A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 32: Didn’t You Enjoy It?

Chapter 32: Didn’t You Enjoy It?

Draven raised his eyes and looked at Old Master, Lenort. He drifted his gaze to Avelina, whose hands were tightly gripping the armrest of her chair in nervousness. He let out a soft breath and averted his gaze, feeling a bit guilty that he couldn’t assure her that she would be okay.

Old Master Lenort’s laughter suddenly reverberated within the hall.

"My dear guests, this old man here has decided to give you all a little bit of entertainment. I love to lift everyone’s spirits with my recent creation. A creation that will blow your minds!"

"Lights off!!" he ordered with a quick clap of his hands.

The chandeliers above the ceilings instantly went off, leaving the entire hall in darkness.

What shocked the vampires to the core was the fact that even with their keen eyesight, they couldn’t see in this darkness.

How was it possible? Darkness was like morning to them, so why can’t they glimpse a thing, not even the ones sitting next to them? Was this an eclipse of the moon?

Unsettledness filled their souls, and they all tried their best to calm down, but nearly half of them were too panicked to retain their calm.

"Relax, everyone. You will not be harmed. This will only last for ten minutes," Old Master Lenort, who could feel the heavy, edgy tension in the air, said, assuring them.

Although they were afraid, the guests had no choice but to believe him.

According to his words, the strange darkness only lasted for ten minutes before the lights came on, however, what they saw afterward shook them to the core.

There, in the center of the grand hall, stood a life-sized chessboard, intricately designed with black and white marble tiles.

It was no ordinary chessboard, for the chess pieces were living, breathing vampires, elegantly adorned in regal costumes representing their respective roles on the chessboard.

Ryan muttered, "What... is this?"

Lumian, Lestat, and the wives were all in shock, their jaws slightly fallen in incredulity.

Avelina, on the other hand, had her eyes widened in disbelief at the spectacle before her.

Lilith looked at her husband, heavily puzzled by what he was doing. What sort of display was that?

Among the whole speechless audience, only Draven and Valentine did not seem fazed at all by what they were looking at. Their faces showed no single emotion.

The atmosphere crackled with confusion as everyone tried to figure out what was going on.

A hush fell over the hall as Old Master Lenort stepped forward. With a flourish, he announced the commencement of the human chess tournament.

Awkward applause erupted, all of them fearing what they were witnessing.

The first pair of human chess pieces, a towering vampire cosplaying a knight, stepped onto the board. The knight in shining armor lifted his lance high, and the queen, draped in a resplendently white gown, took her position beside the king.

Just like their opponent, the black pieces, and the white pieces were in their perfect position, mirroring the chess pieces on a chessboard.

The audience leaned in, their attention starting to get captivated by the unfolding spectacle.

A white pawn made the first move, lunging forward in a swift, calculated motion. One of the black pawns responded with intelligence and strategy.

The audience held their breaths because, unlike what they had figured out, what was unfolding was completely different.

The huge difference between this and the chess game was that instead of playing against opposite sides, they were actually aiming for the opponent’s throat.

Their nails and fangs were elongated, and the killing intent in their eyes dangerously spread negative energy around the entire hall.

Avelina shook her head as she suddenly began to feel dizzy. The negative energy was messing with her, and as a human who was not accustomed to such things, it was too much to endure. Not only that, but this negative energy was as though she were inhaling a gaseous substance. It had polluted the entire hall.

The vampires continued to dance across the board, executing brilliant maneuvers and straight plays. Every step was a carefully calculated decision to make the blood that had tainted the white and black marble squares a work of art.

The room reverberated with the echoes of clashing weapons and whispered plans, creating an electrifying atmosphere.

The bishops moved with accuracy, and the rooks commanded the fight. The pawns sacrificed themselves like the pawns they were, and the king, the ultimate objective of the game, remained guarded.

Each potential strategy their team used, they gave the order for it.

Minutes passed in a blur as the vampire chess pieces continued their display of majestic art on the board. Their blood heavily tainted the marble, especially the white squares.

Avelina felt nauseated, as she was not one who could stand the sight of so much blood. She tightened her fists and took continuous, deep breaths to calm herself down.

The tension was palpable as this magnificent, bloody art approached its climax.

Finally, after a series of blood splashes, the victorious chess pieces emerged. All the white pawns, bishops, knights, rooks, and the queen succumbed to the floor unconscious, leaving only the king standing.

The defeated white king bowed gracefully, acknowledging his opponent’s victory. The black pieces had won with their queen, king, knight, and rook still standing.

Old Master Lenort stood up from his chair with an agitated smile on his face. He stepped forward and spread his arms.

"What do you think of my artistic work?" he queried in an enthusiastic tone.

The audience darted their eyes around with awkward smiles on their faces. They cleared their throats and slowly stood up to their feet.

"I-it was...wonderful, Your Majesty," one of the crowds stuttered.

The rest followed his lead and began to clap regardless of the horror they felt.

How could he call something like that a work of art? Are those vampires even okay? Are they dead?

These questions raced through the minds of each and every one of the audience members.

Ryan, who could hear their thoughts, grabbed his head, feeling as though a knife was piercing through his forehead into his brain.

"These IDIOTS!" he mumbled with gritted teeth, unable to shake off the thoughts that were sending his mind into chaos.

"That’s enough, everyone!" Old Master Lenort ordered them to shut up. "My son here can hear your thoughts, so do you mind keeping it down? You’re all hurting his head."

The crowd awkwardly glanced around and took their seats. This ceremony was not going well at all...

Old Master Lenort turned around. He looked at Draven, who met his gaze and stepped close to him. He grabbed the armrest of his chair and leaned nearer to him.

"What happened, son? You don’t look entertained. Didn’t you enjoy it?" he asked.