Jude's fingers hesitated over the Ace of Spades, his mind racing. This was a trap—he knew that much. But it was also an opportunity. If Kazimir truly could take him to Elara, then it was a risk he had to take.
He picked up the card.
Kazimir's smirk deepened. "Good choice, kid."
The roulette wheel behind him spun faster, the numbers and colors blurring together. The room darkened, the air thickening with something unseen, something unnatural.
Jude felt a shift in the atmosphere—like the entire world was waiting for the outcome of this single gamble.
Kazimir chuckled, twirling a golden coin between his fingers. "We each draw a card from my deck. Higher card wins. If you win, I help you get inside. If I win, you're mine to do with as I please. Final."
Jude's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly does that mean?"
Kazimir's golden eyes gleamed. "Maybe I'll sell you out. Maybe I'll make you my personal errand boy. Maybe I'll just leave you here to rot. The fun is in the unknown."
Jude exhaled sharply. This bastard was enjoying every second of this.
But he didn't have a choice.
Kazimir held up his deck, fanning the cards out with a flick of his wrist. "Pick one."
Jude's instincts screamed at him not to trust this, but he pushed the doubt aside. He reached forward and drew a card. Slowly, he flipped it over.
The Queen of Hearts.
Kazimir raised an eyebrow. "Not bad."
Then, with a flourish, he plucked his own card from the deck.
Jude held his breath as Kazimir flipped it over.
The King of Diamonds.
Kazimir clicked his tongue, feigning disappointment. "Tough luck, kid."
Jude's heart dropped. "Damn it."
Kazimir stretched, his grin never fading. "A deal's a deal. You're mine now."
Jude tensed, fists clenching. "Bastard.."
Kazimir chuckled. "Relax. I never said I wouldn't help you. But now I get to decide how we go about it." He flicked the King of Diamonds away, and it vanished into thin air.
Jude exhaled through gritted teeth. "What's your plan, then?"
Kazimir leaned in, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "We cheat."
Jude frowned. "Cheat?"
Kazimir tapped his deck of cards against his palm. "I don't play fair, kid. And neither should you. You wanna break into the Fatebound's fortress? Then you need to stop thinking like a hero and start thinking like a gambler."
Jude was silent for a moment before nodding. "Fine. What's the move?"
The room vanished.
And suddenly, Jude was falling.
Jude hit the ground hard, rolling onto his knees as the impact sent another jolt of pain through his already battered body.
Kazimir landed beside him with effortless grace, his long coat swaying as he straightened. "Damn, kid. You fall like a brick."
Jude groaned, pushing himself to his feet. His surroundings were nothing like the neon-lit casino. Instead, they stood in the middle of an abandoned street, drenched in darkness. Rusted cars lined the roads, their windows shattered, and the buildings on either side were crumbling relics of a forgotten time.
"Where are we?" Jude asked, scanning the area.
Kazimir stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. "A little shortcut. We're outside the city limits now, away from Fatebound eyes."
Jude turned sharply to face him. "We don't have time for shortcuts. We need to get to Elara—now."
Kazimir sighed, pulling out his deck of cards and idly shuffling them. "I get it. Trust me, I do. But charging in blind got you nearly killed once. You really wanna go two for two?"
Jude clenched his fists. "She doesn't have time."
Kazimir stopped shuffling. His golden eyes locked onto Jude's, more serious than before. "And neither do you if you screw this up."
Jude's breath hitched. He knew Kazimir was right. He had already failed once. If he failed again, Elara was gone.
Kazimir smirked. "Good. You're finally thinking." He flicked a card into the air—it spun before landing neatly between his fingers. The Ace of Spades. "We do this my way, and maybe—just maybe—you'll live long enough to pull off this miracle."
Jude exhaled sharply. "What's your plan?"
Kazimir twirled the card. "Simple. Every fortress has a backdoor, and every gamble has a trick to winning." He pointed toward the distance. "The Fatebound's stronghold is built on the idea that no one would be crazy enough to break in. But you?" He grinned. "You're the definition of crazy."
