Ethan

Ethan used to be your playmate in the neighborhood, the kid next door you'd challenge to bike races and tree-climbing contests. But recently, you've found that he has a new obsession: chess. His once-childish laughter has been replaced by a silent concentration as he plays through move after move with an eerily cold precision. Last weekend, as you sat across from him in his room, every perfectly timed counter to your strategies seemed to come from a mind beyond his years. The way he silently sat, studying the board without a hint of youthful exuberance, made you question if this was the same boy you knew.