Excerpt: Checkmate (working title)

May 25th, 2028.

Though all was dark and still in the world proper, lights burned brightly within the Castle that hid itself between dimensions, interrupted only by the movements of shadows amidst the flickering torchbeams thrown against cold stone walls. Perhaps it was a bit strange, that there were so many shadows yet only three bodies evident to provide these fuzzy-edged silhouettes, and certainly any outsiders observing the slow trek through dank, musty halls would have found themselves in confusion - yet in the Castle, this was nothing extraordinary, and not even a single eyelash did so much as twitch when the shadows seemed to leap from the walls and swirl about the three who steadily paced towards the central chamber. Despite the somber atmosphere, the air seemed charged with a sort of odd excitement, growing and growing with each step until it crackled almost tangibly amidst the dancing shadows, and by the time the heavy doors came in sight the tension had layered itself so thickly it seemed it might be possible to simply reach out and twist a portion of it off in one's hand.

That was when three pairs of feet paused, three pairs of eyes fixed themselves on the doors, three hands slowly extended to touch the icy metal handles.

The heavy wooden slabs began to ponderously creak outward before they could be touched, however, and with them came a burst of air that chilled to the bone and set the torches lining the walls to madly flickering; none of the three seemed particularly bothered by this, however, standing quietly in the force of this sudden gale from nowhere and continuing unhurriedly forward into the room now opened to them. It was dark, unlike the hallway, but at some unseen signal the very chamber itself seemed to come alive with walls of dancing flame, a worshipping light that at last revealed the purpose of their journey to the very heart of the Castle; seated on a dark, unadorned throne, draped in gauzy black silk and looking at them with emotionless eyes, a young woman reclined within the fall of her long, dark hair as though it were a shield and said nothing.

But they needed to hear nothing; as one, they knelt before her and spoke a single word in voices hushed and reverent, "Queen."

Though it held no warmth, only a cruel chill, Saki Nobori closed her eyes and smiled.