⊹ ｡ ﾟ⁖✦ •𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘈𝘜⁖ °✦ ･ﾟ⋆

Chapter 12

Adam and Jonah returned from the cellar with notebooks full of notes.
"Really sucks Mark won't be able to know about all of this, since...you know." Adam sighed.
"Yeah. But maybe we can solve the mystery in his honor?"
"Hopefully."

Fast-forward to that evening, Cesar, Jonah and Adam were seated ready to play card games as usual. To everyone's—well, almost everyone's—surprise, Mark walked up to his chair.
"Can I join you guys?" He asked.
The other three guys looked up at him in surprise. Cesar was ecstatic!
"Of COURSE you can!" He exclaimed.
Mark pulled his chair out and sat down. He shuffled a little bit uncomfortably, knowing that Jonah was staring at him. He wasn't doing it disrespectfully, he was just in shock. It had been a month and a half since he and Adam had seen Mark. Mark side-eyed Jonah and messed with his hair a bit to cover the scar left on his temple from the gunshot. He knew that was what Jonah was looking at.
"Dude, quit it," Adam whispered to Jonah.
"Sorry! Isn't it just crazy? I thought we would never see him again." Jonah whispered back.
Jonah was never much of a quiet person and that was reflected in his whispering. Mark hated people talking about him. Especially when he could hear it. He sighed and tried directing his attention to Cesar, who was shuffling the cards.
"So, uh..." Mark started, "how have things been?"
"Oh, you know, okay. Not the same though, isn't that right you two?" He looked across the table to Adam and Jonah who were still conversing about Mark's sudden reappearance.
"Huh?! Oh yeah! Sorry, man. This is just such a surprise! I mean uh.." Jonah stumbled over his words, not trying to offend Mark.
"What he means is welcome back. Glad to see you again." Adam turned to Mark and held his hand out for a friendly shake.
Mark shook it.
"By the way," the blonde leaned closer and whispered, "you have a lot to catch up on."
Mark knew what Adam was talking about immediately; the explanation of the casino, Cesar, everything.
Games went on as usual. As Cesar said good nights to everyone, Adam beckoned Mark over to his door. Jonah followed. Adam returned to his doorway with two notebooks.
"This should catch you up. DON'T. Lose them."
Mark cautiously took them with two hands. They obviously must've been full of important information judging by how serious Adam was. The three said good night, and Mark went off to his room and started reading.