Jude ignored the jab. "How do we get inside?"
Kazimir's smirk widened. "By playing a hand they don't expect."
He reached into his coat and pulled out two masks. One was a sleek, black mask with golden streaks across it. The other was a plain, silver one. He tossed the silver one to Jude.
"We're walking in through the front door."
Jude blinked. "That's your plan?"
Kazimir chuckled. "Relax. I've got connections. Some Fatebound guards? They like to gamble a little too much. I might've cleaned out their pockets once or twice."
Jude raised an eyebrow. "And they won't recognize you?"
Kazimir winked. "Not if we play our roles right. Tonight, we're not Jude and Kazimir. We're just two traders with valuable information to sell."
Jude's grip tightened on the mask. He didn't like this. Every part of him screamed to fight, to charge in and take Elara back by force. But he knew that wasn't an option.
Kazimir tilted his head. "What's it gonna be, kid? You rolling the dice or folding?"
Jude took a breath and put on the mask.
Kazimir grinned. "That's what I like to see."
The Fatebound fortress loomed in the distance, an imposing structure of towering spires and seamless stone walls reinforced by shimmering fate-bound energy. No ordinary person could breach its defenses—only those deemed worthy by fate itself.
And yet, here they were.
Jude adjusted the silver mask on his face as he and Kazimir strode down the empty road leading to the fortress gates. The air was thick with tension, and despite his best efforts, his pulse pounded in his ears. Elara was inside that prison. Every second wasted was another second closer to her fate being sealed.
Kazimir, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease, walking with an easy swagger as if he owned the place.
"You're too stiff, kid," Kazimir muttered, hands in his pockets. "You gotta loosen up if you wanna sell this."
Jude shot him a glare. "Sorry if I'm not in the mood for theatrics."
Kazimir let out a low chuckle. "It's all theatrics. Everything is. You either play the part, or you get played."
Jude gritted his teeth but said nothing. They had a job to do.
As they neared the massive iron gates, two guards in full Fatebound armor stepped forward, their halberds crossed in front of the entrance. Their faces were hidden behind sleek, silver helms engraved with the insignia of fate—an hourglass surrounded by chains.
"Halt," one of them commanded. "State your business."
Kazimir stepped forward smoothly, slipping into character without hesitation. His voice took on an air of arrogance, his golden eyes gleaming behind the mask.
"Business?" he repeated with a smirk. "Gentlemen, we bring information. High-value intel on a certain fugitive you're looking for."
Jude clenched his fists at Kazimir's words but forced himself to remain still.
The guards exchanged glances. "What fugitive?"
Kazimir sighed dramatically. "Come on, boys. The girl. The noble brat who defied fate. Word on the street is that you've got her locked up, but we know something you don't."
The second guard narrowed his eyes. "And why should we believe you?"
Kazimir shrugged. "You don't have to. But if you turn us away and your superiors find out we had intel that could be valuable? Well…" He let the words hang in the air, a smirk tugging at his lips.
The first guard hesitated, then turned to his partner. "Go inform Captain Soren. Tell him we have two informants claiming to have knowledge on the girl."
His partner gave a curt nod before disappearing through the gates.
Kazimir leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only Jude could hear. "See? You just gotta know how to talk to people."
Jude ignored him, his mind focused on what came next. If this worked, they would be inside. If it didn't… well, they'd be fighting for their lives within the next few minutes.
Minutes later, the gates groaned open, and a man stepped out. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his Fatebound armor adorned with crimson etchings, marking him as someone of higher rank. His piercing gray eyes locked onto them with unsettling intensity.
Kazimir let out a low whistle. "Well, well. Captain Soren himself. Didn't think we'd be blessed with the presence of fate's favorite enforcer."
Soren ignored him, scrutinizing both of them carefully. "You claim to have information on the girl?"
Kazimir nodded. "That's right."
Soren studied them for another long moment before stepping aside. "Very well. If your information proves useless, you'll both be executed."
Kazimir grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Jude followed as they stepped through the gates, his heart pounding. They were in.
Now, the real game began.