Elements of Calza - The Darkened Mind

Prologue

He walked calmly into my office just after dawn, his expression a curious mixture of steely resolve and trembling fear. As he strode in, memories of our first encounter flooded my mind, a time before he had changed so much. A time where he was still an innocent child and didn't have to go through everything he had in the past 6 years.
"You're here for something, I presume?" I said,
He nodded, avoiding my gaze.
"I can try to help. Take a seat," I offered, gesturing towards the chair in front of my desk.
After a few moments of hesitant silence, he finally spoke. "Can we win?"
The question hung heavy in the air, pregnant with implications that neither of us dared to voice. "Is that really the question you should be asking?" I replied eventually.
"I don't have time for your word games," he snapped.
"But is it, Theo?" I pressed.
"Why does that matter?" he retorted, his eyes burning with desperation, pleading for an answer.
"Because this is not the end," I said, my voice quivering slightly. "I know why you're upset, Theo. She meant a lot to you, but..."
"It's not just her," he interrupted, his voice breaking.
"I know, we've lost a lot," I continued, trying to steady my voice. "But the game isn't over just because we're down a few pieces."
Theo shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. "Is that all we are to you? Pawns in your grand scheme?"
"You know that's not how I mean it," I protested, feeling a sense of frustration rising in my chest.
"Do I?" he shot back. "How did you mean it then, what else could you possibly mean, how else am I supposed to take it?"
I sighed heavily, my eyes drifting to the window. "Look, if you knew the things I knew..."
"That's not good enough," Theo interrupted, his voice rising. "It's awfully convenient that you're the only one who knows what's going on but can't tell us."
My heart sank at his words, the weight of the burden I carried crushing down on me.
"The people we lost last year..." he began before his voice cracked and trailed off. Closing his eyes he sighed before he continued.
"Would you tell them it's okay that they died?" He spoke steadily, trying not to lose his temper. "Would you tell them it's okay because the important pieces in your game are okay?" He demanded, his eyes blazing.
"No, of course not," I replied, my voice barely audible. "I will miss them every day and carry the burden of their death with me, but that is partly how I view all this, a game of chess. You know what we're up against. It will kill everyone, but as long as you and whoever this girl is are alive, we can stop it. I don't feel good about it, but it's the truth, and you know it. If we still have the king we..." I wanted to continue but knew it wouldn't help.
Theo stared at me, his eyes boring into mine with a mixture of anger, grief, and gratitude. For a moment there was utter silence, the air thick with unspoken words, until finally he stood up, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
"Yes, Theo," I said softly. "We can win. We can win if you're alive."
He looked at me for a split second, his face a complex mixture of emotions: Anger, sadness, frustration, grief, sentiment, forgiveness, Before he settled on anger, turned, and left without another word.