20 The Game

"Let me out of here!"

"Shut it Arthur! You're not gonna get out anytime soon."

"Banner? That's you right bro? Come on let me out for old time's sake."

Arthur was detained within the best prison in the slums. The security was tight specifically because, all the equipment and facilities were top notch. It was the only building there that had the same level of advancement as the ones in the Inner Wall and, it is specifically because of this that nobody has ever broken out.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I hate your fucking guts Arthur. Now keep it shut before things get messy." The guard's cheek got wet with something warm. It was Arthur's spit, raising his middle finger as soon as Banner looked at him.

"Screw you Banner!" The guard didn't pay him any attention and simply left.

"Yeah that's right. Bitches like you are no match for Arthur Bloodbourne!" It didn't take long for Banner to come back. With a bucket of water on his hand and, a metal pole on the other. One which Arthur was very familiar with.

"I-It was a j-joke man."

Banner threw the water on Arthur, soaking him completely. The detained prisoner was shaking, not from the cold but from the experience that was soon to come.

"Bro I said I'm sorry!" Banner clicked a button on the handle of his metal pole, creating electric currents at the edge of the item.

"I'm gonna enjoy every bit of this you scum." Banner began walking closer and, all that Arthur could say was:

"No! NOOO!"

Arthur's screams resounded throughout the whole prison. Agonizing and painful screams which were music to the ears of all the guards. They heard the crackling of electricity that came along and felt a strange pleasurable sensation from it.

This was the symphony of madness which the guards used to. Punishing all those within the prison just for the fun of it. And, with each passing second inside, Arthur was paying back for his sins.

…

…

…

"Checkmate yet again my boy." King Jubilee teasingly said.

"My liege…"

"Yes I know. One more, correct?" Sol nodded to the question, making the king smile.

"Okay. But this will be the last."

A lot has changed ever since their last game. They weren't using Sol's rules anymore but, King Jubilee was forced to take down his book from the first bout. He has never picked it up since. That is how good Sol has gotten.

In fact, the game squeezed their brains so much that the players both got hungry. Making King Jubilee order pastries and tea from his maid the appeared out of nowhere.

"My liege, am I allowed to ask a few questions?" Sol said, arranging all the pieces on the board as Jubilee took a sip of tea that just came.

"Sure. I'm in a good mood right now so I won't mind." Sol then paused from arranging the pieces. As if discerning on what he should say and, after a few more seconds the boy finally spoke.

"I'm just wondering… why didn't we try and win before? If we had all this, the means in order to obtain those powers that you speak of, then why did we stay on this thousand year lose streak in the Culling?"

"Oh that? It's because we really couldn't win boy. Until this time nobody has shown any potential in obtaining the powers I told you about." King Jubilee took a slice of cake, ate it in one go and continued.

"The enemies are superhumans, all gifted by the Seraphims while we are some lowly images of a past long forgotten. I did try, on the first three years of Pandora's creation, I tried winning. But we weren't even close. Each and every time we would simply be at the last place of the competition. All because I couldn't produce a Void who had these powers."

"So the reason you played this card for so long is to maintain our weak image?"

"Absolutely. To make us look weak, to give myself the image of a drunkard fool. Bidding my time in these years of selection with the hopes of finally getting what I needed."

"Have you found it?"

"Oh I found something more boy." King Jubilee stared at Solomon with so much faith in these words.

King Jubilee knew the whole process required in creating an owner of [Solomon's Wisdom]. All the steps were there and, Sol just needed to produce the required results. No matter how cruel some of these may be.

"Is that all boy?" King Jubilee furthered, seeing the face of his opponent looking like it was holding back on something.

"Actually. There is one more my liege."

"Spill it then. We don't have all night." Sol nodded and spoke right away.

"This place, Pandora, the other domains do not know of it correct?" These words were enough to make the king stop from taking another bite; smiling as he replied.

"Oh Solomon, you really should not be sticking your nose into stuff that could put you in danger." The king proceeded to finishing the remaining cake and moving to eating Sol's own.

"That's precisely why I chose you hahaha."

"My liege, the question?"

"Ahh you're so demanding when it comes to information aren't you? It's true. The other domains do not know of Pandora. The moment they do, they would certainly try to abolish it and all the projects we are doing inside. This isn't merely for training the five of your after all." The king said, finally realizing it was Sol's cake that he was eating but proceeding nonetheless.

"But how did you figure out boy?"

"It's the odd balls my liege. Even on your own castle there aren't any roaming around yet, within the vicinity of Pandora, I saw a lot of these. There was also the fact that the trees outside are weird. The leaves didn't rustle and the branches didn't sway. I couldn't even hear a single bird chirping and, Pandora itself was under these trees. It isn't something that could be seen from an aerial view."

"Hahaha! Ten points my boy!" King Jubilee mentioned, amazed at Sol's ability to gather all this information all by merely observing.

"There's actually more to it than that but, I'll leave it for when you actually win the Culling." King Jubilee pointed his fork at Sol.

"Understood my liege." Sol said, finally making the first move on the board because King Jubilee completely forgot about it.

"Hey black isn't supposed to move first."

"With all due respect, if the opposing forces do not take the initiative, then I should be the one doing it."

"Ahh you and your additional rules. Okay boy let's see what you've got."

Their last game passed silently. Every time they restarted, Sol was getting stronger and on that last bout, the boy almost won. It was so close that visible frustration could be seen on Sol's face, making the king smile and laugh.

"Maybe you can beat me the next time."

"Yes my liege. Oh, and I actually brought something for you." Sol said, handing the copy of the map he made to the king.

"And what may this be?"

"It's a copy of the terrain that would be used for the next Culling." Sol said it so naturally that King Jubilee couldn't help but laugh again.

"If it was someone else that said it, I'd probably think that they're just crazy."

"So you believe me?"

"Of course! You are an orphan Sol, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from the Culling. But I'll be studying this first, then well run it on the simulations of your Pandora's Box."

"I'll be going then my liege." Sol said, moving out of the room and leaving the king to himself.

"A map." King Jubilee walked around the room, staring intently at the piece of paper on his hands. There was a lot of details on it. Even the size of the hills and the swamps. The possible number of monsters on specific areas and so forth.

"A twelve-year-old made this huh." The king was amused once again. He thought about running the data on the map as soon as possible but, as he made a few more steps, his vision suddenly got hazy.

"Crap, not this again." Jubilee began coughing out blood. He was rapidly getting weaker and was forced to sit on the ground. His legs were getting numb and so was his arms.

It was painful. His heart and his lungs felt like they were being pierced by a thousand needles. All his muscles were burning up yet he was having cold sweat all over his body. And as this experience worsened, everything got covered by his shadow, with the same voice speaking to him once again.

"I told you Jubilee, you are on borrowed time." It said in a mocking tone.

"Well you could at least ease this pain."

"Oh you very well know I've been doing that. All your organs are beyond repair and that soul of yours may rot earlier." The shadows began moving, placing an object right beside the king. It was Sol's map which escaped his grip when the pain started.

"Tik. Tok. My dear king." The shadow said, disappearing once again and, leaving Jubilee with no other option.

"I guess I can't play nice anymore."