The location of the next game in
the King’s Game is a casino themed after angels and demons. One side of the
casino that’s demon themed is full of games that cater to people’s vices while
the angel side is filled with games that focus more on people’s intelligence
and reasoning capabilities. As Bernardo looks around the gaming floor, he walks
down the line that separates the angel side from the demon one. He thinks about
the different games he could play once he’s done to relieve him of the stress
he’s feeling with the King’s Game.
A man of Middle Eastern origins
puts his hand on Bernardo’s shoulder as they walk past each other.
The man says, “So, because you are
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Revelation three, sixteen. It’s dangerous to walk the path between angels and demons.”
“I try to walk with angels, but I hate
to admit that I sometimes fall for demons.”
“Don’t we all? My name is Ehsan
Silat and I am your next opponent.”
“My name is Bernardo Briscola. What’s
the game we’re playing?”
“Not so fast, Mr. Briscola. I’d
like to get to know my opponent before a fight and I’m not talking about your strategies.”
“As long as you’re not talking
about taking me on a date, then we’re in agreement.”
“Haha, then let us have a drink and
talk before we play.”
“I’ve already had one before this, so
I’ll pass on the drinking.”
“I understand. Moderation in all
things after all.”
The two sit in a booth with a round
table above the playing floor. Ehsan has a bottle of champagne delivered to
them as enjoys a glass as he looks out at the crowd of people.
“Tell me, Mr. Briscola, who on the
playing floor will go to Hell when they die? The people playing on the demon
side or the angel’s?”
“Both.”
“Oh? Do explain.”
“As far as I know, as long as you’re
alive, you have a chance at Heaven but also Hell.”
“That’s very true. It’s good to
know that you’re a man of God in a place where there are very few. Victory, games,
money, prizes, and status are some of the gods here that have influence over
people. They forget that they’ll lose everything they have here in due time and
have to answer for their sloth and gluttony.”
“I pray for their souls.”
“As do I. What is your job outside
of these games?”
“Archeology. What’s yours?”
“Business. I’m a manager who’s on
vacation.”
“What interested a manager like you
in the King’s Game?”
“The mystery of it all. This world
of ours has so many and the King’s Game is one that is so close to us that I thought
I’d participate in it to experience one of the oldest mysteries of the world.”
“What will you do with the rewards
of the game if you win? Will you use it on your business?”
“No, not at all. I’d probably have
a nice chat with King Ammon, ask for the souls to be released, then walk out
with a story to tell. The riches don’t interest me at all. What’s more important
to me is the mystery and adventure. What about you, Mr. Briscola?”
“I’ll take some of the riches and
ask for the souls to be freed. My family is distant, and I don’t have any
friends, so I hope to use the riches on a family I’ll obtain with a wife.”
“I hope you’re not going to use
your riches to woe the woman of your choosing.”
“Of course not. I’m not after gold
diggers.”
“That’s good to hear, except for
the part about your family. The family is a haven away from the horrors of the
world. Why are you so distant from them?”
“They thought that archeology and
gaming are the career choices of fools. Once I graduated from college, we went
our separate ways.”
“Your distance is a good choice
then. A man doesn’t need riches or a high paying job to be happy.”
“I’m assuming you’re also talking
about your job as a manager?”
“You got that right, my friend. It’s
such a boring job that kills my soul from the inside. I have to take vacations
like this to rejuvenate my soul. I either go on spiritual journeys or vacations
like this to places filled with mystery. The wealth obtained from my job is
nothing compared to what I earn on my vacations. I almost wish I was in your
position.”
“It’s hard getting by, but it’s
worth it doing what I was born to do.”
“Oh! Say no more or I will die of
jealousy, haha. I can tell you’re a good and honest man. It’s an honor playing
against you, Mr. Briscola.”
“Same to you, Mr. Silat.”
“We should stop with the formalities
since we’re as close as brothers now. Let us play for the fate of our souls,
Bernardo.”
“What game do you have in mind,
Ehsan?”
“I was going to ask you that. I was
under the impression that players more learned about the history of the King’s
Game would decide the game to play. That’s how it’s been up until now for me.”
“That’s how it’s been for me as well,
but I’ve let my opponents decide the game we play. It may sound stupid, but I’m
confident in my skills to see me through.”
