NOTE:
Here's another chapter, and it's a little longer than usual. This is really fun to write, so I hope it's just as fun to read, too!
Anyways, world-building is pretty tough. So, I decided to do things a little differently. I created a book in book creator that basically matches up to one that will appear in the story in the next few chapters that explains the Cardverse a little better. I might update the book, too, as the story progresses.
Also, if you want to listen to music that fits the "mood" of the story while you read, basically anything from the Kakegurui OST works :)
CARDVERSE INFO BOOK: h 7L6ip0TdXTW0pYFZjmS3mZ5ay3j2/hHlE3B8DQXyVOoUuRQXvvg
MUSIC: /user-8445722/sets/kakegurui-ost
"No more bets," Baasch proclaimed. "Showdown."
Lovino tossed his cards onto the table, eager to see the result of the final match.
Too bad, Ivan. The odds are stacked up against you, this time. With a raise that high, you're gonna lose it all.
He looked at the values of Ivan's now-released cards.
What the—
Sitting in front of Ivan, plain as day, was an ace of clubs and an ace of spades. The third card was a king of clubs.
He had a pair of aces, too? But… but…
Lovino looked at his own hand frantically. There was a possibility that his third card's value was lower than a king, which would make Ivan the winner.
An ace of hearts, an ace of diamonds, and a king of hearts.
He had thought that having a pair of aces would essentially guarantee him the win. Somehow, by some miracle or strange twist of fate, Ivan's hand was nearly identical.
That raised one glaring question:
Who was the winner?
Even the dealer couldn't quite answer that.
"This is… well… I can't say I've seen it happen before," Baasch remarked as he stared at the cards on the table pensively. "All four aces, huh."
"You must be very lucky to get such a hand," Ivan said.
"Oh, yeah, sure," Lovino replied sarcastically, drawing out his vowels. "Lucky my ass."
If I really was lucky, then Ivan wouldn't have had a hand just like mine.
And then I would have just had an easy win.
But from Lovino's experiences in gambling, he was able to conclude that nothing ever came easy.
There was always loss. Lovino just liked to avoid it as much as possible.
"Alright, then… this could go one of two ways." Baasch pointed to the mountains of chips piled on top of each other in the pot. "You either both lose, which would mean all the money goes to the casino. Or," He narrowed his eyes, obviously preferring the first suggestion more. "You both win, and you split the money."
Lovino would be stupid to not choose the latter. Why would he give up his money to some random casino on the suspicious side of town? Although, his crushing pride made him reluctant to accept a tie with Ivan.
"Split," Lovino piped up. He didn't dare make eye contact with his opponent, choosing not to see that sickeningly-sweet, obviously-fake, smile more than he had to.
Baasch grumbled something under his breath and moved to count the chips and divide the total up between the two.
And unfortunately for Lovino, Ivan didn't leave it off at just that.
"You know, there's a custom at this casino that I was wondering if you knew about."
"I don't," Lovino interrupted bluntly. "Once blondie gives me the chips and we work things out about the money, I'm leaving."
"Blondie?" Baasch muttered incredulously, annoyed at the nickname.
"Yes, but I think it's very important that you hear this, Lovino Vargas."
Lovino felt his blood run cold.
Did he just—
He knows my last name, too?
"I have your attention now, don't I?" Ivan said teasingly. He held up the King of Clubs, the third card from his hand. "The custom here is to take one card from your winning hand with you. Like a… trophy, of sorts."
"Isn't walking away with a huge wad of cash enough?"
"Maybe for some people. But for you…" Ivan examined Lovino's hand for a few moments and slid one of the cards further along the table. "Wouldn't this be nice?"
Lovino looked at the card Ivan was indicating towards. It was the Ace of Hearts. "I mean… I still don't really see the point. But whatever, I'll take it if it makes you shut up." He shoved the playing card into his pocket.
So weird. Does any other casino do this?
Lovino tried to recall any memories that would be useful, but failed.
