"Sweet dreams are made of this..."
"Dude, these really are sweet dreams."
"Mnex, mind calculating exactly how much is on the table?"
"Calculating...
...
You just won a game worth 71 Solmars and 2 Lumars. Congratulations. The sparkle in your eyes would be visible from orbit. Might be a good time to initiate your escape plan."
"Escape plan? What are you talking about?"
"Ugh. Of course. You never finish your plans, this one's no exception. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the fine patrons of this establishment aren't exactly famed for their kindness. You just pocketed more than a mid-tier city merchant makes in a year. Now look around, but casually."
My grin faded as I glanced up. Yep. Every eye in the room was on me.
Hyness sat motionless, both hands tangled in his hair, head drooped low, still reeling from the loss.
"Now's a good time to call Raymond. While Hyness is too stunned to react."
Oh, crap. I'd completely forgotten about Raymond.
I turned. He was still where I'd left him but barely recognizable. His hair was wild, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, and even from a distance, I could tell he'd chewed his nails down to nothing. I motioned for him to come over.
He pointed to himself, as if to say, 'Me?'
I mouthed, GET. OVER. HERE.
He began inching toward me, so slowly it felt like time itself had started dragging.
By the time he reached me, it was like the world had shifted into slow motion just for him.
Leaning in, I whispered, "What's wrong with you?"
He didn't answer right away. Eyes still locked on Hyness, he muttered, "Do you even know who you were playing against?"
I followed his gaze.
"So you do," I said quietly.
He gave a slow, miserable nod.
"In this city, even the Lord avoids crossing Hyness. Says it's not worth the trouble. As long as he keeps things quiet, no one touches him."
Raymond ran both hands through his hair again, voice dropping lower.
"We're dead. Absolutely screwed. If Hyness doesn't kill us, the Lord might. Either way... we're done."
A nervous chuckle slipped from his mouth but it sounded more like the start of a breakdown.
"Raymond appears to be undergoing a mental collapse," Mnex chimed in. "He's unlikely to be of use in the current scenario. And if what he says is accurate, Hyness is effectively the city's crime boss. Also… you've spent the entire evening poking the bear. Then beating it. In public."
Thanks, Mnex. Already figured that part out. The real question is do you have an exit plan?
"You could always try getting on your knees and begging for mercy."
Not happening. I didn't break any laws.
"Whether you did or not is irrelevant. What matters is that Hyness is pissed. So tell me, would you rather keep your pride or your life?"
Honestly? At the moment, it feels like I've got neither.
And even if I did apologize... what are the odds I walk out of here in one piece?
"Low."
Got any brighter ideas?
"Well, there's one with slightly better odds: grovel, and act your age. But that might backfire. Think about it, a crime boss losing to a toddler? Not great for one's reputation. I imagine he's calculating five different ways to murder you as we speak."
You're just a beacon of optimism, aren't you?
Hyness slowly raised his head. He wasn't looking at Raymond. Or at the coins.
His gaze locked onto me, like I was the only soul in the room.
Then, like shaking off a trance, he blinked and glanced around.
Charles and Remy hadn't budged. Frozen. Their eyes flicked back and forth between me, Raymond, and Hyness.
Suddenly, Hyness let out a deep, guttural laugh. He threw his head back, eyes shut, howling like someone who'd just heard the joke of the century.
I didn't wait. Instinct kicked in. I slid off the stool, climbed onto the table, and stood tall or at least, toddler tall, right on top of the scattered coins. They clinked under my boots like a drumroll for disaster.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Mnex hissed. "If you're trying to attract more attention, you're nailing it. Now maybe try the opposite?"
"Hey, old man," I called out, flashing a mock friendly grin and stretching out my hand. "Good game. Wanna play again sometime?"
The laughter died.
Hyness's face stiffened, his eyes narrowing into cold slits.
He didn't take my hand.
"Boi... I don't recall you ever giving me your name."
I was just about to introduce myself when Raymond jumped in like his life depended on it which, honestly, it probably did.
"Sir Hyness! This boy's name is Evan, he's my nephew! I brought him down from Brannholme, up north. My sister lives there, you see. The lad's clever, sure, but... well, naïve. He doesn't know how things work in a place like this, bless him. I sincerely apologize. I never should've brought him here. He's got absurd luck with dice, sir, and before I knew it, he'd snuck away, stole a few of my coins, and joined your table. I didn't want to interrupt once things started, but believe me I never thought he'd actually win…"
He fired off lies like a machine gun with a broken safety fast, frantic, and all over the place.
