XI

That moment was so intense that time literally stopped and everyone stopped moving. Complete silence engulfed the casino. Surprisingly enough 2 silhouettes could move and show up out of nowhere. One was behind Yuba and one was behind Franco. The person behind Franco then said:" Greetings Lady Luck, you are as beautiful as ever. The odds of us meeting again are one in a million, after all, you did your best to avoid my presence. But you see the patterns work in mysterious ways, the strings of destiny are being pulled, and the string attached to both of us is as strong as diamonds, our bond is diamond-like after all."

Fortuna then responded with a motherly smile on her face: "My my my, isn't this my Gerolamo? Who would've thought you would ascend even after my abandonment? I am proud of you ."

The man in question is none other than Gerolamo Cardano or Hieronymus Cardanus in Latin, is a renowned genius and Italian polymath of the renaissance era but he is most famous for his gambling addiction. People of the supernatural world call him 'The Emperor of gambling' or 'The Twisted Fate'. Gerolamo was a master of probabilities and one of the first scientists to ever discuss probabilities mathematically and scientifically. He is mostly known for his most amazing work ' The Book of Games of Chance: The 16th-Century Treatise on Probability ' (Liber de ludo aleae). This man influenced many scientists in the future and tutored them in an indirect way such as Blaise Pascal, Pierre de Fermat, Isaac Newton, Gottfried Willhelm von Leibniz, Carl Friedrich Gauss, and much more...

Gerolamo was a wicked human, stories say that he traveled to Scotland to cure the Archbishop of St Andrews who suffered from a disease that left him speechless, many thought it was incurable. Gerolamo came in like the messiah and cured the Archbishop in no time, and that is because he was a great physician but what actually helped him cure the disease was the knowledge of probability and the unseen patterns. It is said that he died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 74, but he is alive as you can see, for unknown reasons.

Gerolamo then ejaculated:" Thank you. To be honest, I felt much better after you ghosted me, I might as well say that I have surpassed you in the field of patterns. But I will never forget how you left me to rot in prison after you suggested I should study and dwell in astrology. I was caught because of you, you betrayed me Tyche. Anyway, it doesn't matter now, I can see clearly, I am unstoppable. And by the way, who is this guy? Your new lover ?"

Lady luck responded with an angry tone:" Gerolamo, you know deep inside why I have left you, you looked for a mother, and I wasn't looking for a son, I was looking for a Challenger to help me achieve my goals, the goals I have been planning for eternity. And this little boy here is quite the wonder, a flower that will bloom as a rare black rose. This young boy here has quite the heritage, the blood of many emperors going through his veins, he just needs time and guidance so he could unlock his true potential. I believe he will achieve in the next years what you couldn't achieve in all the years you have lived. Now, let us end this stupid gambling game, no one is winning today, it is a draw."

Gerolamo then started laughing in a calm and collected way and said:" Well now, if Lady Luck insists I shall follow. So this your challenger, Yuba Maahes, quite the reckless boy, he will have a twisted fate like mine. Well, I hope that this new lover of yours can twist his fate like I did several times. Oh, this Franco Capablanca by the way, he is my pupil and challenger. It is I who have told him to make a fuss so he could attract your presence, and it did work. Now let the games begin, Goodbye Tyche."

Fortuna responded: " Goodbye my little Emperor."

While the two were chit-chatting, no one could move nor talk or feel anything, as if time actually stopped. But what didn't these two noticed is that both Yuba and Capablanca were completely conscious and the time-stopping mysteriously didn't work on them. They could have interrupted the conversation but when it started Yuba winked at Franco, and he understood that it would be better to observe and use this opportunity to learn more about their guardians. Suddenly time flows again and everything was back to normal. All the cards flew in random directions because of the strong wind and it ruined the gamble causing a draw. The spectators were very unsatisfied because of this tragic ending but they all had one idea in common, the utmost respect for the two gamblers, they bet everything they had without remorse, that is the epitome of manhood, to have no fears when you have nothing to lose, that is when you become free. Yuba then started laughing and quickly turned and stared at the spectators of the match scarily and said: "What are you watching? Do you think this is a circus, either you gamble in my casino, or either you fuck off, and you better pay your debts, I know you all, don't let me come to your houses and break a finger or two?" The crowd of spectators evaporated quickly like boiling water. The casino went into its natural state, gamblers here gamble there and everyone was once again minding their own gamble. Yuba then shook Franco's hand while both wearing a very satisfied grimaces on their face, then Yuba grabbed Franco from the back of his head, got close to him, and whispered:" Life is getting spicy isn't it? Don't trust anyone, suck knowledge out of them, and revolt, I believe in you kid. Let the wicked games begin."

Before Yuba left, Franco interrupted him and said:" Oh wait I forgot something, here is a gift from me, keep it with you, and whenever you're in a tough situation use it ." Franco then like a magician lifted both his empty hands slowly and a coin appeared out of nowhere between the index and middle finger of his left hand, then he closed his hands and the coin magically appeared in his right hand. He then threw it at Yuba and said:" This coin is an ancient Mayan coin, called the Fortune teller. A mysterious coin was collected from the Mayan artifacts. It is said that if you ask a question that can be answered either by a Yes or a No, the coin will give you the answer, you only have to flip it and choose if the Yes is the tails or the head. When in doubt flip the coin and let it decide. Now Au Revoir and let us continue our gamble another day."

Yuba then smiled at Franco and left when he suddenly felt something being thrown at him, he quickly turned and caught it and it was a card, a tarot card. When he looked at his surroundings Franco already disappeared, which supposedly meant that this card belonged to him, Franco turned out to be a cardholder too. Yuba flipped the card to see it and it was ...