The clearing had gone utterly silent. Students and instructors alike watched with rapt attention as Gale took a measured step forward, his polished boots crunching against the grass. His usual smirk remained, but there was an edge to it now—like a blade sharpened to its limit.
Gale's smirk didn't falter as he took his seat across from me, the board between us like a battlefield drawn in miniature. The crowd around us hushed, students and faculty alike waiting to see how this would play out.
"Best of three?" he asked, as if offering me a fair chance.
I met his gaze evenly. "One game. Winner takes all."
A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "Confident, are we?"
I shrugged. "Time is valuable. No need to waste it."
Gale chuckled, then reached forward and made the first move. The game had begun.