Oh, right. The only casino I've ever really been to other than this one was Grandpa's private one.
He couldn't help but wonder what his grandfather would say if he could see his grandson at that moment. Would he be proud? Disappointed? Both?
"Hey. Lovino, was it?"
Lovino looked up to make eye contact with Baasch, who continued to work with the chips even while talking. "Hm?"
"Look, I know the tradition seems stupid, but it's really important at Royal Flush," explained the dealer. "If you lose that card, you might as well be losing your entire identity."
Lovino caught sight of something inside Baasch's pocket, barely peeking out. It was another playing card: a Jack of Diamonds.
"Oh. So you finally noticed." Baasch pulled the card out completely, revealing it for both of them to see. "Try not to ask too many questions and just comply, next time. It'll make things easier on everyone."
Next time?
The cryptic statement just made Lovino more confused, causing him to want to ask more questions.
Pretty damn counterproductive, if you ask me.
Lovino decided to shift the topic, but not too much as to not arouse suspicion. "Was that one part of your winning hand?" He pointed to the Jack of Diamonds. It was odd to think that the dealer was a player, once upon a time.
"Mhmm," was all Baasch said.
The silence settled in once again. An agonizingly uncomfortable one. Lovino aimed to break it.
"Why'd you take the King of Clubs?" he asked Ivan.
"What do you mean? It was a card in my winning hand, so why wouldn't I?"
Lovino shook his head. "No! Just— why would you take that card when you've got two Aces to pick from?"
Everyone knows Aces are more valuable than Kings. So, why would he...
"Ah, that's what you were talking about!" Ivan smiled—another creepy, unsettling, smile. "But, it's a secret!"
'It's a secret', my ass!
Lovino really didn't like to be left questioning. He wanted answers. Especially considering that Ivan was already registered as a suspicious figure in his brain.
"You will figure out very soon, if that helps," added Ivan quickly.
Lovino wanted to slam the tabletop with both his fists and yell, 'No it DOESN'T help!' but he knew better than to make a scene. He said nothing, a strategy that he found himself using more and more often when conversing with Ivan.
But something deep inside Lovino's mind was telling him that he really didn't know if he wanted to find out what Ivan was insinuating. He was already suspicious right from the start, though his apprehensions were beginning to manifest at an exponential rate.
"Fine," Lovino huffed. Inside his pocket, he fiddled around with the Ace of Hearts. Somehow, it felt like he was stealing something from the casino, even though he was encouraged to take the card.
My 'identity,' huh.
Complete bullshit. It's a goddamn playing card. Nothing more, nothing less.
Baasch eventually finished dividing the chips between the two, pushing both stacks to each player. "Alright, time to pay up. The ATM's over there, if you need it." He pointed towards the far end of the casino, which housed a row of glowing machines. "And whatever you do, don't try leaving without forking over the cash. If you pull anything like that, I can't guarantee that you'll exit this building in one piece."
Lovino shuddered, feeling most of the weight of the dealer's words falling onto him. He was the "new" one, after all. But he certainly wasn't new to the prospect of gambling.
"Furthermore, I've been counting the exact amount each of you put on the line in the betting rounds. You both are expected to contribute that amount, and the total will be halved and then given back to you." Baasch removed a small, half-crumpled piece of paper with large numbers scribbled on it. Lovino couldn't quite make out the exact amounts from where he was sitting, but he could tell there were many zeros. "Ivan. Out of the $300,000 total of the pot, you contributed… 175,000."
Lovino's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't been paying close attention to the values as he gambled. It all went over his head, with the sole purpose of his theatrical raises being intimidation.
175,000? That much? I thought my bets were crazy, but…
Suddenly, Lovino remembered the final transaction of the betting round right before the showdown. Ivan had raised Lovino's previous bet by $100,000.
Right. That's probably why.
Technically, they would both be receiving $150,000 each, so Ivan would actually be losing $25,000 while Lovino would be gaining it. Despite this, Lovino still felt like he had lost somehow.
