The False Target and the Broken Charm
Maya (Millène) took a seat at the Blackjack table, Rose (the Hyena) crouching obediently at her feet. The man in black gloves regarded her with unsettling calm. Maya felt no connection to the man, which was odd given the symbol at the crime scene.
Millène immediately wagered a colossal sum: fifty thousand chips, a calculated move to force a reaction from the man in black gloves. The other players folded. The man in black gloves barely reacted, motioning with his hand to match the bet with almost dismissive indifference.
The game continued. Millène engaged in conversation, attempting to lure him in.
"You're very silent, sir. Such a talented player should boast a little about his luck, shouldn't he? Or perhaps luck has nothing to do with it, and you're simply the man who cannot lose?"
The man smiled again—that cold, joyless smile. He turned slightly toward her.
"With such a weak charm spell, you put true succubi to shame," he said, his voice flat. "That won't be enough to make me feel a thrill."
The shock hit Rose and Maya simultaneously. Rose (the Hyena): "He knows! He knows!" she desperately growled into her earpiece. Millène (Maya): Unmasked so quickly? By whom? Her ancient magic had never been breached like this.
In the van, Octavia intervened: "Girls, what's going on? I need a status report."
Rose snarled loudly. Maya made an ironic spell gesture with her hand. "I've been found out, don't mind me. Witches are sometimes frowned upon in places like this," she said, trying to save face.
The man in black gloves took another card. "I don't care about your identity," he replied, his composure restored. "As long as you don't interfere with the game with your spells, everything is fine."
Maya was now certain: this man was not The Gambler. He was an elite player, perhaps a very powerful mage, bored with his own fortune. He sought a financial challenge, not a life-or-death wager. She gracefully withdrew from the table, pulling Rose by the leash.
"The Real Threat"
"Understood. Change strategy," Octavia commanded. "Focus on games where the stakes are not monetary."
As they moved toward the private alcoves, the real action erupted at the table they had just left. The previously calm man in black gloves was suddenly agitated. A new man approached his table, impeccably dressed in a light-colored trench coat. This man smiled with an unhealthy fervor, and in his hands, he held a deck of marked cards from a forgotten era.
"I hear you're the man who can't lose," the new man said, his voice carrying a mocking, excited tone. "I propose a wager that even your immense fortune can't match. A game of memory and secrets. Are you ready, my friend? I crave risk, and so do you, don't you?"
The man in black gloves, whose boredom had been so evident, sat up straight. His eyes lit up. He had found his challenge.
"Chaos and the Gambler's Message"
The duel was swift and unseen, The Gambler's cards flickering with subtle dark magic. The face of the man in black gloves twisted in pain—not physical, but psychological.
Suddenly, The Gambler realized his mistake. The man in black gloves was a High-Ranking Demon, and his soul was too powerful, too ancient, and too corrupted to be easily destroyed by his game. The Gambler had failed to kill his prey.
"Fiasco!" The Gambler shouted, furious at his failure.
He unleashed a magical blast of pure panic at the center of the casino. Chandeliers swayed, creatures screamed. Tables were overturned in the ensuing confusion. The Palladium, a well-oiled machine, descended into chaos.
Taking advantage of the commotion, The Gambler slipped through the crowd. He moved with incredible stealth past Maya, now just a few feet away. He did not look at her, but he paused just long enough for his lips to brush her ear.
"Your spear isn't sharp enough for this war, Witch."
Then he vanished into the wave of panicked creatures.
"The Revelation and the Dragon's Cry"
Those few words caused Maya to collapse. She dropped to her knees, sobbing loudly amid the turmoil.
Rose, seeing her partner in post-traumatic shock, ripped off the leather leash. The surrounding chaos offered her a moment of cover. She shifted to her human form to aid her friend.
"H... he's ali... ve... he's here, Rose," Maya choked out, sobbing.
"Who? Who, Maya? The Gambler? Where is he?" Rose tried to extract the vital information.
All Maya could utter before fainting in Rose's arms was one word, filled with pain and terror:
"My husband."
Guilt, betrayal, and fear for Maya shattered Rose's control over her shifting ability. Powerless in the face of the situation, Rose did the one thing she does best: transform.
Her eyes turned golden, blood-red scales burst forth, her body swelled, tearing her clothes. Rose's head pierced the ceiling, her body growing as tall as the main hall. During the transformation, a primal word was torn from her throat: "Chimera!"
Seeing the beast she had become and hearing its powerful roar, the casino fell silent. It was a Dragon, a dragon with red and ochre scales, that had appeared out of nowhere.
Octavia's voice, frantic through the earpieces that had fallen from Rose's massive ears, shrieked: "Goddammit, Rose!"
"Negotiation and Concession"
After terrifying the entire room into silence with her mere presence, Rose, through a colossal effort of will, shifted back into her human form, breathless, her scales retracted. She pulled out her badge and, in a trembling but authoritative voice, defused the situation.
"You all know this badge. This is a crime scene! Everyone remain calm!"
At the same moment, in the van, Octavia received a private call. The caller ID showed Burges. Exasperated, she answered.
"So, Sylva, breaking into my place without knocking? I thought we were closer than that," Basil Burges said mockingly.
"Basil, listen, I'll pay for the damages, but you have to understand: lives are at stake," Octavia tried to convince him.
"I'm not a monster, Octavia. I know what's happening right now. I'll let it slide this once, but you know what I want in exchange."
Maria, the vampire, who had overheard the conversation via the van's speaker, turned to Octavia, disgust etched on her face.
"Fine," Octavia conceded.
"Wonderful! I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 8. Wear that nice dress you had on the first time you cuffed me. I'll take care of the clean-up inside. Bye," Burges said, his voice far too happy for a man whose casino had just been the theatre of an attempted murder.