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Chapter 72 - Casino

Author Note[1]

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"Welcome, sirs. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

The sharp echo of a suited man's voice bounced off Aaron's ears as he walked past him carelessly.

Trailing in his shadow was Ezra, who hid his face beneath his hood, making sure that the greeter wouldn't recognize him.

From what the blond-haired boy had heard, masks or other items that concealed one's identity were common in the underground, with many of the elites of Corvassa visiting for a night's fun.

If even the government officials make appearances here, then this place must be loaded with Draughts…

The inside of the casino was a magnificent blend of modern architecture with marble and gold adorning every ornament, while the older stones blended seamlessly with the stairways.

Lavender lamps flickered overhead like stars in the night sky, illuminating the various tables that filled the bustling room.

Sounds of clicking roulette wheels resounded through the elegant room, with the roars of drunken men exploding into laughter.

A luxurious red carpet covered the building's floor, with an elderly janitor whose hands were cuffed with bloody iron chains constantly scrubbing out any stains or scuffs that dripped from his wrists.

With a rough count, Aaron could deduce there were about fifty or sixty men attending, while small conglomerations of women spoke around the bar, discussing gossip and the events of Sea Fallen.

Throughout the room, the unusual smell of peppermint wafted through the air, seeping into the boys' nostrils, making them both gag.

Ezra spoke first while covering his nose with his fingers.

"They mix illegal chemicals into the colognes… Supposed to make your opponent loopy so you can catch em off guard. Trust me, it ain't work. I tried."

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, he slid a sly smile to Aaron, who just stared at him, dumbfounded, before sighing quietly.

Drugs in the air and slavers as the management… What else could possibly top that…

Below his feet, a small vibration shook the floor, barely catching Aaron's attention; however, his gaze quickly moved to a group of men all gathered around an oval-shaped bench. 

In the center, two men were locked in a fierce game of poker with neither moving even so much as a blink as they eyed their cards.

The taller of the men wore a white t-shirt, while the other man wore a black one that glowed under the lavender lamps above.

Slowly, the first of the men spoke quietly with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"All in."

The words dropped like a stone into still water.

For a second, the crowd froze–leaning in together, inspecting the massive pile of chips the man had placed onto the table.

Murmurs and hushed whispers were swallowed by the heavy silence; however, the white-shirted man didn't even flinch as his hands rested gently on the stack of cash.

His opponent tensed as his fingers twitched near his belt in an action that Aaron nearly missed.

Ezra's hand clamped hard onto the back of the blond boy's cloak, preventing him from moving any closer.

"Watch closely, but don't interfere."

As if predicting the future, a sudden shout erupted from the table as the black-shirted man pulled a revolver from his belt, aiming it at his opponent across from him.

BANG!

The thunderclap shattered the silence as a single round was fired straight at the white-clothed man, who slumped backwards with blood spurting from his skull.

Instead of persecuting the murderer who had cheated his way to victory, the crowd laughed and cheered like cannonfire, slapping the black-shirted man's shoulders.

Blood pooled on the floor in massive puddles; however, the men treated it as if it were just a bottle of spilled wine, carefully moving their feet out of the way while cackling.

The once white shirt was soaked crimson, with the lifeless body being rummaged through for any loose change.

Aaron stumbled back as his chest tightened and bile rose in his throat. 

His fingers twitched around his ring, preparing to summon Penelope, but the wave of applause stopped him cold.

T-They're celebrating?

The putrid smell of gunpowder temporarily masked the awful perfume, yet the lingering emotions only further angered him.

Each compliment and proud comment that the winner received echoed deafly off of Aaron's ears as the grotesque normalcy struck him harder than the murder itself.

In a flurry of rage, his head whipped around to the black-haired boy, grabbing his back, shouting.

"What the hell, Ezra!? What was that!?"

Aaron's angry shouts nearly drew the attention of bystanders, but he was quickly hushed by the boy before they were noticed.

"Didn't I say 'can it' in here? This ain't no legal gambling house run by Old Miss Sherry. This is a criminal underground where anything goes, and the law doesn't apply. You either live or die by those rules. Now you need to shut it and follow me. Got it?"

His harsh words sobered Aaron up from the nauseating perfumes that drifted through the room.

Even murder is justified here… Just what the hell is Lord Quinn doing in this city for it to get this bad? Everything in the Sea of Dreams is his territory, and it's his own obligation to upkeep order, whether it costs him his life or not…

A sudden realization burst to life inside his head as he remembered something Cam had said to him during dinner nearly half a month ago.

She had been drunk on a strange concoction of sea terror blood and fermented fish that she called 'Seas Nectar' when she began to ramble to the boy. 

"The Sea Kings themselves are divided on nearly every problem that faces society. Not once in the past fifty years have they come to an agreement that resulted in any significant change, yet they are still the figureheads of this pathetic government. It makes me sick…"

Her seemingly throwaway comment echoed inside the boy's head as he watched the scene gradually clear as the crowd moved on to the next exciting game.

Ezra's voice stirred Aaron back to focus as he pulled his cloak.

"This way. It's the only way into the dungeons where they are keeping my sister."

His quiet tone was met with a stern nod from the blond-haired boy who followed him closely, eyeing anyone who might try to ambush the two.

Two teenagers would be easy targets, no matter how tough we look. I might be able to beat them, but that would ruin the whole secrecy plan. If only Cam was here… 

With a slow realization, a plan began to form inside his head as he faced Ezra calmly.

His voice was flat as he spoke without a hint of emotion.

"Ezra… are you a liar?"

The words hung in the air for a moment as the black-haired boy's grin faltered, just for a heartbeat, with his eyes flickering around the room, then back to Aaron quickly.

"A liar, eh? What a question to ask the man who robbed and shot you… Tsk, since you promised to save my sister, I'll be honest with you here."

He paused for a moment, sliding Aaron a sly grin.

"I'm one hundred percent a pathological liar. Born and raised to spout lies."

The honest words that rolled off his lips made the blond boy smile a little before speaking quietly.

"Perfect. That's just what I need."

At the front entrance of the casino, the once jubilant greeter who welcomed each guest happily frowned as he removed a small transponder from his waist.

Turning himself away from the entrance, he stared at the blank marble wall while fiddling with a small switch.

Every emotion had vanished from his face as he opened his mouth to speak while setting the frequency perfectly. 

"Boss. The runt's here, and he brought a friend. I don't know if he's got the money, but he should be coming to you now."

His voice was shrewd and heartless as he listened to the static hum of the radio, awaiting a response.

Click!

"Message received. We will intercept them as they enter the special accommodations, so until then, stand by for further orders and make sure they do not vacate the premises."

Behind the transponder, a gruff man's voice spoke calmly and slowly toward the greeter, who listened intently.

"Understood."

Click!

Shoving the transponder back onto his belt, the brown-haired greeter wiped his bland face with his hands, which, when removed, revealed a brilliant smile.

Hurriedly turning around, he faced a group of youths who carried bags upon bags of money at their hips.

"Welcome, esteemed guests. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

[1] I apologize for the last chapter in which I posted Chapter 72 instead of Chapter 71. The previous chapter has been fixed and is currently uploaded. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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