Minutes stretched into eternity, each decision feeling like a betrayal of his very soul. The game house pulsed around him, colors blending and swirling, distorting his sense of reality. And with each card he played, he could feel the weight of Eleanor's life hanging in the balance.
Finally, the last card fell, and with a final, sickening twist, the toymaker leaned back, arms outstretched, a triumphant grin splitting his face. "Oh, Riley, how delightful! You've lost! The price of failure is steep indeed."
Riley felt his heart drop as the realization hit him like a physical blow. "No…" he whispered, the word escaping his lips like a desperate prayer. "You can't take her!"
