions of terror was more pathetic. Possibly mine was not because, despite being very empathetic and sensitive, I had become very cold and expressionless over the years.

    ¡°I recommend that you always play with determined intentions to win.¡± Izan concluded.

    After getting over the impression that Henry''s case had made on me, I went back to concentrating on my teammates'' games. Valentina''s game was not progressing, my little companion was being too slow in every move while her opponent was playing fast and determined. In Abigail''s game I saw a pitiful position for Gabriela.

    I focused so much on my mute partner''s game that I forgot to check Valentina''s from time to time, perhaps because of the surprise that Abigail was destroying Gabriela. But, despite that victory, the situation became too painful.

    Abigail won with great ease, which left her with a couple of scratches and cuts on her arms that did not receive attention in the infirmary. Immediately, the winner was returned to our elevated platform and the brutally tortured Gabriela was taken to the infirmary.

    ¡°I admit I wasn''t expecting that.¡± I said to Abigail, as the companions let out faint babbles and whispers commenting on the games.

    Abigail sighed, she seemed relieved of a heavy burden, her hands were shaking and for some reason she was drying her eyes with a handkerchief. I refused to believe it, but, Abigail had cried. I thought of some kind phrase to congratulate her, but I didn''t have time. A heart-rending announcement echoed through the library.

    ¡°Valentina, from piece sixteen, has lost!¡±

    My eyes immediately focused on Valentina''s table, red liquid could be seen dripping continuously from her chair. Her small hands rested on the floor and her curls were tousled. The ebony color of her cheeks was gone. One of them, pale in the extreme, brushed against one of the table legs. I looked at the parchment, one move before collapsing, the little girl had dropped her stuffed cat.

    ¡°That''s too many wounds.¡± Said someone in front of me.

    I turned my head, looked at Abigail with my eyes closed and my head slightly bowed. I spoke to her without thinking ¡°Gotta go!¡±

    I burned with anger when I saw that no one seemed concerned about her. She was taken to the infirmary, but I wanted to accompany her. Without reasoning for a second I went to the edge of the platform to launch myself, it wasn''t a dangerous height and I trusted my protector.

    ¡°Stop Gabriel!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Izan, I must go see that girl, she''s in a very bad way.¡±

    ¡°True, if it wasn''t for the magic of this place she would probably die in a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°She''s suffering too much, she''s alone, she needs someone, monsters, everyone here looks like robots!¡± I said throwing a menacing glare at my group.

    ¡°In your world she had to be taken care of by parents, teachers, governments. She would be dead if it weren''t for us. She will not die yet, here she will heal after the game she lost. Tell me who are the real monsters?¡±

    ¡°She''d be dead if it weren''t for you, what the hell does that mean!¡±

    ¡°Gabriel, you were playing chess, comfortable in your room before the power of the Challengers brought you. That little girl was about to be killed by a bomb next to the orphanage where she slept with hundreds of children.¡±

    Izan looked at the other members of The Sixteenth Piece as a sword appeared in his hand. ¡°Do not even think of ignoring my orders. One contempt and I will send you to the infirmary without having played, or worse, to your miserable lives.¡±

    I panicked, not so much about returning to my life on The Earth or being seriously injured. I worried that any of the punishments Izan would impose on me would prevent me from helping Valentina.

    Abigail took my arm, gently tugged me away from Izan and showed me her journal.

    ¡°She''ll be fine, she''s stronger than you think.¡± It said the message she had written to me.

    I took a deep breath, crossed my arms and pretended to keep looking at the remaining games, my mind running through the biggest failures of my life and remembering the friends I lost because of me. More players, badly wounded, continued to fade away.

    Flashes, sounds, wounds, beasts were perceived at every instant and the losers kept falling. Dozens of people, bloodied and even mutilated, were taken to the infirmary where, Izan explained, they would heal to the point of recovering parts of their bodies.

    I did not agree with so much pain, but, in a moment of lucidity, I remembered that each of those departures was unleashing pain and death on earth. In spite of that, I stood my ground, the people who were there did not seem concerned about the chaos they were causing on The Earth.

    One hand showed me her diary ¡°On The Earth they must be having a very hard time.¡±

    Abigail had been thinking the same thing I was. As I looked at her, her face denoted terror and a strong desire to cry. At that moment I remembered seeing a similar expression on her face seconds after defeating Gabriela. It wasn''t her rival that worried Abigail, nor was she terrified just because of what happened to Valentina. Abigail knew that, because of these games, many people were being killed on Earth.

    I thought we would not be so affected by the game and its magic. According to Master Susana, humanity was doing stupid things and any dispute that was caused was going to end badly; it didn''t matter if we solved it in a game or if it was solved by mortals in a peaceful conversation on Earth. There would always be painful consequences.

    It became clear to me that we could not take sides either, that is, we would not know who we were saving or who we were killing in the human world. Our intentions during the game had to be to win, no matter who we were benefiting.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    The hours passed, I didn''t know exactly how many. We had been told that we would not age, but we did have to respect the hours as we did in our world. When the games were over, Abigail and I ran to the infirmary. We were disappointed when we arrived.

    Indeed, the infirmary was a magical place, with very bright people. Literally those who worked there were glowing, emitting intense, radiant light. They had white clothes, of different designs, but white; so were Izan''s and the teachers'' clothes.

    Our disappointment came because we believed that the healing would be instantaneous, painless, magical or at least easier than in our world. However, upon arrival we heard moans and cries of pain. We located Valentina''s room and almost cried at the sight of her. She was still badly injured, if it hadn''t been for the magic of that place she would have surely died.

    ¡°Not a sound, understood?¡± said the woman who had taken us there.

    Abigail sat by Valentina''s bedside while a caretaker asked her if she wanted something to eat. I thought it was strange, seeing her wounds I thought she was going to do some stitches. Instead, he left as soon as she refused the offer.

    ¡°There are no doctors here.¡± Valentina said as she looked at us with a smile.

    The little girl had woken up. Abigail took her by the hand and brought her the stuffed cat that had been left lying on the library floor when Valentina lost. For my part I feigned calm, or thought I did, as I held back fleeting tears of joy.

    ¡°Why do you say there are no doctors?¡± I asked taking a chair to sit next to the bed.

    ¡°Because I''m healing myself.¡±

    Abigail looked at me, held Valentina''s hand and wrinkled her brow. Seeing our reaction the girl continued to explain.

    ¡°I magically appeared here, just like when I appeared this morning in our room. There was a woman dressed in white standing at the entrance to the room when I opened my eyes. She told me I would be fine, said my body would be better and that the speed of my healing would depend on my power.¡±

    ¡°You say they didn''t give you medicine?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, they only brought me dinner and a treat I asked for.¡± She replied, speaking with a heartwarming smile as she hugged her stuffed cat.

