Prologue

Complete silence. The air is drawn tight like a pulled string. The overhead lights glare, coating the wooden walls in a burning white glow. The room's occupants dare not breathe too hard, fearful of disturbing the still air. They sit like stone statues, their postures severe and reverent.

All around, the pressure is devastating. It speaks of a force ancient and sacred. Inhuman - as if a god himself is present.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps can be heard. The room stirs slightly in anticipation. They're coming. They're here.

Two new occupants enter. Slowly, they make their way to the center of the room. The one walking behind pauses briefly.

Her breath escapes her.

In what feels like eternity but is only a second, she takes in the lights and the glow, the stillness and the force of a god.

Her feet pads softly on the wooden floor. The train of her kimono robe billows and trails behind her as she moves. She stops in front of the polished goban. Knees tucked, legs folded and back straight in a seiza, she mimics the person across her.

The lights are upon them.

She feels the blood pounding in her veins, quickening in tempo. Already her fingers are trembling, her knees shaking.

Her mind, strangely enough, is in a state of calm. Her vision is clear, and she sees everything before her with a lucidity that only comes in times like these.

Clack. Clack. Clack. The rings of the stones stirring in the bowl sing like a song.

361 stones.

A 19x19 grid of intersecting lines.

An unfathomable number of possibilities. And she sees.

She faces her opponent, and comes to an understanding.

They will play an unforgettable game, one that will be remembered for centuries to come.

The stone, their stars.

The board, the universe.

The game.

Go