The afternoon sun slanted through the high windows of Hyakkaou Private Academy, casting long shadows across the polished marble floors. The school's opulence was on full display: gold-trimmed pillars, crimson carpets, and the distant hum of students engrossed in high-stakes games. Steven Thompson, son of Senator Jon Thompson, stood at the entrance of the Student Council room, his heart pounding in his chest.

He had heard rumors about the school's infamous gambling culture, but nothing could have prepared him for the sheer scale of it. Back in Connecticut, life was a series of calculated steps—debates, grades, appearances. Here, it felt like stepping into an arena where the line between victory and ruin was razor-thin.

The door in front of him was massive, adorned with intricate carvings of mythical beasts, their eyes seeming to glint with malice. Steven swallowed hard and pushed the door open. Inside, the room was dimly lit, with a large round table at the center. At the head of the table sat Runa Yomozuki, the petite and eternally grinning member of the Student Council.

"Ah, the new kid from America," Runa chimed, her voice sweet and playful, but with an edge that made Steven's skin prickle. She popped a piece of candy into her mouth, her eyes never leaving his. "Welcome to Hyakkaou. I hope you're ready to play."

Steven squared his shoulders and stepped forward. He had to make a strong impression. He was here to prove himself, to show these people that he was more than just a foreigner with a famous last name.

"I'm not here to waste time," Steven said, his voice steady, though his palms were slick with sweat. "I heard you're the one to beat around here."

Runa's grin widened. "Oh, I like you already. Straight to the point." She leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. "But let me ask you something, Steven… do you really understand what it means to gamble here?"

Steven hesitated. He had read about the academy, but he realized now that he had underestimated the intensity of this place. Still, he couldn't back down.

"I'm ready," he replied, his voice firmer this time. "Whatever the stakes, I'm in."

Runa's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Alright then," she said, snapping her fingers. From the shadows, two students emerged, carrying a large, ornate box. They set it on the table with a heavy thud.

"In this box," Runa explained, "is a game that's simple enough… but the stakes, oh, the stakes are anything but." She opened the box to reveal a deck of cards, each one adorned with symbols that Steven couldn't decipher. "It's called 'Memory Maze.' All you have to do is match the pairs. Easy, right?"

Steven frowned. "What's the catch?"

Runa giggled. "The catch is what happens if you lose. You see, every mistake you make adds a zero to your debt. And with every zero, you lose a bit more… of yourself."

Steven's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

Runa tilted her head, her grin never faltering. "You'll find out. But don't worry, Steven. If you win, you'll clear the debt, and maybe even earn a favor from me. But if you lose…" She let the words hang in the air, the implication clear.

Steven looked at the cards, then back at Runa. The room seemed to close in around him, the stakes suddenly all too real. But he couldn't turn back now. This was his moment to prove himself.

"Let's play," he said, reaching for the first card.

Runa's grin widened into something almost predatory as she dealt the cards. "Good luck, Steven. You're going to need it."

Steven flipped the first card over. It revealed a delicate pattern of red roses intertwined with thorns. His mind raced, trying to commit the design to memory before he selected the next card. The second card, a green clover, didn't match. He frowned but remained calm, carefully flipping both cards back over.

Runa watched with a knowing smile, her fingers lightly drumming on the table. "First mistake," she said softly, the singsong lilt in her voice almost mocking.

Steven forced himself to ignore her, pushing down the growing unease in his chest. He turned his attention back to the game. This time, he flipped a card with a golden crown—a symbol of victory. He scanned the remaining cards, his mind sharp, focused. He reached out and flipped another card: the red roses again.

"Damn," Steven muttered under his breath. He hadn't seen the matching crown yet. He flipped the card back over, his movements more deliberate now.

Runa's smile widened. "Another mistake. Be careful, Steven. Those zeros add up quickly."*

Steven could feel the pressure mounting, but he couldn't let it get to him. This was just a game of concentration, of memory. He could win this.

