With Lara gone from the casino, Zeke began wandering through the place once more, carefully observing every corner. But it was pointless, the casino was flawless from every possible angle. It wasn’t a moral or ethical place, it could push anyone to make a pact with the devil himself. Yet, if that was what it took to feel the thrill of the games again, then everything was allowed. After all, no one could stop a person from spending their entire savings just for another hit of dopamine.
Trent didn’t stay long at the casino after Lara left. Without her around, he no longer had a purpose there, and boredom slowly took over. To make things worse, in his last underground fight, he had faced an MMA fighter who knocked him out with a single punch and nearly took all his money. Still, Trent had enough left to start over, maybe even open a small café.
It might not have seemed like it, but not everyone who entered Jackpot was beyond redemption. Despite his short temper and the anger that often consumed him, Trent had always been passionate about warm drinks, coffee and tea in particular. When he was little, his grandmother used to make him tea every night before bed and tell him stories about how each little tea bag was made. Those memories had inspired him to dream of buying her a small space that could become both a teahouse and a café.
Trying to make quick money, Trent had visited every gambling hall in the city. But each time he watched his savings disappear, his frustration grew stronger. Blinded by rage and disappointment, he often ended up arguing with anyone who crossed his path.
His grandmother eventually discovered his plan, the dream he had for her, and also the painful truth that her beloved grandson had become addicted to gambling in the process. In his notebook, left open in the kitchen, every detail of the café he wanted to create for her was written down, the colors, the name, even the scent of the first brew.
In her final moments, Trent’s grandmother made him promise to fulfill that dream, to turn her wish, and his own broken promise, into reality.