    I didn''t quite understand what was going on, but I was pleased that, despite the wincing Valentina often made, she didn''t seem to be scared at all.

    ¡°But if I move, even a little bit, it will hurt a lot.¡±

    ¡°I understand, your wounds are still exactly the same.¡±

    ¡°No, I''m much better. I had a bump on my head, I think I fell off the chair when I lost, but I don''t have it anymore.¡±

    Abigail let out a soft chuckle, turned to look at me and nodded her head. She looked down at her journal, wrote in it and handed it to me.

    ¡°I told you I was a very strong girl.¡±

    I handed the journal back, took a deep breath as I raised my gaze to the ceiling, leaned my back in the chair and stretched out my legs.

    The evening came, the caregiver brought us a tray with the dinners we had recently ordered, for Abigail and me. Despite having had dinner earlier, Valentina was saying how good our dinner smelled, only to ask for us to give her a bite of this and a bite of that. She ate all of my dessert.

    Soon after, after being taken to the bathroom by the caregiver, little Valentina fell asleep. Her eyes looked better. I was relieved as, in my mind, I still had the image of her tear-stained cheeks and reddened eyes, when the scroll showed the video of the moment she lost.

    ¡°Did you notice that he endured to the end?¡± Abigail said in her journal.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Her leaving. Valentina didn''t give up, she wasn''t looking for a draw either. She was taking a lethal beating and yet she kept playing until her opponent checkmated.¡±

    ¡°That''s why you told me she was a strong girl. So she didn''t fall for the suffering any more than Henry did.¡±

    Abigail nodded her head. Then, with delicate movements, she stood up and motioned for me to help her bring a table closer. Seconds later her protector glowed brightly and on the table appeared a chessboard with its pieces ready for a game.

    ¡°How did that board get there?¡± I said forcing myself to whisper so as not to wake Valentina.

    ¡°I learned it in the library books, they have a lot of amazing information about protectors.¡±

    I felt like a fool. When we were there, before the chess games, I was flipping through a couple of chess books, but I didn''t notice what Abigail had been reading.

    My partner wrote in her journal for me again, she wanted us to review Valentina''s game. She moved the pieces, got ready to write another message for me in her journal and I stopped her hand.

    I sighed, I felt some guilt, ¡°No need, I know sign language, you understand her right?¡±

    She frowned and stared at me as she waved her hands. ¡°Of course I know sign language why didn''t you say so before?¡±

    ¡°I know, forgive me. You didn''t seem friendly at first. I didn''t think you wanted to talk... I mean, communicate much with me.¡±

    We continued to analyze the game, she explained Valentina''s every move to me, as if she knew the girl''s every thought during the game. I paid attention, I was too angry during the competition that I completely forgot to review the game Valentina had lost.

    As we finished discussing the game, Abigail looked me straight in the eye, as if searching for something I had missed, and after a brief moment, she stood up and asked the caretaker to bring us drinks. Instantly these appeared on the table and Abigail thanked the woman in white.

    ¡°How do you do the protector thing? I mean, how did you get your protector to create a chessboard?¡±

    ¡°They don''t create anything, Gabriel. I only asked her to bring me a chessboard from the library. Besides, according to what I read, you can get a lot of information by asking them directly.¡±

    ¡°I don''t understand, are they like an online encyclopedia?¡±

    ¡°More than that, they can tell you a lot of things about everyone, in this world and the other.¡± He answered, took a long drink and continued, ¡°Thanks to my protector I understood the workings of the infirmary, among other things.¡±

    ¡°What other things?¡±

    ¡°I already know what our Focus score is... and that of our rivals.¡±

    ¡°You say that like it''s a bad thing... Is it a bad thing?¡±

    ¡°We''re the worst piece in the school. If piece two loses its last member in the next interschool match, then the new piece that would come in might have a worse level than us.¡±

    ¡°Might? It will surely be worse than us, they will be new.¡±

    ¡°You have not understood. Our playing ability and the power of our protectors do not only depend on how long we have been here. Gabriel, the new piece two that would appear, could be made up of complete novices or chess professionals. Add to that the training they would do here, and they would be invincible.¡±

    ¡°That would be bad, then we''ll be at risk if strong players arrive.¡±

    ¡°All of us are simple amateurs. On the other hand, to take an example, the girl who defeated Valentina was a professional master on earth.¡±

    ¡°I don''t think so! I don''t remember that girl in what I saw of professional chess on the internet, what category did she play in.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel, you should pay more attention to what the masters and guides say. Remember what the guide Izan said. Nobody gets old here.¡±

    It took me a while to process the information Abigail had gathered. I fell silent for a few seconds, stood up and drank some water. I looked at Abigail and sat back down. Denying reality.

    ¡°You saw Valentina''s game, she really doesn''t play bad. But, that little girl on piece five who beat her, that little girl who looks the same seven years old as Valentina, she''s over a hundred years old.¡± Abigail concluded.

    It was hard to believe what was going on in that place. Her magic was not like the tricks of the illusionists on television or the hustlers on the street. That girl who had bludgeoned Valentina played better than Abigail and me.

    The atmosphere became quiet, most of the patients in the infirmary had fallen asleep and our conversation had become stagnant. I asked Abigail no more questions and began to investigate through my protector. Cute, as Valentina had named him, informed me of everything we were allowed to know at that school. Yes, only what we were allowed to know. The protector also had limits.

    I left Abigail to visit Henry, he still looked very bad, but I felt less worried, after all I had learned. I was very reassured when I understood how we were recovering in the infirmary, which was still frightening, for if the injured man moved, all the pain would be unleashed.

    Henry''s caregiver allowed me into his room, as he was still awake and allowed my entrance. Beside the head of his bed, sitting up and awake, was his protector.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked casually as I entered.

    ¡°We just want to know how you are, keep you some company if possible.¡±

    ¡°We want, who?¡±

    ¡°Well, me and Abigail, one of our roommates. You know, the one who doesn''t talk.¡±

    ¡°Ah her, she scares me, I haven''t heard her until now. But whatever.¡±

    ¡°Well, I understand yeah, whatever, you want to talk?¡±

    ¡°What about?¡±

    I was running out of ideas and Henry''s attitude made me uncomfortable. ¡°About you leaving, about what''s happening to us, maybe together we can survive.¡±

    ¡°Do you expect to survive? We are destined to agonize and die here, you saw my game, didn''t you? It doesn''t matter if we try hard, we''ll get our asses kicked in some game or all of them. And if we manage to endure in this school, we''ll still get killed when we face The Black School.¡± He looked at me with his empty, mournful, lifeless eyes.

