Warning: This Chapter Contains Themes that might be disturbing to some readers, Viewer Discretion is Strongly advised
★Eleanor Clarke's POV★
"Contract Seal"
Upon uttering the words that officialize a malefis, a dark shadow materialized beneath our feet and enveloped us.
Within it was a dark space, with a set up chess board at the center and two seats opposite from each other.
"So this is where a malefis takes place? Amazing. If Adam was here, he'd probably call it the Shadow Realm or something"
She exclaimed, eyes filled with glee, with such naivety.
The contract agreement has been established, and both parties are bound by the laws stated. And in the end, The winner's request is granted regardless of the loser's feelings.
"White or Black?" I asked her, gesturing for her to choose.
"Are you underestimating me?"
She asked, pouting with a hint of displeasure, so cute.
"Basically, you're saying you can beat me regardless of which side I choose, is that it?"
"No, no, I just felt since you're less experienced, you should be given a handicap— no wait, that didn't come out right. What I'm saying is..."
She sighed heavily as I tried correcting my phrasing.
"Fine then. Well let's see.... I guess I'll go with black"
"Huh, why?"
I expected her to select White, it has the most strategic advantages after all.
Is she scheming something I haven't anticipated?
She tilted her head and answered like it was the most natural thing in the world
"It's my favorite color"
What? Does she grow flowers in her head instead of braincells?
Ofcourse not, someone like that wouldn't come up with such a devious strategy using the rules.
She's probably well aware she's an amateur, which is why she eliminated the stopclock— so she take her time to think on her moves without worrying about the time. Secondly, she intends to disrupt my focus by inflicting as much damage as possible by taking my pieces so she can reduce my focus and even the playing field.
A clever strategy, and it'd probably work on anyone who isn't me.
Not just is our difference in skill vast, I have an exceptionally high pain tolerance and there are only so many pieces she can take, also, it's impossible for me to pass out from the pain, so I won't lose by default.
Finally, you can't win in chess by just mindlessly taking your opponent's pieces, it's a game of strategy.
No matter how I look at it, she's inferior to the blond brat in terms of ability, and the odds are stacked against her, she has a 0% chance of victory and I didn't even have to lift a finger, she dug her own grave.
So why was he so confident in her victory?
Well, I'll admit she's an enigma— one second she's a cute airhead who wears her heart on her sleeve, the next she's downright pseudo-psychopatic, not to mention the violent strategy concocted by such a pretty face.
She is weird.
"Hmm.... Maybe I am underestimating her"
I just have to give it my all and I'll be fine.
Malefis Game— Shadow Chess
*The game follows most of the standard rules of Chess
*For each of your opponent's piece you take, you earn a point— 1 for a pawn, 2 for rook, bishop or knight and 3 for the queen. By using up points, you can also bring back a piece that has been taken off the board
*Each player has one minute to make their move, faliure to do so within the time grants your opponent a point.
*For each higher ranking piece you own that's taken off the board, you lose a body part
*By using up points corresponding to the pieces rank, you can bring back a piece taken off the board
*Victory is achieved by checkmate or if your opponent passes out during the game
*Use of spells or curses are forbidden
Let's begin.
As I expected, it wasn't long before she took my first piece.
The look of elation on her face as I lost a finger gave me the creeps. prioritizing inflicting pain over strategy, she's crazy
"You're an aggressive one"
"Fufufu"
Sadly for you, Chess isn't won just by taking your opponent's pieces. Just focus on your own strategy.
.
.
.
Huh...
.
.
.
What the.....
"You... Are you really a beginner?"
"Wow, you catch on fast"
"How could I not? These aren't the moves of a beginner"
"Fufufu, I guess I'm busted, and here I thought I was holding back just enough for you not to notice, impressive!, well then...."
Each move she made seemed to be a mindlessly aggressive attack on my pieces but that was far from the case— She was constantly on the offensive and yet I couldn't shake her
She saw through all my strategies and shut them down in their infancy, she protected her king expertly while also reducing my forces.
For every move I made, she was at least 7 steps ahead.
The difference in skill is too great, I'm losing!
Still, I'm pretty sure she wasn't lying when she said she was a beginne—
The answer became evident when I looked at her face one more time— she was smiling as usual and yet...
I couldn't read her
"Everything you did before the game started— Your expressions, your demeanor, your gestures.... Even the pointless small talk we had, you were purposely making me believe I could tell when you were lying, misdirecting me from your actual lie"
"My.... You really are perceptive, still though, are you okay? You've taken quite a bit of damage after all"
"Don't dodge the question!"
"Woah, and you call me the aggressive one? Well, you're right. After all, no matter how skilled the reasoning or deduction, it's pointless if the premise itself is flawed."
She manipulated my observations? Skewed my deductions?
