"Ezra, Ezra, Ezra… What'll we do with you? Trying to break your sister out when you still haven't paid me? Naughty boy…"
In a daze, the disguised boy's eyes flickered open, taking in the scene before him.
The sound of a clean, methodical voice rolled gently through Aaron's head as he stared at a silver-haired man across from him.
His eyes were a liquid gold whose sheen reminded him of the angel he had met on the Isle of Gharr all those months ago.
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, one seemingly unnatural, a little too wide or maybe not wide enough.
"I thought I told you not to come back unless you had my money, and yet here we are… You are penniless and as deformed as ever."
Flashing a disgusting smile, he raised his pale hands, pointing to Aaron's throat, mocking the scars that wrapped around the copy of Ezra's neck.
"Now listen here, Ezzie. Ah, wait, I can call you Ezzie, right? We are close enough for that, so please, call me Stein."
His crooked smile widened more as he feasted on the visible displeasure forming across Aaron's disguised face.
Ezra told me about him… The King of the Casino, Stein Brevmore, a serial killer who takes his victims in a game of poker before killing them heartlessly… Undefeated in a game with nearly a thousand bodies to his name…
Trying to get a better grasp of the situation, the blond boy had gazed around the room, looking for anything that could help him.
Like the main hall, marble and gold stone adorned the walls, with the only variation from before being the lamp's color, which was a vibrant white rather than the snobby lavender.
It was a small change that made Aaron's whole body scream at him, warning him to stay far away from it.
His chest tightened with the ominous shadow that the light cast, reflecting strange patterns onto the ceiling, almost imitating clovers.
Is it some sort of artifact? Why does it give me this feeling…
"Ah, you must like that special item of my collection. A beautiful object of innovation in my opinion, and a personal gift I received from the one and only Master of Luck, Orion Cosmoti, before his coronation."
The sudden mention of the Sea King startled Aaron, whose eyes widened in surprise as he thought back to the stories he had heard of the green-haired king.
H-He gave a gift to scum like this? Everything Cam said was that he was the kindest of the seven, with not a single bone of hatred in his body… Yet…
His gaze turned back to the silver-haired man who sat behind an empty poker table, smiling happily.
"Care to join me for a friendly game?"
Aaron frowned as he watched the man's eyes that dug into his very soul like a snake's, begging for his hurried response.
"Oh, wait! How rude of me! Zenithia, if you don't mind, could you ungag our friend here? He very clearly wishes to play!"
With those words, heavy footsteps behind him echoed off the carpeted floor, with hands reaching around his face and pulling on the cloth in his mouth.
"Hhhffhh—hhffhh…"
His heavy breathing merely made Stein laugh as he gestured for the guard to bring him towards the table.
As he approached, Aaron noticed piles of chips sprawled across the table, measuring up to nearly half a million Draughts.
T-That much!?
His panicked thoughts nearly seeped onto his deadpan expression, giving away his identity; however, he quickly calmed himself as he was pushed into a soft chair.
"Now, how about this? I'll waive the money you owe me for your sister if you can beat me in one game of Kings' Hold'em. However, if you lose, then well…"
Reaching his hand down below the table, he revealed a small dagger whose blade looked to be made of ivory.
His eyes narrowed, expression falling flat and lifeless as he twirled the weapon in his fingers before throwing it straight at Aaron's head.
Whooosh!
The sound of the wind being pierced by its blade echoed through his ear as it barely missed him, instead colliding with a living object behind him.
"Ghhkk—khhhkk—gllrrkkhh…"
Thud.
In one loud noise, the guard who had ungagged him and moved him into the chair collapsed to the floor, choking on their own blood before going limp.
"Alrighty! Now let's get started. One simple game with some small stakes. Let's enjoy this, eh, Ezzie?"
The deranged tone that spewed words from his mouth made Aaron nauseous; however, he steadied himself, facing the silver-haired man again.
He nodded his head gently before gazing at the gilded deck of cards ahead of him, listening to the boss ramble on again.
"You'll be small blind and I'll be big blind, so this'll be more interesting. Now, let's begin!"
