SHARPER || Chishiya Alice in Boarderland

-5- The King of Diamonds

I wake up, barely rested and turn to Chishiya. "What time is it?" I ask, still groggy from my sleep as I sit up and rub my eyes.

"About 6pm" he answers tiredly.

"6pm?!" I exclaim shocked, "I told you to wake me at two."

"I tried, but you were tired so I let you sleep." He explains but I shake my head.

"You're tired yourself. You need to sleep. Now." I beg him, "I'll take watch."

"I don't kn—"

"For me?" I ask hopefully, "Please?"

He sighs loudly but nestles himself onto the couch I've previously slept in. He let's his head fall on my thighs and I immediately burry my hand in his hair and massage his scalp. "Thank you." I whisper, and watch him quickly fall into his own slumber.

As Chishiya sleeps, his features soften, and I find myself admiring the gentle curve of his eyelashes against his cheeks, the way his lips form a serene, contented smile even in the midst of this chaos.

The soft light filtering through the window casts a delicate glow on his face, illuminating his features in a way that accentuates his actual hidden innocence. His neat hair falls delicately over his forehead, and his breathing is steady, acting as a rhythmic reminder of the peace he finds in sleep.

I want to save him. I need to save him. He definitely deserves a future back in the tesl world. He has to! The thought of losing him is unbearable; I will fight, strategize, and endure every game if it means keeping him safe. I've always kept the people I love safe. He needs to be safe!

Gently, I reach out and brush a strand of hair away from his face, my touch light as a whisper. I stroke his hair absentmindedly, my is mind racing as I try to form a plan, a way to keep us safe from the King of Spades.

It's like the King of Spades never sleeps. I can still hear faint sound of his guns, and the explosions. He's relentlessly hunting us all. But just running around can't be the answer to the unspoken question. He must have a reason. A purpose. There must be a purpose why his arena moves around the city and the others don't.

But what is is? What is his purpose in stage two?

The revelation strikes like lightning— we need to play a game to be safe from him. It's dangerous, but it's our only chance at escaping the King of  Spades. That's his task. The reason he's here. The King of Spades assures that the Face cards will be played.

The realization settles in, heavy and daunting. I glance down at Chishiya, his face serene in sleep, unaware of the insight I've had.

Gently, I shift his head off my lap, careful not to wake him. I walk over to the big drawer and inspect the clothes. I find a black pair of sweatpants that's just slightly too big and pull over a white t-shirt. I sort through our belongings in the backpack and take some crackers and a bottle of water. I sit down near the window and stare across Tokio.

We need to play tonight.

After a few hours, I gently wake Chishiya, and his eyes flicker open. I sit down next to him and take a sharp breath, my voice steady with resolve. "We need to play a game, Chishiya. It's our only way out of the King of Spades radar."

He blinks, processing my words, and then understanding dawns in his eyes. "Which one did you have in mind?"

"I thought clubs but as far as I can tell all clubs games are pretty far away." I explain, "I then thought spades but you're not really a fan of sports so I guess that leaves us with diamond."