All the little things I noticed, from how her left pinky twitches a little to how her center of gravity shifts by 1.5 millimeters were all just minute, false signals sent by her?
Things so small you wouldn't notice without keen insight, but that's exactly where the trap was.
But why?
If she was this skilled, what use was there in lying? In deceiving me? Was it to make me underestimate her? To make me accept her rules? Or was it something else?
Well, it doesn't matter now, fact is she deceived me, and she's currently outplaying me... Now I see why the blond boy was so confident
You have my respect, Sara O'Nei—
Huh, what was that?
Suddenly, I felt a chill run through my spine, the atmosphere changed despite the fact there was nothing out of the ordinary. However, for less than a second, I thought I saw something...sinister, disguised as a soft smile on the face of the 17 year old girl.
But that can't be, right?
That was the signal that began my nightmare at the hands of this kid...no, monster.
She switched her playstyle from a strategically aggressive one to one that toyed with her opponent—me, driving home the difference in ability, constantly humiliating me while taking my pieces at the moment she deemed it necessary.
"I knew you sucked but not this much, fufuhahaha, even a retarted dog could run circles around you"
" S-Shut up"
She inflicted 'mental damage' with her plays and words while also inflicting physical ones, choosing the right moments for maximum effect.
Almost like she was well versed in inflicting despair.
But I hung in there, there are only 7 pieces she can take throughout the game so I just have to hang on...
Eventually, I was down to my king and a bishop. I purposely moved my piece to where she could take it and she did.
It's... Over. I endured, now the game will end.
It pains me to have to grant a wish to this sadistic bitch, but I have no choice. That said, I swear to pay you back for this someday.
But for now, I'll crash in my bed and get some sleep...
.
.
The moment I felt a hint of relief, a flicker of the light at the end of the tunnel, the atmosphere shifted again, ripping me away from that light into the eternal abyss.
This time I could see the source of my unease, this time I'm sure I wasn't imagining it, I couldn't imagine it even if I wanted to, it was clear for anyone to see.
The contorted face of the 17 year old girl in front of me to something akin to a smile— but it wasn't an ordinary smile, it felt as though her gaze was peering deep into my soul, filling me with dread. It was a smile full of malice, something sinister, as though she'd noticed my relief and was smirking at my naivete.
My fears were confirmed a fraction of a second later when she uttered something I didn't expect in a million years.
"Alrighty, I'll be using 2 points to bring back...."
She pointed her finger at me, smirking mischievously
".... Your knight"
What?
What did she just say?
"Y-You can't do tha—"
My knight re-appeared on the board, meaning it was well within the rules of the game.
"H-How?"
"Fufufufu, that's a really scary face you're making"
" WHAT THE HELL IS THI—"
*Slash
Before I could complete my sentence, she took my knight and I ended up getting slashed again while she gained back the 2 points she used up.
Huh?
As my mind tried processing what just happened, her lips parted, explaining how she could bring back my piece with her points.
"Think back to what I said about the use of points, I said we can bring back a piece taken off the board, but I never said I could only bring back mine, did I?"
No way... She's right.
Even worse, she returns my piece, she uses up points, then takes that piece, gaining back the same points she used up, which she can use to bring back the same piece again and again.
Which means, She can torture me infinitely
"Fufufu,There's the face I wanted to see"
"H-Huh?"
I gazed up at the 17 year old girl— monster, witnessing her psycho smile as she noticed my realization, my expression as I sank deeper into despair.
"Now then, let the true nightmare begin"
Again and again and again.... Over and over and over again, more times than I could count, she returned my pieces and took them immediately, relishing my pain each time.
At this rate..... I'll pass ou—
*Gasps*
Her smile intensified upon my realization
"You're unable to pass out from extreme pain due to your sloth factor, isn't that right? No matter how much I torture you, you have no choice but to take it. Why don't we test the limits of your pain threshold..."
She carried on breaking me and despite my high pain tolerance, this was too much.
"Please....stop"
I cried out to the sadist who appeared to be enjoying every ounce of my pain like it was her favorite food.
Without mercy, without humanity.
Soon after, a ray of hope flashed in my mind, a way out of this nightmare.
Why didn't I think of it sooner? I guess all the pain clouded my judgement or something
.
.
.
Let's end this.
I tipped over my king
"I.... Surrender"
She stared at me for a couple seconds then burst into an intense laughter.
The reason was evident immediately, the game didn't stop.
"Fufuhahaha, damn, you're slow! Remember what I said about the conditions of victory— only checkmate or losing consciousness, surrendering doesn't apply in THIS GAME OF CHESS!"
My last thread of hope was cut just like that, there's no escape from her web, from this 17 year old monster.
*Slash, Slash, Slash, Slash.... Slash, Slash
Even so, I won't go down without a fight, even if it's just a hand, I will leave my mark
Proof that I fought, that I didn't give up!.
