The thief stood in front of her, smiling.

  “Want this back?” he said.

  “Let’s play a game.”

  Sofie’s hands trembled.

  “What kind of game?” she asked in a calm voice.

  He grinned.

  “A simple game like old maid… but with my rules.”

  He pulled a deck of cards from his pocket.

  “These are special cards which are double sided but the cards are covered in the black covers. You can’t see them. I can’t see them either.”

  “Each round costs 5,000 rims. You lose a round, you pay 5,000 rims. Keep going until someone is left with the Joker… and loses .And for a newbie....we will play with seven cards"- the thief said in a mocking way

  From the shadows, a figure stepped forward — the referee.

  Clad in black, sharp eyes, maybe even younger than her, but far more experienced.

  He was ready to check, shuffle, and discard the pairs.

  He was the authority. The one who decided the winner.

  The referee’s sharp voice cut through the tension.

  “Violence is prohibited,” he declared.

  The first round began.

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  The referee stepped between them and dealt the cards.

  Four to Sofie.

  Three to the thief.

  Since the thief held fewer cards, he moved first.

  His sharp eyes locked onto hers, like a predator studying its prey from the shadows.

  He slid one card from Sofie’s hand.

  Sofie could feel the weight of her last lifeline pressing down on her.

  She slid a card from his hand mirroring him .

  The referee stepped forward, checking their hands carefully before discarding the matching pairs.

  A pair.

  Discarded.

  Now sofie held three cards,

  And the thief held two cards.

  Sofie drew next.

  Thief drew again.

  pairs are discarded again.

  Only three cards remained.

  Sofie held two.

  The thief held one.

  Sofie stopped thinking.

  She left it all to blind luck.

  He slid a card from her pile.

  The referee stepped forward and checked it.

  For a moment, no one spoke.

  Then—

  “Mr. Luke won.”

  The words pierced her thoughts like an arrow.

  Her fingers loosened around the cards. She heard the name of her opponent for first time and it echoes in her mind.

  This was only round one.