Komayō

Chapter 3
Obsession and Enigmatic Dreams

As the days went by, Yuki's fascination with the game of ōgi turned into a true obsession. Every free moment was devoted to discovering new strategies, to contemplating the minutely carved pieces, and to rehearsing moves on the board. The game, once a source of innocent amusement, began to occupy a dominant place in her thoughts.

This obsession crept little by little into Yuki's dreams. Each night she found herself transported to a dream world where the game came to life with strange vividness. She saw herself seated in a clearing bathed in the silver light of the moon, facing a mysterious and bewitching figure.

The figure, whose face was hidden behind a fox mask, wore a midnight-blue kimono adorned with subtle motifs that seemed to dance in the moonbeams. This presence, at once reassuring and elusive, was intent on an ōgi set, her fingers brushing the pieces with an almost supernatural grace and precision.

A mysterious woman wearing a fox mask is seated in a Japanese garden. She is surrounded by trees and plants, and seems to be playing ōgi.

Yuki, irresistibly drawn to this enigmatic entity, would sit down opposite her, ready to measure herself in a silent duel. No word was exchanged between them, only the murmur of the wind through the leaves and the soft click of the pieces. Each game seemed a captivating ballet, a dance of mind and strategy.

Night after night, Yuki felt a deep connection with this masked woman, a connection that seemed to transcend the barriers of time and space. The stranger became a guide in this dream world, leading Yuki through the intricacies of the game, initiating her into unknown strategies and unforeseen moves.

These dreams, of growing intensity, left Yuki wakeful and restless, her mind unable to tear itself away from the dream board. On waking, she would find that the pieces of the real set had moved, taking up the positions of her last dreamed game. This strange coincidence sharpened her obsession, further blurring the line between dream and reality.

The border between her world and that of the game of ōgi was growing ever more blurred. Yuki found herself the prisoner of an enigma whose rules and consequences were beyond her control. She became more and more absorbed in the game, letting it invade her thoughts, her dreams and, soon, her very existence.