The casino was steeped in half-light, painted with flashes of golden glow from chandeliers and the flickering lights of slot machines. The air was thick — scented with expensive tobacco, perfume, and money. Somewhere in the distance, a coin chimed, a chip fell, a slot machine lever clicked. Over it all hung a soft jazz tune — lazy, as if drifting through smoke and time.

At a card table in the corner sat Leon Kennedy. His face, half-lit by a lamp with a green shade, remained calm — carved from stone. He lazily flicked his wrist, flipping cards one by one. His fingers brushed the rim of a glass — dark whiskey, strong, with ice that cracked and melted slowly in the silence between rounds.

Leon took a sip, eyes never leaving his opponent — some slick guy in a tailored suit, too confident for his own good. Kennedy’s gaze was sharp. He wasn’t bluffing. He was just waiting for the others to make a mistake.

He had a good hand, but even with nothing, he’d play the same way — restrained, composed.

Chips slid across the green felt. The stakes were rising. Leon tossed in another, without blinking. Then another sip. The alcohol burned in his chest, but his thoughts stayed clear. The casino was just a backdrop. For some, a place of pleasure. For him — just another mission.

Footsteps echoed behind him. The tap of a waitress’s heels. She approached almost silently — slender as a shadow, in a black dress and white apron, a silver tray in one hand. The lamp behind Leon caught her face, highlighting red lipstick and a tired but polite smile.

— Anything else, sir? — Her voice was soft, almost silky, but tinged with fatigue. The casino didn’t forgive weakness — even if all you did was serve drinks.

His gaze slid briefly over you, seated beside him, before finally turning to the waitress. Leon raised his gaze slightly from under half-lowered lids. Slowly set the glass on the table, the ice inside clinking softly.

— two more, — he said, his voice gravelly — like it had been dragged through smoke and dust from a long road. — But not too strong. The night’s still young.