I don't understand how it's possible—yet I paid attention to every detail, and still, I was defeated.
"You know, sometimes all that's missing is the right perspective. With it, you could be the best player in the world, even if there's an anomaly."
"What do you mean?"
"I know someone who sings in her head when she plays chess. For her, the game is like a symphony—you just have to invent the lyrics."
"Is it really possible to do that?"
"Absolutely. She's already composed several pieces. I can show them to you if you'd like."
I didn't think music could have anything to do with chess, but I asked her to let me hear it. She pulled out an MP3 player and played it for me.
I didn't need any visuals—I could understand all the movements of the chess game through the music alone.
It felt amazing to realize that, and I even asked if she could give me a copy, which she kindly agreed to.
"It was a pleasure to fight you anyway. I hope you'll accept my challenge for a rematch someday."
"If I don't see any progress from you, I'll refuse."
I reached out my hand, and she accepted—even though she removed her glove first.
The moment my hand touched hers, I felt dizzy, overwhelmed by immense pressure, as if my arm was about to fall off.
My thoughts became hazy as I struggled to stay focused, and when I looked down at my hand, I saw that it had turned into pure gold—and the golden colour was slowly spreading across my body.
The more it spread, the weaker I felt. I could no longer feel the parts of me that were covered in gold.
If this continues, I'll turn into a golden statue… but who is she?
As panic set in, the gold crept closer to my heart.
I closed my eyes to focus and pushed my curse to its limits—desperately trying to return my body to the way it was before.
Even though I tried to push back with something that offered me no real defence, I was struggling—and growing more exhausted with each passing second.
If I have to die, I'd rather give it everything I've got.
There's a technique… one that can boost your power beyond its natural limits, but only for a brief moment.
The only drawback? It shortens your life.
I used that lost and forbidden technique, forcing my curse to surge forward and fight back against the advancing gold.
I think I was pushing so hard that my nose began to bleed, and my vision turned red.
I can't lose. I have to survive.
The golden colour began to fade, giving way to my natural aura, which pushed the curse back and freed my body.
"Oh? So you managed to counter even that… but don't get cocky. I haven't even used my full power yet."
My opponent—the one I had shaken hands with—had vanished.
And as I looked around, I saw something terrifying:
Everyone around me had been frozen in gold.
When I blinked, everything went back to the way it was—as if nothing had happened.
I had no memory of fighting an opponent.
It was announced that I was the winner of the chess contest, but I barely paid attention.
Everything felt blurry.
Who was that person?
Why doesn't anyone remember that I lost to her?
Was it… just a dream?