"And you," Baasch looked at Lovino, "Owe $125,000. Simple math."
Lovino nodded, but found his mind wandering elsewhere.
I could have won big instead of just tying. Instead of just $25,000, I could have gotten the entire pot. If only he didn't have the other two Aces… if only…
A loud thump interrupted his thoughts. Ivan placed a large briefcase on the table and carefully unlatched it, revealing the contents. Inside were multiple wads of cash, all stacked up in neat little rows.
Lovino tried not to stare.
Who even carries cash around like that, anymore? It's inconvenient, heavy, and not to mention ridiculously suspicious.
Ivan removed about one-thirds of the stacks and slid them to the center of the table, right next to the mountain of chips. "175,000. You can count, if you want," he said cheerily.
Lovino shoved his hand deeper into his pocket, searching for his credit card. Once he retrieved it, he stood up from his seat to approach the ATMs.
Then, it hit him.
All of a sudden, a heavy weakness gnawed at his knees. The walls seemed to spin around in circles, his surroundings morphing into a dizzying blur.
Lovino reached his hand to his forehead, trying to put an end to it.
Did I just stand up too quickly?
He squeezed both eyes shut and left them that way for a few seconds. But when he opened them, nothing changed.
The darkness grew around the edges of his vision, threatening to compromise it completely.
Lovino opened his mouth to cry out, only to find that not even a single noise escaped from his throat.
Finally, the chaos completely consumed him.
Lovino felt himself falling, face-first. Falling, falling, falling, to the floor.
Diamonds, Spades, Clubs, Hearts.
Diamonds, Spades, Clubs, Hearts.
Diamonds, Spades, Clubs, Hearts.
The carpet's pattern that he had initially written off as tacky now seemed to be taunting him. A silent sort of ridicule.
DIAMONDS. SPADES. CLUBS. HEARTS.
The words were practically being screamed into his ears, repeating over and over again as if they were in an echo chamber.
DIAMONDS, SPADES, CLUBS—
HEARTS.
"Into the Deck, he goes."
And then everything went black.
There's something so magical about waking up in a place that isn't your bedroom, right? An unfamiliar location.
Something so— intriguing, right?
Wrong.
Lovino never felt worse in his entire life. His head pounded painfully, aching with the power of a thousand hangovers combined. His mouth was about as dry as sandpaper and his body was sore and tense all over.
I need a massage, he thought. A massage and a nice glass of wine.
Unfortunately, Lovino would soon come to realize that alcohol wouldn't be his top priority. In fact, it wouldn't even make the list.
This isn't my bed... this is...
Damn it— why is the sun so bright in here?
Another ray of light pierced through his half-lidded eye, frying his sensitive retinas.
Suddenly, it made sense why Lovino felt so uncomfortable.
The surface his head was resting on was hard and made out of wood. The chair his body was draped over wasn't necessarily cushy, either.
Since when was the sun so fluorescent?
Reluctantly, Lovino opened his eyes completely. As soon as he did so, a blinding white glow washed over his bleary vision.
Wait… that's not the sun!
"What the hell—" Lovino threw his hands in front of his face, desperately trying to block out the glare. "Get that thing away from me, dammit!"
"Ah— I'm sorry, fratello! I didn't mean to hurt you!"
The flashlight was switched off, but red and green spots continued to dance around Lovino's line of sight.
He rubbed his eyes again, then took a long look at the person who stood in front of him.
"Feli?"
The person nodded, a stray curl bobbing up and down as he did so. "Yep, that's me!"
Lovino was more than just a little confused. He tried to trace back his thoughts, hoping to come up with a logical chronological timeline of what had happened up until then.
Then, it dawned on him.
That casino. The Royal Flush casino, he remembered. I don't remember falling asleep here, but I was playing a game of three-card with somebody, and then…
Oddly enough, the more recent events were even harder to recall than the rest.
"Ivan… where's Ivan? And Baasch? And that bella with the brown hair?" Lovino bombarded Feliciano with questions, then craned his neck to take a scan of the casino.
