Ikki moved one of the pieces on the Senet board, sliding it to the next space with a light touch. He looked at Walt, expecting some reaction, but the other boy remained impassive, analyzing the board with a serious look.
"I've already figured out your strategy," Ikki said, leaning back in his chair with a casual smile. "You're waiting for me to make a mistake."
Walt raised an eyebrow. "And will you?"
Ikki let out a snort. "Not today."
The Brooklyn House was quiet that night, which was rare. Carter was busy with the return of the Brooklyn House recruits who were on vacation, they would return in a few days, so he was dealing with the paperwork related to that, Zia had gone to the First Nome to sort some things out, but would be back by dinner, and Sadie... well, Ikki preferred not to know, but she had been in the bath longer than usual.
The Senet game between the two had started as a distraction, but now it felt almost like a duel. Walt was meticulous, moving his pieces with calm and patience, while Ikki played instinctively, always a step ahead, but without getting too attached to the rules.
"I didn't know you played," Walt commented, finally moving his piece.
Ikki shrugged. "Learned from a dead pharaoh. Long story."
Walt didn't seem surprised. "With you, everything is a long story."
"Hey, that was almost a compliment!"
Walt shook his head, but Ikki noticed a faint smile. It was rare to see Walt relaxed—he usually wore an expression of someone always expecting the worst. It made sense, considering his curse, or rather, his former curse.
Ikki looked away from the board for a moment. "By the way, how do you feel now that you're cured? I think I've asked you this a few times already, but call it a doctor's routine checkup..."
Walt Stone came from a lineage marked by tragedy. A direct descendant of Akhenaten, he carried the weight of a millennial curse cast by the priests of Ancient Egypt. The punishment was imposed on the heretic pharaoh and his descendants as revenge for his attempt to eradicate the worship of the traditional gods. The result was a cycle of premature deaths, from Tutankhamun to later generations, including Walt's own father. Growing up in Seattle, he knew his time was limited—doctors couldn't find explanations for his condition, and his mother feared he wouldn't live past adolescence.
But Walt refused to simply wait for death. He sought out the Brooklyn House, where he learned about Egyptian magic and discovered that by channeling his power through amulets, he could slow the effects of the curse. As a sau, a natural amulet maker, he mastered the art of storing magic in these relics, allowing his own energy to be preserved. Still, it wasn't enough. Desperate for a definitive solution, Walt made a bold decision—he agreed to host Anubis, the god of funerals, well, at least until he existed.
Ikki cured him of this curse during the "false year of memories he created".
Walt hesitated before answering.
"Different." He twirled one of the sticks used to cast the plays between his fingers, thoughtfully. "I spent so long preparing for the worst that now... I don't really know what to do."
Ikki understood what he meant. It was strange when fate stopped pushing him to the edge of the abyss.
"Well, if it's any consolation, I also have no idea what I'm doing most of the time," Ikki said, moving another piece on the board. "I just keep going and see where it takes me."
Walt sighed. "That explains a lot."
"I'm going to pretend that wasn't an insult."
The game continued in silence for a while, each immersed in their own thoughts.
Ikki slid his final piece off the board and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile.
"I won again."
Walt let out a frustrated sigh, crossing his arms as he stared at the board. "This doesn't make sense. I played perfectly."
Ikki shrugged, moving the pieces back to their starting positions. "And I played better."
Walt narrowed his eyes at him. "Nobody wins this many times in a row. You have to be doing something."
"Oh, yes," Ikki said, picking up the sticks to cast the next play. "I'm using ancient and forbidden magic to guarantee my victory in Senet. That definitely sounds like something worthy of the Pharaoh of the House of Life."
Walt rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant. But seriously, how do you do it?"
Ikki smiled sideways. "Experience. Strategy. A natural talent for greatness."
Walt let out a short laugh, picking up his own sticks. "You're incredibly annoying, you know?"
"It's a gift," Ikki replied, satisfied.