On his next turn, he revealed a silver star, then a matching one just two cards over. His heart leaped. He had made his first match. He quickly moved on, flipping a blue wave, then another rose. Again, no match. He felt Runa's eyes on him, like a cat watching a mouse.

He tried to shut her out, focusing only on the cards. When he turned over the next card, a green clover, he remembered where he had seen its pair. His hand trembled slightly as he flipped the matching clover. Another match.

Two in a row," Runa mused, her tone playful. "Maybe you're better at this than I thought."*

Steven didn't respond, his eyes scanning the table. He picked another card: the golden crown. A surge of excitement ran through him as he flipped the next card—the second golden crown.

"Yes!" Steven allowed himself a small grin. Three pairs down. The debt hadn't grown much, and if he could just keep this up…

But Runa's expression hadn't changed. She watched him with the same unnerving smile, as if she knew something he didn't. Steven felt a flicker of doubt but quickly pushed it aside. He was winning. He could win.

Card after card, he began to form more matches: the blue waves, the silver stars, the green clovers. The board was becoming easier to navigate as he cleared more pairs. Steven's confidence grew with each successful match, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.

"Not bad, Steven," Runa said, her voice dripping with a sweetness that felt out of place. "You've got a good memory."

Steven didn't let his guard down, but inwardly, he was feeling a rush of triumph. He was proving himself, showing Runa that he wasn't someone to be toyed with. Just a few more pairs, and he'd win. He could see it now—a victory that would put him on the map, earning the respect of this dangerous school.

"Only a few left," Runa said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the board. "But you know, Steven, winning isn't just about the cards. It's about how you handle the pressure."

Steven hesitated for a fraction of a second, her words cutting through his focus. His hand hovered over the next card. Was she bluffing? Trying to psych him out?

He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He needed to concentrate. He flipped the next card—a black raven. He frowned, trying to remember where he'd seen it before. Was it… here? He reached for another card, but just before he could flip it, Runa spoke again, her voice soft and teasing.

"You're doing so well, Steven," she said. "It's almost as if you've been playing this game your whole life. But… are you sure you're really yourself right now?"

Steven's hand froze. He glanced up at her, confusion knitting his brow. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice wary.

Runa's grin widened, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, nothing," she said airily. "Just a thought. Sometimes, when the stakes are this high, we start to lose sight of who we really are. But you're fine. Probably."

Steven felt a chill run down his spine, but he forced himself to ignore it. He couldn't let her get inside his head. He had to stay focused. He turned his attention back to the cards and flipped the next one—a red rose. But where was the raven?

His memory, so sharp just moments ago, seemed to blur. He reached for another card, but something in Runa's gaze made him hesitate again. He shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts, but the doubt had already crept in.

He flipped the next card—a raven, but not the right one. Steven swore under his breath as he revealed another mismatch.

Runa's laugh was soft but sinister. "Oops," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Another mistake. And you were doing so well."

Steven's confidence wavered. He could feel the game slipping through his fingers. He had been so sure, but now… something was off. Was Runa right? Was he really himself? Or was she playing him from the start?

As he reached for another card, his hand shook slightly. He could feel Runa's eyes on him, could almost hear the sound of imaginary zeros being added to his debt. This was just a game, he told himself. Just a game… but why did it feel like so much more?

Steven's hand hovered over the card, his mind racing. He knew he had seen the raven's pair, but the memory was slipping away, buried under the weight of Runa's words. He could feel her eyes on him, dissecting him, playing with him.

"Come on, Steven," Runa said, her voice lilting, almost sing-song. "It's just one little card. What's the worst that could happen?"

Steven forced himself to focus. This was just a game. He was still in control. He couldn't let Runa's mind games get to him. With a deep breath, he flipped the card.

A silver star.

Steven's heart sank. He had already matched the silver stars. He flipped the card back over, his hands trembling. He had made another mistake. His fourth mistake.

Runa's giggle echoed in the dimly lit room. "Oh dear," she cooed, her tone mocking. "That's another zero added to your debt. What are we up to now… a billion yen? Maybe two? My, my, this is getting exciting."