“I share in your ‘stupidity’, my
friend. It’s an exciting thing to play an unknown game for the fate of your soul.
Since you’re willing to have me pick a game, I’d like to play Stairway to
Heaven. This game doesn’t involve any kind of satanic ritual or anything like
it. Instead, we are going to touch this blessed cross together, and walk the
road to Heaven together. This game is a common practice in monastic communities
to test their faithfulness to God. If they fall, then they know the state of
their soul. What do you say?”
“Let the best man win.”
“That’s what I want to hear. If I lose,
I’d rather lose to a man who’s holier than me.”
“The same goes for me.”
“Then let us play for the fate of
our souls.”
Ehsan and Bernardo place their
hands on the blessed cross and close their eyes. When Bernardo opens his eyes,
he sees that he’s on a narrow white stairway. Everything around him is darkness
except for a dim light below him in which faint screams can be heard. The
stairway itself feels slippery to walk on, but since Bernardo has both confidence
and faith, he walks up. As he goes up, he feels a presence try to pull him
down.
He doesn’t assume this is Ehsan nor
does he look around to see what is pulling at him despite the fact that it
feels like multiple beings are pulling at him. Whispers excite his imagination
as they speak of the riches he will win in the King’s Game if he only opens his
eyes and cheats.
“I’m an honest man. Besides,
cheating makes the game less fun to play. I should know.”
The whispers then talk about his
promise to the other two competitors and how they must be suffering the Pharaoh’s
tomb.
“I’ll be there in due time. They
won’t have to wait long.”
The Stairway to Heaven seems to go
on forever. It’s almost as if Bernardo is walking in place up a set of stairs,
and yet, Bernardo persists. The whispers then speak of the life he’ll live
after he wins. The monotony, suffering, and death. They tell him that
he should just gamble and play games for the rest of his life.
“Moderation in all things.”
Bernardo then sees someone falling down
the stairs above him. That person turns out to be Ehsan. The whispers say that
he’ll fall with Ehsan if he tries to help him.
“That’s a risk that’s worth taking.”
Bernardo runs up the stairs for
Ehsan and catches him without falling down. In fact, he seems to have gone up a
few stairs. When he opens his eyes again, he opens his eyes for real in reality.
Ehsan opens his eyes and his body turns into sand.
He smiles then says, “You saved me,
didn’t you? I forgot the second important commandment to love your neighbor
for my own safety. I am like the ungrateful servant and will now pay for my
sins.”
“You won’t suffer for long. I
promise you that.”
“I know you’ll keep your promise
like a true man.”
Ehsan fades away and out of the casino
to the knowledge of no one else but Bernardo. He is glad that this is the way
things ended and makes the sign of the cross. He then takes Ehsan’s cross and examines
it to find the address of the next game. After kissing the cross, he takes it
with him. Since the bottle of champagne is open and still fresh, he pours
himself a glass and drinks it before going to the next location.
This next location is an arcade. It
has dozens of new and modern racing, fighting, and shooting games. It also has
other games that you would find in an arcade such as; skee ball, basketball hoops, and
super chexx. After playing some of his favorite nostalgic games for a bit,
Bernardo bumps into a teenaged girl who appears to be an anime fan, but also of
rock music judging by her appearance.
She makes her hand into a gun
shape, pushes it into Bernardo’s chest, then says, “Bang! I got you!”
“Huh?”
“I. Got. You! I won this game of
hide and seek.”
“What are you talking about? I wasn’t
playing hide and seek with you.”
“What do you mean? You agreed to
play!”
“No, I didn’t. This is the first
time I’m talking to you.”
“Wait, then…that means all that grunting
and saying yes was just you reacting to you playing games?! You were ignoring
me this entire time!”
“I’m sorry if it seemed like I was.
I just didn’t notice you because of all the noise and the games that I was
playing.”
“Urgh! Fine! But since you’re
talking to me for real now, we’re going to play a game for the fate of our
souls. My name is Lacey Flyleaf. You can call me Scarlet if you want.”
“Okay, Scarlet. My name is-”
“I don’t care what your name is. I’m
so close to winning the King’s Game, so let’s just play!”
