You were never just a pawn.At 3:45 AM, Ari Novák receives an encrypted message with one word in the subject line:Checkmate.The sender?Cassian Locke - a legendary strategist who manipulates the world like a grandmaster controls a board.The message is simple:You're a pawn in someone else's game. Now make your move.Attached is a cipher.Eight letters. A test Ari has solved before.MINDSET.But solving the puzzle is only the beginning.A countdown appears.72 hours.An ancient chessboard.A pawn that moves on its own.Soon Ari discovers he isn't the only recruit. Elias Voss. Sera Kade. Mira Takahashi. Each chosen. Each tested. Each expendable.This isn't just a game of strategy.It's psychological warfare.And the reader?You're part of the board.
