It was raining again in Vienna—not the soft, contemplative kind of rain they both loved, but a restless, relentless downpour that rattled against the windows of the chess café. Inside, the air was warm and heavy with steam from their cocoa mugs. The chessboards, for once, were closed. No play tonight. Only the hush of decision.
"You need to go," Elena said, her voice gentle but unwavering as she traced a finger around her mug's rim.
Alexei blinked, caught off guard. "To the qualifiers?"
"Yes," she replied, looking up with eyes that knew too much and feared too little. "You're ready. You've been ready for a long time. It's time the world saw it."
The silence that followed was broken only by the rain. In the dim corner, Alexei's old wooden board glowed faintly. From within, Tal's familiar voice stirred like wind against stone.
"She's right," the spirit said. "You've danced around the fire long enough. Time to walk through it."
Alexei exhaled. The decision had already been made in his heart. Now, he was just catching up.
The World Championship Qualifiers were held in Budapest, drawing twelve of the sharpest minds in global chess. When Alexei stepped into the hall, his presence sent a ripple through the room.
His FIDE rating, freshly updated to 2624, had stunned the chess world. Whispered rumors turned into bold headlines. Some hailed him as the next Tal. Others called him the "Ghost Board Prodigy."
And Elena—steady, brilliant Elena—stood quietly behind the ropes, eyes calm, her own mysterious board tucked safely beneath her coat. She watched him with something deeper than hope. She watched him with belief.
Round after round, Alexei carved through his opponents. In Round 2, he faced a veteran Hungarian GM who steered the game into a labyrinthine Berlin Defense. Alexei leaned into chaos, sacrificing an exchange on move 17 with a smirk.
Gasps echoed through the hall.
By move 38, a bishop—silent since the opening—emerged like a phantom. The veteran's king fell with quiet resignation.
That night, Tal appeared in the hotel room, hovering above the chessboard.
"You felt it, didn't you?" the spirit asked.
"I did," Alexei replied, grinning. "But I don't understand it yet."
"You're not meant to," Tal said. "Just follow it."
Elena, curled up by the window, turned her head. "One down. Ten to go."
Alexei stared at the stars. "Then let's make them count."
Outside, the rain had finally stopped.