A Tale of Fate, Choices & Summons

As everyone's attention shifted to the clock, its hands inching towards 12, a sudden and unexpected darkness swept over the room. A strange, otherworldly voice echoed through the engulfing shadows, "This will be fun." And in that moment, everything changed. ... "Let's see, for you... what about a game of chess?" the skeleton proposed, its voice a strange blend of ageless wisdom and playful mischief. ... "The world is filled with uncertainties and choices," the skeleton began, its voice echoing softly in the void. "They intertwine in a beautiful, complex way – not entirely random, but not predetermined either. You're not completely free, yet not entirely a prisoner. To simplify... or perhaps complicate things, I'm setting you humans in a game. A vast game, by your standards. The 'why' of this game is for you to uncover, as is its objective." ... “You’ve pondered it, but the true scope of this Game is beyond your wildest imagination…” A brief pause punctuated its point, “You are simply too limited in your current state to grasp its magnitude,” it continued. “No matter what strategy you devise, what concept you conjure, or what combination you dream up, anything within the realm of human creation or conception, even with your stats boosted a thousandfold, will not even remotely approach the complexity of the Game.” ... "Your efforts may finally prove beneficial, Alice," her mother continued, her tone shifting as she broached a subject heavy with implications. "We have received an offer of marriage on your behalf. Richard, the Count's second son, has shown interest." ... In the quiet, she schemed, her influence extending unseen through whispered words and carefully planted ideas. Her musings occasionally ventured to whether it was sight that rendered others so blissfully unaware of the deeper currents of life, or if she, endowed with an extraordinary mind amidst her physical limitations, was an anomaly in a world too shallow to fathom her depths. ... From the outset, Dante had committed to a journey that demanded sacrifices far greater than physical loss; he had forsaken the allure of the limelight to embrace the obscurity of the shadows, foregoing the direct thrill of wielding magic and superhuman abilities. The true terror for Dante lay in the possibility of anything derailing him from reaching the zenith of The Game. His resolve was ironclad, driven by an insatiable curiosity to discover what lay at the pinnacle. ... Maybe, just maybe, her times of boredom were over. *** What's in store with “A Tale of Fate, Choices & Summons, Vol. 1: The Summoner’s Gambit"? -Heavy on game elements and progression. -A slow burn with precise conciseness throughout the story. -Multiple POVs with two main characters. -A new concept for a necromancer... sorry, an undead summoner like you've never seen! -Laughs, because who doesn't need a giggle? -Characters that grow on you, literally. -Enlightenment typical of the wuxia-style. -Kingdom management. *Updates each two days, with chapters of 2000+ words. *For extra chapters check: patreon.com/Wavequill