Soon after, an opportunity presented itself, her rook was in my line of sight. I used up all the points I gained from taking her pawns early in the game to return my queen and bishop, then captured her rook successfully
And with that she lost her right hand
Yes! Take that you psycho bi*ch, with the pain of losing your hand, you might not be able to focus.
If I play my cards right, I can still make a comeba—
"fufufufuHAHAHAHAHAHA... FINALLY! Some action! Hahahaha, Yes... This feels good, this blood, this pain, THIS IS HOW A MALEFIS SHOULD BE, HELL YEAH!"
What the hell is wrong with her?
She smiled at me with crazy eyes, as she held her severed hand on her huge chest.
".... Let's have fun till the end, Shall we?"
My final, desperate effort was..... pointless? It only made her happy? It only excited her?
Her hand was just severed, how can she smile like she's high on cocaine?
She's not human... No one is this unhinged.... She's crazy, a demon, a monster, What is she? What is she? What is she?What is she? What is she? What is she?What is she? What is she? What is she?What is she? What is she? What is she?
I have seen many scary things in my life, both natural and supernatural... But they all paled in comparison to the entity before me
I'm scared, help me, help me, help me, help me, help me, help me, help me, help me, help me.... SAVE ME, PLEAAASE!
She continued for another 3, maybe 4 hours, relentlessly without break till eventually my words changed from 'please help me' to
"Please..... Kill...me"
I couldn't take it anymore, I want to die, I want to die, please I'm begging you, end my misery.
I begged her over and over to put an end to my life.
Her expression changed into one of boredom as she let out a deep sigh..
"How disappointing, and you call yourself a witch? How utterly disappointing. I wonder how many have begged your kind in the same fashion and received no mercy? Sigh, how utterly disappointing"
She tapped her fingers on the table, clearly irritated a little, then she spoke.
"Well, I'm willing end the game, but you have to agree to something first"
"....."
"I want to amend my wish, as to what I'm changing it to, I'll let you know once the game ends. Is that acceptable?"
To amend a wish, both parties have to be in agreement. What is she after?
"I....agree"
"Great, now that that's been taken care of..."
I don't have the will to defy her, I don't have the courage to hate her, all I have is relief that this nightmare is finally over.
".... I'll use two points to return your rook"
" W-what.....why?.... That wasn't....our deal"
I found tears emanating from my eyes as I questioned her.
"I said I was willing, not that I'd actually do it. This isn't over, not by a long shot"
She's...Evil
"There's the face I wanted to see... One full of despair. That moment when the final light in the deep dark abyss is taken away, when the final lifeline extended admist the bottomless despair is cut right before your eyes, that's the moment you can truly be broken"
She carried on till she was satisfied. 4, 5, maybe 6 hours, I lost the will to do anything, let alone count.
She'd broken me both physically and mentally in this game and once there was nothing left of me to devour, she finished the game with a checkmate.
The shadows dissipated, and our bodies returned to normal. But, the mental scars remained. The trauma inflicted during this game, and the fear of the entity known as Sara O'Neil that has been etched into my very soul as I lay there on the ground, emotionless, devoid of hope.
The only thing I saw was her standing over me, and her voice as she stepped on my head with her right boot.
"Now for my wish..... From now till the end of time, you are my Slave"
Author's POV
They say keeping a disloyal slave is like having a pet lion— if given the opportunity, they'll bite your head off.
Even if Eleanor Clarke was made to obey every one of Sara's commands as per the malefis, her heart still belonged to another master— she'd search for loopholes in their contract to either sabotage her when push comes to shove or to assist her true masters when in a pinch and would constantly try looking for ways to break said contract.
Such an ally is more of a liability, especially when said ally is an all powerful witch.
What Sara was after from the beginning was making Eleanor her eternal slave—a pawn who would do her bidding without question and wouldn't even harbor the thought of betraying her.
Naturally, if the older woman holds no loyalty for a 17 year old girl, she'll just have to forge that loyalty herself. There are two emotions that inspire loyalty in a subordinate, or rather, two reasons why a slave would never betray their master— Respect or Fear
Respect was impossible, there was no way Sara could top the people who saved her life, so fear was the best option.
This was Sara's intention from the beginning, to etch the fear of her name into Eleanor's very soul.
She wanted this thought to haunt Eleanor should she ever dream of being a turncoat.
"She will find out easily before I even make a move and when she does, there's no telling what she'll do to me"
To craft this image of herself in Eleanor's heart required intricate planning— simply displaying her superior intellect would only inspire surface level respect, and mindless torture will inspire hate, not fear.
She had to perfectly manipulate Eleanor's mental evaluation of her, guiding it onto the right level of fear.
This was the second to last act of her 3 month long plan.
The curtain rises right after Eleanor struck an unassuming girl she thought was a witch and got conned into a malefis in the heat of the moment.
