Resignation
"I resign," said Sai, but there is a smile playing at his lips. He unfolded his fan, spreading it across the lower half of his face and watched Hikaru.
Hikaru stared stunned at the oban. It had been fast and intense game, the moves of his part innovative while Sai had played with the solid skill of centuries. It was over and Sai was fading away, the fan drawn back, his smile floating in the air.
His alarm had woken him. Hikaru had sat up quickly, staring wild eyed around his room. Sai wasn't there.