The Author's Playground
Chapter 56: Black and White Kings (1)

Chapter 56: Black and White Kings (1)

Elijah shut the door behind him with a sigh, finally taking in his surroundings.

"Finally..."

The clock read 6 PM. Early evening.

Most people were still out, grabbing dinner or hanging out with friends. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, his roommate, Varden, was already fast asleep.

Well. Not his problem. Moving on.

Anyone stepping into their dorm for the first time would immediately notice something odd.

The room was divided.

Literally.

A strip of tape alone showed an undeniable border between two drastically different worlds.

To the right: Varden’s Domain.

A miniature jungle. Ornamental plants, vines creeping along the walls, real flowers in ceramic pots. His side looked like a druid’s sanctuary or the ruins of an overgrown temple.

If left unchecked, Elijah was convinced the plants would spread and claim half of the room.

To the left: Elijah’s Disaster Zone.

Not exactly messy per se—just creatively disorganized. Clothes were scattered in unusual places, books stacked in precarious towers, and a lone chess piece lay buried in his blanket.

A single spoon had somehow ended up under his bed, though he had no memory of putting it there. Compared to Varden’s lush greenery, his side looked like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Elijah rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles, then turned to the mirror.

"Alright. Time for that thing."

He tapped his arms, took a deep breath, and—

Pew!

The reflection in the mirror was no longer Elijah.

A tall woman stared back at him, much taller than his usual self.

Dark blue hair, neatly tied into a ponytail. Sharp, light blue eyes. Sun-kissed skin and (s)he still wore the academy uniform, but now with a skirt instead of pants.

This woman is none other than Elijah himself.

Elijah crossed his arms, nodding in approval.

"Perfect identity."

He gave himself another slow once-over pose before snapping his fingers.

"Oh—almost forgot."

Reaching up, he unclipped his ID tag and tossed it onto the desk.

(’No need to carry that around.’)

"Good. Now I’m ready to go."

Without hesitation, he walked to the window, shoved it open, took a deep breath...

And jumped.

*****

Reasoned about humorous rewrite and style for a second

"Hah... hah... phew..."

Elijah bent over, hands on his knees, gasping like crazy.

"Holy crap... they weren’t kidding about how far the female S-rank dormitory is!"

He groaned and struggled to stand up. It took him forty-five minutes of non-stop walking just to get here.

Honestly? That was nuts.

Why on earth did they build this place on a freakin’ mountain?

Wiping sweat off his forehead, he eyed the grand estate and the abandoned carriages scattered by the gate.

"I guess S-class students have their own personal teleportation," he muttered, grumbling about their cushy lifestyle.

As he stepped forward, a guard suddenly blocked his way.

"Only S class allowed, and women," the guard declared with arms folded.

Elijah blinked, then answered with mock-serious confidence, "Well... I am a woman..?"

The guard gave him a long, appraising stare and then simply nodded.

"Gender approved."

"???"

Elijah stood there, utterly baffled. What on earth did that even mean?

Shrugging it off, he sauntered through the gate. His eyes widened as he took in the massive mansion before him.

"...Whoa..." he whispered.

He paused to admire the place—a mansion that easily dwarfed the usual dorms. Its exterior practically glittered under the moonlight, built from shiny white marble with golden accents shouting, ’we’re ridiculously better than you of course’.

A grand staircase led up to the entrance, lined with crystal lanterns that bathed everything in a soft glow.

Despite the small number of S-Class female students, the area buzzed with activity. Groups of girls in uniform strolled around, chatting, practicing magic, or simply soaking in the opulence.

It made sense—this spot was open to visitors, as long as they stayed out of the actual dorm building.

Although only few B-class or lower students ever set foot here. It’s not that they weren’t allowed. Honestly, being near S-class and A-class elites was like attending an overwhelming celebrity gala.

Elijah clicked his tongue. "Seriously... did the whole academy’s budget end up in this one place?"

With a sigh, he refocused his thoughts. (’Get it together, dear me. I can’t afford to lose sight of my goal here.’)

His eyes scanned the scene. (’Now, where’s Calliope supposed to show up?’)

Just then, whispers rippled through the crowd.

"Whoa, that’s wild..."

"Isn’t she totally crushing Alduin right now?"

"There were rumors she can see future right?"

"I guess its not a joke when it was rumored she’s the top 1 student."

Elijah’s ears twitched as he listened to the murmurs from the nearby crowd.

Determined to get a closer look, he inched forward, straining to secure a front-row view.

And then he saw them.

In a spacious courtyard with only a single table, the crowd had gathered and circled just a few meters away, their attention all riveted on the unfolding scene.

There, at the center of it all, sat two figures in quiet yet focused expression.

The first was a young man with neatly tied light brown hair. He sat, tapping his ground nervously before a chessboard, his eyes locked intently on the black pieces.

Hovering above his head was a system interface that flashed in neon letters:

[ Alduin Douglas || The Chivalrous ].

Across from him, a familiar face emerged—a girl with striking black hair.

[ ???? || ???? ]

Calliope controlled the white side of the chess pieces, with a slight hint of disinterest as if she’d already feel sleepless.

One might see such actions rude- but for Elijah...

He couldn’t help but grin.

"Looks like I found a jackpot," he murmured as excitement began bubbling up as he took in every detail of the unexpected showdown.

______

A/N: I now plan to post two Chapters a day. Please bear with me if I’m occasionally delayed due to a hectic schedule, but rest assured I’ll keep updating as best I can. Truly, thank you for reading TAP ^^)/ Adios. Schedule will always be 11:00 pm to 1:00am GMT +8

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