They continued playing, and, as always, Ikki won. Not because he cheated, but because he was simply good. Better than good. He saw patterns where no one else did, anticipated moves before Walt even decided what his move would be. It was an ancient game of strategy and patience, and Ikki mastered both as if he were in control of fate itself.
Walt shook his head, but in the end, he laughed. "Alright, I admit it. You're really good at this."
Ikki smiled. "Of course I am. Now, want to try again or have you accepted your fate?"
Walt picked up the sticks and spun them in his hand, determined. "One more."
Ikki nodded. "Good choice."
Walt picked up the sticks and cast a determined look at the board. "Right, this time I'm going to win."
Ikki laughed, relaxing in his chair. "I'm waiting."
He already knew the outcome of that match, but he wouldn't say it out loud. He didn't want to take away Walt's hope.
Before Walt could cast the sticks, a familiar voice interrupted the game.
"Oh, so this is where you two are hiding?"
They both looked towards the door and saw Sadie Kane standing there, her blonde hair still damp from her bath and a smile that suggested she was already plotting something.
Walt sighed, already anticipating trouble. "Sadie, we're busy."
She completely ignored the comment and approached, pulling up a chair unceremoniously. "Great, because now I am too."
Ikki raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how to play Senet?"
Sadie smiled mischievously. "Ikki, sweetie, I know how to do a lot of things. Winning at Senet is just one of them."
Walt rolled his eyes. "Here we go..."
Ikki just smiled faintly. "So let's see if you can win."
Sadie pulled the sticks from Walt's hand and twirled them in her fingers, assuming an expression of false innocence. "Before that, tell me... what were you talking about before I arrived?"
Walt snorted. "About the day this spiky-haired pharaoh showed up shining like the sun and saved our lives."
Sadie turned her eyes to Ikki, a playful glint and something more intense in her gaze. "Ah, yes. My radiant savior."
Ikki smiled sideways. "I just did my job."
"Hmm... job? Because the way Walt described it, it sounded more like a heroic spectacle," Sadie teased, resting her chin on her hands.
Ikki gave Walt an ironic look. "So you really want to insist on this subject?"
Walt raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, now it's not just me talking."
Sadie smiled, clearly amused. "But, Ikki, I didn't know you were so... chivalrous."
Ikki shrugged. "I'm a man of many qualities."
"Oh, I know," Sadie replied, a provocative glint in her eyes.
Walt coughed. "Okay, this is starting to get uncomfortable."
Sadie just laughed and looked at the board. "Now let's play."
The match began. Sadie wasn't just impulsive - she was aggressive, blocking Walt's moves whenever possible and advancing with disconcerting confidence. Walt, on the other hand, was trying to maintain his composure, but Ikki noticed the frustration growing in him.
"What's wrong, Walt?" Sadie taunted, moving a piece to capture one of his. "Is it too hard for you?"
Walt crossed his arms. "You're clearly just playing on instinct. How is that working?"
Ikki smiled. "Sometimes, instinct trumps logic."
Sadie gave him a satisfied look. "See? Even our pharaoh agrees."
Ikki just shook his head, watching as the game continued.
Walt sighed when he saw he was falling behind. "Great. Now I'm stuck between a pharaoh who plays like he can see the future and a competitive lunatic."
Sadie grinned. "You make it sound like that's a bad thing."
Ikki chuckled softly, casting the sticks again.
After a few minutes, he won without much difficulty, moving his pieces precisely until he reached victory. Walt threw his hands up, frustrated.
"This is ridiculous. I never win!"
Sadie snorted, crossing her arms. "And I don't like to lose."
Ikki stretched, satisfied with another Senet victory.
"Well, I guess that concludes the game."
Before he could do or say anything, Sadie had already pulled out her cell phone with a mischievous smile.
"I'm going to order something for us to eat."
Ikki arched an eyebrow. "And why you?"
Sadie typed rapidly on the screen. "Because it's going to be on your tab, obviously."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Should have expected that."
Walt laughed, crossing his arms. "You fell for that one too easily, man."
"I know." Ikki didn't seem the least bit surprised.
