We finally reached the fair gates, already guarded by a few finks. Arriving early meant we were near the front of the line, but we still waited at least an hour. The sun had started to rise, casting a pale light over the dusty road. It must have been early morning—something AM—but I didn’t bother checking.

The line shuffled forward in slow, uneven steps. The dust clung to the air, sticking to my skin like sweat. Someone coughed behind me, the wet kind that made my stomach twist. The sun hadn’t even fully risen yet, but the heat was already creeping in.

We’d gotten here before most of the finks had even crawled out of bed, determined to claim our spot and be ready for whatever came next. While we waited, I struck up a conversation with a few men in line.

“Glenn went to the mines the other day,” Jack said, puffing up his chest like he deserved the credit. “His sister’s been bedridden lately, and Mado gave him a cash bonus for going.”

Jack’s pride rubbed me the wrong way. If he was so damn proud, why hadn’t he stepped up himself? Older folks like him never approached Mado—hell, neither did I. He was even worse than Vincent, and I heard that Vincent threw families into paradise.

“Bravest member of your family, then,” I said, my voice flat.

Jack’s smug expression shifted to something sour. “What are you trying to say, Boris?” he asked, squinting at me suspiciously.

Maria tugged on my arm, her quiet way of telling me to back off. I glanced at her and tilted my head. No need to push it, not with old Yelena dozing off against my back. She’d fallen asleep during the walk, so I loosened the fabric holding her in place and let her drop gently to the ground.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily, and I shooed her toward Maria, even as Maria kept darting her eyes at me, silently pleading for me to let it go.

But I didn’t.

“Glenn’s barely my age, half my size, and half your size too, for that matter,” I said, locking eyes with Jack. “No wife, no kids to look after. And yet, you let Glenn go to the mines? After all the talk about how you’d take care of them when your brother passed? So yeah, what I’m saying is, Glenn’s the bravest member of your family. I just wish you had half the stones he does.”

Jack’s face fell, his eyes dropping to the ground. The shame was written all over him. He turned away, and I caught the faint sound of some of the others in line stifling their laughs behind their hands.

Doesn’t matter what they think. Sometimes a man needs to hear when he’s in the wrong—especially when he doesn’t realize it himself.

I glanced back at Maria. She was giving me that look—the one that said I’d overstepped. Again. Her disappointment was practically tangible. Behind her legs, Yelena peered out at me, her wide eyes locked on me like I was the only thing in the world.

Yeah, okay. Maybe not my proudest moment. But damn it, I still feel like I was right.

I sighed and tapped Jack lightly on the shoulder. “Hey, Jack. I’m sorry,” I said, softening my tone. “I know you’ve done everything you can for them since your brother passed. You even came here to stand in line with the rest of us. It’s just... hard to see Glenn go.” I hoped it sounded as genuine as I felt.

He gave me a small nod and turned back toward the front of the line, the tension fading.

We stood in silence for another ten minutes before reaching the gate. A large parking lot sprawled to the right, and a tall building loomed ominously in the distance. I pulled Yelena close, wrapping my hand tightly around hers as we moved forward.

The finks guarding the entrance were hard to miss. Their left sleeves were missing, exposing tattooed shoulders. At their hips were guns, and their right arms gleamed with metal that stretched from their shoulders to their forearms. I’d seen that metal shift into shields strong enough to block grenades.

I prayed I wouldn’t have to see them use it today.

“Papers,” said the first fink, his voice clipped and sharp, as if he'd said it a thousand times already. He almost said it slow enough for me to understand, if you can believe it.

I handed them over, quickly moving Yelena behind me after one of the guards gave her a look. I swear I saw a flicker of pity in his eyes, but I knew better—finks don’t feel pity.

“Reason for visit?” the guard asked, his words running together, like he couldn’t be bothered to slow down. I barely understood him, but he was practically speaking in slow motion compared to most finks.

“Just a dice game for the future blessed, sir,” I said, bowing my head slightly to seem less threatening.

He studied me, then shifted his gaze to Maria. “Where’s your papers, boy?”

