At Least, Let Me Make It Through This

As night fell, Leonar finally found a hotel near the guild.

'Finally… found one. Why are there so few hotels around here? With any luck, I won't be late tomorrow,' thought Leonar, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Once in the hotel lobby, he registered and received his room key, only to notice a familiar sound that caught his attention.

Laughter, intense chatter, and the soft clink of chips on tables.

Leonar glanced toward a side room, where a group of people was playing cards.

Almost instinctively, his feet led him closer.

The temptation made him forget his fatigue momentarily. Even though he knew full well his luck had been absent lately, he thought that maybe, if he played a few more rounds, he might break his streak.

'Maybe this time will be different…,' Leonar thought.

He approached the exchange counter and handed over a small amount of cash to get some chips, although he knew he needed to save enough for dinner and breakfast the next day.

Once seated at the table, the cards were dealt, and the betting began.

Leonar decided to start with small, cautious bets.

'This time, I won't take big risks,' he told himself, trying to silence the inner voice urging him to go big and win fast.

But hand after hand passed, and the winning streak never came.

Round after round, each chip slipped from his hands until, before he knew it, he had lost everything.

The other players continued their game, focused on their own moves, while Leonar sat there, almost paralyzed, wondering how he had let himself end up with nothing.

'Did I really exchange all my money for chips?' he thought, incredulously.

It was as if time had flown by, and he barely remembered making each bet.

'I'm an idiot…,' was all Leonar could think as he clenched his fists tightly.

Leonar got up from the table, unsteady on his feet.

For a moment, he felt the urge to approach someone for a loan; he even rehearsed a quick excuse in his mind that might sound convincing.

But then he remembered Barret and the debt hanging over him. His family too… and a few friends… the idea of piling on more debt stopped him cold.

With a sigh, his shoulders slumped, and a bitter resignation washed over him.

"I've already got a job," he muttered, trying to convince himself that it wasn't worth worsening his situation.

Leonar turned around and headed for the stairs, trudging slowly up to his room.

Once inside, he tossed his bag on the floor, feeling frustration and anger swirling inside him.

Without much thought, he let himself fall onto the bed, ignoring the fact that he hadn't eaten.

After all, he was broke now, thanks to his impulsiveness.

The last thing he saw before exhaustion overtook him was the dim light coming through the window.

Then, darkness enveloped him, and his mind shut off.

Hours later, when he opened his eyes, the world around him seemed blurry and strange.

'Don't tell me… is it already morning?'

Leonar blinked several times, trying to clear his head, and for a moment, he just stared at the ceiling, disoriented.

'Where am I…?'

His mind was foggy, and it took a few seconds to remember where he was and why.

'Ah, right… the job. I'm here for work…,' Leonar reminded himself, trying to shake off his confusion.

A sharp pang of hunger reminded him he had skipped dinner, but the clock on the wall quickly stole his attention.

It was 6:52.

"Crap!" Leonar exclaimed, leaping out of bed.

The meeting was at 7:00, and it was already 6:52!

In a rushed and clumsy flurry, Leonar headed to the bathroom, barely managing to splash some water on his face to wake up a bit.

"How the hell did I forget something like that?" he muttered, feeling a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

Was he really cut out for this job?

His body wasn't exactly top-notch, with all the allergies he discovered each time Barret found him a new job to help pay off his debt.

But… then what?

Assuming he managed to pay off the debt with this job… what would he do next?

'Now's not the time to think about all that,' Leonar reminded himself as he splashed more water on his face.

Every second lost was crucial, and in his current state, he felt utterly unprepared to start a workday at the guild.

But he had no choice.

He had to do this.

Leonar cursed himself silently as he grabbed his bag and rushed out the door, praying that luck would, at least this once, let him make it on time.