In the distance, an island sparkled brightly against the darkened night sky. This was Lemdust Island. A place of towering buildings, glowing resorts, and neon lights. Once a vacation paradise, now in the year 2307, it served a different purpose.

  At the back of the island stood a colossal glass stadium, illuminated by a swirling dance of lights erupting from its core. The roaring of the crowd echoed throughout the night, flashing their color-coded lights in excitement as they surrounded the open arena.

  “You got this, Ty!”

  “You're almost there!”

  In the heart of the stadium, two boys stood face to face, eyes glowing with unnatural hues of blue and yellow rings pulsed around their irises.

  Above them, a massive holographic cube hovered in the sky, showing live footage of both contestants leaping through high-tech obstacle courses. The audience could watch from any angle as Ty and his opponent raced across digital bridges, dodging hazards and chasing victory.

  Meanwhile, in a dim hallway beside a vending machine, a lone figure leaned against the wall.

  “Give me a bottle of sparkled water,” he said.

  “A bottle of Sparkled Water... coming right up,” the vending machine chirped. A sleek bottle descended behind the glass. “Please pay to enjoy your drink.”

  The teen tapped a small, black square device against the screen marked Pay Here.

  “Thank you. Enjoy,” the machine concluded.

  He grabbed the bottle and stepped out of the shadows. He was a teenage boy with a blank expression and a clean bald fade, wearing a red and black school uniform. He took a slow sip, then paused when the crowd’s roar grew louder.

  Back in the arena…

  The cube broadcast Ty sliding beneath a swinging axe before springing back to his feet, sprinting toward the finish line. His opponent lagged far behind, still battling flamethrowers and dodging hidden traps.

  “Shit! I’m too far behind…there’s no way I’ll—”

  An arrow struck his temple mid-sentence.

  “S-Son of a—”

  And he disintegrated into glowing cubes, vanishing without a trace.

  Ty stumbled across the finish line. Fireworks exploded overhead as the word VICTORY pulsed above him.

  “I won?” he gasped, blinking. A grin spread across his face. "Oh yeeeeah!"

  The crowd erupted.

  “You're the man, Ty!”

  “Now all that's left is the Ace!”

  Suddenly, a warning siren silenced the cheers.

  “Please remain quiet as we prepare for the next match.”

  Ty lowered his arms, still smiling as he walked down a corridor.

  “I can't believe I actually won Board Game. That genre always wrecks me... Wonder what's next?”

  Up ahead, he spotted the same emotionless boy sipping his sparkled water.

  Ty slowed, eyes widening. “You're... the Ace, aren't you?”

  “...Mmhm.”

  The boy took another sip.

  “Oh. Uuuuh, cool.” Ty walked closer, leaning casually against the wall. “Got any advice for me? You know for…Someone who is about to face you.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “If I did, it’d be pity. Is that what you want?”

  Ty chuckled awkwardly. “Fair enough. You know what the next genre is? Chess? Fighting? RPG? I doubt Boardgame will come up again.”

  The boy sighed, eyes still down. “Why are you talking to me? We are not friends. And if you think about looking for a weakness to psych me out–”

  Ty blinked. “What? No! I’m not—w-what are you talking about?”

  “I don’t blame you,” the boy murmured. “I’d probably do the same.”

  Before Ty could respond, the stadium buzzed again.

  “Contestants, please report to the arena.”

  “Thank god,” Ty muttered. He glanced back at the boy. “See you out there, Ace.”

  Once Ty disappeared down the hall, the boy lowered his drink and whispered, “Shit… I’m getting tired of this.” He then threw his drink on the other side of the hall

  The crowd's chant thundered through the air as Ty emerged.

  “Now… what you've all been waiting for…”

  The announcer's voice boomed.

  “Three-time undefeated champion. Finishes a match in under five minutes..."

  “JUNIPER!”

  The crowd went wild.

  "Juniper!"

  "I love you, Juniper!"

  Juniper, still stone-faced, enters the arena. At the center stood two sleek gaming chairs, armrests ready to lock their players in for total immersion.

  Ty was already seated, grinning. “Hope we have a good match.”

  Juniper didn't respond. He simply sat down and rested his arms, allowing the restraints to close.

  “Yeah... figured,” Ty mumbled.

  “The genre of this match… is Chess.”

  Ty smiled. “Nice. Something relaxing.”

  Above them, the cube reappeared in the sky, and the crowd cheered.

  Inside the cube, they were seated cross-legged on separate floating platforms in darkness. Between them sat a massive 3D chessboard with pieces already in place.

  “Ty shall proceed first.”

  “Good luck! Again!” Ty shouted.

  “Just start the goddamn game!” Juniper replied coldly.

  Ty narrowed his eyes. “Oh. He’s going down.” So Ty starts first.

  “Pawn E2 to E4!” And the Pawn on the chessboard moved exactly where Ty said.

  “Pawn E7 to H4.” Juniper responded instantly.

  Ty frowned. "Pawn A2 to A3."

  "Queen to H4."

  "What? Already?"

  Ty grit his teeth, recognizing the opening. Scholar’s Mate? Seriously?

  “Pawn G2 to G3.” He responded with a block.

  Juniper narrowed his eyes. “So you knew.”

  “What?” Ty muttered. “You think I wouldn’t recognize the oldest trick in the book?”

  Minutes passed. The match had become intense as pieces flying, attacks countered, and strategies reversed.

  “Knight to D6!” Ty fired back.

  “Bishop to C5.”

  Piece by piece, they traded blows.

  From outside the cube, no one noticed blood beginning to stream from Juniper’s eyes.

  The board was almost empty. Juniper had only his King and Knight left. Ty had two Rooks, a Pawn, and his King.

  Ty studied Juniper. No tells. No emotion. Just that same unreadable mask.

  “Is this really the Ace? The guy I trained years to face?”

  Then, without warning—

  “Make the move!” Juniper snapped.

  Ty froze. “W-What?”

  The crowd murmured:

  “Did he just shout that?”

  “Something’s wrong…”

  Juniper leaned forward, voice trembling with rage. “Just finish it! Now!”

  Ty hesitated. “After everything you said… how do I know this isn’t some trick?”

  “I said—DO IT!”

  But before Ty could move, Juniper’s body broke apart. Digitizing into floating cubes before vanishing.

  “What?!”

  Ty opened his eyes as he made it back in reality. The crowd was screaming.

  “What’s going on?” Ty whispered. “Why do my feet feel warm…?”

  He looked down.

  A dark red puddle spread beneath him.

  “Ahh! What the hell?!”

  He stumbled out of the chair and froze.

  Juniper lay collapsed on the floor. Blood gushed from his eyes, pooling rapidly. The room echoed with panicked cries and sirens.

  Ty screamed and scrambled away, unable to look away from the horror.