Sadie then turned to Walt. "Since Ikki's paying, you can go get Carter?"
Walt looked from Sadie to Ikki and let out a heavy sigh.
"Oh, sure. I'll be the one in charge of fetching Carter. Nothing suspicious about that."
Sadie smiled innocently. "Great. Carter takes a while to leave his room, so you might have to insist."
"Yeah, I figured." Walt rolled his eyes, but didn't argue. He knew very well he was being taken out of the equation to leave the two of them alone. And, honestly? He preferred it that way.
"Have fun, or whatever it is you're going to do," he said before leaving.
Now, only Sadie and Ikki remained in the room.
She leaned over the table, resting her face on her hands, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"So, Ikki, what are we going to do while we wait?"
Ikki looked at her with a resigned expression. "This was planned, wasn't it?"
Sadie blinked innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Ikki held Sadie's gaze for a few seconds before looking away, sighing.
He knew. He knew exactly how she felt.
He tried to pretend to be that version she knew because of his magic...
The problem was, as the days went by, he started to like her.
Not in a sexual or romantic way, I mean, she was pretty, smart, and challenging. The kind of person who walked into your life without asking permission and made herself impossible to ignore.
But he had a girlfriend.
And not just any girlfriend. Artemis.
A goddess.
An extremely jealous goddess.
It was wrong. But, at the same time... He couldn't reject Sadie.
It was a cruel paradox. Part of him wanted to walk away, cut off any possibility before things got even more complicated. But another part... Another part that blamed itself and had grown to like her, left him speechless.
It was a dangerous game.
Sadie noticed he was distant and tilted her head slightly, studying him with curiosity.
"Ikki?"
He blinked, refocusing on her.
"Are you okay?" she asked, feigning disinterest, but he knew that tone well.
Ikki forced a small smile. "Yes. I was just thinking about what you're going to order to eat."
Sadie narrowed her eyes. "Hmm... I see."
She didn't believe him, but she didn't press. Not yet.
"Well, while we wait, how about a rematch?" she suggested, picking up the Senet pieces and rearranging the board.
Ikki sighed inwardly.
Yes, it was complicated.
But, for now, he just accepted the proposal.
Ikki cast the sticks and moved his piece on the Senet board. He was fully aware that Sadie was watching him more than the game, but he decided to ignore it—as he had been doing for days.
Sadie, on the other hand, didn't mind showing interest at all. She rested her chin on her hand, a mischievous smile on her lips as she moved her piece.
"You're a little distracted, Ikki," she commented casually. "What's wrong? Afraid to lose?"
Ikki smiled faintly. "Against you? Never."
Sadie laughed, but before she could answer, the door opened.
"Oh, so this is where you are."
The voice made Ikki's chest tighten slightly, and he forced himself to keep his expression neutral as he looked up.
Zia Rashid was standing at the entrance, her arms crossed and a look that oscillated between curious and something more... intense.
And that's where the guilt came in.
If Sadie was the source of a recent dilemma, Zia was the first guilt he carried after that magic.
The first time he realized what his actions could cause.
Ikki tried not to show anything, but the way Zia looked at him—direct, deep, as if she were searching for something—only made it worse.
"We're playing," Sadie said, a little drier than usual.
Zia raised an eyebrow, then looked at Ikki. "And you're losing?"
Ikki chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Never."
Zia gave a half-smile. "Obviously."
Sadie rolled her eyes. "Okay, enough with this intense staring contest. Do you want to play, Rashid, or did you just come to watch?"
Zia hesitated for a second, before finally entering and pulling up a chair. "I think I can play a game."
Ikki ran a hand over his face.
Now there would be two reasons for the guilt hammering inside him.
Ikki cast the sticks again and moved his piece on the Senet board.
"So, Rashid, have you played Senet before or are we going to have to teach you?" Sadie asked, her tone laced with a slight challenge.
Zia crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "I know enough to beat you."
Sadie snorted. "I'd love to see you try."