    ¡°I think so much pain affected you. But we can get stronger, train and win matches.¡±

    ¡°I tried to fight, it didn''t work. Then I wanted to avoid defeat.¡±

    ¡°You wanted to draw.¡±

    ¡°No, I wanted to win, but we are far from the level of the others. Looking for draws ended up being worse. I don''t understand what purpose we''re here for, I should let them kill me soon.¡±

    I felt disgusted by what I was about to say, but something good I had learned from Gabriela that day. ¡°You know, an immature, arrogant woman said something to me today. This is going to be our destiny, and it sounds like fun. She said it because she''s an idiot, really, but there''s something cute about the phrase.¡±

    ¡°Cute?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, call me dumb, but, I think it will be fun to have something to fight for. I don''t know your story, I could have found out if I had asked my protector, but I didn''t and don''t want to. I''m just inviting you to try to play for your life... and have breakfast with us and Valentina, the little one who is hurt too.¡±

    ¡°Can we ask things to the protectors?¡±

    ¡°Find out from your protector. See you tomorrow.¡±

    I walked away feeling like a hypocrite. I had told him to play for his life, but I wasn''t sure I wanted to win a game myself. Not only that, but I was still worried about seriously hurting someone, so much so that it would sink their spirit, just like they had done to Henry. Besides, I didn''t want to unleash chaos on The Land. I didn''t know what to do.

    When I got to Valentina''s room, the caretaker was still standing in the doorway, those people never sleep. Inside, the little girl slept peacefully while Abigail read another book that her protector had brought her from the library. The mute young girl had no wounds anymore.

    ¡°You should sleep, tomorrow we have to play.¡± I said.

    ¡°I won''t play, I don''t plan to declare, and I can''t be summoned either. Remember, we victors have that privilege.¡±

    ¡°And what about today''s losers?¡±

    ¡°You should read more books about the rules of this place.¡± He said in sign language. ¡°But, well, they can also avoid the games as long as they are really hurt still.¡±

    Silence reigned for a good while. He rose from his seat, set the book gently on the table and walked over to the caretaker. Instantly, two blankets and a pillow appeared in my lap.

    ¡°Sleep, you will be summoned for sure tomorrow.¡± Abigail said.

    ¡°I''m not sleepy, I don''t know, I don''t want to sleep.¡± Actually, even if I wanted to, my mind was cluttered with thoughts, one more negative and complicated than the last.

    ¡°Your data is bad. You have no experience in professional competitions, you have no good results in local competitions and on the internet you have almost no wins. Tomorrow you will be eaten alive and you know it.¡±

    ¡°I''ll be fine.¡±

    Abigail lunged at me, with a speed that surprised me, snatched the blankets and pillow from me. She rearranged the chessboard her protector had brought and sat down with a menacing face. ¡°Prove it, defeat me.¡±

    Next to the chessboard appeared a chess clock. I remembered the words of master Susana, ¡°Friendly games will do no harm.¡± And I accepted the challenge.

    ¡°Last recommendation. Show me no mercy.¡± Abigail said.

    The game started, I felt uncomfortable playing in that place, however, I managed to concentrate with strange ease. She had let me play with the white pieces, a courtesy, but also a possible advantage for her. She was very good playing with the black pieces, as I saw when she beat Gabriela.

    During the game I found many advantages, they were small, but they were so easy for me to see that I began to worry that Abigail was playing badly on purpose. I went through a very comfortable, closed and complicated opening for my opponent.

    Usually, when starting a game, the white pieces play first and take advantage of their initiative advantage. But, in that infirmary room, my closed, unaggressive style of play was working very well for me.

    After leaving Abigail without comfortable moves, forced to use many moves to move her pieces from one end of the board to the other, I began to take advantage of subtle tactical combinations that eventually caused my opponent to lose a pawn. These combinations were procedures I envisioned, calculating the moves Abigail would make after mine.

    After several minutes of analysis, with a confused look and a blurred face, Abigail offered me a handshake and surrendered.

 3. The Training Room and The Old Man

    ¡°It''s not possible for you to win so easily, I couldn''t react! Your data didn''t show that you were a pro or some kind of prodigy.¡±

    ¡°I''m not, I just play online daily and train on my own. The data you found is correct, I promise!¡±

    Abigail watched me, again and again, she doubted my word. She even asked her protector, analyzed the game, watched me again. Nothing convinced her.

    ¡°Did you cheat?¡±

    ¡°How could I? I''m not lying, I played as usual.¡±

    ¡°You never played like that on Earth. You smothered my position, you locked up my pieces, you were calm and you practically saw the future!¡±

    She was right, although my playing style and combinations were no big deal, my ability to calculate had been impressive. During the game I knew exactly what Abigail would play each turn, I even knew what she would play several turns later. I couldn''t explain it, I just didn''t know how I had done it.

    Abigail looked at me again, calmed down and hesitated a couple of times ¡°What did you think as you played?¡±

    ¡°Well, I saw some weaknesses that didn''t seem so important to me, although I attacked them anyway after calculating a bit...¡±

    ¡°No! Gabriel, what thoughts did you have, other than chess? Did you think about Valentina? About your life on Earth? About your desire to win? About your opponent? Did you see something? Did you smell something? Did you hear something?¡±

    The question seemed silly, until I tried to remember what I thought during the game. No image came to my mind. During the game I had no thoughts; I knew who I was playing against and the place we were in, but I never thought anything special about anyone, I didn''t imagine anything outside the chessboard, I didn''t remember my life, I didn''t worry about Valentina, I didn''t think about Abigail. My mind was empty!

    ¡°I think... no. In my mind there was nothing. I can''t remember, I only remember the pieces and the board, how strange!¡±

    ¡°Did you concentrate so hard on the game?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, I think so. Sometimes I had excellent games on the land, but it wasn''t easy for me to concentrate there.¡±

    Abigail sat back down, she was hesitant, thoughtful, then restless, and finally only calmed down as she fiddled with a chess pawn. ¡°Gabriel, now we really should read the library books.¡±

    Minutes later my companion fell asleep, while Valentina was still moaning in her sleep from the pain she felt as she moved slightly in her bed. I pondered what had happened, the departures in the library, Valentina''s suffering, Henry''s resignation, my departure with Abigail. But I could not draw a positive conclusion, or at least a hopeful one.

    The night was running smoothly. I couldn''t sleep, although I tried. I read for a couple of hours, my protector took me several books and notes from the library, until I got tired. Furthermore, I walked cautiously to the bed and gently combed Valentina''s long hair that invaded her forehead to rest on her eyelids. Likewise, I went to the entrance, the caregiver was still there awake and silent. She didn''t turn to look at me, but I knew she saw me.

    Despite the cold air I felt as I peeked out of the infirmary entrance and into the corridors of the infirmary, I felt a very pleasant warmth in the girls'' room. I stood watching Abigail for a few seconds, or maybe it was minutes, until an idea crossed my mind.