“Sir, I handed them to—” I started to respond, and I barely saw the punch coming. A sharp burst of pain shot through my ribs, knocking the wind clean out of me. My knees buckled, and for a second, the world blurred.

Yelena’s little hands clutched my leg, her sniffles barely audible over the ringing in my ears.

“I am speaking to him. Shut up,” the guard snapped.

“They were given to you by Boris, sir,” Maria said, her voice trying to sound deeper, almost succeeding.

The guard gave her a strange look, then rifled through the papers before asking, “Name?”

“Slava,” she whispered, her earlier confidence nowhere to be found.

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to strike the fink who’d just punched me. Yelena’s grip on my leg tightened as she looked around, wide-eyed and confused.

The guard raised an eyebrow, eyeing Maria, then said, “You’re younger than you look. You civvies should g—”

I turned to glance at Yelena, intending to pull her away, but she wasn’t looking at us anymore. Her gaze was fixed on something—on a car, a sleek one I’d never seen before. I’d spent years begging in Goudstad, and I’d never seen anything like it. Must’ve been one of those high finks’ cars, made from lead. The silver-gray chrome glinted, reflecting the light. It was the same stuff the miners told me about.

I quickly pulled Maria and Yelena away from the car as it rolled up to the entrance, angling my body to shield them from view. We turned our backs to it, keeping our focus forward.

The guards straightened and moved toward the car. I risked a quick glance at the passenger as the window rolled down, but all I could make out was a blur. The guards saluted, and the car rolled off, disappearing into the distance.

Afterward, we were waved through. As we walked through the gate, I glanced back and saw Jack standing on the other side, watching us. His eyes never left us, suspicion etched across his face. I held his gaze until he looked away.

We passed the parking lot where that fancy car had parked, and I hurried the others forward. The walk had taken longer than I expected, so I had to shove through a few people to get to the front of the line. I paid my commission to a bored-looking woman, took my ticket, and then grabbed Maria and Yelena before heading to our booth for the day. It was just beyond the lot—prime real estate, since most people coming through would pass by us first.

I started hanging up the sign we’d made: “Roll a Dice, Make Back Twice!” Then I dusted off the counter and asked one of the neighbors for the time. It was 7:30 AM, about an hour before the finks woke up. Perfect. I wanted to catch the rich civvies from Goudstad before the finks stirred.

I was checking with Yelena to make sure we had the right balance of wins and losses when she grabbed my hand, her little face frantic with curiosity. She tugged me toward the counter with the cup and dice.

“What are you doing? How do you play?” she asked, eyes wide.

I smiled down at her, ready to explain. “So, you get one dice, and I get one dice.” I snapped my fingers behind her ear, making a dice “magically” appear.

She giggled. It was her favorite trick, after all.

“I put this cup on the table and shake the dice inside. Then I ask you to roll your dice,” I explained, motioning for her to roll it. She did, her eyes never leaving mine, filled with wonder.

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She rolled a five. I shook my cup, spinning it dramatically for her, then slammed it down on the table. “Now, I'd ask you if you think my dice number is higher or lower than yours” I said, smiling. “So, my lady, what’ll it be? Higher, or lower?”

She looked up at me, her face scrunching in concentration before her eyes brightened with confidence. “Higher!” she cried, sure she’d win.

I waited a moment, drawing out the suspense (and subtly changing the dice), before raising the cup to reveal a six. “And we have a winner!” I announced, mimicking the voices of the announcers I’d heard at the ascension tournament. She laughed, ecstatic at her victory.

“And what do you get if you win?” I said, lifting her into my arms and spinning her around. “You get to be the best girl in the world!” She squealed with delight, her laughter echoing inside the booth.

Maria watched us with a soft smile, clearly happy I was keeping Yelena entertained while she took care of the money and adjusted the betting prices. She muttered something about raising the stakes, but her voice suddenly cut off. I turned to see her staring toward the parking lot, her expression hardening.

“Boris, I don’t like the look of that,” she said, voice low. “Let’s let them pass. We can focus on the blessed in white today.”

