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Chapter 7: The Dance of Fate and Shadows
The cold air hung thick in the ruins as Chester and his small group cautiously stepped inside. Marlo's eyes scanned the dark corners, his Veil Pillar's power allowing him to move almost like a shadow himself, slipping between patches of light. Keen's disciplined gaze traced every pattern on the floor, his Order Pillar ready to detect traps or ambushes.
Chester, ever the fool on the surface, grinned widely. "Well, this place looks like it's seen better days. But hey, what's life without a little danger, right?"
Veyna rolled her eyes but said nothing, her sharp mind already plotting their next moves.
As they ventured deeper, the silence shattered suddenly — a series of spikes burst from the floor beneath Chester. The group gasped, but in a blink, the danger shifted. Instead of impaling Chester, the spikes erupted beneath Keen's feet. He yelped, scrambling back with a bleeding leg.
"What? How? I checked this corridor!" Keen snapped, frustration and confusion mixing in his voice.
Marlo narrowed his eyes suspiciously, glancing between Chester and Keen.
Chester laughed, voice light and careless. "Looks like I'm luckier than I thought! Or maybe... I'm just cursed."
Inside, he smirked. Decoy Luck worked perfectly. Fate's dice rolled in my favor again.
Later, as the group caught their breath, Chester's eyes flicked to Marlo's movements. He had just vanished from sight and reappeared beside him, almost ghost-like.
A sly grin spread across Chester's face. "Let me try something..." he whispered, concentrating.
Suddenly, a ripple of shadow washed over him. He felt the uncanny sensation of slipping through solid matter, just as Marlo did with his Shadow Step.
He didn't speak of it aloud but tucked the ability away, storing the skill for when the perfect moment would come.
The others watched him warily, but Chester's playful demeanor never faltered. If only they knew the true depth of the fool's game he played — a master gambler stacking his odds in a game where lives were the stakes.
As the group settled in for a brief rest, Chester's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He reached into his pocket, fingers trembling slightly as he prepared to roll again.
"This is it—the final roll," he murmured under his breath.
The dice clattered across the stone floor, spinning wildly before coming to a stop.
Time seemed to freeze.
What would fate decide for the lord of chance?
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