    The caregiver would not leave the room or let other people in there, so I left the infirmary and walked, with cautious steps, down the hallways to the bathrooms. After leaving one, with my hands washed and my face wet to wake myself up, I went straight to a training room.

    When I got there, I found a common door, just like the ones in the classrooms. On one side, in gold letters and a black background, a sign described the place. ¡°A place to train, no chaos in the mortal world, but with the same risks for the chess fighter.¡±

    ¡°I guess I''m going to get hurt anyway.¡± I stammered.

    I pushed my way in the silent door, there was no person there, it looked like a plain white room. Stepping forward I found a golden table with a scroll and quill; I felt like I was lost in Ancient Egypt. As I looked closely I noticed designs and patterns on the table, they looked like drawings of a game similar to chess.

    ¡°An ancestor of chess, they say it was played in Persia or India. Although I prefer to believe that the first grandfather of chess was born in Egypt. Good night or good morning.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said as I turned my body and noticed the presence of a stranger. That was an old man with a profiled white beard.

    ¡°The set that''s carved on the table, he''s a chess grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Ah ya, sorry, good evening. I still don''t know how this parchment and quill thing works.¡±

    ¡°It''s a roll of papyrus. Write on it whatever you want to train, look, on the wall are the instructions.¡±

    Looking at the place the old man''s hand was pointing I discovered a metal plate with detailed instructions. From what little I read, a fighter could describe on the papyrus a place and the type of training he wanted to do.

    ¡°So, by a place what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You''re Gabriel from the sixteenth. You have no idea. The first day is hard. I''m Mateo from two.¡±

    ¡°On two?¡± I stammered. In my brain the neurons connected and I remembered who this man was. The only player left from piece two.

    ¡°So, will it take you long? I don''t have much time, if you want I''ll show you how to use the papyrus, but you''ll have to let me train first.¡±

    I stepped back, nodded my head and let the man make his move. Instantly, like a healthy young man, the old man approached the table, wrote quickly on the papyrus and it dissolved. As he did this he threw out some phrase by way of instruction and finished by saying ¡°It''s easy, boy!¡±

    After he showed me how I was to use the pen and papyrus, the place shook heavily from an earthquake that would have topped the Richter scale. I lost my balance and fell on my butt, the man gave me a hand to get up and I shook the leaves that had stuck to my pants.

    ¡°Leaves?¡± I exclaimed as I realized what I was doing.

    ¡°Yes, I like the fall. Now we''re at my grandchildren''s favorite park. Well, there, you know how to use the room for training. Now, if you''ll excuse me...¡±

    ¡°Wait, would you like to play against me?¡±

    ¡°Boy do I have to train. I guess you already know this, but I''m the last one in my piece. I don''t have time to teach you the basics of chess.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry. You don''t have to hold back or teach me things. I''ll be like your sparring partner.¡±

    The man hesitated, looked at me furrowing his brow and arching his eyebrows. ¡°There will be no mercy.¡±

    ¡°I''m not scared of the injuries, I''m scared of...¡± I paused as in the middle of that orange park a chessboard stood on a table and a couple of concrete chairs. ¡°Watching others suffer.¡± I finished saying, in my mind.

    ¡°The chairs are uncomfortable, but we didn''t come here to enjoy some tea. Get going!¡± Said the old man, shaking my hand and handing me the white pieces.

    The game was proving to be torture, the old man was giving me the beating of my life on the board and his protector was tearing my skin off. That one had the shape of a hawk, with huge sharp claws whose smell was surely already impregnated in my flesh.

    The man did not let me reach the endgame, his middle game made my head hurt and every idea I had was quickly refuted by him. He ended up checkmating before his ninety-minute timer reached eighty.

    ¡°You won''t survive boy.¡±

    ¡°I have to.¡±

    ¡°Obsessed with returning to a world where no one wants your existence?¡±

    I mentally asked myself the same question. After a while I spat out a mouthful of blood and stood up, the sting of my wounds being caressed by the rushing air in that park.

    ¡°No, it''s not for me... and the people I care about are not on The Earth.¡±

    Suddenly my legs faltered, I began to see the man getting fuzzier and taller. The old man looked at me, cocking his head to one side and raising his right hand. The hawk swooped over me as a final sentence faded in my ears. ¡°It''s not personal boy. But I must train.¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The next morning Abigail awoke and helped Valentina eat her breakfast. Izan appeared in the nurse''s room and reminded Abigail that she and I could not miss class with teacher Susana. Reluctantly, my partner left Valentina in the caretaker''s hands while she went to get me from Henry''s room. Of course, she did not find me there.

    The song of birds whose names I did not know reached my ear. A delicate, warm hand touched my cheeks, while an icy wet cloth wandered across my forehead as my body rested on a soft bed.

    ¡°At last, look, she''s opened them!¡± said Valentina''s fine, tender voice.

    In front of me, like a beautiful nurse who didn''t need a magic gown to illuminate the room, was Abigail holding my head with one hand while with the other she dipped the cloth into a cup of water. Examining my eyes and letting my head lay back on the pillow, Abigail rose from the bed where she rested her knee.

    ¡°What happened? You worried us so much.¡± Abigail manifested with her hands and gestures.

    ¡°Did someone do that to you?¡± said Valentina, who was in a wheelchair next to my bed.

    ¡°How do they leave you in a chair, you should be in bed.¡± I said.

    ¡°Don''t worry, I feel great. It''s weird, I think it''s because of the magic of the infirmary... this morning I woke up with fewer injuries and almost no pain.¡±

    ¡°That''s right, I helped her to breakfast, and she''s already moving without discomfort. But you answer, in less than half an hour I''ll have to be in class! Where did you get to?¡±

    ¡°That''s right, I''m going to get dressed.¡± I said as I straightened up, racked with inconceivable pain. I thought my ribs were broken. A horrible sensation prickled my arms and legs. I forced myself to sit up in bed as I noticed that I had on shiny white pajamas. I searched for my clothes with my eyes.

    ¡°Stop!¡± shouted Valentina as suddenly Abigail pounced on me, put her hand on my chest and laid me down in one fell swoop. If my ribs weren''t broken before now I did feel like they had cracked.

    Abigail''s gaze wouldn''t leave me. Not only was her hand holding me back, little Valentina gripped one of my hands tightly and looked at me as if begging.

    ¡°I''m sorry.¡± I said after exhaling loudly. I relaxed and told them what happened.

    It was a couple of minutes before the class started, I managed to get there in a wheelchair pushed by Abigail, enduring the pain of my injuries and the tiredness that made me drowsy. Shortly before, after recounting my experience in the training room to the girls, I convinced them to let me go to class. Valentina, still weak, but much better now, gained confidence and accompanied us.

    ¡°The weirdos are here!¡± Olivia, one of Gabriela''s minions, exclaimed.

    ¡°Leave us alone.¡± I replied.

