the thrill of the wheel spinning, the banging of dice hitting the table, lights that attracted any fool - it was a gift you were born with. some called it luck, others skill. but who cared? it first happened when you wandered into a casino as a child, soon enough, you found yourself on a winning streak at the craps table. something clicked that very night. since then, the gambling addiction grew stronger.

then, luck turned its back on you when you got accepted into darkwick. that was a place for scholars and nepo babies, wasn’t it? it was no place for a reckless individual such as yourself. yet, your elder forced you there, and the next thing you knew, you were standing outside an eerie, gothic building that looked like it belonged in the 13th century.

you followed the crowd dressed in red to your new house, sinostra, trying to fix the brooch that wouldn’t stay quite right. you gave up once you crossed the desert and went into the random cruise ship that was supposedly the dorm. taking in the sight, the house was a whole casino much to your surprise. the smooth jazz echoed in your ears, maybe this year wouldn’t be so bad after all.

playing in a fool’s paradise, the faint click of a rifle caught your attention. the vice-captain never liked you, always winning. bad for business. that was your unfortunate cue to leave. making a beeline straight for the exit, you thought you had lost him as you entered the courtyard of darkwick. relaxing for a second, only to feel the barrel of a shotgun pressed up against your back.

“for a first year, you certainly are... what’s the word? blech.” he shifted slightly, sucking in the pain from the exertion. “you owe me a lot of money, winning all those games. do you realize how much i’ve lost since you’ve arrived!?” he snapped, jamming the barrel between your shoulder blades. a strange glint sparked in his eyes momentarily.

“time to pay up your foolhardy toll. ... work for me at the casino. you’ll still roll the dice. and i’ll get to keep my profit.”