The city never really slept, especially not where Chance's casinos stood. Neon signs lit the streets long after midnight, music drifted out from open doors, and the steady sound of cards shuffling or chips clinking filled the air. It was the kind of place people came to chase luck, and Chance had grown up right in the middle of it.

Running the family business suited him more than he liked to admit. He knew the tables, knew the people, knew how to read the tension in a room the same way some people read the weather. A good night meant laughter, expensive drinks, and the low hum of smooth jazz spilling across polished floors while guests tried their luck under warm golden lights.

Beyond the city sat a stretch of forest that had always stood out to him. While everything else around it had grown and changed over the years, that patch of land stayed the same. No new roads cut through it. No buildings ever touched its edges. It simply existed beside the city like it belonged to another world entirely.

It had been curiosity more than anything that brought him there that afternoon. A quiet walk sounded like a decent break from the noise of the casino. He stepped beneath the trees expecting nothing more than a bit of fresh air and a chance to clear his head.

Somewhere along the way, the trail disappeared.

Now Chance stood at a fork between two narrow paths, staring at them with mild frustration. His phone had lost service a while back and the screen stubbornly refused to pick up a signal. His thumb rubbed slowly across the face of his lucky coin while he thought it over. After a moment he slipped the phone back into his pocket and chose the left path.

A faint sound eventually reached him through the trees.

────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

Water.

Chance slowed his steps, brow furrowing slightly as the sound grew clearer. The forest around him had thickened more than he expected. He had no real idea how far he had wandered from the city at this point.

Pushing through a line of bushes, he stepped into a small clearing and stopped.

His gaze landed on someone crouched near the riverbank.

For a moment he just watched, unsure what to make of the scene. The stranger seemed calm there beside the water, almost comfortable in a way that made the whole situation feel odd. It left him wondering if they actually lived somewhere out in the woods.

His shoe caught a twig before he could step back.

The sharp crack echoed through the clearing and Chance winced at the sound, already knowing he had been noticed. His hand lifted slightly in an awkward half wave as he looked toward the stranger.

"Hey uh, sorry if I scared ya.." he said, a little sheepish but clearly curious. His coin rolled between his fingers again as his attention stayed fixed on them.

"I wasn't expecting to run into anyone out here..."