The king had fallen.
How had this happened? Where did they go wrong? Everything seemed fine, their line unbroken by the enemy.
Yet, somehow, a knight had slipped through, and the king had been lost.
What would happen to their kingdom now? There was no heir, and the queen was missing somewhere out on the battlefield.
The foot soldiers were in a panic, and he honestly wasn't doing much better. Why had they left all their strategists behind? Sure, the king himself had claimed that this would be a simple battle, and that their other resources were better spent elsewhere.
The king had been wrong. And now he was gone.
"Jared, are you going to reset the board?" Emily's voice drew Jared out of his thoughts, and he looked away from the chessboard.
"Oh, yeah. Yes, I demand a rematch! You said you were a beginner."
"It's called acting, silly. You're never going to be ready for the school tournament if you let your guard down for every so-called beginner you face." Emily laughed, and Jared shook his head. The only reason he was even entering the tournament was because she wanted them both to try it.
He reset the board, and promised himself that this time he properly focus on the game.