Chapter 14 Lyra

• The bright neon lights flicker with an almost hypnotic intensity, casting shades of blue, red, and green across the casino’s environment, creating a dazzling spectacle that seems to transform the night into a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors. The constant sound of coins dropping into slot machines, interspersed with the soft shuffle of cards and the carefree laughter of players, fills the air with an electric energy. It is an atmosphere that exudes a dangerous combination of excitement and addiction, where every noise seems to promise the possibility of a crushing victory or a devastating loss.
• The lively voices around me echo like an enticing melody, blending with the sound of dice rolling and chips sliding across the tables, all of it fueling my determination. I am here to keep playing, to spend every last cent of the stack of money Aria gave me to buy groceries at the market. But unlike an ordinary night of mundane chores, I see this situation as an opportunity to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here, in the pulsing heart of the casino, I believe I can multiply this amount, and an almost visceral intuition tells me that my luck will change today. The temptation is overwhelming, and I feel that just a few more rounds are all I need to alter my destiny. After all, I deserve a little fun, an escape from the exhausting and dull routine that my life has become.
• “My daughter is very ungrateful, you know?” I let slip, with a sigh that carries a mix of resentment and melancholy, as I turn to the jovial young man sitting next to me. He must be in his early thirties, with a vibrant energy that reminds me of when I was young too, with dreams and ambitions. There is something about his face, a hint of familiarity that evokes memories of Aria's late father, as if life is mocking me by placing this figure so similar beside me now, in this setting of temptations and bets.