Endless Evolution: Last Star

"I promised my sister. I wanted a vacation myself though. I've never been to a fair before, and as I see, there's plenty to do here." Adam pointed to a table.

The show host was already laying out the playing cards, everyone got eight cards, the suits were common, but there was one special card, a dark monster with wide wings and long claws against the blue moon. This game was called Old Monster, in honor of one rather popular but simple card game, but with its own design.

One of the three players had nine cards because someone had gotten a Monster, in this case, it was Hazel. However, that didn't mean that she had a Monster because Silvana or Louis could have a Monster, even though they had eight cards each. Hazel could have all the regular cards, or maybe she was the one who ended up with the monster.

Sure, it was obvious to the audience, but not to everyone. For example, Adam had only seen Louis's cards, and a sharp glint ran through his eyes.

Jena smiled.

"Yeah. Old Monster, is a simple game anyone can play, even a child. However, that doesn't stop them from using tactics, psychology, and deception, because they can ask questions of each other. Some will tell the truth, some will cheat."

"Hmm... What are the rules?" Adam tilted his head. He hadn't played any card games before, though he'd heard of them. In the slums, various gangs had it as their only entertainment, but Adam was lucky not to be among their group.

Jena looked at him with mild interest. Such Adam's naivety attracted her. It created a contrast, between his talent and power as a Phantom and the simple young man, who was trying to get used to a simple, happy life.

After all, people without monsters were able to think of enough things capable of changing the world to entertain themselves or improve life.

"It's simple. If a player has a pair, they discard it to get cards, one player offers the other to choose a random card from their hand. The turn goes clockwise. Whoever ends up with the Monster loses. It sounds simple, but if you have someone tricky playing against you, it gets a lot more complicated." Jena quickly explained before the first move of the Old Monster began.

Louis needed to choose one of ten cards. If Hazel had the Monster, he had an 11.11% chance of picking a bad card and coming one step closer to defeat.

"Come on. How long can we wait?" Hazel frowned, not wanting to show Louis any emotion.

"Well, I just wanted to stretch the pleasure. If I choose Monster, it's going to be sad." Louis shrugged before choosing the leftmost card.

He turned it around and sighed heavily.

"Hahaha, he got the Monster right away!" Someone in the crowd exclaimed with an excited smile.

Jena smirked evilly. She was pretty sure things had not gone according to plan for Louis from the start.

"It can't be helped." Louis said calmly, shuffling his cards.

Trici watched silently, staring intently at Louis. She wasn't the only girl whose eyes were on him. However, if all these girls were looking at him with lust and desire, Trici was curious to understand what his plan was.

After all, she was too young for some handsome guy to charm her. Children were attracted to other things, and Louis seemed to notice that.

He turned to Trici and smiled, charming the girls, but they soon became upset when they realized that none of them were his target.

"Looks like I already have an audience, and it's the sister of someone I know. How curious." Louis's corners of his mouth went up as he covered part of his face with a fan of nine cards.

Then, it was Hazel's turn to choose a card from Silvana's hand.

"Yes! A pair!" Hazel exclaimed happily, discarding two cards and reducing her total from eight to seven. Compared to her, Louis now had two more cards.

However, Silvana didn't get upset since she had also lost one card. Now, she had to pick a good card from Louis.

"Take this one." Louis said pointing to the center card, "With a good chance it will be a pair."

Silvana narrowed her eyes, but did as she said, a second later discarding a pair of red cards.

Hazel gulped. She was sure it wasn't luck, and Louis actually knew something. She was getting very nervous while Louis's hand slowly moved closer to her cards.

"Oh, looks like I got lucky this time." Louis smiled as he looked at the pair.

Thus, round after round, sometimes they would just swap cards since no one was able to get a pair. Then, Silvana took a card from Louis and collected four of the same suit, which meant she could discard all of them at once, which she did.

Thus Silvana had no cards left and was the first winner. This wasn't the end of their game, it just meant that she moved on to the final.

Only Louis and Haze were left. One would have to leave, and one would have to fight Silvana.

"Take this one." Louis said, pointing to his card. After Silvana left the game, the turn changed, and now Hazel had to take the card from Louis.

Hazel frowned, she decided not to trust Louis, and she ended up choosing Monster. Her face turned pale, for Louis had two cards total.

"Phew..." Jane sighed with relief, "If he had a pair, he would have won by now."

Trici glanced at her, touching her lips.

"You want him to lose?"

Jena nodded.

"Yes. He seems like a nice guy, but I'm annoyed by his sly grin."

Trici nodded, then she turned to Adam. She pointed at Jena and said:

"Brother, is that girl your wife?"

Adam and especially Jena blushed. No one would have asked them such a question even if they knew about their relationship, because it was inappropriate and tactless. However... could a child know anything about tact? Trici just asked because she felt like it, nothing more.

"Did I do something wrong...?" Trici muttered, quickly changing her gaze from Adam to Jena. Their silence was unnerving and made Trici anxious.

Tap.

Adam patted Trici on the head, watching the game.

"No. It's too early for me to get married. However, that moment comes for everyone at some point. You'll be a bride someday too, won't you?"

This time it was already Trici who blushed, lowering her head and biting her finger. Trici may not have fallen in love with anyone yet, but she knew about weddings and love from the games and books she'd read and the stories Leona told her.

"Come on. Take this one." Louis pointed to the right card.

This time Hazel decided to trust him and... it turned out to be the wrong card not giving her a pair.

Whoooosh.

Before Hazel could realize anything, Louis took her left card and collected the pair, turning out to be the second winner!

"Shit!" Hazel exclaimed angrily, realizing that she had been tricked like a child.