It's empty.
There was no Ivan. There was no Baasch. And, much to Lovino's disappointment, there was no pretty woman by the roulette wheel.
"Lovi! You have to use their formal titles, remember?" Feliciano said. "If anyone from the Clubs court heard you, we could get into serious trouble!"
Lovino frowned. "Titles? What are you even—" His vision had finally adjusted to the darkness, giving him an opportunity to inspect everything closer. Feliciano's clothes were strange-looking; they were regal and bold, lined with gold and red accents. A playing card was attached to his right breast pocket: a Jack of Hearts.
"Feliciano, what's going on? How did you even get here? Aren't you supposed to be with Kiku and that potato bastard?"
Feliciano's eyes widened, with his eyebrows drawn together in worry. "Ve— I know His Majesty doesn't really mind too much, but I don't think it's a good idea to use such language when referring to him…"
Lovino looked at Feliciano incredulously.
I've been calling Ludwig "potato bastard" for about as long as I can remember. Since when did Feli care so much?
Also, "His Majesty?" What's with that shitty title? Does kraut-breath have some weird kink that he's forcing my brother to play along with?
"Him? Who are you talking about?" demanded Lovino, his fists slamming down on the table. "Explain all of this, dammit! If this is a joke, it's not—"
Feliciano stared at Lovino for a few seconds, before finally saying:
"You don't remember anything?"
"Not even a single bit."
Feliciano bit his lip, his gaze wavering as the gears turned in his head. "Uh… Mio Dio, I really don't know what to do…" He pulled out his own chair and sat down. "Okay, maybe you should try telling me what you remember."
Lovino felt so overwhelmed; he was definitely in way over his head. Something was so inexplicably foreign to him, yet he just couldn't pinpoint exactly what. It was like his thoughts were shrouded in a cloudy mist, not able to compose themselves properly. Truthfully, everything felt at least a little hazy.
"F-fine," Lovino said. "So, I think I was wandering around the streets… I was supposed to meet up with you and your stupid friends at some cafe."
Feliciano looked more confused (if that was even possible,) but didn't interrupt.
"And then I, uh—" Lovino stared at the table, taking an unusual amount of interest in the wood grain's pattern. He had a strong sense of pride which oftentimes got in the way of things. "I got lost, okay? I was walking around and then I found this casino, then I went inside, and—"
"Wait!" interjected Feliciano. "Which streets were you wandering around, exactly?"
"Isn't that obvious? Las Vegas's streets, dumbass!" Lovino exclaimed. "You know, the city we live in?"
Feliciano blinked rapidly, trying to digest the information to the best of his abilities. "L-Las… what?"
"Oh my fucking god. Are you the one who hit his head?" Lovino asked sarcastically. "We've been living in Vegas for 5 years, dammit! What's that reaction for?"
"I swear, I've never even heard of it," Feliciano insisted. "
"Lovino, Las Vegas doesn't exist and it never has, or as far as I know. Unless it's just been created, which is also impossible because nobody's allowed to establish cities in disputed territory."
Lovino scowled at his supposed younger brother. "You mean to tell me that the city that we've both been living in just doesn't exist? Sorry, but I find that a little hard to believe."
"Lovi, it might be hard to believe, but it's still true," Feliciano said. "Really, what's gotten into you? I know you're not the most patriotic member of the Hearts court, but this is just odd."
Now, this has gone from weird to totally ridiculous. I wake up feeling like shit in a casino, my younger brother comes up to me wearing a blinged-out Halloween costume with a playing heart taped to his chest and tells me Las Vegas has been wiped off the face of the Earth, and to top it all off, he's rambling stuff straight from a Y/A fantasy novel.
Great. The shitty icing on the shitty cake.
Lovino really didn't want to believe it— then again, he couldn't even fully comprehend it in the first place. So, naturally, he did what anybody else would do in that sort of situation.
"Feliciano, pinch me."
