Khurshanne has always played chess for more than just trophies-it's her way out. Every victory means food on the table, bills paid, and a step closer to a future she refuses to let slip away. The pressure is higher than ever, the matches more brutal, and the stakes beyond just winning. As she fights her way through the tournament, she faces not just her toughest opponents but also her deepest fears, self-doubt, and the weight of expectations. Because in a game where one wrong move can cost everything, only the strongest survive-and Khurshanne refuses to lose, she will always find a way to say her favorite word before ending a game. "Checkmate." Written by: deilavrae

Aliara has always chased stories - not just on paper, but in life. A rising journalist with a hunger for truth, she dreams of leaving her small town behind and earning her place in the world. But chasing dreams comes with a price. Isaac, her childhood best friend, is a quiet boy who writes the kind of music that understands people better than they understand themselves. He's always been there - watching, waiting, loving her in silence - even when she stopped hearing the melodies they once shared. When Aliara wins a prestigious journalism competition, she steps into a world of ambition and betrayal, where her greatest story might cost her the person who always believed in her. Blinded by pressure and desperate for validation, she makes a choice that severs the one connection that grounded her. Years later, when fate brings them together again, Aliara must confront the lies she told - to the world, to him, and worst of all, to herself. In a story about silence, longing, and second chances, she must finally face the truth behind the words they wrote - and the ones they never did.