“Fine. What game is it-”
“A virtual reality game where we
fight each other using what our imagination can conjure. You can’t imagine
something that is unavoidable and can kill me in one hit, so this isn’t going
to be easy, mister.”
“My name is-”
Scarlet takes Bernardo’s hand and
leads him to the virtual reality game.
“Come on already!”
“Aren’t you a little too excited to
complete this game? Don’t you care about who you’re facing?”
“Not right now I do. I have to
complete this game as soon as possible before my parents and friends find me.”
“Look, you shouldn’t be in this
game because-”
“Why? Because I’m young? I don’t
care what you think. Let’s just play!”
Scarlet and Bernardo enter the virtual
reality game room together. Before they can even put on the appropriate gear to
play the game, they are automatically put into the game by a supernatural
force.
“Do you see this, mister? The King’s
Game wants us to battle.”
“Then I’m afraid that I’m going to
have to put you down. I’m sorry, Scarlet.”
“Save your apologies because I’m
going to win!”
Bernardo tries to end the game
quickly by throwing a thousand punches at Scarlet, but she manages to counter
them with a single kick that throws out a hundred kicks. He then follows up his
attack with a kunai with a chain on it. The kunai pierces Scarlet allowing
Bernardo to pull her in, uppercut her in the chin to send her flying up in the
air. He then shoots her with dual pistols before finishing his attack with a swing
from a giant sword that he uses like a baseball bat.
“I’m not done yet!” Scarlet says.
Scarlet’s blond hair turns pink as
her power increases as she gets mad. Two claws come out of her hands and she
uses them to unleash a barrage of slashes at Bernardo who defends against the
attacks. She then throws an explosive energy shuriken at him before finishing
her attack with an artillery gun that comes out of her skirt.
After blowing Bernardo to smatterings,
Scarlet says, “Are you ready to give up yet? You’re only on one HP and I’ve done
way more damage to you than you have to me. I could blow at you and you would
die.”
“Endeavor.”
“What? Uck!”
Scarlet’s health goes down to one
point as well.
“I guess you forgot about that
attack from the popular pocket monster game. Let’s see if you remember what
comes next.”
“Don’t you dare!”
Scarlet tries to keep Bernardo away
with instant slashes from a sword, but he dodges them all and pushes her, which
gets rid of her last HP. The game ends and Scarlet begins to fade into sand. She
cries as this happens. Bernardo tries to comfort her with a hug, but she pushes
him away.
“Scarlet…I’m sorry.”
“Shut up! I’m sorry, mommy…daddy…”
“I’ll win the game, free you, and
reunite-”
“Shut up!”
Scarlet fades away into sand and
out of the windows of the arcade.
People cheer for Bernardo’s victory,
but he slams his hand against the wall of the virtual game room then says, “You
idiots. Do not cheer for my victory!”
The virtual reality game activates
for a second to show Bernardo as a scary monster from a psychological horror
game before turning off. The crowd is startled and goes back to their business.
Bernardo then finds one of Scarlet’s bows and picks it up. There’s nothing
written on it, so he decides to take it to her parents. At the help desk of the
arcade, he sees a couple who are asking for their daughter. They don’t get any
information, so they thank the desk attendant and walk away. Thinking that this
might be Scarlet’s parents, Bernardo chases after them. He can hear them
talking despite their distance as if Scarlet’s bow allowed him to hear them.
The father says, “That trouble making
daughter of ours, always trying to prove herself to us and her friends.”
“It’s because she has a guilty
conscience,” the mother responds, “She loves everyone so much that she goes out
of her way to do things to show her love. I hope we find her soon.”
“I know we will. Our daughter is
strong.”
Before Bernardo can reach them, he fades
away into sand and reappears in a tomb lit up by torches with golden flames. The
stones in the tomb contain the souls of past players of the King’s Game along
with the people Bernardo faced off against. He is sitting down at a table and
across from the table is King Ammon.
As King Ammon plays with the cards
in his hand, he says, “You’ve made it this far, Bernardo. Are you ready to play
for the fate of your soul?”
Bernardo looks at the souls of the
past players who are cheering him on and is reinvigorated with strength.
He smiles, fixes his hat, then
says, “I’m ready. Hit me with your best shot.”
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