By giving Eleanor 4 days of prep time, Sara gave her time to reanalyze her position and realize she'd been manipulated to some extent. At that moment, the question on Eleanor's mind becomes "What kind of girl I Sara O'Neil, and is my victory actually assured?"
Like that, Sara had subtly made Eleanor notice her, and turned her view from indifference to evaluation.
Furthermore, she met up with Adam where she found out he wasn't working with Sara but was also used by her into making that situation happen. Furthermore, Adam, whose abilities she'd witnessed first hand in the Haunted Hotel Sara prepared had absolute confidence in Sara's victory.
This made her cautious and fully invested in evaluating Sara ability so she doesn't end up losing.
This situation was ofcourse, a part of Sara's plan and one that occurred as a result of the Haunted Hotel— knowing Eleanor's unwillingness to kill civilians, she'd naturally approach Adam who she'd fought alongside before and was involved in the current issue, to convince him into getting her to back out.
The day the malefis came around, Eleanor was on her guard, prepared for the unexpected and paying close attention with keen insight not to miss a beat.... Just as Sara intended.
Using false gestures so minute you wouldn't notice unless you were actually searching for them, Sara manipulated Eleanor into believing she could read her tells, using that not just to camouflage her actual lies, but to also establish an assessment.
She's smart, a little crazy, but still inferior.
Also, because of her keen insight, she thought about Sara's rules strategically, thinking how it would benefit Sara. Ironically, that line of thinking makes it easier for Eleanor to accept the rules as you see them as some kind of scheme rather than finding it strange and asking why?
Accepting rules that benefited Sara but appeared to benefit Eleanor more gave her a sense of superiority, believing she was a step ahead— that was the mindset she carried into the game.
That she wouldn't lose no matter what.
During the game, she displayed her superior intellect changing Eleanor's evaluation and fostering respect in her ability. Then she began to toy with Eleanor establishing superiority while also shifting her evaluation once more to resentment and hatred.
Then began her infinite cycle torture, endlessly breaking her spirit while leaving brief glimmers of false hope(the misconception with the conditions of victory and others) and purposely letting Eleanor take her hand to crush her final embers of hope and plunge her deeper into despair.
All while selecting moments of relief in Eleanor to deal the most damage and sink her deeper.
Finally she made a logical proposal; "let me change my wish and I'll let you out" which she purposely broke, cementing Eleanor's final evaluation: She is illogical, She is sadistic, She has no humanity
She is one to be feared.
Breaking her end at that moment also served another purpose as she stated:
"That moment when the final light in the deep dark abyss is taken away, when the final lifeline extended admist the bottomless despair is cut right before your eyes, that's the moment a person can truly be broken"
She then took her time thoroughly crushing and reconditioning Eleanor, solidifying that fear in her essence, and finally put a collar on her new obedient dog.
A dog who's fully aware her master is sharp enough to see through any trick she attempts, and wouldn't hesitate to dish out punishment with a smile.
★★★Adam's POV★★★
I lay motionless on my bed, staring at the ceiling....
SIGHHHH.....
*RING RING RING
I looked at my phone and saw the caller ID, it was Sara.
Why now of all times? Well, whatever. Ignoring her would be pointless cause she'll just pester me till I answer.
"Hello"
"Your favori—"
"Find a new line, that one's getting old"
"Fufufufu"
"So, what do you want?"
"Just calling to tell you I won...."
As expected
"..... And I made the witch my slave"
Huh?
The depression must be getting to me, I'm sure I misheard.
"Repeat that last part"
"I said I made the witch my slave, plaything, toy"
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
"So anyway, we'll be identifying the third witch on Monday, join us if you can, yeah?"
"Don't just gloss over it like that, What the hell happened at that gam— on a second thought, I don't want to know"
Knowing Sara, it was probably something nasty.
"Huh, really? It was one hell of time, though"
"Yeah? Then why are you upset?"
" Huh?"
She paused for a few seconds, then continued.
"No, I'm fine. Turning the question back, is that depression I hear in your voice?"
"Tch—Shut up"
"And a hint of irritation, did your date not go so well?"
"How did you kn—"
"Fufu, well see you on Monday"
"Don't go too hard on Eleanor"
I received silence in response
" Hello?"
"Why are you worried about a witch? Did you forget her kind is the reason you fell from grace and became a shut in for five fucking years?"
"Well..."
She ended the call. Her tone was natural and soft-spoken but it was clear she was upset. Still though,
"So Sara won..."
Eleanor fell flat on the floor, now it's Sara's turn.
While my deduction that Sara was the witch was skewed by her manipulation, my original line of reasoning was correct.
Thanks to that, I have a pretty good idea who the witch is.
Hence the question I intended to ask Liz that day
Did you refuse to help Sara find the witch because you already knew her identity?
"It can't be. Liz isn't that kind....is she?"