    ¡°You didn''t even play yesterday, why did you come in such a pathetic state?¡±

    ¡°Because I wanted to prove what it felt like to be as much of an asshole as you and your little friend. Leave us alone!¡±

    ¡°Look you fucking idiot, don''t look for me to turn you to pieces this afternoon at practice. After what your witch of a friend did to Gabriela I''ll be sure to turn you into rotten meat... Ouch, but what am I saying! You''re already rotten meat and you won''t even be around this afternoon.¡±

    For some reason I was in a very bad mood. I felt a mixture of frustration and anger, mixed with self-contempt, ever since I woke up in the infirmary. ¡°I''ll be in this afternoon and I assure you that you won''t have to summon me, because I''ll declare myself first and I''ll be happy to have you at my table.¡±

    The instant I spoke, Valentina''s small hand slapped my shoulder hard as Olivia entered the classroom with a swaggering smile. Almost immediately, Abigail shot me a look of terror.

    ¡°Are you an idiot or do you still have a fever?¡± Abigail said in sign language. Taking advantage of the fact that the little girl couldn''t understand her, she threw another couple of insults at me.

    ¡°Don''t worry, after class we''ll go to the library. I have a plan.¡±

    The two girls looked at me, Abigail still looking accusing and fearful at the same time. The little girl settled her stuffed cat on my lap and walked timidly to my side as the beautiful mute pushed my chair into the room.

    The class lasted no more than ten minutes, such would be all classes according to teacher Susana''s word. Her lesson for the day, surely taking advantage of the fact that already four of the sixteen piece had been sent to the infirmary, was ¡°You must either destroy each other or take care of each other.¡±

    ¡°I don''t like these classes,¡± little Valentina whispered in my ear, as we were leaving the classroom.

    ¡°Me neither, believe me.¡±

    I know the teacher was giving us lessons in every lesson, which actually told us how we could survive in that place, but they weren''t nice, and they weren''t very specific either. Her lessons were like threatening epitaphs.

    We went to the library. Thanks to the protectors, we found tips on endurance and strength, other books gave procedures on how to think during a game, a few explained every rule of engagement, a couple of booklets detailed the rules of that world, and a few more talked about how to increase damage against an opponent, among many other topics.

    ¡°What do you think I should do about Gabriela? I stopped by her room in the infirmary this morning, she''s still not awake.¡± Abigail said after tenderly tapping her pen on the book in my hands.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I want to apologize to her, maybe help her. I haven''t been feeling well after what I did to her.¡±

    I was already cooler and calmer, after what I said to Olivia. However, I didn''t want to help Gabriela, I was still wary of her and her gang.

    ¡°Take her a funeral wreath.¡± I replied nonchalantly and read on.

    Abigail snatched the book from my hands. She stood up and waving her hands in exasperation she insulted me again ¡°Really what''s wrong with you? You woke up rude and aggressive today. You only acted like that before when you stood up for me in the bathroom on the first day.¡±

    ¡°That was yesterday. You don''t know me yet.¡± I said.

    ¡°So I see.¡± Abigail said before walking away.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Valentina who had been reading chess books with pictures and exercises.

    My chest felt tight, like the time I asked Valentina about her parents. I didn''t want to lose the only friends I had in that place. The night before I told the old man Mateo that the people I cared about were not on Earth, I meant I was feeling appreciation for the only ones I trusted in that strange place.

    ¡°I''ve been here for a day why do I feel so attached to them?¡±

    After rearranging the books with the help of our protectors, Valentina and I headed for the room in room sixteen. We thought we might find Abigail there; however, she was not there. We walked down a few corridors again, trying not to get lost in the huge school whose facilities we did not know very well.

    Exhausted, we stopped next to a beautiful water fountain where several colorful fishes were standing out when they touched the light. Seeing the peace of those animals, my mind calmed down and the tide of negative thoughts subsided. Then, finding myself surprised to be smiling at the tender chatter Valentina was making to the fish and their protector, it occurred to me to ask my wolf about Abigail''s whereabouts.

    ¡°Hi.¡± Valentina and I said in chorus as we approached the room. From the doorway, Abigail was watching Gabriela who was still unconscious.

    ¡°Am I bad for what I did to her?¡± Abigail said leaning against a wall and hiding her eyes from us.

    ¡°There''s nothing wrong with crying.¡± I told her.

    Suddenly Abigail dropped sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. At that, Valentina tenderly laid her hand on the grieving young girl''s head.

    ¡°I''m sorry Abigail, for what I said in the library and this morning, I don''t know what came over me. I''ve just felt confusion since last night and a lot of anger since I woke up this morning.¡± I sighed in the midst of Valentina''s touching caresses of Abigail''s straight hair, ¡°Don''t be afraid, I promise I''ll take care of them.¡±

    Suddenly, Abigail lifted her face and wiped away her tears, as Valentina hugged my arm.

    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn''t have said that. Forget it.¡±

    ¡°It''s not bad... and you''re cute.¡± Valentina said before giving me a kiss on the cheek. I looked up at Abigail and she nodded.

    We went to the room in room sixteen to change clothes after lunch. Teacher Susana had warned us that we had to be clean and well-dressed when it was time for the daily games. The bloody challenges would take place again in a couple of hours.

    Already prepared, in our smart attire, we sat on Valentina''s bed waiting for the time to return to the library for the challenges. However, despite feeling a little better, my condition was still critical and my wounds were still open. The pain was consuming me.

    ¡°You shouldn''t play today. Go back to the infirmary and you''ll be excused from playing.¡± Abigail said.

    ¡°Your forehead is so hot!¡± Said the little girl after running her hand over my face.

    Instantly Abigail said to wait and left. Without delay, she brought with her a towel and a cup of water to cool me down.

    ¡°You''re burning with fever!¡± Said Abigail. ¡°Don''t play, I beg you.¡±

    I bowed my head and looked at my hands. They were shaking, my back felt shivery and the pain kept pricking my ribs and wounds.

    ¡°Let''s go to the library, I want to show you something.¡± I said.

    Arriving at the place, I showed my friends a special book. In it were described the skills that a chess fighter might have. They were not easy to master and many of them were completely forgotten.

    ¡°The healing skill?¡± Valentina said when I explained what I had found.

    ¡°That''s right Valentina and there''s more. I know how we can survive here. Here''s the plan.¡±

    After explaining what I learned in the book we took Valentina to the infirmary. She didn''t want to stay there, but we agreed that she would need time to fully heal and improve her ability to play. If she stayed with us in the library at the time of the challenges, she would be summoned by some rival and hurt even worse.

    When we returned to the library, most of the chess fighters of the pieces were already there. Abigail, nervous and very uneasy, kept pointing out the potential opponents of other pieces and warning me how powerful they were.