This has to be some kind of crazy dream. If that's the case, then I'd want nothing more than to wake up from it.
"Ve— what? Why would I do that? That's assault! I can't hurt you, like that!" Feliciano cried in worry. In his panicked frenzy, he extended his right arm towards Lovino. "You can pinch me, instead, if you want to! I surrender!"
There! What's that?
On Feliciano's exposed wrist was a large marking— a red symbol in the shape of a heart. Lovino didn't know what to call it. If it was a birthmark, it wasn't one he'd ever seen before.
Especially not on Feliciano. I'm his brother, I would have known if Feli had a giant heart on his wrist from birth.
Wait a second... there is one other explanation.
Lovino pointed to the heart symbol. "Did you get a tattoo while I was gone?"
Immediately, Feliciano pulled his arm away. "W-what? A tattoo? My Marking isn't fake, honest!"
"Marking...?"
"Yeah… like the ones everyone else in the Grand Deck has," Feliciano elaborated.
It was quite obvious that Feliciano and Lovino weren't on the same page. Hell, they probably weren't even in the same book.
It was almost like both of them were from different worlds entirely.
"You're joking. Please, please, tell me you're joking."
Feliciano sighed. "Nope. But… if you really need confirmation…"
Lovino yelled in surprise as his left arm was grabbed. Feliciano pushed up his brother's left sleeve, revealing something that made Lovino's jaw drop in shock.
Another heart emblem; identical to Feliciano's. The bright red was stark against olive skin.
How did—
How did this happen?
Did somebody tattoo this on my arm while I was unconscious?
And, most importantly:
Can I sue them for tattooing this on my arm while I was unconscious?
"Now, I know it's really you!" Feliciano cheered, beaming from ear to ear. "But we should probably go back to the palace, or else people might get worried."
It's… really me?
No. This— this doesn't feel like me.
Lovino stared at the so-called "Marking" on his wrist.
It doesn't belong to me. Whatever this stupid tattoo really is… it's not mine. It never has been.
But then… does this body not belong to me, either?
On his left forearm was a small wound, a scar marking where a bullet had managed to graze his skin. He had obtained a few years back in the midst of a schism in the mafioso.
Then there was the small mole on his right thumb. That looked familiar enough.
Everything else seems to be in order.
But that just makes this so much more complicated.
"Feliciano, wait!" Lovino said. He pulled his sleeve back over the Marking, hoping that would somehow erase it from existence. "I know what it may look like, but I— I'm not part of this weird Kingdom!"
Feliciano stood up and pushed his chair in, his odd clothes swishing from the motion. "But that doesn't make any sense," he remarked, cocking his head at an angle. "You're exactly like the Lovi I know. The Ace of Hearts. You even have the Marking."
Lovino ran his fingers through his hair, too focused on the situation to be even the slightest bit concerned with his appearance. "God, just listen to me!" he said suddenly and a little too loudly. "I might look like whoever it is you're talking about, the 'Ace of Hearts' or whatever, but I'm just not! Okay?"
Feliciano tapped his chin with one finger, his gaze far away and pensive. "I guess I never really thought about that. I mean, you look basically identical to my fratello… besides the clothes—where'd you get those from? Anyway, it's really weird to think that you're just… not him."
Lovino exhaled, glad that Feliciano finally understood. "Yeah, whatever. But, you know…"
This person looks exactly like the Feliciano I know, too. He has the curl and the voice and the eyes— everything. But there is something I'm sure the Feliciano I know doesn't have.
That marking. And I'm also sure that my brother doesn't walk around in cosplay with a giant heart tattooed to his wrist, either.
Would that make whoever the hell this is…
Lovino stared at Feliciano suspiciously.
Not Feliciano?
No, that can't be it. He answered to 'Feliciano' when I called him that.
But he's still not Feliciano!
Damn it! I'm just making myself more and more confused.
What kind of shitstorm have I gotten myself into, this time?
Not-Feliciano clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth and drew a small pocket watch from his heart-embroidered pocket.