Hyness groaned, pressing his fingers against his temples like Raymond's words were physically painful.
"ENOUGH!" Hyness barked. "Enough. So… you expected him to lose. Then I assume you won't mind if I take the coins. I mean, you did see him cheat in the last round, right?"
"Of course, sir… ha ha, please, don't worry! I'll give Evan a good smack when we get home," Raymond stammered, bowing with every "sir" like it was a punctuation mark he couldn't stop using.
"Hold on!" I cut in, unable to stay silent. "I've got a better idea."
Every head turned my way.
I saw sweat gleaming on Charles and Remy's foreheads.
The room fell into an eerie stillness. No movement. No voices. Not even a breath.
"How about this," I said, keeping my voice even. "You take all the coins. Every single one. But in exchange… you clear Charles's debt. Forty… no, forty-three Solmars, right?"
I glanced at Remy.
"And if you could also erase whatever he borrowed in that last hand, I'd be very grateful."
Then, with every ounce of dramatic flair a toddler could summon, I gave a deep, respectful bow like I was addressing royalty.
Mnex clicked his metaphorical tongue. "Ah. You're trading the winnings to wipe Charles's debt and secure his workshop. Clever. But what about Remy?"
I didn't respond.
Better to let Hyness think I was just a kind hearted, clueless kid trying to help a few adults out of trouble. No need to tip him off.
"Ah," Mnex murmured, the realization clear in his tone, and somehow, that single smug syllable irritated me more than I'd like to admit.
"What are you talking about?" Hyness sneered. "Your babysitter just confessed you cheated. That means everything under your feet belongs to me. And their debts? Oh, they stay exactly where they are."
I wish I could say I stayed calm. That I had some kind of master plan.
But truth is, the next words just... slipped out.
Maybe it was Mnex's snide tone. Maybe it was being called a cheater.
Or maybe it was just that very human spark of pride and defiance.
Either way…
They were out before I could stop myself...
A little earlier… Just before Henry and Hyness began their game…
Charles stared at the floor, voice barely more than a whisper.
"Just... one more game. Let me borrow. If I lose, you win. If I win, well, you still win. Everyone's happy, right?"
"Whatever," Hyness replied with a lazy wave. "Lose again, and I'll just take your workshop. Problem solved."
He lifted his hand, a subtle but all too familiar gesture.
Most people wouldn't notice. But I knew exactly what it meant.
Whenever Hyness needed something during a game, this was how he called me in.
No man enjoys being treated like a lapdog.
But I've learned to swallow my pride.
A roof over my head. A few coins in my pocket. That's more than many can say.
Once upon a time, no one dared give me orders.
I was part of a respected mercenary company, a good husband, a proud father.
That life ended the day I left for what was supposed to be a simple escort job.
I came home to find my wife and daughter... lifeless.
Just like that, my world crumbled.
Later, I learned the ones responsible were cleaning up one of a noble lord's messes, his second son's, to be exact.
I tracked them down.
Every last one.
And I killed them.
Including the second son.
After that, I had no choice but to run.
If they caught me, it'd be the gallows.
So I fled, city to city, border to border until there was nowhere left to go.
That's how I ended up here, in Godfrey's Cross, the capital city of House Godfrey in the Tharowen Kingdom.
That's where I met Hyness.
And that's when I started working for him.
Leaning in close, I whispered, "Charles owes around twenty seven Solmars. If you extend his credit just a bit more during this game, we can push it to forty. Then you'll get that workshop dirt cheap."
Hyness didn't say a word. Just gave a slight nod.
I handed Charles one of the pouches we'd prepared in advance twelve Solmars inside.
Once a man's hooked on gambling, he won't stop until he's bled dry.
And Charles? He was already halfway there.
Then the kid showed up.
"Evening, gentlemen. Hope no one minds if I join."
A pint sized brat strutted up to Hyness's table and spoke like he owned the place.
Either he was freakishly sharp for his age or someone out there seriously wanted him dead.
To my horror, Hyness let him sit.
That bastard really would rob a child and sleep like a baby afterward.
If I weren't a fugitive, I'd have cleaned this city of his filth myself.
But the truth is if I hadn't lost my family, I never would've fallen this far to begin with.
The game began.
The kid lost the first hand, on purpose, I think, using the weakest possible trick.
No one else batted an eye, but something about it bugged me.
See, playing High Trump against Hyness is like playing with a loaded deck.
He always brings pouches heavier than the pot, so he gets to declare trump and dictate the flow of the game from start to finish.
But this kid?
This tiny brat didn't flinch.
He played smart, way too smart.