Ikki sighed, already anticipating that this match wouldn't be peaceful. He handed the sticks to Zia, allowing her to play.
"We're just playing, right?" he commented casually, trying to ease the tension that was already building. "No epic battles."
Zia glanced sideways at Sadie before playing. "Only if someone doesn't take the game personally."
Sadie put her hand on her chest, feigning offense. "Me? Never!"
Ikki remained silent.
Sadie noticed and smiled faintly. "You really are distracted, Ikki. Want to talk about it?"
Zia also stared at him, her gaze more intense than before.
Ikki shook his head, casting the sticks. "I'm just trying to avoid being slaughtered by two opponents who seem more focused on studying me than the game."
Sadie laughed. "Maybe because you're more interesting than some pieces on a board?"
Zia didn't comment, but her sustained gaze said she agreed.
Ikki sighed, moving his piece, but not saying anything.
Meanwhile, Sadie acquired a strange look as she moved her pieces, her gaze fixed on Ikki as she thought about her current predicament.
Being in love with the same guy as her friend wasn't exactly what Sadie would call "ideal." In fact, it was at the top of the list of "situations that will probably end in disaster and that I should avoid."
But there she was.
Sitting, playing Senet, trying (and failing) to pretend she didn't want to throw one of the sticks at Ikki's head.
Because, seriously, the guy was irritating.
Not because he was doing it on purpose—which would be much easier to deal with—but because Ikki was genuinely oblivious. He just went on with his way, unaware of the emotional chaos he left behind.
Sadie wasn't the type to fall in love easily. And when she realized she was involved, it was usually too late to turn back.
With Ikki, it had been exactly like that.
And Zia?
Oh, Zia wasn't helping at all.
Sadie risked a glance at the Egyptian magician beside her. Rigid as always, firm gaze, arms crossed. You could tell she was focused on the game, but Sadie knew better.
They knew.
The tension was there, but it wasn't a real competition. At least, not yet. It was more like... a minefield. Neither of them wanted to blow up their friendship over a boy, but at the same time, neither wanted to give him up.
And Ikki?
Well, he was there, playing Senet as if this wasn't the biggest mess of all...
On the other hand, Zia, who was silent, also had her own thoughts about it. She kept wondering if Ikki knew about the mess he was causing, would he act differently?
Zia doubted it.
Not because he was insensitive, in fact, it was the opposite. Ikki cared about people. He was the kind of guy who faced gods without hesitation, who put others above himself without thinking twice.
But when it came to himself?
He was terrible at it.
So, of course, there he was, playing Senet with that calm look, as if there weren't two girls beside him trying not to freak out.
Zia knew Sadie liked him. Sadie knew Zia liked him. Neither of them talked about it because, honestly, what would they say?
"Hey, Zia, do you mind if I hit on Ikki?"
"Sure, Sadie, go for it! I'll just stay here, completely chill, ignoring the fact that I also like him."
No.
So they went on like this. Pretending there was nothing in the air but a game of Senet.
But Zia felt it.
The tension. The hesitation. The uncertainty.
And, honestly, she hated not knowing what to do.
Sadie let out an exaggerated sigh beside her, crossing her arms.
"You're annoying, you know?"
Ikki raised an eyebrow, the smile playing on his lips.
"Really? I thought I was just playing Senet..."
Zia saw the way Sadie pursed her lips, frustrated. She exchanged a look with Sadie. And, for a moment, for the first time since this all started, it seemed like they were completely aligned.
Ikki was going to have to stop running.
But before either of them could say anything, the door suddenly opened.
Ikki didn't even try to hide his relief when he saw Walt and Carter enter.
Great. Saved by the bell. Or rather, saved by the magicians. Sadie leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, as Carter looked at her and Zia suspiciously.
"What's going on here?"
"Nothing..." Sadie and Zia answered at the same time.
Walt raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Ikki, the traitor, was already getting up as if he had just escaped from a prison cell.
Well, it was dinner time anyway, the food Sadie had ordered had already arrived and Walt had already set the kitchen. After a few exchanges, they headed there.