Chibi realized something was wrong during a game.
Which made it official.
“This one wins,” he said, holding up a stick.
“Why?” Mara asked.
“Because it’s sharper.”
“That’s not how games work.”
“It is if the sticks agree.”
Mara sighed.
“That’s not how sticks work.”
Chibi ignored her and placed both sticks in the dirt.
“Fight,” he said.
Mara tilted her head.
“That’s a new game.”
“No. It’s an old one.”
“You’ve never played it before.”
“I’ve been thinking about it.”
“That’s worse.”
Before the fight could officially begin, something moved nearby.
Both of them looked down.
A rat.
It didn’t run.
It didn’t hide.
It walked.
Straight across the open ground.
Chibi frowned.
“That’s strange.”
“Yes,” Mara said.
“Rats don’t usually do that.”
“No.”
Another appeared.
Then another.
Chibi slowly stood up.
“Oh.”
“Yes.”
“That’s more rats than usual.”
“Yes.”
“They’re not afraid.”
“No.”
That was the problem.
A sharp bark cut through the square.
Chibi turned.
Two dogs.
Straining against their leashes.
Teeth bared.
Not playing.
Not warning.
Just—
locked.
“That’s new,” he said.
“Yes.”
“They don’t usually… mean it like that.”
“No.”
Mara watched quietly.
The dogs weren’t stopping.
They didn’t hesitate.
They didn’t pull back.
They just—
continued.
“Let’s go to the fountain,” she said.
Chibi nodded.
That was new too.
The frogs were still there.
More of them.
Too many.
“They’re not doing anything,” Chibi said.
“No.”
“They’re just sitting.”
“Yes.”
“They should hop.”
“Yes.”
“They’re not hopping.”
“No.”
Above them, pigeons suddenly burst into the air.
Too fast.
Too many.
Two collided.
Hard.
They fell to the ground.
Chibi stepped back.
“That’s wrong.”
“Yes.”
“They can fly.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t they stop?”
Mara didn’t answer.
Because she didn’t know.
A man nearby laughed.
Another nudged one of the birds with his boot.
No one picked it up.
No one cared.
Chibi watched them.
“That’s wrong too.”
“Yes.”
“They usually help.”
“Yes.”
“They’re not helping.”
“No.”
The square was louder now.
Children still ran.
But they pushed harder.
A boy shoved another into the mud.
The boy got up.
And shoved back.
Harder.
Chibi looked down at his sticks.
Then at the boys.
Then back again.
“Oh.”
Mara nodded gently.
“Yes.”
“That’s not playing.”
“No.”
“That’s something else.”
“Yes.”
Chibi dropped both sticks.
“I don’t like that game,” he said.
“Good,” Mara replied softly.
Around them, the city of Altdorf moved faster.
Louder.
Closer.
Everything alive.
Everything growing.
Everything wanting.
Too much.
Chibi looked at the rats again.
“They’re not listening,” he said.
“No.”
“To what?”
Mara thought for a moment.
Then answered quietly:
“To the part that tells them when to stop.”
Chibi nodded slowly.
“That seems important.”
“Yes.”
They stood together, watching the square.
Watching the animals.
Watching the people.
Spring had arrived.
And somewhere between growing
and wanting,
something had stopped listening.
SPRING & REBIRTH
🜍 Month 3 · The Turning of the Year
🜍 Week 3 — Instinct takes over
Story: They Don’t Play Anymore
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game — The Old World
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👉 New chapter every week — escalation follows structure
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