I followed her gaze and saw a girl walking a little in front of a fink in black—one of those high rankers. Unlike most finks, his tattoo was glowing, and his sharp eyes seemed to track every movement around him. Their tattoos only glowed when they were using their powers, and since his were activated it only meant one thing: danger.

Without hesitation, I scooped Yelena off the chair I’d set her on and tucked her under the counter. Then, I moved to stand in front of Maria, giving a brief nod to acknowledge her warning.

I stood still, hands clasped in front of me, staring at the ground as if it held all the answers. All I wanted was for them to keep walking, for them not to notice us. Finks in black were the worst of the worst, and anyone who could make one of them a personal servant wasn't someone I wanted to cross.

“I wanna play again! I wanna play again!” Yelena’s voice rang out from under the counter, bright and oblivious.

My heart sank, the weight of the world crashing down as the fink’s head turned sharply toward us. His cold, piercing eyes locked onto mine.

I immediately shushed her, my voice frantic, praying he'd just look away.

The woman and the fink began walking toward us. I could feel my palms sweat as I scrambled for something to say. I saw everyone else around us look away, even the neighbor I’d asked for the time—abandoning me to my fate. I couldn’t blame them. There wasn’t much anyone could do.

Before I could muster any words, she was standing right in front of my booth. Yelena had climbed out from under the counter, staring wide-eyed at the man in black. But my attention was focused entirely on the girl.

She was... flawless. Soft, dark luminous skin with a warm golden undertone, like she’d been kissed by sunlight. Her black hair fell to her shoulders, perfectly even. Brown eyes that seemed to have seen every dice roll I’d ever made. She was tall enough to meet my gaze—would have been, if I hadn’t been desperately trying to focus on the counter, just over her shoes. She looked like one of those women I’d seen on billboards in Goudstad, which is probably why she seemed so familiar.

I prayed with everything I had that they would turn around and keep walking past my booth.

Her clothing radiated wealth—an emerald green, form-fitting blouse with the left sleeve missing. No tattoo, so a civvie who could afford to get blessed today, but more likely the daughter of a fink. Her pants were tailor-made, pitch black, leading to shoes that must have cost as much as all the money I'd ever made—and more.

I was struck with awe, but I snapped out of it. I begged silently for them to be anywhere else.

"I'm sorry, she just wanted to play. She will be quiet now. Not a word from any of us."

"Then she can play. I wish to see this scam you're running," the woman said.

Her voice betrayed her—she sounded like she was Maria's age, probably a little younger than me.

Speaking of Maria, she was looking at me with panic in her eyes.

"Well, ma'am, of course," I said, swallowing. I wanted to run away, to lay down and cry. Instead, I forced a shaky smile.

"You get one dice, I get one dice," I said, placing the dice in front of her. I put the dice in the cup and shook it. "And, uh... if you would roll the dice, please, ma'am."

I'd played this game probably ten thousand times, but this was the first time I messed up the speech. I should've started with the welcoming phrase.

She was staring at me as though she had already calculated every way the fink would kill all of us, like she knew every dice roll I would make and how much money I’d be taking home. Her eyes were mesmerizing, but I forced myself to look down, doing my best to avoid them.

Yelena’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Can I roll it?”

My heart nearly stopped as I saw the fink in black, half a head taller than me, turn toward her and lock eyes with the girl.

Why would she do that? I’d told her a thousand times not to even look at them.

The woman—girl, I should say—looked at Yelena and responded before I could stop her.

"I did not understand you. Can you repeat that, child?"

Right then, I wanted to punch her square in the face. How could she say that to her? It wasn’t Yelena's fault her mouth did that. I seethed silently, but fear crushed that anger as the man’s gaze shifted back to me, his hand hovering over the gun at his hip.

"Nothing, ma'am. Absolutely nothing! You don't need to worry about it. Yelena, please be quiet. I'll play as many games as you like in just a moment," I said as quickly as I could, practically jumping in front of the girl to block her view.

"Do not presume you are in a position to tell me what to worry about."

I held up my hands, panic surging through me. If things escalated, I’d have to take down the fink in black first and pray the girls could escape. I stepped aside, allowing her to look at Yelena. My eyes flicked between them.