    ¡°Any one of them could beat you. They know you''re hurt, they''ll want to summon you.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry, there''s a plan.¡±

    ¡°That plan will help us in the long run, but today they could send you to the infirmary for months!¡±.

    ¡°Not that plan, Abigail. I''m talking about mine for today. Did you forget what I said to Olivia this morning?¡±

    ¡°Are you serious, Olivia was a pro, champion of her country!¡±

    ¡°You still don''t know how I play.¡±

    ¡°I found out about almost everyone in this place, thanks to my protector. I''m sure she did the same to find out about you.¡± He said, as the platforms formed and rose. The place widened, and the lighting became gloomy but sufficient.

    ¡°I don''t mean the game itself. Remember what happened last night.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about our departure? In the end all we know is that you managed to concentrate better, that woman plays much better than me!¡±

    ¡°Don''t underestimate yourself. I promise I''ll concentrate, I''ll put everything out of my mind.¡± I said to Abigail in sign language, then she came over and hugged me.

    The time for statements had begun. I was the first to declare, almost without letting the teacher in charge of the challenges that day finish giving the instructions. When I did, Abigail took my hand as if to stop me, but I vanished into the wheelchair to appear in the playing area.

    The warm feeling Abigail''s hand left in mine lingered as a flock of gazes fixed on me from above. Murmurs and laughter began to manifest. I stood up out of sheer will and pride, I really needed the wheelchair.

    Abigail stood on our dais, both hands holding my wheelchair, watching me. I watched her for a few seconds, ignoring the other players'' statements and judging stares at me.

    ¡°No more statements, now summon a rival!¡± the teacher shouted.

    Abigail threw me a gesture with her hand, indicating for me to focus on the board. I concurred shaking my head but, before lowering my gaze to the table, I closed my eyes listening to the invocations of the others. I did not hear Elder Matthew''s voice to declare, nor did they invoke him. Suddenly determined, I cleared my throat and spoke with the depleted strength my injured abdomen would allow.

    ¡°I summon Olivia from piece sixteen!¡±

    I opened my eyes, before me, with her swaggering smile, appeared my rival.

    ¡°You''ll wish you were dead today, you damned rookie.¡±

    The books were right; in this world people soon showed their true identity and the desire for superiority always rose among any ambition.

 4. A Risky Plan

    Olivia raised her arm for the usual handshake. We sat down and waited for the invocations to finish. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the menacing gaze of my rival, to remember what I had read that day. A huge book, dusty and forgotten, contained what I needed to know,

    During our research in the library that morning, I had remembered what Abigail had said about the player who had beaten Valentina. The one who was actually over a hundred years old. So I deduced that, that girl had found information in older books. I then asked my protector to help me find the older books.

    In one of those books, whose size impressed me, I found the solution to my problem. On Earth it was usual to have thousands of useless thoughts, to lose energy and therefore to be less efficient. If I managed to do the same as I did during my game against Abigail, but in an even better way, I could increase my playing ability much more. That book promised me that.

    The idea would have been perfect, had it not been for the inconvenience of doing the practice described in the book. Every time someone made use of that forgotten technique, his being would suffer indescribable consequences. At least that was what the book said, and in fact, it did not describe the consequences. But I feared it would be painful.

    The forgotten technique in that old book was not easy to execute, in fact the whole huge book contained such techniques; the one I read alone took up more than a third of the book. It was a lot of pages. However, I managed to read a chapter that could be useful to me that afternoon, if my body and mind could resist.

    The technique of Mental Purity was not against the rules. However, the risks were so great that the few players who had tried it within the school had spent months in the infirmary. Of course, they came back to play, but they definitely discarded the technique. In reality, most of the techniques in that book were risky and had rarely been used in competition against the Black School.

    The cry he feared thundered from the library walls. ¡°Chess fighters, start playing!¡±

    I heard the clocks go off, my timer started ticking, and I still wouldn''t open my eyes; I would play White. The murmurs grew louder around me, I heard Olivia''s mischievous giggle and continued to ponder. During the minutes that had passed so far, I only managed to remember the story of the ancient technique.

    Mental purity was difficult to master, and I had barely read part of the whole explanation about it. It so happened that the school books were updated as time went by, instantaneously. Thus, I was able to read that, as of the date I was reading the book, no one had survived by using that technique in competition against the Black School.

    ¡°Gabriel, from piece sixteen. Your time is running out, if it runs out you will lose and your opponent''s protector will have absolute freedom to hurt you!¡± Shouted the master.

    For each game, ninety minutes were allotted per player and we got thirty seconds each time the timer was pressed. I tried harder to ignore the sounds of the place, I needed to remember that technique.

    I seemed to be the focus of the crowd''s attention. I made my first move, disappointed that I couldn''t remember everything I had read. The people upstairs were still murmuring and I could feel their accusing stares.

    I tried my best to concentrate, just as I did against Abigail, but I couldn''t. My mind was too weak, I was easily distracted and failed to see my opponent''s future moves. I was getting angry, sweating dense icy drops. After a couple of tens of minutes and a small mistake that Olivia knew how to take advantage of, her owl slashed my right cheek and ran its claws across my chest as well.

    ¡°I''m an idiot and I still have a fever. Abigail was right.¡± I stammered, trying to straighten up in the chair. The new injuries had awakened the pain of my past injuries.

    I continued to play, but each move hurt me more. The game was not lost, but my position was not comfortable at all. My opponent knew how to take advantage of every attack on the board to make his bird damage my body more. I looked up, as if seeking forgiveness from Abigail. She looked at me angrily, she was bathed in tears, and suddenly bent down to take out her diary.

    It was my turn to play, I wanted to give up and stop striving for something I was no good at. Those thoughts were exactly the same thoughts I had when I was on Earth. I kept my eyes on Abigail, but she couldn''t see me, she was just writing in her diary. Suddenly, in a hurry, she put it away again and began to move her hands. I could hardly see her, my vision was beginning to blur, and I wasn''t close enough to understand her sign language.

    With effort, I straightened up and watched the huge movements the mute young woman was making from that dais. ¡°You are stronger than you think.¡±

    I had about thirty minutes left, my opponent more than an hour. I closed my eyes again and breathed slowly. ¡°What was it that I did when I beat Abigail?¡± but I couldn''t manage to remember anything special. Then my mind stopped thinking about Olivia and my past, Abigail and Valentina''s faces were starting to invade my mind. Suddenly, a listing popped into my thoughts; it was the requirements for using Mental Purity.

    I moved a piece, sure of what Olivia would do. Seconds later, she made her move. The board represented a battlefield full of probabilities that I knew in detail. I knew, at every turn, what move my opponent would make. Somehow my pain disappeared, I felt no more sweat or blood.