Let me just get this entire story straight. Then I'll figure out what to do, next.
"Feliciano." Lovino cupped one cheek with his right hand, leaning onto it. "Who are you?"
Not-Feliciano raised one eyebrow, obviously confused. "Who— who I am? Like my na—"
Lovino rolled his eyes. "Of course not, dumbass! I meant your job and all that shit."
Not-Feliciano cleared his throat. "Haha— right, right. I knew that!" He drew the chair out again and took a seat. "I'm Feliciano Vargas, the Jack of Hearts. I mostly just work as an advisor for the King and Queen." He pointed to the playing card on his chest, which naturally matched his title. A Jack of Hearts.
A King and Queen. This is a monarchy, for sure.
If I'm in an entirely different universe, I might as well get to know it a little better first.
"And, who are the King and Queen?"
"The current King of Hearts is Ludwig Beilschmidt, and the Queen is Kiku Honda."
Ludwig—
I already suspected this before, but….
Ludwig's a king? Who let him have the throne, that bastard!
And Kiku…
"Wait—the Queen isn't a woman?" Lovino asked.
Not-Feliciano shook his head. "No. 'Queen' is really just another title. Any gender could fill them, really."
Lovino was a little skeptical. In all the fairy tales, the King would be a handsome and strong man, with the Queen being a delicate and beautiful woman.
Although, he really didn't mind. Swinging both ways, Lovino saw no tremendous value in gender roles. Especially when it came to relationships.
And speaking of which…
"Feli, you're not doing any funny business with the potato bast— I mean, the King, are you?"
Not-Feliciano flushed pink, nervous sweat beginning to form on his upper lip. "W-what? Why would you say that?"
"Believe it or not, but the other version of you back in Vegas had fallen head-over-heels for that potato-brained, bastard." Lovino lowered his eyelids ever so slightly. "I mean, I was just curious at first. But with that reaction, I've got more than just a little reasonable doubt."
"Lovi, there isn't anything between us! Despite how things might have been with—" Not-Feliciano stuttered. "With the 'other' me, things aren't the same here! Besides… he's already…" His bangs seemed to cover his eyes, hiding a flicker of sorrow. "Married."
"Oh, right. The Queen," Lovino said, trying to seem indifferent. Although this person wasn't actually his brother, Lovino couldn't help but pity him.
Loving someone who's forever out of reach. That's just…
Really, really, sad.
As much as Lovino disliked Ludwig, he was willing to put away his grudge to help this world's Feliciano feel some solace.
"H-hey, if you really love that guy, then you might as well keep pursuing him," Lovino advised quietly. "Unless the Queen would flip his lid. Maybe be a little more careful in that case," he added quickly.
Feliciano smiled, a smile devoid of any happiness. "Thank you, but even if the Queen doesn't mind… it would still be treason." He sucked in a long breath. "And I'm one of the King's most trusted advisors! I can't break the rules like that!"
"Well, whatever floats your boat." Lovino shifted a little in his chair but felt a sharp poke at his thigh when doing so.
Ouch! What is that thing?
Lovino reached into the pocket where he had felt the small prick. His fingers brushed up against a card, though it was far too thin and flexible to be a normal credit card.
So, he pulled the object out completely to determine what it was.
The card wasn't a credit card.
It was a playing card.
An Ace of Hearts, to be more precise.
The room grew silent.
Not-Feliciano stared at the playing card, his expression displaying a mix of awe, amazement, and perplexment.
And that was when the fog in Lovino's mind had finally lifted. Memories came flooding back in waves, crashing down mercilessly.
"If you lose that card, you might as well be losing your entire identity."
"You will figure out very soon, if that helps."
DIAMONDS. SPADES. CLUBS. HEARTS.
DIAMONDS. SPADES. CLUBS. HEARTS.
"Into the Deck, he goes."
An epiphany rained down upon him, one that was powerful enough to shift his entire perspective.
Is this—
Is this the Deck?