Who was this character?

A figure stood before them, wearing a modernized version of Kace’s outfit. Half his face was covered by a mask and his dark hair protruded over it. An unnatural smile donned his face, mirroring that of Kace. He approached the game master with a subtle sway in his gait.

His voice was a mix between a whisper and growl. “Can I play? I haven’t played with anyone in sooo long.”

That was enough for Alexander to conclude that he wasn’t to be trusted. He was perfect.

“And we both know the reason behind that.” Kace responded sharply. “This game is strictly between me and Hyacin.”

“If I may interrupt,” Alexander said, addressing Kace. “Mr. Winchester, you’re missing an ample opportunity to test your game. You’ll have a varied experience with multiple players. I’m sure you’ll need more in the future, assuming no one else has played.”

Hyacin responded as Kace hesitated. “He’s on your team, Winchester. Now let’s get this over with, so I can leave.”

The structures from before formed a lengthy and high wall, donning a scoreboard that hung above.

Kace cleared his throat, taking a position in front of it. "The Winchester’s have-”

Hyacin cut in with a brusque interruption. “Can we skip to the important part?”

“Uh, no! It’s all about the presentation, my friend. Anyway, my family has dedicated their lives to provide the best games. Over the years, we’ve evolved, but I want to push boundaries. Traditional games are fun, but they’re confined to a single space. I spent months pondering about this issue and that’s when I had it!”

Excitement sparkled in his eyes. “I present to you my brand-new game, I like to call Run and Gun." He shouted, brandishing a small metal object in his hand. "And, this is a gun!”

Kace flourished the gun, holding onto its handle, his finger hovering over a lever.

“A ge-yun?” Hyacin inquired, confusion written on his face.

“It’s gun, grandfather.”

“Ge-yun is better.”

“Well, it’s my invention, and it’s pronounced gun. The sentence rushed out of his mouth with rapid enthusiasm. He punctuated his declaration by sticking his tongue out at Hyacin, receiving a dramatic eye roll.

“We will be using these for our game. Allow me to explain. There will be two teams and we'll be entering on opposite sides. The goal is simple - zap your opponents with these guns. Once zapped, they will end up at the starting point. The team that has eliminated the other will receive a point and end the round. The first to reach three points walks away with a sweet five hundred asain prize!”

“I’m going to win,” the figure exclaimed.

“We. Anyway, our playground will feature unexpected surprises, so expect them. There won’t be a time limit. Any questions? Good. Let’s begin.” Kace pulled the lever on the gun and a piercing sound rang throughout the realm. The duo blinked away in an instant.

Two similar guns fell from above, and the wall opened up, closing once they entered the zone.

“Don’t you find it strange that he didn’t mention any rules?” Alexander asked, gazing up at the towering wall.

“He’ll make something up halfway through the game and accuse you of cheating when you find a way around it.”

He retreated a few paces from the wall. “Who was with Mr. Winchester?”

“That’s his grandson. Ches.”

“You don’t have much to say about him.”

“Don’t need to.”

With a burst of energy, he leaped toward the wall and gripped the smooth edge. The labyrinth possessed different shapes, etched into its design. These were all interconnected in a web of calculation. Its grandeur stretched into the horizon, making it seem boundless. The moon gleamed down and cast a purple hue.

“Mr. Winchester is able to control this realm, and this is his game. He’d be able to exploit that and, to take it a step further, keep us here. You don’t find that concerning?”

His grandfather’s face remained unchanging. “The man isn’t all the way here, but he isn’t mad.” He leaped to a pillar with silent movement. Alexander followed, syncing his movement as they traversed the landscape.

During their search, a strong mist shrouded the top of the walls. Regardless, Alexander took the lead until they heard humming below.

The eerie tune permeated below them, prompting them to jump. They landed as close as possible to the sound, treading slowly as they neared.

“Ches, can you stop humming? You’re going to lead them to us.”

“Exactly.”

Hyacin honed on an opening where humming stemmed from. He aimed and fired. The sound of metal clinging to the ground lingered. The second shot was Alexander's, ending the first round.

They were teleported to the starting point and a numeral was present on the scoreboard. The entrance didn’t open immediately.

Alexander let out a frustrated sigh. “They have to be messing with us. That was too simple.”

“If your theory is correct, it won’t be that way for long. Just keep your guard up.”

The entrance opened, and they rushed inside. A ceiling hung above them, earning a smirk from Hyacin.

“Told you.”

“It’s possible he’s designed the game to adapt around its players.”

“What happened to exploiting his power?”

“It’s an option that came to mind. I like to keep them open.”

As they walked further into the maze, the sound of running echoed off the walls. The running stopped and picked up at another location, drawing near and becoming distant. The labyrinth pulsed with the rhythm of the unseen movement.

“Whether this is Mr. Winchester’s or the games doing its genius.”