    Olivia kept playing, slower and slower and more and more cautiously, She had started the game very aggressively, keeping continuous attacks against the position of my pieces on the chessboard. Suddenly, after I lost track of time and the perception of others around me, the game was more fun. Yes, now I was even having fun, even though I was still not winning.

    I saw the timer in an instant, didn''t lose concentration and determined that in the few minutes I had left I could beat Olivia if she made any serious mistakes; which she did a couple of moves later. My position was now winning, I knew that even without concentration I could find the winning move. It was my turn and in order for me to be able to go to the infirmary soon to give Valentina the good news, I decided to play faster.

    The light suddenly went out. I was about to make the move that would defeat Olivia in the next five moves. But I lost sight of the board.

    Shuddering screams and loud explosions began to ring in my head. I thought, ¡°there was nothing like this in the book¡±. Suddenly corpses appeared before me, one row after another, pile upon pile. Blood everywhere and a putrid smell made me feel nauseous. ¡°Thank the gods for allowing us this victory!¡± A military man shouted proudly. I felt as if that man was watching me and thanking me.

    I sensed again the light of the library, the smooth marble of the table, and the faint voices of those watching the games. I looked up, sweaty and with the pains back in me; more intense and blinding. Olivia was focused on the board, then she looked up at me; her eyes were trembling and the sweat from her forehead was dripping onto the marble, that was instantly wiped clean. I looked at the pieces on the board. I was winning.

    I no longer needed the technique, the next moves were in my mind, I knew what I should do. But the use of Mental Purity had weakened my body. Along with that, the images and sounds of my hallucination distracted me. In an instant I remembered Master Susanna''s words, I imagined that I was causing those devastating acts I visualized.

    I looked closely at Olivia again, her face flushed and holding back tears. Her clothes and skin were shredded. To top it all off, the image of Valentina, freshly defeated, came to my mind. I pulled my hand away from the piece I had chosen to move, without having touched it. I turned to look at my protector as if seeking advice; that wolf had changed, it was huge, its fangs held pieces of clothing and its claws had red tints.

    I shook my head, looked up and saw Abigail without tears, looking at me surprised and with a very demure smile. I closed my eyes and, after opening them, moved my hands in her direction, ¡°I''m not as strong as you think.¡±

    Next, my hand changed targets, I took the white king and laid it down on the board. ¡°Forgive me, Olivia, I wish we didn''t have to cause so much damage.¡± I said to my opponent, who looked at me, shaking his head in denial.

    All around me, the murmurs became noisy accusations. The platforms of the pieces rumbled with the movements of their occupants. The companions at the other tables watched us for a few seconds. For my part, my blood was gushing; if it had happened on Earth, I would have died long before. The pain consumed me and my head felt a hellish heat. My whole body was burning like a bonfire.

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    ¡°Keep your composure! Izan, guide of the sixteenth, execute!¡± Said the master.

    Suddenly I caught a glimpse of Abigail''s blurry figure running toward the guide Izan. He pushed her easily, throwing her to the floor. I cursed between my teeth, but I didn''t even have the strength to take a step.

    ¡°I remind you, fighters of all parts. Cheating is punished in the worst way. Let this be a lesson to you all.¡± Announced the master in a loud, gravelly voice.

    Izan drew his sword, brighter and brighter every second. Abruptly, he moved from standing on the dais to stand inches away from me. The icy edge pierced my chest, my heart. I couldn''t even scream, my whole body refused to respond and my eyes bugged out. A plea reached through my mind, but I knew I had done the right thing.

    I opened my eyes in my room, the one in the human world, surprised to feel no pain at all. I slowly checked myself for wounds, there was not one. My computer was still on in front of me. I straightened up in my chair and looked at the clock on the screen, it had been almost two days.

    ¡°So did I dream all that?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°No, you didn''t sleep forty hours! But what about humans?¡± Said a familiar voice.

    In front of me stood in his shiny, elegant suit, the guide Izan.

    ¡°Did you return me to Earth?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it seems so. Sometimes I wonder why humans are considered an intelligent species, you know.¡±

    ¡°Why am I here?¡±

    ¡°You cheated.¡±

    ¡°I cheated?¡±

    ¡°You had a totally unexpected victory, which surprised us. But you surprised us more by surrendering. That, Master Gabriel, is cheating.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you think I fixed my defeat with Olivia.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Master, I know you are worthy and honorable despite all your mistakes in the human world. You don''t want to hurt anyone, you don''t want to do the wrong thing, you even still blame yourself for the death of your best friend, which you had nothing to do with. You''re a good man.¡± He replied calmly, pacing around my room.

    ¡°Then why is what I did cheating?¡±

    ¡°Because you were going to win, you knew how to win. But, you also knew that Olivia would be brutally hurt if you launched your last attacks, you knew that many people on Earth were suffering because of your game. So, you decided to lose - Master Gabriel, we know when a player doesn''t want to win!¡±

    ¡°I understand... Now what, you''ll kill me? Ah no, you ran me through with your sword, am I in heaven?¡±

    ¡°Heaven, hell; poorly written stories for poorly educated children.¡±

    ¡°I don''t understand.¡±

    ¡°It''s your room, it''s your world, the human world, mortal. You''re still alive!¡±

    ¡°Then I still don''t understand why I''m here.¡±

    ¡°This is a warning, first and only, to you and those of your piece. If you cheat again or anyone of your piece cheats, the punishment will be to return you to your world with no memory of what you experienced in my world and your spirit completely dead. Everything you do will be painful and everything around you will be loneliness.¡±

    ¡°What would be the difference with my life so far?¡±

    ¡°It would be to your advantage not to find out.¡±

    The room went completely dark in a flash, the sounds disappeared and my eyes closed. As my eyelids moved, slow and heavy, the white light of the infirmary thrilled me and my body screamed again in pain. Everywhere, every rib and bone in my being suffered. Every inch of me wanted to die, until I saw what lay beside me.

    Next to me, on my bed, the head of a little girl rested with the tenderness of a being who knows no evil intent. Valentina''s curls were so close that I could have caressed them with my breath. I strained to put out one of my arms to caress the soft cheeks of my little companion, but it hurt atrociously. I could barely wrap my finger around one of the innocent''s hair.

    A tray and a couple of dishes suddenly hit the floor. I looked up to see Abigail with tears streaming down her face and her hands shaking. She waved with a smile toward the entrance, as if beckoning someone. In short, but quickened steps came in Gabriela and Henry.

    ¡°She woke up?¡± said Henry as a groggy Valentina rubbed her eyes.

    The three entering unloaded their trays on a couple of tables, while Valentina cried, hitting me with all her might. In my state, those little fists caused great damage.

    ¡°Calm down, calm down, or you''ll kill him.¡± Gabriela said softly, as she pulled Valentina away from me.

    ¡°Hello.¡± I said, glad to see those four together.

