The Joker card pulsed ominously in Silas’s hand, an energy darker than anything he had ever wielded before swirling around it like a storm waiting to break free. His breath came in shallow gasps, his body trembling from the strain of the fight. Yet, the battle wasn’t over. The cathedral echoed with the remnants of dark magic, the very walls seeming to twist and warp under its weight. Every moment that passed felt like a ticking clock counting down to something inevitable, something disastrous.

Venom’s limp form lay on the cold stone floor beside him, her blood staining the ground, her breath faint. The sight tore at his insides. She was always the one who could handle anything—who had faced death with a calm, unshakable resolve. But now, her body was broken, fragile in a way he’d never seen before. Silas’s heart pounded, and he tightened his grip on her hand, feeling the life slowly slipping away.

Morwen’s mocking laughter echoed in the chamber as she watched from across the crumbling cathedral. Her dark robes flowed with the malevolent energy that still surged around her. The shadows that had once been her shield were now trembling, weakened from the barrage of Silas’s cards. But even with her defenses cracked, the wicked gleam in her eyes showed she still believed herself in control.

“You really think you can save her?” Morwen’s voice dripped with venom, her words cutting into Silas like a blade. “You’re nothing. A boy playing with cards, hoping to change a fate that’s already sealed.”

Silas didn’t respond. He couldn’t. The anger, the helplessness—it was choking him. Venom, who had saved him more times than he could count, was slipping away right in front of him, and Morwen—this monster who had brought them to this cursed city—was standing there as if she hadn’t just ripped apart everything he cared about.

His mind flashed back to the first time he’d drawn the Joker card, the day everything had changed.

Years ago, in the grand halls of his family estate, Silas had been considered something of a prodigy. He had a gift with cards, an unusual but powerful magic that had made him the pride of his family. He was expected to carry on the proud Evergreen name, to elevate it even further within the magical elite of Furashima.

But the Joker card had ruined all of that.

The day he had first drawn it had been during a duel—a duel he was supposed to win easily. His opponent, another mage from a prestigious family, had underestimated him, thinking his card magic nothing more than a parlor trick. And for a while, it had been. Silas had always relied on lower cards, carefully calculating each move, making sure his victories were strategic and controlled. But that day… that day had been different.

His opponent had pushed him to the edge, forcing Silas to draw more cards than he’d ever used in a single fight. He was growing desperate, and in his desperation, he had drawn the Joker.

The card had shimmered with a power he had never felt before. As soon as it left his hand, the world around him had changed. His opponent, once so confident, was obliterated in an instant. But it wasn’t just the victory that had shocked everyone. It was the way the Joker had consumed everything in its path—the dueling ground, the spectators, even the air itself seemed to warp and twist under its influence. It was chaos, pure and uncontrolled.

That day, Silas had lost more than a duel. He had lost his place in his family, his future, his identity. His family had been horrified by the power he wielded, and they had cast him out, fearing what he might become. They had called him a danger, a threat to everything they had built.

He had wandered for years after that, lost and alone, until he had met Venom.

The memory burned in Silas’s mind as he stared down at Venom now, her body broken and barely clinging to life. She had pulled him out of that darkness, given him a reason to fight, a reason to live. And now, she was dying because of him.

No, Silas thought, his teeth grinding together as rage bubbled to the surface. I won’t lose her. Not like this.

The Joker card glowed brighter, its energy crackling in the air around him. He knew the risks of using it. The card didn’t just give him power—it consumed him. Every time he played it, a piece of him slipped away, just like it had during that fateful duel. But right now, none of that mattered. All that mattered was stopping Morwen and saving Venom.

With a deep breath, Silas activated the card.

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A surge of dark energy shot through his body, flooding his senses with an intoxicating, overwhelming power. The world around him seemed to slow as the energy coiled through his veins, amplifying every movement, every thought. For five minutes, he would have unlimited access to his deck. For five minutes, he would be unstoppable.

Morwen’s sneer faltered as she sensed the shift in the air. The shadows around her writhed, reacting to the dangerous magic that now filled the cathedral.

“Fool,” she hissed, her voice losing its confidence. “You think you can control that kind of power? It will destroy you.”

But Silas wasn’t listening. He was already drawing the first card—the Ace of Diamonds. It glowed with a brilliant, blinding light as it shot from his hand, striking the shadows that clung to Morwen with such force that they cracked and shattered.

