1 The Child Prodigy

A happy and peaceful life is all I've ever asked for.

Ever since I was a child, I've been special according to the people around me. I don't really know why, but learning things has always been easy for me. And by easy, I mean it is to the point that it's almost scary sometimes making me think if I am really a human. I was always good at my studies from the start and could be what you would call a good kid in the start.

But, things slowly started taking the wrong turn from the moment my father first taught me how to play chess. At first, playing chess fascinated me. It was very fun to use strategies and tactics to win against your opponent.

Every day, I moved the chess pieces around the board for hours, running thousands of simulations in my mind while creating my own tactics, strategies and openings. It was one week after I learned to play chess that I defeated my dad who was said to become a grandmaster if he really aimed for the professional scene.

Looking at my progress in just a week, my dad was fascinated by my skills and called me a prodigy. The whole next month, I spend almost all of my free time except for school in studying chess and honing my skills.

Somehow, my dad arranged a game for me against the then world rank #89th grandmaster in which I defeated him by a large margin. The people who saw the match even called it one-sided bullying on my part.

At that time, I can remember that I still had some love for chess and had fun playing it. My next goal was to defeat the world chess champion and it didn't take long before our fated match was decided. Due to the word of a child prodigy being around and all, my popularity had pierced through the roof and due to huge audience demand, the match was finally decided.

I had a month till the match was going to be held. While I spent the first week training my ass off, I can't say I did the same for the other 3 weeks. I already had learned all there was to or at least that was what I thought and well ....

it seems I may have been right.

The match took place and the child prodigy crushed the world champion into pieces without even breaking a sweat.

That was the first time I was called a monster. I can still vaguely remember the look in the eyes of the then world champion looking at me like I was a man-eating beast, not a 5 year old child in front of him.

After that, I was forced to join several big tournaments where I crushed all my opponents into utter submission. At that point, I had already lost the love I once had for this game called chess.

The chess that was fun and fascinated me in the beginning was nothing more than a piece moving analytical game. I can still remember that the opponents that I once faced never even dared to face me again, all giving looks like I was some kind of monster.

Bored and tired from all of that, I finally told my dad about my true feelings. My dad was very considerate, so he put out a deal in front of me. He would make me disappear from all the fame and this noisy life whereas, I had to join the Academy of Crimes and Investigation ( ACI ) as the other part of the negotiation.

And now, here I stand in front of the large gates of ACI as I wonder on how the next 3 years of my life is going to be spent in here.

ACI is the world renowned academy said to produce elite humans capable of leading the society. All the students who have graduated from here are either in politics, business or the security sector.

But, more than anything the thing that it is most famous for is producing top-tier detectives. Many detectives who have solved some of the greatest mysteries of the world have graduated from here.

I am Hiller Cort also known as Astrim Acker right now, which is my fake name to hide my identity as the "Child Prodigy". Although I have retired from the chess world, the legend of Hiller Cort still remains as the best chess player of all time.

Finally with all these thoughts contained, I take a step forward entering through the large gates of the Academy of Crime and Investigation.

I don't know if my peaceful days will continue or if some storm is brewing inside of ACI ready to gobble me up. But, even though I may be hesitating on letting go of this peace,

I can't say I'm not looking forward to what's to come in the future.