Trails of Intertwined Stars: Chapter 74 {Part 1}

~Chapter 59: Chess Subliminal~

Jiu's eyes shut open in an instant, glancing around hazily as he tried to discern where he was. It was a dark room. No, perhaps it was a void or a subliminal space? Jiu groped for a wall, but instead was met with a disturbingly icy, wet and dark substance. He let out a curse as he hurriedly wiped the odd matter off his hands onto his clothes. A dark stain lingered on them for amount, before the fabric absorbed it in a second. He grimaced, squinting around to try to spot anything. He wasn't alone. Jiu's chest constricted as he glanced upwards, realising that he himself was not on the floor, but he was standing upside down on the ceiling, of whatever place he was in. Above him, was a game of chess. A gaunt, water-bitten skeleton from his dream was sat on one side of the chess board, opposite his opponent. Surrounding them was an army of similar skeletons; each sat low with their legs crossed, and bayonets at their side. For lifeless creatures, they seemed particularly immersed in the game, supposedly lead by the captain skeleton. Surrounding them, were large replicas of chess pieces; the size of pillars. A few of the watching skeletons leaned against them. Each skeleton in that room seemed to have some oddly morbid fascination with the game. What startled Jiu the most was the opponent of the skeletons opponent.

Sat on a throne of crumpled, red, soldiers hats and clothes; was a young boy, adorned in nobility attire and frills. The frills seemed to go all the way down to his feet, which did not touch the floor; with his leg over in a respectable sort of manner. Upon his mousey, brown hair was a crown made out of bullet shells, each stained with blood; hard and old. The boy, Jiu recognised to be Duncan. The true Master of the House. With a languid swipe, he knocked over the soldier's chess pieces with his own; smirking to himself as the skeleton captain rattled angrily.
"Checkmate."
The army behind him seemed to copy the captain's gesture.
Duncan sighed," It's not my fault you're all so dreadful at this game."
The boy glanced up, spotting Jiu watching. Jiu froze in horror, watching the boy, who hadn't aged a day, meet him with the same gaze he'd had in many portraits and in Jiu's dream.
"Come, join me will you," Duncan waved his hand," These stupid skeletons are barely entertaining me."
Jiu went to say that he didn't know how to get down, but he suddenly felt a flood of a cold liquid pass over him, and he found he was now sat where the skeleton captain had been. He glanced around with wide eyes, staring at the many soldiers who surrounded them; watching both he and Duncan, yet looking lifeless too.

"Duncan," Jiu whispered, glancing over at the boy, urgently," Don't do this to Leora..."
Duncan pursed his lips, he seemed to be expecting this response.
"And why should I not?" Duncan retorted, plainly," Somebody needs to bring her to justice."
"She was a toddler then..." Jiu furrowed his eyebrows," She can't be held accountable."
Duncan raised an eyebrow, looking confused at Jiu's statement for a moment. He shrugged it off, simply.
Jiu's voice grew urgent," She didn't mean it, Duncan, she didn't mean it and you know it!"
The skeletons started to chatter their bones together once more. Duncan cast a bored gaze over at them, before looking back at Jiu.
"You are upsetting them dreadfully with that tone," Duncan let out a long sigh," I recommend you lower your tone. It tries on their old ears, after hearing all those gunshots."
Jiu grimaced, bringing his tone lower," They can hear?"
"I don't know...can they?" Duncan smirked, before chuckling to himself.
"Stop doing this to her Duncan," Jiu furrowed his eyebrows.
"And why should I do that?" Duncan scoffed," You know I'm starting to truly see your character, Jiu. It's disappointing. I thought you and I wouldn't be too dissimilar."

Jiu grimaced at the thought. He shook his head, adamantly.
"No, I'd never torment someone like this out of mere revenge."
Duncan's expression darkened," Well, let's just say, this certain person deserves hell and back."
"Leora doesn't deserve any of that," Jiu whispered, pleadingly.
Duncan paused, his eyebrows furrowing, as if processing something. He looked up at Jiu, raising an eyebrow.
"Leora doesn't deserve what, exactly?"
"You! Tormenting her!" Jiu snapped, frustrated as to why Duncan was so tricky to talk to.
He quietened instantly, once more, hearing the skeletons chatter their bones together once more; gripping their bayonets. Duncan didn't seem to even slightly care about the skeletons, he was much more fascinated by what Jiu had said. He grinned, his eyes lit with a morbid fascination.
"So that's what you think..." Duncan whispered," How amusing."
Jiu furrowed his eyebrows confused. Duncan leaned back on his disturbing throne, took a chess piece and swallowed it whole. There was no rhyme or reason for his action, yet he definitely took a mischievous pleasure at seeing Jiu's expression contort to concern.

"Listen..." Jiu sighed, glancing away, realising he was trying to barter with a vengeful ten year old," Please can you just...leave Leora alone?"
"No."
"But-"
"No," Duncan stated plainly," Why should I do that? I'm the one stuck in this purgatory. And the only way for me to leave is to fulfill my last wish."
Jiu gripped his own shoulders tighter. It was almost like the deal he had with Leora. Final wishes worked in a similar way.
"Tell me your last wish, Duncan," Jiu spoke urgently," Maybe I can help you. Ghost to ghost. What's your last wish?"
"L e o r a."
His words made Jiu feel sick. Duncan had whispered it out, like some sort of deadly curse; with a disturbing glint in his eyes. The skeletons too, seemed to rattle, much more aggressively than before. They clattered into pieces; piles on bones lying in heaps around them. The large chess pieces, too, seemed to tremble. Duncan did not care for this, his gaze was fixed onto Jiu, intently.
"Duncan, please-!" Jiu cried out, gripping the chess board tightly, to steady himself from the trembling.
He felt the table beneath his grip morph to the icy river water of Mohan manor. He could hear children's whispers all around him...two boys, one girl...one girl, one boy...one girl...one girl...one girl...one girl...
"W a k e. U p."

Jiu sat upright in his bed, his sweat drenching him horribly. He glanced around the dark room, short of breath, to find it was night time. He grimaced, remembering everything that happened. Leora was in terrible danger.