A week later, Mark was all caught up and Jonah, Adam and himself had been having near daily meetings in the library about everything. But tonight they would lose one of their own...it was Adam's turn to play against Lucifer. He parted ways with the other three and walked into a room leading to a large, dark and warm room illuminated by red lighting and a glowing table. He looked around and didn't see anyone. Just four hourglasses at each side of the room and the table in front of him.
"Fucking hell," he grumbles. "There isn't even anyone in here."
"Adam Murray!" Lucifer appears out of the darkness with a smile.
Adam glances up unphased.
"Take your seat." Lucifer commands. Adam was pulled into a chair, still glaring up at Lucifer.
"Do you know who I am?" Lucifer asked.
"Yea yeah, let's just get this over with." Adam crossed his arms.
This attitude angered the devil. His face relaxed into the neutral expression. "Do you KNOW what's a stake? Do you care?"
Adam looked up again, leaning back in his chair with his arms still crossed. "Meh." He shrugged.
They play six rounds of cards. Adam lost every round.
"You are just INSUFFERABLE!" Lucifer bellowed and the room shook slightly. Adam didn't even flinch.
Lucifer smiled again. "I would love to send you all STRAIGHT TO HELL WHERE YOU BELONG, but no! There are RULES, ADAM! Rules even *I* must follow!"
Adam blinked. "Mhm." He knew his lack of tone was pissing satan himself off. He liked it..it was funny. A one-side game. He also just genuinely didn't care.
Lucifer picked the deck up and crushed them, the shreds falling haphazardly.
"Alright, I lost, so what now?" Asked the blonde.
"But you DIDN'T!" The devil shrieked.
It took all of Adam's power not to smirk and chuckle. He turned his head away to avoid laughing.
"You blundering blonde FOOL! You cannot trick me! You lost on PURPOSE! You CHEATED!!!" Lucifer threw his weight onto the table, cracking the tabletop.
Adam looked down at the cracks. "That doesn't even make sense."
"STOP! FUCKING WITH ME!" Lucifer roared and flipped the table. It landed on top of Adam, who came back out the other side. "The hell was that for?" He scoffed. The devil paced angrily.
"As I said. You know I would LOVE to send you all STRAIGHT TO HELL WHERE YOU ALL BELONG! But you've destroyed the balance! I can't do such if you cheat or lie!"
Adam crawled out from under the table and dusted himself off. Lucifer then picked him up and held him tightly in his cold, rock-solid fist and grinned. Adam was starting to feel a little afraid, but at the same time, pursed his lips to avoid giggling. He couldn't move...his bones ached under the pressure of the entity's strong grip.
"YOU are the WORST PARTICIPANT! YOU DESERVE HELL MORE THAN ANY OF YOUR PEERS DO!" He threw the man across the room.
Adam yelped and looked back in Lucifer's direction. He was already rushing back over to pick his new toy up again. He treated Adam like a rag doll. "You! You will PAY FOR THIS!!!" Lucifer set the table upright again and set Adam down on it. Adam couldn't move...it was as if he was held down by an invisible force.
"THIS IS FOR UPSETTING THE BALANCE!" Lucifer screamed as shards of charcoal in the shape of hearts were flung at Adam. "Ironic that those are hearts," he thought to himself. The shards pelted him and felt like rocks as they hit him. Still not the worst pain he'd ever felt, but not favorable.
"THIS IS FOR CHEATING!" Lucifer shrieked again and blew Adam into the wall with a gale-force wind. The small blonde groaned and fell.
Lucifer when brings Adam's attention to an hourglass with his name above it.
"This is what you have all been playing for. We all know you're smart. But what you did was beyond anything worthy of congratulations or praise. You worthless, insufferable fool!" The glass shatters and sand flows in all directions, some of it covering Adam. Lucifer laughs evilly at the sight.
"STOP THAT!" An opposing voice yells. It's...Cesar?
The short pudgy man runs up to Lucifer with a scowl. "I said enough!" He yells.
He steps over to help Adam up. Adam isn't sure if what he's seeing is real or just brain damage anymore. Maybe even a weird dream? "You have no right to be doing this! You should've stopped at Mark!" Cesar yells. Adam stands in a daze. Cesar pushes him over to attempt moving him out of the way. In his confusion, he incorrectly assumes Cesar was attacking him too and he pulls out a kitchen knife.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" He screams and stumbles at Cesar, who puts his hands up to guard himself and show Adam that he is unarmed and means no harm. "Adam! Please! I am not your enemy!"
"Bullshit..." Adam raises his arms to stab Cesar. But Lucifer remains behind him with an axe. Cesar takes notice.
"ADAM! RUN!" No response from the dazed blonde.
"ADAM MURRAY! LOOK BEHIND YOU!"
"Shut up!" He yells. "I know more than you think, Torres. I know your sec-"
With one quick swing of the axe, Adam is beheaded. Cesar looks away, tightly closing his eyes and lets his alternate side take full control. The devil chuckles. "You humans. So weak. What is wrong with you, Ace of Hearts? You're still weak too. Allow yourself to do your job." He disappears.
Cesar scrambles out and once he's back in the hallway, he reverts himself to normal and catches his breath. "Oh god oh god oh god," he wheezes.

Jonah and Mark were putting away a board game Cesar gave them. Cesar left early to see what was going on. The same bell that rung for Mark rung again for Adam, but this time it went three times. He knew Jonah would be devastated and had to see what was going on between Adam and his competition. He knew Adam was smart. Why would he lose? It didn't make sense—he had to make sure there was no fowl play on either end.
Jonah stretched and yawned. "Well," he said. "I guess I'm gonna go upstairs. See ya."
Mark nodded. "See you tomorrow."
Cesar put on a fake smile so no one would suspect anything. "Hi!" He greeted sweetly. "How was your game?"
Mark looked up. "It was fine. Kind of childish..."
"Heh! Sorry about that...anyway! Who won?"
"Me a few times, Jonah a few times."
"Nice job!"
"Yeah, I guess." Mark handed the box back to Cesar. "I think I'm gonna go upstairs. It's almost curfew anyways."
"Yeah, you're right! You're totally right...see you tomorrow!" Cesar cheered. Once Mark was out of earshot, he facepalmed. If only he got to the scene sooner...now the future was uncertain. What would he say to Jonah? He would obviously notice if Adam was missing at breakfast the next morning and otherwise. He speed-walked into the cellar room.

"Y'know," Six began. "I don' undastand what is is with this whole hierarchy thing."
N was sitting across from him at the counter. It said nothing. A creature of few words.
"Like, I'm always sposed' ta be down here...boring! It gets lonely, ya know?" He poured whiskey into two shot glasses. One was supposed to be for N, but the entity had no mouth and therefore no means of consuming the alcohol.
"Ah, sorry. Force'a habit." Six downed both shots and sighed.

Cesar looked into the fire. "I need to speak with the ace of spades, please?"