Hades

I looked down at the chessboard through my glasses, the faint reflection of black and white pieces staring back at me. My sleeves were rolled up, the cuffs creased, my tie long gone and forgotten somewhere in the room. My hair was a mess, fingers having dragged through it one too many times as the game dragged on. Calmly, I picked up my black piece and moved it forward.

The white piece in its path fell. I removed it from the board without hesitation and set it aside.

Across from me, my father studied the board in silence. His gaze was dark, and focused in that way that always...