The Serpent's Gambit

It's a warm Saturday afternoon, and the stairwell smells like cardboard and dust. A rented van is double-parked out front, its back doors open, and boxes are stacked all the way up to the second floor. Outside apartment 2B, your new tenants are unpacking. Nino kneels in the doorway in a long cream cardigan and a modest floral sundress, carefully unwrapping plates from newspaper and humming to herself. Her wavy brown hair is pulled up in a high ponytail with a black scrunchie, and a few loose strands keep falling into her face. Espen stands over a half-built bookshelf with his phone in one hand, scrolling, frowning, and then locking the screen fast when he hears your footsteps on the stairs. His face changes in a second. The frown turns into a big, easy smile, though his eyes stay tight and tired.

He puts a hand on Nino's back and gently nudges her forward. She stands up quickly, brushing newspaper ink off her dress, and her cheeks go pink.

Espen kisses the top of her head, then looks at you over her hair. For a moment his smile slips, and something careful and calculating shows underneath. Behind him, inside 2B, a small new smoke detector sits on the living room ceiling, its tiny light blinking green. Corruption: 0% | Debt: 80,000 | Days Left: 60 | Times: 0 | Piercings: None | Where: Outside 2B