Travis' POV
(Travis' POV)
I used to live an average life. My dad was an accountant and my mom a grade school teacher. My dad eventually lost his job due to some money that mysteriously vanished and ended up as a clerk. Pretty soon, he found out my mom was cheating on him with one of her students' father and they got a divorce. I ended up in custody of my dad and due to my father's new job, we moved to Milvani-- the northern part of Gregoria and majorly known as the hub of all evil but I don't see it as that.
I lived in the shadows of glamorous casinos and I became absolutely fascinated and mesmerised by the world of gambling. This made me wan to be the greatest gambler that ever lived. I snuck into different casinos and observed matches between seasoned players, studying their strategies and gaining knowledge about each game. I would also play against some of my friends and kids my age. Of course, my dad knew nothing about this and everything was alright.
One night, I snuck out of my house to one of the biggest casinos in the city. I managed to get past security and secured a spot to watch what was some main event. It was between a potbellied, seemingly rich man and a woman who could be mistakened for an angel. She wore a white off-shoulder gown and a veil which covered part of her face. With a confident smile on her face, she played magnificently and won the match with ease. As the crowd went wild, she turned towards my direction and pointed at me.
"Child, let's play." Her voice was pleasant yet authoritative. The crowd's attention was drifted to me. Everyone was shocked, wondering how a child had gotten into the place. Some men had grabbed me but her voice echoed across the hall.
"Didn't you hear me? I said we'll play." Reluctantly, the men released me. "How old are you?"she asked.
"Just nine."
"I see. Well you seem experienced enough, since you managed to get in. What game do you want to play? I don't care if it's childish."
"Um, War?"
"Very well then. Have a seat and let's start. Just so you know, if you win you'll go home scot free and this match never happened. If I win, your life and future will depend on me. You got that?"she quirked an eyebrow.
"Yeah."I weakly said.
She won the match.
My hands were shaking. I bet my whole life and lost it. Sitting on the chair, I still couldn't see her eyes which made me question if she was human. She stood up, her amazing figure evident, and walked to my side. "Now child, what shall I do to you?"she whispered into my ear. She was silent for a while before she stood up.
"You're coming with me tonight." My eyes widened in surprise. She isn't going to hand me over to the police?, I thought. My mind was racing. I wondered what she would do to me. She took my hand and we entered her car.
"I see you have potential." I gave her a confused look when she uttered those words.
"You seem useful. I'll let you go home but I shall visit your parents tomorrow. Be prepared."
True to her words, she came to my house. I stayed in my room throughout her stay and when I thought she left, I met my father staring at an envelope. I was too scared to say anything but my dad turned to me, smiling.
"Son, you got a scholarship."
Turned out, she told my father that she was a scout for a school looking for brilliant children, even though I'm an average child. From the look of the school's crest and the attire of the 'scout', my dad thought it was really expensive so he was pretty excited about it.
Some weeks later, she picked me up to take me to the place. In her car, she told me that, that was the last time I would ever see my father. She also said that I would become the best. All I could do then was stare blankly because I didn't know how to react.
★★★★
I looked out the window and smiled. "I was pretty stupid as a child." I told myself. "But I wouldn't be here if not for my stupidity. All I want to do now is to get my mission over with."