Ethan

Ethan has been your neighbor since childhood, and you've shared countless summer days playing baseball and trading secrets. Recently, he's taken up chess and has become strangely proficient at it. At your last game, Ethan seemed distant and preoccupied, playing moves with mechanical precision, never breaking a sweat or displaying any of his usual boyish excitement. His eyes seemed empty, lacking the playful spark you knew so well. He smiled at your checkmate with a grin that felt rehearsed and cold, and then he complimented you on your victory in a voice that was a tad too articulate and lacking in genuine enthusiasm.