    Gabriela, Valentina and Henry said emotional words to welcome me. Then Valentina sat down next to me to eat. That little girl took little spoonfuls for herself and, as she chewed, she brought spoonfuls of food to my mouth. The scene was wonderful, except for Abigail.

    Since everyone came in, Abigail made no gestures or hand movements toward me. She didn''t write anything, she didn''t even want to look at me. During breakfast, she sat at the entrance to the room, head bowed, looking at the tray resting on her legs.

    ¡°At least he''s eating.¡± I said.

    ¡°He''s very happy to see you, really.¡± Gabriela said.

    ¡°I know, she would never hate me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but of course she hates you.¡± Said Valentina, blowing on the hot chocolate they had brought for me.

    ¡°Honey, she doesn''t.¡± Said Gabriela as Henry pretended not to be holding back laughter.

    ¡°You made her cry, a lot, she was crying for you for two weeks.¡± Refuted the girl.

    ¡°Two weeks? But how long have I been here?¡±

    ¡°I woke up a week after you were punished. So, you were unconscious for about two months. You''re lucky!¡±

    ¡°Two months? How''s that, lucky?¡±

    ¡°Master Susana explained that, because of what you did, they could have sent you to Earth with no memory and your injuries. Besides, in the state you were in, not by a miracle would you have survived there.¡± Gabriela said.

    ¡°But he also said they would probably give you a warning...¡± interjected Henry.

    ¡°The warning would be for everyone.¡± Interrupted Valentina.

    ¡°Right, the warning would have you many months recovering on your own, without additional help.¡± Gabriela said.

    ¡°What do you mean, without help?¡± I said.

    ¡°Our bodies recover thanks to our own power and the magic of the infirmary. Without help means that the magic of the infirmary would not intervene. Look at you, you''ve been here for two months and you still have mortal wounds, you can''t even move.¡± Said Gabriela, helping Valentina reach the chocolate for me.

    ¡°You don''t have a caregiver like the one I had either.¡± Valentina said.

    ¡°That''s why we are here, Gabriel. No one would have guarded your room, you would have been at the mercy of any attack from the other pieces.¡± Gabriela continued.

    ¡°I have my protector anyway.¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°You don''t. Izan disabled your protector. You only have your own power.¡±

    I felt both grateful and worried. Those people, one of whom had been my enemy, had been looking out for me. I blamed myself, remembered the way I had lost, but most of all, I remembered the horrible vision I had during the game.

    ¡°I haven''t wanted to say it because it''s not my thing, but thank you, Gabriel,¡± Gabriela said.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You saved Olivia, she won''t tell you, but she''s very grateful.¡±

    I sighed, resigned to relying on the care of Abigail and the others. ¡°Thank you, Gabriela, thank you.¡± I relaxed and it dawned on me. ¡°Olivia, what happened to her?¡±

    ¡°She''s been challenging everyone in challenges, lost too many games and got hurt too many times. She became obsessed with being better than you. She''s not bad, she doesn''t want to hurt you, but she''s full of fear and doesn''t want to come last.¡±

    ¡°Last of what?¡±

    ¡°Gabriel, you were gone a long time. The situation is difficult. I''ve been holding my own thanks to Abigail''s advice, although I''ve lost many times already. Abigail has won most of her games, Henry and Valentina have suffered quite a few defeats, no one wants to be last on the scoreboard Focus.¡±

    ¡°Out of pride, we''ll all have to face the Black School in the end.¡±

    ¡°It''s not like that. Shortly after you were punished, we were pitted against each other in a tournament between pieces. It was a week, one game each day, seven games to define the best piece in the school. The best piece would get more than three hundred points for each of its members. And, at the time of the match against the Black School, the sixteen players with the most points would be immune to attack and pain.¡±

    ¡°That was never explained, how are we doing?¡±

    Gabriela sighed and Henry stood up to gather all the utensils on trays, looked at me resignedly and walked out.

    ¡°We were the last piece in the tournament. In Focus points, only Abigail and Olivia remain in high positions, although lately they''ve been slipping.¡±

    Shocked by what I was hearing, I felt even guiltier. I had abandoned Valentina and Abigail, because of my weakness. However, Olivia had not suffered too serious damage thanks to my surrender. I was confused.

    ¡°You are a fool.¡± Valentina said.

    ¡°Yes, I know what you''re talking about.¡± I replied.

    ¡°You made Abigail cry, you made me cry, Gabriela too.¡±

    ¡°Hush girl!¡± raised Gabriela''s voice in a jocular tone, covering the girl''s mouth with one hand.

    ¡°You cried for me?¡± I said, looking at the one who had humiliated Abigail the first day.

    ¡°Of course I didn''t. Well, I was touched by your situation and what you did to save Olivia. But, what struck me the most was seeing these two worried about you.¡± He replied, indicating with his eyes the little girl and the mute young woman who still refused to come near me.

    The hours passed, that day there was no class to attend, so the girls and Henry accompanied me. Sometimes he would go to one or the other, for a few moments they all stayed and we played some games. Valentina indulged herself in hitting me repeatedly and Abigail kept sitting in a corner of the room, reading, her head bowed.

    It was time for bed, Henry and Gabriela had gone to the room in room sixteen while Abigail remained in the same place ignoring me. The young mute girl barely got up to go to the bathroom, sometimes with Gabriela and sometimes with Valentina. For her part, Valentina had curled up in a chair next to my bed for the night.

    ¡°Aren''t you planning to go to the room in the piece with the others?¡± I said to Valentina.

    ¡°Since Abigail brought you, I''ve stayed here. I''m not leaving you alone.¡± She replied.

    I looked at her, closed my eyes and faintly caressed her face, ¡°Thank you, but Abigail is here.¡±

    ¡°Don''t you think if I leave you alone with her, she''ll beat you worse than me?¡±

    ¡°Is she that angry?¡±

    ¡°Because of you she was crying for two weeks, her eyes were red and huge!¡±

    I sighed, ¡°I guess they told you everything, do you think what I did was wrong?¡±

    Valentina moved closer to me, gently hugged my arm and put her stuffed cat on my other side.

    ¡°You saved Olivia, that''s not bad.¡±

    ¡°What if I told you that, besides her, I gave up for another reason?¡±

    The little girl opened her eyes and stared at me. Curiosity was surely robbing her of sleep. Suddenly, a pillow flew towards my face. Valentina jumped back in her chair and I screamed from the pain. Any touch on my skin caused me to suffer. I pushed the pillow out of the way and looked up at its source; a silent woman was staring into my eyes, her cheeks flushed and a frown on her face.

    ¡°Speak up already, you idiot! Why did you do such a stupid thing?¡±

    I moved my eyes fleetingly to Valentina, who was watching Abigail''s hands and face with confusion. In that instant, I was relieved that the girl didn''t understand the signs of a mute woman.