“Pfft. You kids throw around words like meaning is nothing,” Hyacin retorted, a hint of disdain in his voice.

“Manipulating the perception of your players is an underrated play. I can’t expect you to appreciate it.”

“I would appreciate it if you would be helpful and stop fanboying over Kace. Do you sense anything?”

“Nothing. And, for your information, I’m acknowledging his methods.”

Compartments opened above them and hulking beasts, each with distinct coloring, surrounded them. Their teeth dripped with malice and their eyes were full of eagerness.

“I thought you didn’t sense anything.”

“I didn’t,” he replied tersely.

“See? This is what I’m talking about. Cheap.” Hyacin delivered a swift kick to a leaping creature. “Wha- what are you doing?!”

“Shhh. I’m going to tame it.” Alexander extended his hand to the nearest animal. His interaction was cut short as his grandfather yanked him before it lunged at him.

“You’re crazier than Kace!” Hyacin shot at the animals that maneuvered around the beams.

“I have an idea.”

“I’m not taming anything.”

For minutes on end, the sound of shooting and whimpering rang out through the maze. A silence overtook the air and, as expected, the enemy was close by. Alexander didn’t miss the opportunity to spy.

“I know it came from this direction,” Kace exclaimed, frowning at the sound of running. A creature entered the space and growled at the duo. Ches extended his hand to the creature, and its hostility melted away. Typical.

Energy surged in his body as a thought intruded in his head. They were both distracted and he had an opening. He ignored the thoughts branding him as an idiot.

That’s when the creature turned its head toward him and began to advance. The enemy followed behind him, humming the tune from earlier.

He rubbed the side of the gun as he imagined where this could lead.

Closer…

Closer…

The animal sniffed around the wall, made unintelligible sounds, and turned in the other direction.

Alexander’s eye twitched, and he revealed himself, pulling the lever. Nothing.

“Watch out, Ches!” Kace pulled his own.

The beam bounced from wall to wall with untamed adrenaline. With a swift dodge, Alexander evaded its rampage. When the beam halted its pursuit, it recalibrated and continued the onslaught. He couldn’t evade the attack forever, and Ches added to the challenge by shooting at him. During the battle, he managed to zap Ches, and he was teleported back to the beginning.

Hyacin joined him and the second game was finished. As expected, his grandfather was all over him.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Who doesn’t follow the plan they create? What were you thinking? How can we win when you’re off doing your own thing? I knew this was a bad idea.”

“Can you be quiet? I’m thinking.”

This statement set him off again.

The third round commenced, and the previous noise from before plagued them. They could use this to their advantage and confuse their opponents. Arriving in an open space, Kace stood in the middle, scratching his head. Hyacin shot him, and he dissolved like water—an illusion. That’s an idea.

Masquerading as an illusion and using the noise to their advantage would be a concoction of deception. It wasn’t as if the opposition could shoot at everything they saw.

Hyacin flicked him on the head and pointed. The passages were blocked by armies of illusions staring at them and barrages of projectiles shooting toward them. One can imagine how well that went.

“When I see Kace, I’m gonna kill him. Accusing me of cheating and this is what he does!”

“A friendship to aspire for.”

“Who asked you?”

Round Four.

A ceiling was no longer present, and the floor beneath him shot into the sky. Hyacin descended into a hole when he reached out to him. Gazing below, the playing field shifted into various positions, transforming the landscape.

A block raced toward his own, colliding with it and knocking it off balance. He endeavored to travel lower, but his way was blocked or congested. The continuous change forced him to keep his footing. His concentration was thrown off when a beam raced past his ear, making it throb.

Ches was perched on a platform a few feet below him, ready to fire again. Alexander fired back and jumped, poised to kick him, only to be dodged. The opposition maneuvered around the battlefield, bouncing from wall to wall with grace. In other words, he’d be impossible to hit unless he closed the distance or predicted his movement.

Ascending upward, his gaze locked on Ches calculating his next move. He kicked a nearby platform in his direction. It crashed into several, and he jumped to the next, repeating the process. With each attempt, he closed the distance between them until Ches’s balance was thrown off.

His opponent was unwilling to fall and even more unwilling to release his gun. He tumbled and shouted as he hit everything on his way down. Ches landed on his back, recovering when Alexander landed in front of him.

That’s when everything began to fall down.

Bang.

Halfway through trying to escape being buried alive, the environment around him changed. They were back at the starting point and Kace cleared his throat.

“It’s time to make a change.” His gaze swept across each participant. “It’s a free for all now, and each of you have two points.”

“You’re joking,” Hyacin deadpanned. “How can you ignore-”

Everyone took their own corner in a sizable expanse. Kace was the target of their aggression and danced away, trying to avoid gunfire. When they were rid of his presence, Hyacin dove to retrieve his gun, but Ches was faster.