With a flick of his wrist, the ceiling light burned out before suddenly reigniting, illuminating the table that was previously bare, with neat piles of chips and two face-down cards in front of each of them.
Dammit… I barely know how to play this stupid card game, and now I'm not only betting Ezra's sister but my own life too!
Breathing erratically, Aaron slowly reached out his right hand, bending the two cards ahead of him into his view.
His fingers trembled as sweat dripped down his chin, as the stakes of the game truly set in.
A ten of diamonds and a queen of spades… What the hell did Cam say again?
Tilting his gaze upward, he studied Stein's face, noticing not a flicker of emotion anywhere, almost as if he were a sociopath.
The man slowly turned his eyes upward and gestured for him to start the game.
"I call."
With a standard first bet, Aaron relaxed slightly, thanking Cam for all the nights where they played cards together with nothing but their conversations to keep the mood lively.
Stein's brow furrowed slightly as he replied in a calm tone.
"I raise~"
His confidence struck Aaron as odd; however, he quickly shrugged it off as a possible bluff that a master of the game would understand perfectly.
If he raised, then I have to call as well…
"I call…"
An exasperated sigh followed his statement as he pushed a large clump of the chips forward, knowing that while the sum of money was immense, if he lost, then it wouldn't matter since he would be dead.
Instead of the black and white pieces of metal, Aaron envisioned the horrified face of Ezra's sister screaming in agony as he lost the match, sending her to an early demise.
"Alrighty. Great first round, Ezra. Better than I thought, honestly, but not much to say so far. Let's see the community cards now, shall we?"
With another sudden flash of the lights, three beautiful cards appeared in the center of the oval-shaped table face up.
The first was a ten of hearts whose golden border glistened with the bright glow above.
Beside it was a silver-bordered two of clubs that looked like a cross between a hard steel and a concrete.
Finally, a jack of hearts lay sprawled in the center with the image of William Twynam wearing thick armor reflecting off of Aaron's eyes.
Not good. I could get a pair with the ten, but if he has a king, ace, or a queen, then he's already halfway to a royal flush…
The cold atmosphere of fear settled over the boy as he stared at the cards, thinking carefully about his next words.
"I check."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Stein opened his own, nearly yelling.
"I raise!"
His sudden announcement left Aaron shocked at his open bravado with the smallest inkling of that royal flush echoing in the depths of his mind.
He's just bluffing… No need to be worried…
Cam's words echoed in his mind, reminding him of something to always remember.
Never trust a man who raises too early.
"I call."
Speaking again calmly, the disguised boy stared at the innocent-looking man who baby-eyed him happily.
Yet again, the lamp above blackened before quickly illuminating the table again, revealing a freshly added queen of hearts to the center.
This time, Aaron was unable to focus on the game itself, caught off guard by the face adorning the card.
C-Cam? I know she's a Marshal, but to be on a queen? I'll need to talk to her about this, if I survive…
Sighing loudly, Stein leaned backwards in his chair, kicking his legs up onto the table in complete satisfaction.
With these two pairs, I'm at a disadvantage, but if I were to pull another ten or another queen, then a full house would be possible…
"I raise."
Full of confidence for the first time, Aaron raised the pot again while pushing another massive stack of chips into the center.
With a mischievous smile, Stein curled his lips, speaking quietly.
"I call."
Then again, without even a second's delay, the lights flickered out and appeared, revealing the final card of the community cards.
A ten of diamonds! Full house here I come!
"I raise."
Without thinking, a happy smile slipped across his face, quickly being noticed by the man across from him.
"I call~"
Silence echoed through the room as the final round of betting concluded, with the total prize pool excluding their own lives bordering on four hundred thousand Draughts.
"Let's reveal our cards on three, eh?"
Nodding his head, Aaron agreed to the man while his heart beat faster than he could think.
"3… 2… 1… Flip!"
And then, they flipped.
Aaron's hand was a perfect Full House with a proud smile gripping the side of his lips as he craned his head to look at Stein's hand.
W-Wait... N-No… I-Impossible…
"Sorry, Ezra… A Royal flush beats a Full House any day…"