Blankness... this the only thing you could see in their eyes, especially Jose. After some while, Antonio snapped back to reality and immediately saw the situation. They only have at least 1,700 Pesos, much lesser than their starting amount. Antonio could only arrive at one conclusion...
"We need to retreat! Before our money is totally gone... we need to retreat! We should stop now! Stop while we can!"
He immediately worked towards Jose and tapped his shoulder. Looking at Jose now, his hair is a mess and his eye bags are dark as a panda's. But for some reason, It's different. His face doesn't have the slightest life on it. As if a death god just came down to earth and ate Jose's soul.
But...!!! Antonio immediately stopped the death god! He pulled the stolen soul and put it back on him! He slapped Jose and managed to go back to reality.
"Huh!? Antonio!? Why..."
"Jose!? Snapback to it! We need to get out of here..."
As Antonio continued to shake Jose, he tries to recollect what happened so far, and he remembered it! The cruel gambling he just did! The cruel fact that his winnings are gone now... in a flash!!!
The winnings were gone as fast as a horse running to win the race! After remembering what happened, he immediately pushed Antonio off and stood up.
"Jose?"
His head was looking at the ground, but It's slowly... slowly... rising... until his lifeless eyes earlier can be seen. But this is different... his eyes are not lifeless anymore... more like... his eyes just got possessed by something.
Something that could not be explained and can't be seen... something that so many people tried to overcome. Some of them failed but most of them... didn't.
"1,700!! On number 7!!!"
Jose shouts as he slammed the money to the number 7! The courage to risk your fate and leave it all to luck... a gambling devil!!! Jose charges forward! Risking everything and anything he has! Like a skydiver jumping from the skies! Even though there's a chance that he might die, that fact doesn't bother him! Why!? Because he has a parachute... a complete safety net! But...!!! the parachute was broken!!! It didn't open! Even if he tries and tries to pull the string for it to open, It didn't!!! Before he knew it, he's diving headfirst... to his own... death!!!
+++++
Jose risks it all and faces it! Luck is his only weapon! His so-called luck! He leaves it up to luck!
"Wait, Jose! We should give up! It's not too late to retreat! We should take our tails and give up winning! Continuing from here is just too stupid! Don't use up our only funds"
"Tell me, will something change at all?"
All of a sudden, Antonio felt that Jose is far away. As if their distances were miles apart even though they're talking directly. But Antonio tried to reach up to him:
"Yes! At least, we get to keep our last funds! In life, money is a weapon! We still have money! We can use that money as a foundation..."
"Antonio... we lived our whole life without even relying on money that much..."
"Even so... we should stop! We should stop now! If you bet that money and we lost then... then... we'll be faced with something more Terri-"
While Antonio is still talking... he was interrupted by a powerful punch from Jose. That punch was enough for Antonio to lose balance. While still touching his cheeks, he saw Jose's tears. There are tears falling out of his face.
"You don't even understand me at all, don't you?"
He just said those words to Antonio then looked away. Just as he was about to take the dart... Antonio stood up again and stopped Jose on his tracks.
"Jose! You're wrong! I understand what you're feeling right now! You have to get it back! The money you worked so hard for, your savings!!! Money for the hospitalization of your wife... and money to build future on your children! I understand your full bit! After seeing that money, you thought to yourself: 'If getting money is just this easy, maybe I should do this every day.' I don't know how exactly but you thought something like that, It was obvious on your face!!!"
Before he knew it, Antonio already shred tears, and the hand that he uses to stop Jose suddenly tightens Its grip...
"Please... don't go there! Don't go to that side of gambling! If you go there... there's no turning back... Even if you actually win... you'll continue to bet and bet... until... you reached destruction. So, please... I'm begging you... this is the limit, stop already."
Antonio's grip loosened... and Jose is just looking at him. Will Jose back down and take away his bet? Will he listen to Antonio, or succumb to the darkness of gambling?
END OF CHAPTER 11