The System interface exploded in a garish display of light and color, bathing my bedroom in a private light show only I could see. Golden trumpets blared silently in my mind as a slot machine animation materialized before me, spinning wildly with impossible physics.
"What the actual fuck," I muttered, watching the digital spectacle unfold inches from my sleeping stepsister's face.
Three cards materialized, each face-down and glowing with a rainbow shimmer that hurt my eyes. They floated and bobbed in my vision, taunting me with possibilities.
[APOLLO'S DIVINE EMPORIUM THANKS YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE! PULL THE LEVER, MORTAL! LET FATE DECIDE YOUR GLORY!]
I glanced down at Natalia, still blissfully unaware of the cosmic casino operating above her head. She mumbled something in her sleep, nuzzling closer into my chest.
"This better be worth one hundred and fifty fucking points," I growled under my breath, mentally reaching for the first card.
