The Gambler

Three Year Mark

"Today marks three years of training together, Hiro." Aurelian says as they sit at the table playing cards. For the past three years, almost every night Aurelian and Hiro would sit there and play cards. Hiro is a gambling addict, still, in this life. He continues to gamble with Aurelian. They don't gamble with money as that is illegal, so they gamble with food and training. If Aurelian wins, Hiro has to do an hour more of conditioning the next day. If Hiro wins, Aurelian has to give up something on his plate the next night at dinner, at Hiro's discretion of course. Ever since Yumida joined their training, he also plays with them, but doesn't gamble anything.
"I still don't see how you can like gambling." Yumida says, he puts two cards face down on the table, "Two." He adds, Aurelian hands him two cards from the deck.
"It's fun, and the reward is so much more worth than the risk. Hiro is obviously older now. He sits in the white undershirt he tends to be in more than not now. He is covered in scars on his arms now. His hair goes down to his lower middle back now. Split half black and half white. 
"An hour more of conditioning is rough. Especially since we train more than half the day already." Yumida puts down his five cards, "Straight." He adds.
"Damnit, kid!" Aurelian yells as he puts his cards face down on the table, "Fold."
"Damn. Always a good hand, Yumida." Hiro smiles as he puts his cards face up on the table, "Royal Flush." Hiro's smile is huge.
"Fuck." Aurelian mutters.

"Fuck you." Hiro hears his Mother's voice in his head. He opens his eyes to see her, with a bullet in her head, a walking corpse.
"Mother?" Hiro asks, his voice is shaky and his hands are even more.
"You have failed." His mother sits on their couch. They are back in his old home, the blood splatter still all over the room. 
"I know, and I am so sorry. I have new power now! I can do better!" Hiro sits next to his mom and puts his hand on her leg, it's frozen cold.
"You can do better? You were once a genius. A boy so smart. I was so proud of you. Even after your father's death, you were so strong." A tear drops off her face, "But now, look at you. A disgrace. An addict. Mentally ill."
"I am so sorry Mom. It haunts me everyday. I can't-" Hiro sniffles and wipes the tears from his eyes, "I love you, and I miss you so much."
"Worthless. Useless. Imbecile. TRASH!" His Mom stands and slaps him. Hiro's face stings, and rage is taking him over.
"STOP IT!" He yells, putting a gun to her head. He sees it and his heart drops. He can't pull it away.
"Now you're getting it, son." His mother smiles.
"You may not have physically pulled the trigger, but you might as well have." 
"No. No. Stop. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!" Hiro yells, trying with everything he has to pull the gun from her head.
"DO IT SON! PULL THE TRIGGER THIS TIME! KILL ME ALL BY YOURSELF!" His mother yells.
"NO. MOM PLEASE STOP THIS." Tears are rushing down Hiro's face.
"DO IT." Hiro can feel his finger slowly pulling the trigger.
"NO! MOM!" A loud bang echoes in Hiro's ears, and he jolts up. The first thing he feels is the cool breeze. He is out in the field far away from the cabin. The cool grass comforting his body. The stars shine bright in the sky, the two moons visible in the sky light up the world around him.
"How did I get here?" Hiro asks, rising to his feet. He begins to walk towards the cabin.
"I'm twenty two as of a couple days ago, I think. The calendar here is quite weird." Hiro mutters to himself.
"Happy birthday to me, I guess." A single tear slowly drops down his face. As Hiro walks through the cabin door, everything is quite. The crackling of the hearth echoes through the room. Aurelian sits on the couch reading a book.
"Welcome back." Aurelian says, never taking his eyes off the book.
"When did I leave?" Hiro asks, walking through the threshold and closing the door.
"A few hours ago." 
"Did I say why?"
"You weren't even awake when you left." Aurelian glances up at him and sees the tears in his eyes.
"I- I'm going to go to bed now." Hiro says, beginning to walk away.
"You're a good kid, Hiro. I'm glad I have this chance to train with you." Aurelian says, going back to his book.
"Thanks, Aurelian."

"How often does he leave the cabin late at night?" Yumida asks. Aurelian and him sit at the table eating breakfast. Hiro's plate is set, but his chair empty.
"At least once a week. Sometimes much more. The boy is haunted by something, it's not our place to pry at it though." Aurelian says, looking at the empty chair.
"It kind of is though. I have seen people act like that and lose it, going crazy and doing things you'd never think they could." Yumida says.
"The boy is sane. I can tell you that for a fact. He will do his job as he is supposed to and be fine." Aurelian's plate vanishes and he stands, throwing on his robe and walking out of the cabin. As Yumida sits there alone, he smiles a wicked smile.
"This will be much easier than expected, that's great."

As the dark veil washes over the bright blue sky, Yumida smiles his normal smile and Hiro just stares at him. Hiro's head is empty but something is bothering him. He isn't anything like how he normally is. His eyes seem empty.
The moons hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the beautiful field where Hiro and Yumida faced off. Hiro, clad in his Royal Guard uniform, stood with a calm demeanor, his hands subtly shuffling a deck of cards with arcane precision. On the other side, Yumida, swift and deadly, emerged from the shadows, twin blades gleaming in the faint light.

Without a word, the confrontation began.

Yumida lunged forward with blinding speed, his blades slicing through the air with lethal intent. But Hiro was already prepared. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a barrage of razor-sharp cards hurtling towards his assailant. The cards sliced through the air like deadly projectiles, each one finding its mark with unerring accuracy.
Yumida attempted to dodge and weave through the onslaught, his shadowy abilities granting him fleeting moments of cover. But Hiro's control over the cards was absolute. They danced around him, cutting through the darkness with deadly precision.
With a swift incantation, Hiro summoned a gust of wind, sending Yumida staggering backward. Seizing the opportunity, he launched a barrage of smaller spells, each one striking with devastating force. Arcane flames erupted around Yumida, engulfing him in searing heat. Shadows writhed and twisted in agony as Hiro's magic tore through them, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.
In a final, brutal display of power, Hiro unleashed his ultimate spell. With a flourish of his hand, he summoned forth a torrent of cards, each one pulsating with raw magical energy. They enveloped Yumida in a whirlwind of destruction, tearing through flesh and bone with merciless efficiency.

As the dust settled, Hiro stood amidst the carnage, his coat billowing in the wind. Yumida lay motionless at his feet, his blades scattered on the ground around him. Hiro emerged victorious, his victory swift and absolute, leaving no room for doubt. Hiro's feet are becoming engulfed in the blood of Yumida. Hiro's eyes are still motionless and empty.