The man didn’t break his gaze. Not a blink. Completely still, like a statue. My knees began to buckle, my leg shaking as I dropped my hands to my sides.

The girl leaned over the counter, getting a closer look at Yelena. “Child, I did not understand you earlier. Will you repeat that, please?”

As she leaned closer, I moved instinctively to shove her back. She couldn’t just tower over the child.

But before I could do anything, the fink in black had a gun aimed at my head, faster than I could’ve reacted. I froze, my mind scrambling to figure out my next move. Maria gasped and quickly moved in front of Yelena.

"I'm sorry! Please, I'm sorry!" I stuttered, raising my hands in surrender.

The girl didn’t even acknowledge me. Instead, she simply gestured for the fink to lower the gun, giving him a look that could have frozen fire.

Yelena looked up at her, eyes wide with fear. She tugged at the hem of her shirt, trying to cover her missing arm, as if hiding it would somehow protect her.

“I just wanted… Can I… I wanted to roll the dice,” she murmured, her voice small and meek now.

Maria stepped forward, attempting to shield Yelena from view, but the fink’s cold stare stopped her dead in her tracks.

"You," the girl said, pointing at me. "What’s the rest of the game?"

My heart pounded, my leg still shaking, but I moved in front of her and gently placed the dice cup on the counter. After a moment, she nodded for me to continue. I took a breath, willing my leg to stop shaking.

"After you roll the dice, you need to bet if the dice in my cup is higher or lower than what you rolled. Normally, I’d ask what amount you'd like to bet after you roll, ma’am," I said, eyes fixed on the counter as I tapped the betting sign I’d set up earlier with a shaky hand.

And then a little voice in my head said Fuck this. If I was going to die over a little girl asking to play a game, I was going to at least die standing.

I found a bit of steel in me, straightened up, and tried to keep my voice respectful. But I looked her in the eye and said, "So please, ma’am, choose a bet after rolling."

She tilted her head, like it was the first time she actually saw me. Then, she pushed the dice toward Yelena. I must have imagined it, but her voice almost sounded kind when she said, “Roll it, please.”

She glanced at the betting options, her eyes lingering on the five-dollar higher or lower and waited, patient as ever, for Yelena to roll the dice.

"Alright, ma’am, you rolled a four. Will you bet higher or lower?" I asked, trying to keep my hands from shaking.

Wow. I actually pulled it off.

"If you lose, what happens?" she asked, her gaze never leaving me.

Even though I was pretty sure that fink with the gun would try to see how fast my brain could exit my face, I answered, "We bet whatever you don't, ma’am."

She arched an eyebrow. It was the first real expression I’d seen from her.

"So you’ll pay me money to play your game?" she asked, her tone skeptical, as if I’d just told her pigs could fly.

I swallowed, my voice tight. "Yes, ma’am."

"And you make money from this?"

"Depends on what you bet, ma’am."

She raised her eyebrows, a small, almost imperceptible smile creeping onto her face. "Funny."

"Thank you, ma’am. May I ask what you would like to bet—higher or lower?"

She looked at the dice, and I could practically hear her brain calculating, weighing the odds.

"Lower," she said dismissively, like suddenly this whole affair was beneath her.

I reached slowly for the cup and lifted it. No time to swap out the dice like I’d done for Yelena earlier. My stomach dropped—my heart sank right along with it. It was a five.

"Ma’am, wait, please, no—it’s, uh... You don’t have to pay for it. It’s free of charge, for being such a good customer," I stammered, stepping in front of Yelena and Maria, raising both hands like that might stop a bullet.

To my surprise, she simply reached into her wallet, pulled out five dollars, and placed them on the counter. Without another word, she turned and walked toward the hadron collider, clearly first in line to get blessed.

"Thank you!" Yelena shouted, waving at the girl’s back. She didn’t even look back—just raised her hand in acknowledgment.

I sank into the chair, pulling Yelena and Maria into a tight hug.

"Oh, thank God," Maria whispered, clutching the crucifix around her neck.

"She was nice," Yelena said, "but I didn’t like the man."

I nearly smacked her right then and there.