GAMBLE: Rule of Cards

CHAPTER 30

IT IS the last day of the game; the day where the game will announce its winner, the day where a winner will have its victory on its own. As the game reaches its end, there are only two players left strong and standing. They may have done everything with the help of others, now it is their time to show their real skills and abilities, without relying on other people. Denton and Hector, the last two standing, which fate also identified as enemies are going to vie for the grand prize in a game where life is your main investment.

Both Hector and Denton stayed on their beds after the light lit up and the alarm went off. They just woke up from a feels-like long, long sleep. Hector thinks he could have actually killed Denton even before the game starts, but for the first time in the history, he wants to play fair today. Also, he cannot do it, since there are still restrictions between them, since that incident, where he tried to r**e Sandra, happened. He has no choice but to look at his only opponent from afar, and could not possibly do anything apart from that.

Denton stayed aware of Hector, even though he was asleep. To be honest, Denton did not have a tight sleep, scared of Hector just assassinating him in his sleep. Fortunately, because of the restrictions, Hector could not possibly do it. He stayed on his bed after he woke up, trying to overthink about what possibly happened to his now-eliminated teammates. He still holds onto the hope that the guard who used to help him actually tried to help his three teammates get out of the game. He trusted the guard who helped him the life of his teammates, so if anything goes wrong or goes out of plan, he would probably just go think about it for the rest of his life and blame him for what happened.

“Good morning to the last men standing,” the speaker muttered as the monitor went on. This got the two’s attention and placed their focus on the speaker who was speaking inside the monitor. “In the first day, we have more than five hundred players. Time flies fast and the game ‘Rule of Cards’ have already grown up. The game head is sincerely greeting your his congratulations for living up to this point. You both have proved your will of living. You both indeed played well, individually or with team.” He paused for a moment and there entered the guards who were divided into two. Some of them went to the side of Hector, and the other half went to Denton. “The guards are carrying your food for the breakfast, your clothes for the last match later, and a gift from the game master. You are monitored by the game master and he have seen all of your performances inside the game. Eat your breakfast and prepare for the match later. Be sure to take a bath and change into something more pleasing to look at.”

The guards left as the speaker vanished from the screen. Hector grabbed the mini envelope that was left by the guard, saying it was the gift from the game master, and so did Denton. They both looked at it like it would open itself before opening it. “What’s this?” Denton asked himself as he opened the envelope. What greeted him was a card inside the envelope. There was also a handwritten letter inside the envelope. Both of them dragged the things inside out and read the letter with the same writings on it. “Good luck on the last match. Be sure to win the game and bring home the prize money...” They both looked at the signature. “It just says it is from the game master, no name in it. Probably, he likes his identity hidden.”

Denton can’t take the hunger he has from all the things that happened from yesterday, so he grabbed the food and started on eating it. What happened yesterday was very hectic and chaotic. Imagine losing two of your good friends all at once, which you thinks is your fault... and you never know if they are still alive or not, since you entrusted their lives to a total stranger. Denton just ate the stress that he was feeling. Unlike the foods that were given to them when they were too many inside the game, the food was well-placed and were not unevenly given. Their foods now are undeniably better than what they take from the previous rounds.

Both Hector and Denton never mind each other’s business, and as Hector went out of the arena to bathe himself, Denton also went out of the arena and went directly to the infirmary. It is the only place where he could see the guard who was helping him. Unfortunately, the guard weren’t there. The only thing he saw inside is an ultraviolet flashlight, which he thinks is odd. As a mystery geek himself, he tried to close the light inside the infirmary and opened the flashlight. He flashed it on the walls and started on finding where the message it and as he continued on finding it, he found it on the lowest left-most side of the wall. There was the message there, written in the smallest font as possible.

“This marker will immediately fade after you shone the flashlight here, so read this in five minutes,” Denton muttered as he read the message in there. “At the last round of the game, only few guards are chosen to guide and watch the game. It will happen in the most expensive room of the place, as I heard it from them. Unfortunately, I was not chosen as a guiding guard of the game, so I have no choice but to let you play the game all by yourself and that, I cannot help. I know you are a great player, so be sure to win the game. We are wishing you luck.”

He immediately opened the light and placed the ultraviolet flashlight inside the drawer where no one can see it. He immediately dashed through the arena and saw that Hector has already arrived inside it, with all new clothings on his body. He did not mind Hector looking at him, instead, he walked through his own bed and grabbed the suit that was given to him by the guards. He never minded his only opponent inside the arena who was also minding his own things. In short, they are not minding each other today. “I’m just going to take a bath,” he told the guard at the entrance on the arena.

He asked the guard in which he was quickly given a response to do so. As he was given the permission to do so, he immediately did the work and upon finishing it, he quickly went back to the arena where both of them rest their bodies before the last round of game starts. The lunch time happened to arrive, so they were asked to eat first before going to the room where the last game even commence. About one hour after the lunch time, the monitor suddenly opened as it started to play a background music which sounder victorious and challenging. “The last game will now commence, last men standing,” the speaker muttered. “The guards will now guide you to the Gamble Room where the last game will happen.”

As the guards entered the arena, the last two players calmly came with them. They were guided to the gamble room that the speaker told them, but the guards stopped in front of the door. The last two players standing was given the authority to open the door of the Gamble Room. The two were astonished to see what is inside that particular room; it was more grandiose and rich-looking room that was a total opposite of the other rooms of the game venue. “Please sit on the chairs beside the dealer.”

As they were told, the two immediately sat on the chairs that were given to them. The chair on the front, between the two of them, was still not vacated. The monitor inside the room lit up and there showed the speaker. “This is the eighth main match named ‘Rainbow Cards’,” the speaker initiated the talk. “This is the mechanics of the game. This game is similar to poker where the players will be given 3 cards while the banker will have 4 cards. The players will show their cards subsequently. Once one of the player’s cards overlap with the banker’s card, that card will be disregarded and only the remaining cards that does not overlap will be counted, through addition. Scenario can be that if the player’s cards does not overlap with the banker’s cards, meaning all the player and the banker’s cards do not overlap, and is seven different numbers, it will be called as a rainbow and is already a win to that player. Once there is a rainbow shown by a player in any round, the game will be stopped and the winner has been hailed. Once there is no rainbow shown, they will continue playing the game until one of them wins the majority of the rounds. There will be a total of five round, while there will be one round added every time there is a tie. Useful Card: Once each round start, the player can switch only one of his/her card with one of his/her number card. Number cards starts from one to ten. Before the round starts, once the player uses his swap card, the player has the power to swap his cards with his opponent’s cards.”