"However, this world is meticulously crafted, embracing all things like the sea. Perhaps within it lies the answer to your questions."
The woman smiled mysteriously, saying nothing more. Her finger descended, and the piece landed on the board. She then looked at Zane, gesturing for him to make his move.
Zane merely picked up a piece, yet hesitated to place it. Holding the piece aloft, his gaze was deep and unfathomable.
The woman assumed Zane was contemplating his move. After a moment's wait, seeing he still showed no intention of placing the piece, she asked with a hint of puzzlement,
"What's wrong?"
Zane remained silent for two seconds before speaking.
"This world is founded upon me—or more accurately, it was created by my consciousness, correct?"
Hearing this, the woman froze momentarily, glancing at Zane with surprise. Nevertheless, she silently nodded.
Seeing this, Zane slowly closed his eyes.
The woman, not understanding, simply waited quietly.
Moments later, when Zane opened his eyes, a subtle shift appeared in her expression. She sensed faintly that the world around her seemed to have undergone a slight transformation.
"You once said this is a projection of how New Eridu looked long, long ago. It truly appears lush and verdant..."
Zane spoke softly. His words reached the woman's ears just as she watched the chess piece in his hand slowly descend.
The instant the piece touched the board, a peculiar ripple suddenly emerged. In the blink of an eye, the distant grassland turned parched and yellow, then withered completely. Yet within moments, fresh green shoots sprouted and began growing rapidly.
"Perhaps we should see what New Eridu looks like now."
As Zane finished speaking, the woman already understood his intent. She made no attempt to stop him; after all, this world's very creation was meant to aid Zane. If it could be of use to him now, it was certainly a good thing.
"Then I shall watch with interest."
The woman smiled faintly before placing her piece.
After that, Zane ceased overthinking. Pieces fell steadily, and the woman followed suit. Their pace wasn't particularly swift, but it was certainly not slow either.
With each piece placed, the empty spaces on the board dwindled. Simultaneously, the scenery around them transformed.
The grass-covered field turned green, then yellow, then green again. The large tree beside Zane and the woman shifted between withering and lush growth, its branches thickening steadily.
Within mere minutes, the surrounding landscape transformed completely. The field vanished, replaced by orange-yellow sand. Dust filled the air, and even the chessboard was swiftly covered in a light layer of sand.
Neither the woman nor Zane paid it any mind, however, for the sand soon vanished, replaced by streams of water gathering as rain fell.
Soon, the accumulating water rose above their legs, nearly submerging the chessboard itself. Fortunately, the water level stopped rising just before it was completely submerged, leaving only the surface of the board exposed.
The rushing water flowed away into the distance, its end invisible to the eye. Unfazed, the two treated the water lapping at their waists as nothing, continuing to place stones on the board.
After a dozen seconds, the water receded, leaving the ground dry. Their clothes remained unchanged from the start, as if the flood had never touched them.
Beside them, the long-dead tree trunk sprouted tender buds as the surroundings transformed, as if reborn. Weeds and shrubs also sprang up across the ground, bursting with vitality.
But soon, the entire tree and everything else vanished in a blaze, leaving the ground once more a sea of orange-yellow sand.
Piece by piece, the stones fell, and the scene kept shifting.
Finally, after an unknown span of time, Zane placed the last piece, sealing off the woman's final lifeline on the board. With this move, the entire game came to an end.
Zane slowly raised his head, his clear eyes meeting the woman's. He smiled faintly and asked,
"How was it?"
The words reached her ears, and the woman sighed softly before replying,
"I suppose I'm rather poor at this game."
"That's not what I asked."
Zane shook his head. The woman's expression remained unchanged; she knew exactly what Zane meant. Her earlier reply had been deliberate.
"So this is a human city."
"It is indeed magnificent."
The woman turned her gaze slightly, her eyes sweeping over the towering skyscrapers filling the horizon. The moment Zane placed his final piece, the surroundings had already transformed into the form of New Eridu.
The two of them now stood within a park.
"Let's play another game."
Zane spoke first, surprising the woman. After all, he had never acted this way before. If there was nothing to gain from staying here, he would consider it a waste of time.
Nevertheless, the woman nodded.
Why not?
As the new game unfolded, a faint apparition materialized behind Zane. The apparition bore a striking resemblance to Zane—or rather, it was identical.
Each time, the apparition would place its piece one move ahead of Zane, always one step ahead.
Zane would then place his piece where the apparition had placed its own.
The woman lifted her gaze to the phantom. She realized something—the phantom's constant precedence was, in fact, a manifestation.
It was the future made tangible.
"The outcome is predetermined. The future unfolds before us both like this. Are you sensing time?"
Hearing this, Zane shook his head slightly.
"I cannot see it."
"And the future, in truth, cannot be revealed."
Zane raised his hand, his gaze fixed on the board. To the woman's eyes, the phantom had already placed a stone at a certain point.
This time, however, Zane did not move immediately. He paused for a moment.
When he finally placed his stone, the woman's pupils contracted slightly. The position of his stone differed from the phantom's.
In her eyes, the phantom shattered in an instant.
The future is what has not yet occurred. Precisely because it has not happened, it cannot be revealed. It exists as a void of chaos. Only when it is determined does the future become the present and the past.
"That's quite an idea..."
"But it might not necessarily be correct..."
The woman smiled.
Zane said nothing further. He merely smiled faintly as he looked at her, then spoke softly,
"Please."
...
"Awake?"
Early morning, within the Tanuki House. Qingyi cradled the little white cat, stroking it gently. She lifted her gaze to meet Zane, who had just emerged from the bedroom doorway, and offered a faint smile.
Zane still wore his pajamas, his sleepy eyes meeting Qingyi's. He was somewhat surprised she had come to the Tanuki House today.
"Come to think of it, it's been a while since you visited the New Eridu Public Security to train with me."
"By the way, what happened with yesterday's mobile hollow?"
"The New Eridu Public Security is responsible for matters in the Janus District. The report stated that the mobile hollow suddenly shrank and vanished. I suppose that was your doing."