The night air felt thinner on 4th Street. As Ethan walked alongside Isabella, the distance between the 'Golden Corner' and the world she was leading him into felt like thousands of miles. The streetlights here were spaced further apart, leaving long stretches of obsidian shadows where the city's secrets breathed.
Ethan stole a glance at Isabella. She was focused, her pace steady, her trench coat fluttering slightly in the cold breeze. He felt a cold knot of apprehension in his chest. Who is she, really? he wondered. One day she was a dedicated medical student, and the next, she was whispering about underground high-stakes events.
"Isabella," Ethan started, his voice barely louder than the wind. "I'm not exactly... a high-roller. I barely have seventy dollars in my bank account. How am I supposed to participate in something like this?"
Isabella didn't look back, but her voice was calm. "In that world, Ethan, currency isn't just paper. It's information. It's the ability to see the pattern before it forms. You showed me that clarity in the library. Most people gamble with their luck; I'm betting on your brain."
They turned a corner into a quiet, residential cul-de-sac. The houses here were older, with tall fences and overgrown ivy. Isabella stopped in front of a modest, two-story house. There were no lights in the windows. It looked abandoned, a hollow shell in the middle of a sleeping neighborhood.
She climbed the porch steps and knocked—three slow, deliberate raps, followed by two quick ones.
Ethan stood at the bottom of the steps, his hands shoved deep into his hoodie pockets. He felt the two remaining chests in his Soul Inventory pulse with a strange, expectant light. Physicality and Influence. He stayed his hand. He needed to see the threat before he chose his weapon.
The door creaked open with a heavy, wooden groan.
A woman stood in the threshold, framed by the dim yellow light of the hallway. She looked like a blurred reflection of Isabella. While Isabella was sharp and tailored, this woman was chaos personified. She was barefoot, wearing a loose, oversized silk robe that clung to her mature, athletic frame. Her dark hair was a messy nest of tangles, and her eyes were heavy with sleep.
"Isabella?" the woman rasped, rubbing her eye. "Do you have any idea what time it is? I was finally dreaming about a full house."
Isabella's posture went rigid. "Abla (Big Sister)... look at yourself. You're a mess. Is this how you're living when I'm not here to watch you?"
Ethan's jaw nearly dropped. This was Isabella's sister? The medical resident's sibling looked like she hadn't seen the sun in a week. Her robe dipped slightly, revealing a glimpse of her pale, toned skin, and she didn't seem to care at all about her disheveled appearance.
"Oh, hush," the woman muttered, finally noticing Ethan standing in the shadows. She blinked, her gaze traveling from his worn sneakers up to his refined face. A slow, mischievous grin spread across her lips. "And who is this? Did you finally bring home a specimen for me to play with?"
"This is Ethan," Isabella said, her voice tight with embarrassment. "He's... a friend. And he has the gift, Sophia. The kind you've been looking for."
They stepped inside. The house smelled of expensive tobacco, old paper, and something sweet, like maraschino cherries. Isabella immediately started tidying up, picking up stray magazines and half-empty glasses. She seemed desperate to prove that her sister wasn't as broken as she looked.
"She's usually more... professional," Isabella whispered to Ethan, her face flushed.
"It's fine," Ethan replied, though his mind was reeling.
The woman, Sophia, disappeared into the kitchen and returned ten minutes later with three cups of thick, black coffee. The caffeine seemed to act like a magic potion. As she drank, the sleepiness vanished from her eyes, replaced by a sharp, predatory brightness. She sat on the velvet sofa, crossing her long legs, and let out a melodious laugh.
"Don't mind my sister, Ethan," Sophia said, her voice now smooth and alluring. "She thinks life is a surgery—clean and predictable. But me? I know life is a game of poker. I'm Sophia, the black sheep of the Thorne family... well, our family, anyway."
She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she studied Ethan. "Isabella says you're special. That you see the world in code. But looking at you... you just look like a boy who's afraid of his own shadow."
"I'm not afraid," Ethan said, the +4 Confidence points finally kicking in. "I'm just careful."
"Careful is boring," Sophia chirped. "But 'careful' combined with 'hungry'... now that's a dangerous combination."
She stood up, her movements suddenly graceful and fluid, like a cat stretching. "Wait here."
She disappeared upstairs. Ethan and Isabella sat in a heavy silence.
"Isabella, why are we here?" Ethan asked.
"Because she's the best," Isabella admitted, looking at the floor. "And because she owes a lot of people a lot of money. If you win, you help yourself. If you help her, you help me."
Ten minutes later, Sophia descended the stairs. The transformation was total. She had changed into a tight, emerald-green cocktail dress that accentuated every curve of her body. Her hair was swept back, her lips painted a deep, blood red. In her hand, she held a deck of cards with gold-leaf edges. She looked like a queen of a subterranean empire—fiery, beautiful, and utterly lethal.
She walked over to the mahogany table in the center of the room and fanned the cards out with a single, expert flick of her wrist.
"Alright, handsome," Sophia said, her eyes flashing with a dangerous, playful light. She pulled out a chair and gestured for Ethan to sit. "Let's see if that brain of yours is worth the trouble. Let's play a little game. If you win, I'll take you to the Lounge tomorrow. If you lose..."
She leaned over the table, her scent overpowering the room, a teasing smile on her lips. "Well, let's just say I'll find another way for you to pay me back."
[ System Notification ]
Target Identified: Sophia V.
Type: High-Risk / High-Reward
Affinity: 0/100
State: Thirsty for a challenge, amused.
< New Quest: The Queen's Gambit >
Requirement: Win the first hand against Sophia.
Reward: 30 RP, Unlock 'Card Counting' Skill.
Failure: Loss of all current RP, -5 Confidence.
Ethan sat down. His heart was a drum in his chest. He looked at the cards, then at the two sisters—one representing the light he wanted to reach, the other representing the fire he had to walk through.
"Deal the cards," Ethan said.