“What are you standing there for? Shoot.” Hyacin shouted, urging Alexander into action as beams flew in rapid succession.

He complied, and only two were left.

Ches giggled, tossing each gun to his side and dramatically bowed. Alexander fired at him, only for the beam to halt midway and fall to the ground shattered.

“Your performance is mediocre.”

The smile on Ches’s face violently twitched and wavered before standing firm. He took a step back, hands on his hip. “You’re mediocre compared to Strix.”

Alexander’s eyes widened at the mention of the name. “What do you know about him?”

Ches snapped his finger and his form vanished. Illusions began falling from the sky, all screaming in unison. The floor beneath him crumbled, and he spotted an opening in a wall. He darted toward it despite the objects being hurled at him.

A distorted rendition of the tune Ches hummed played in the background as apparitions chased him. They were twisted and grotesque, offering refreshments and reaching out to him. The ground beneath him propelled into the sky, higher this time, before plummeting.

The wind whipped around in his face as the ground opened into the shape of a mouth. Endless darkness enveloped him and silence followed. That’s when a large rock flew toward him from the opposite direction.

Once the boulder hit him, he found himself sprawled on the ground. The smug gaze of Hyacin greeted him when he looked up. “You deserve whatever he did to you.” Alexander massaged his face and rose to his feet.

That was fun.

Kace stood behind his grandfather, violently shaking Ches.

“You little cheater! You had to ruin my game.”

I’m not a cheater.”

“Then, what do you call it?”

“Having fun.”

“Fun this!” Kace threw Ches into the horizon, his scream fading in the distance. An apologetic look crossed his face. “I’m sorry about what happened. Ches manipulated my game, and I was trying to gain control. I wasn’t actually playing with you, and I’m shocked Hyacin didn’t know.”

“Don’t project blame on me. You’re the one who let him play. Now take us back.”

They arrived back in Wuthon, where Erebos hadn’t reached its fullness. Hyacin rushed away from them. Alexander, on the other hand, had unfinished business.

He approached Ches, who took a stance beside Kace. “You didn’t answer my question. What do you know about Strix?”

Ches turned his head in another direction and shrugged. “I wouldn’t tell you if I knew anything about it.”

“When I want information, badly enough, I can get it.”

“You can’t even use magic without Valine. From where I stand, I see no threat.”

“Allow me to clear your vision.”

Kace whistled and smoothly inserted himself between them. “Gentlemen, let’s not get too aggressive here,” he said, wrapping an arm around Alexander’s neck. “We don’t know what happened to Strix. So, why don’t I give you better information in exchange?”

“I’m listening.”

Kace leaned in and whispered. “My game was inspired by an interesting concept I borrowed from another dimension. One with its own civilization,” he brandished a gun in his hand and tossed it to Alexander. “Our own is influenced and derived from others. Don’t tell anyone.” He held a finger to his lip.

“How can you get to these other dimensions?”

“I’m afraid I can’t disclose that information. It’s a matter of the powers in play, but the ways are few. Feel free to visit and play anytime.”

“I’ll pass.” Ches commented with a smirk.

“Listen, here, you little cheat-”

The gun vanished from Alexander’s hand, and he went to seek his grandfather. Other dimensions. Something he’d keep in mind.

A large gathering of people all formed around an enclosure that held bare Aspemdava trees ranging from a dark brown to a red hue. A house was settled near the back. Hyacin was front and center, gazing up at the moon with softened eyes.

Its dark blue light beamed down on the field, and a lighter hue outlined the moon. As the moon continued to become fuller, more convened and conversation hushed as the night went on. Alexander tapped the railing and observed the moon reach its pinnacle.

A blue liquid poured down from the mood, and everyone pointed in wonder while the trees were watered generously. A barrier over them caused the substance to pour down its sides onto the ground. The blue outline around Erebos diminished, allowing the moon to shine brightly once the first step was complete. The tree's branches changed and reached toward the sky.

The leaves ranged from yellow to a deep orange that covered the enclosure and hid the house. Everyone remained still, and conversation broke out once more when Erebos took its leave. Hyacin didn’t take his gaze away from the sky.

“Grandfather, are you ready to go?” Alexander asked a few minutes later.

“I want to stay a while longer. You can leave.”

“Ches knows about Strix. Care to explain that?”

Hyacin’s body tensed, and he was silent before responding. “They used to play together. What did he tell you?”

“Nothing I wanted to know. Are you thinking about grandmother again?”

“Both of them. Do you miss Strix?”

“I’ve never met him.”

“You can still miss him. You have a connection.”

“I’d like to meet him. That’s all. Why don’t you describe it to me?”

“Bittersweet.”

“What an interesting combination. I can’t imagine how much it must plague you. Can you tell me more?”

“Heh. Sure, rascal.”