the room was thick with silence except for the soft shuffle of cards ren's eyes darted from player to player trying to catch the smallest sign a twitch a blink a hesitation that could reveal their hand the stakes felt heavier now not just coins but something like respect or fear
the dealer slid cards around the table slow precise like a ritual ren's hands were steady but inside his mind raced analyzing every detail the way one player's fingers tapped nervously the slight pause before another spoke the cold stare of the girl beside him
he remembered what she said about reading body language how every move told a story more honest than words he focused hard watching breaths rise and fall subtle muscle twitches microexpressions he felt like he was piecing together a puzzle made of shadows
when it was his turn he kept his face calm even though his heart hammered his mind ran through the possibilities trying to guess who bluffed who held strong cards and who was just pretending ren pushed some chips forward testing the waters
the girl smiled at him quietly "you're getting better" she said low "this isn't just about luck it's a game of people"
ren nodded he felt something grow inside a mix of hunger and control he was no longer just fighting for food but to understand the game to master it to survive in a world where every glance and every breath could decide everything
the night deepened and the cards kept moving the lessons kept coming and ren knew this was only the beginning