No one watching would've believed he was only three years old.
As always, the game revolved around Hyness.
He took the lead early and kept it.
But the kid?
He never let the gap widen.
It was like... he had a plan.
"You only had 50 Mar left!" Hyness snapped, voice sharp with disbelief.
It was the first time I'd ever seen him lose his cool during a game.
The kid was even sharper than I'd guessed.
Who else would've thought to hide three Solmars under his hand the entire time?
Honestly? I wanted to cheer.
Scoop him up and toss him in the air like some kind of folk hero.
He deserved it.
He'd beaten Hyness… Clean, fair, and brilliant.
But of course... I couldn't.
Because I recognized that smile.
That twitch in the corner of Hyness's mouth.
That wasn't surrender.
That was the stillness before a storm.
The kid noticed it too.
I saw his eyes flick around the room, calculating.
Too late.
Hyness's men had already taken position. Two stood planted by the main exit.
There was no getting out now.
Luckily for him, someone claiming to be his uncle stepped in and tried to smooth things over.
But the kid?
Still a kid.
Smart, no doubt.
But totally oblivious to how this world really worked.
He offered Hyness every coin on the table in exchange for wiping Charles and Remy's debts.
Remy? He'd be fine.
A major merchant like him wouldn't lose sleep over a few Solmars.
But Charles? He was done for. He had no way out.
And then the kid said something no one expected.
"For someone like you," he said, "reputation must mean everything. So tell me... what happens when the whole city finds out you lost to a toddler and then called that same toddler a cheater?"
He paused.
Just long enough to let the words sink deep.
"I doubt anyone would be scared of you after that.
'Crying Hyness' has a nice ring to it, don't you think?
Anyway, if you were going to throw a tantrum, you could've just said so.
I wouldn't have played. I'm leaving."
He spun on his heel still perched on the table then hopped down and strolled over to his so called uncle.
Raymond looked like he'd seen a ghost. Pale, frozen, eyes locked on Hyness like he was watching death itself approach.
The boy took his hand.
"Come on, Uncle Raymond. Let's get out of here.
Playing with kids my age is way more fun.
At least they don't whine when they lose."
He gave Raymond's arm a gentle tug, casually pulling him toward the exit.
Everyone was stunned.
Even I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Because if there was one thing Hyness valued more than money... it was pride.
"FRAAAANK!" Hyness roared, his voice shaking the walls.
"Yes, sir?" I answered on instinct though I already knew exactly what was coming.
A small part of me still hoped, hoped that if they moved fast enough, they might slip away before the command dropped.
"Bring them back," he snarled. "That brat and his lying uncle. Bring them back now.
I'll kill them skin them alive torture them until they beg for death, and then keep going.
MOVE, FRANK!"
His face contorted with rage, every muscle twitching like it wanted to explode.
I exhaled slowly.
Yeah.
I knew it would come to this.
The moment his screaming stopped, the kid looked back. So did Raymond.
And that's when panic caught fire.
The hall erupted into chaos.
Chairs flew, coins scattered, and people stampeded toward the exit in a single, desperate surge.
Bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder clogging the way.
No chance of getting through.
There was a second exit, sure but only Hyness and his thugs, and of course me, knew about it.
The boy and his uncle tried to force their way through the crowd.
No luck.
And even if they had made it, the two goons guarding the door would've stopped them cold.
"Ughh..." I sighed again deep, heavy, tired.
I didn't want to do this.
Maybe... maybe the kindest thing would be to end it myself.
Quick.
Clean.
It'd be more mercy than they'd get from Hyness.
I stepped forward and drew my sword.
The blade felt heavier than usual like it understood what I was about to do.
The kid looked at me, calm. Too calm.
"Why'd you say all that, huh?" I said.
"Frank, right?" he added, scanning the room. "You really don't want to do this."
He meant it.
There was no fear in his voice. No panic.
Just... sincerity.
Raymond, on the other hand, looked like he might drop dead before I even swung.
His skin had gone beyond pale, chalk white, hollow, drained of everything.
"I don't want to," I said, and I meant every word. "But you've left me no choice."
I raised my blade not fast, not in rage but with the slow, heavy resignation of a man who's killed more than he cares to remember.
"Then don't," the kid whispered.
But it was too late.
No words could undo what had been set in motion.
All I could do now... was make it quick.
Good luck in the next life, kid.
I brought the sword down.
Steel met flesh but not the kid's.
Raymond had stepped in at the last second.
My blade slashed deep across his arm. Blood poured out freely.
He didn't scream.
But the kid did.
"Raymond... RAYMOND!"