It's raining tonight, and the café is empty, as usual.
I sit before the board, which glows faintly red, as if it's breathing.
"There's a man... I want to make him pay," I say, staring at it.
"Give me his name," the board replies coldly.
"Richard Green. A corrupt rich man, who steals from people in the name of the law."
"Nice. Looks suitable for your next move."
I look at it suspiciously.
"What move?"
The pieces move of their own accord until the red horse stops in the center of the board.
It glows the color of blood.
"This piece tests your sense of detachment, Silver."
I reach out for it.
When I touch it, I feel a burning sting that runs down my chest and then up my head.
I hear my breath slowing, as if something is pulling it from me.
"What's happening to me?"
"It's power entering you. The horse grants you control over the five senses of whomever you choose… and takes something small in return."
"Something small?"
"A tiny part of your emotions."
I laugh bitterly.
"What do I need emotions for?"
The patch replies:
"That's how everyone starts."
---
The next day, I find myself in front of a huge building in Manhattan.
"Greene Human Development Foundation."
A nice name, but it hides filth beneath.
I enter the building, disguised by my hat.
The patch whispers in my head:
"You can see it clearly if you want. Just say his name."
I close my eyes and say:
"Richard Green."
When I open them, I find myself in his office.
It's as if the space has been pulled toward me all at once.
The glass overlooks the city, and the sky is raining as if it's attending an upcoming funeral.
The man in front of me, engrossed in signing his papers, doesn't notice me.
I move closer, placing my hand on the table.
"Your turn."
The Patch whispers:
"Start with the first sense."
I look at him, thinking.
First sight.
I raise my hand, feeling heat emanating from my fingers, and suddenly his face freezes.
He screams and tries to touch his eyes.
"What... is happening?!"
He doesn't hear me.
I look at the red horse in my hand; it glows even brighter.
"The second sense," the Patch says.
I take away his hearing.
He screams inaudibly.
Then I take away his touch, smell, taste...
One by one.
He falls to the floor, moving aimlessly, like a broken doll.
I watch him silently, without a shred of remorse.
---
"You did it, Silver."
The Patch's voice comes softly.
I look at the man lying there.
"Is he dead?"
"No. But he's lost all meaning in existence. A body moving without awareness."
I draw in my breath slowly.
"Strange... I feel nothing."
"Because you've used the stone. Every use leaves a mark on you."
"What mark?"
"Part of your humanity disappears."
I sit on the floor, looking at my hands.
No trembling, no regret, no fear.
It's as if the blood has stopped flowing in my veins.
"How many feelings will I have left before I lose them all?"
"That depends on how many stones you use."
I look at the patch.
"And do the stones ever run out?"
"No. The patch never runs out; only you do."
I'm silent for a moment, then I say in a low voice,
"What happens if I lose all my feelings?"
The patch smiles—yes, I see it smile for the first time—and says,
"Then, Silver... you will become one of us."
I leave the office; the rain hasn't stopped.
Everything around me seems dull, as if the colors have faded from the world.
Even the sound of the rain is no longer the music it once was.
Oh, my silent friend...
It seems I'm beginning to lose myself piece by piece,
Just as the pieces on the board move—
One by one,
Until the king falls.