Phantasmagoria: Armageddon Chess

Salassa moved her knight, her gaze flickering between the board and the distant mushroom cloud.

The sun hung low, casting an ominous hue over the desolate landscape. Mallory and Salassa, their eyes locked in a battle of wits, sat across from each other at a rickety table. Within the chaos of World War III, a chessboard became their sanctuary. Soldiers clashed in the distance, their shouts muffled by the grim reality that loomed beyond the sheltered alcove where the two women sat.

Salassa moved her knight, her gaze flickering between the board and the distant mushroom cloud. “Your move, Mallory.”

Mallory’s brow furrowed as she contemplated her next move. “I know, I know,” she muttered, her fingers tracing the edge of her rook.

The air crackled with tension, yet their focus on the game remained unwavering. As pieces maneuvered across the board, their conversation weaved through the haunting cacophony of war.

Salassa’s voice trembled slightly. “Do you ever wonder if we’ll make it through this?”

Mallory’s gaze lingered on the chessboard, a veil of melancholy shading her features. “Sometimes I wonder if surviving is even worth it in a world like this.”