Morwen staggered back, her eyes widening in disbelief as her magical defenses crumbled.

“This… this can’t be happening!” Morwen screamed, her voice tinged with desperation.

Silas’s hand moved again, faster this time. He drew the Two of Spades, then the Three of Hearts, the Four of Clubs. Each card hit with increasing power, tearing through Morwen’s remaining defenses like paper. The dark tendrils that had once surrounded her shriveled and disintegrated under the force of Silas’s attacks.

For the first time, Morwen looked afraid.

“You think shadows will stop me?” Silas shouted, his voice echoing through the cathedral. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with!”

With every card he drew, Silas felt the power surge through him, stronger and more dangerous than before. But he also felt the toll it was taking. His muscles ached, his vision blurred, and his heart pounded in his chest like a drumbeat of impending doom. The Joker was powerful, but it was also a curse. Every second he used it brought him closer to the edge.

But he didn’t care. Not anymore.

He had drawn the Joker again, and the entire cathedral seemed to shift as the Gambit World took hold. The walls faded into a swirling void, leaving only Silas, Morwen, and the cards that circled around them like a storm.

In the Gambit World, Silas was the master. Here, the rules of reality no longer applied. His cards floated in the air around him, glowing with an unnatural energy, while Morwen stood frozen, her body trembling with fear.

“This… this is impossible,” Morwen stammered, her voice barely audible.

Silas’s expression was cold, his eyes blazing with determination. “This is the end.”

With a snap of his fingers, Silas sent all 52 cards flying toward her at once. They whirled through the void like a cyclone, cutting through the air with deadly precision. Morwen’s screams echoed through the darkness as the cards slashed through her defenses, ripping apart her magic, her body, her very soul.

And then, in an instant, it was over.

The Gambit World faded, and Silas stood alone in the ruined cathedral. Morwen was gone—reduced to dust and shadows, her existence erased by the power of the Joker.

But as Silas looked down at Venom, still lying motionless on the cold stone floor, the weight of his actions hit him like a hammer.

He had won. But at what cost?

The power drained from his body, leaving him trembling, weak. Silas collapsed to his knees beside Venom, his breath ragged, his hands shaking as he reached for her. The Joker had given him the strength to win, but now that strength was gone, and all that remained was the overwhelming fear of losing her.

He pressed his fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse, praying that she was still alive.

For a moment, there was nothing.

And then, just beneath his fingertips, a faint, fragile heartbeat.

“Venom…” His voice cracked, tears burning in his eyes as relief flooded through him. But it was short-lived. She was alive, but barely. Her wounds were deep, her body broken.

Silas lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. She was so light, so fragile, and the weight of it all—the battle, the power he had used, the fear of losing her—pressed down on him like a crushing tide.

“I’m not losing you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Not after everything…”

But as he looked around the ruined cathedral, Silas knew he couldn’t stay here. He had to get her to safety, to heal her wounds before it was too late.

With every ounce of strength he had left, Silas stood, carrying Venom toward the cathedral’s large doors. His legs shook, his vision blurred, but he refused to stop. Each step was agony, but he pressed on, driven by the thought that if he could just get her out of here, everything would be okay.

The sun was setting as he emerged from the cathedral, the Ashen Plains bathed in a golden light. The wolves that had been waiting for them were gone, driven away by the lingering magic that still hung in the air.

Silas lowered Venom carefully to the ground, his hands trembling as he tore strips of cloth from his tunic to wrap around her wounds. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

“Come on, Venom,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “You’re stronger than this. Don’t give up…”

For hours, Silas sat by her side, holding her hand as the world grew darker around them. His body ached, his mind fogged with exhaustion, but he didn’t move. He couldn’t. Not while she was still fighting for her life.

As the stars began to dot the sky, Venom stirred for the first time. Her fingers twitched against his, her eyelids fluttering open just enough for her to meet his gaze.

“You’re still here,” she whispered, her voice weak but alive.

“Of course I’m still here,” Silas replied, his voice shaking with emotion. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Venom tried to smile, though it was faint, and Silas’s heart ached at the sight of her. She was still with him. That was all that mattered.

The battle had been brutal, the cost too high, but they had survived.

And as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, Silas knew that whatever came next, they would face it together.