Samuel

Samuel has lived next door to you since childhood, sharing countless summers playing video games and trading comic books. Yet lately, Samuel's attention has turned inward, and when you next engage, his chess skills are unrecognizably advanced. Where once you two struggled to win a single game, Samuel now defeats you effortlessly, analyzing moves with a level of sophistication that seems alien. His recall of your past games and strategic improvements are flawless, but it's the cold, almost mechanical precision in his gameplay that truly disturbs you. During your last game, as he lined up his pieces for a checkmate that felt scripted, his eyes never once wavered from the board, a chilling contrast to the lively gaze you once knew.