Steven felt the panic rising in his chest. He couldn't afford to lose. Not now, not when he was so close to winning. But Runa's voice was like a poison, seeping into his thoughts, making him doubt every move he made.

He tried to steady his breathing, focusing on the remaining cards. There were still pairs left—he could still win this. He reached for another card, flipping it over with a quick, decisive motion.

A blue wave. His pulse quickened—he knew this one. He reached for the matching wave, flipping it with a flick of his wrist. But instead of the wave, a black raven stared back at him from the card's surface.

"No!" Steven muttered, his voice tight with frustration. He had been so sure…

Runa's laughter filled the room, light and airy, but with an undercurrent of menace. "Another mistake, Steven? That's another zero. You're not looking too good right now."

Steven clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He was losing control. Every wrong move was pushing him deeper into debt, into Runa's grasp. The numbers were starting to blur in his mind—what had started as a manageable sum was now spiraling out of control.

He had to concentrate. He had to—

"Are you sure you're playing your best game?" Runa's voice cut through his thoughts like a knife. "Maybe you're just not cut out for this. Maybe you'd be better off… doing something else. Like trying on a pretty dress?"

Steven's hand trembled as he reached for the next card, her words rattling in his mind. He couldn't understand why she was saying these things, but they were starting to wear him down, making him doubt everything.

He flipped the card—another black raven. This was it, his chance to match the pair. His heart pounded as he reached for the card he was sure was the other raven… but as he turned it over, he was met with the image of a golden crown instead.

Runa's laughter was sharper this time, cutting through the air like glass. "Oh Steven… that's another zero. What are we at now? Ten billion? Twenty? Oh, it's so hard to keep track when the numbers get this high."

Steven felt the world closing in around him. Every mistake, every slip was another zero added to the towering mountain of debt. His breaths were coming in short, shallow gasps. He couldn't afford this—he was in too deep.

His next move was frantic. He flipped a card—silver star. He knew where the other one was—he had already matched it. Another mistake. The zeros multiplied, growing exponentially. The number in his mind was becoming unreal, impossible to fathom.

"Fifty billion yen?" Runa's voice was a soft purr now, seductive and dangerous. "A hundred billion? Maybe more? At this rate, you'll be paying off this debt for the rest of your life… if you even have a life after this."

Steven's vision blurred. He could barely see the cards anymore, his mind a haze of fear and desperation. Every card he flipped now was wrong. Every mistake added another zero, pushing the debt higher and higher until the number was no longer a number—it was a death sentence.

"Six hundred billion yen."

Runa's voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it hit Steven like a physical blow. The number echoed in his mind, over and over, until it drowned out everything else. Six hundred billion yen. More money than he could ever imagine. More money than his family could pay. He was ruined.

Steven stared at the table, the cards nothing but a blur of colors now. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, his breath coming in ragged gasps. How had this happened? How had he lost so completely, so utterly?

Runa leaned forward, her grin wide and gleeful. "Congratulations, Steven," she said, her voice sweet and venomous. "You've just earned yourself a lifetime of servitude. And who knows… maybe we'll find a cute little dress for you to wear while you work off that debt."

Steven's heart pounded in his chest, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He had lost. He had lost everything. The room seemed to spin around him, Runa's words swirling in his mind, filling him with dread.

He was trapped. Trapped in a game he couldn't win, with a debt he could never repay. And Runa… she had him exactly where she wanted him.

Runa stood up from her chair, slowly walking around the table to stand in front of Steven. She reached out, placing a finger under his chin, tilting his head up to meet her gaze. "Welcome to Hyakkaou, Steven," she whispered, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "You're going to be so much fun to play with."

Steven's vision blurred, the reality of his situation crashing down on him like a tidal wave. He had come here to prove himself, but instead, he had been crushed, utterly defeated by Runa's twisted game. And now, he was at her mercy, his future in her hands.

As Runa's laughter echoed in the darkened room, Steven realized with a sinking dread that his nightmare was only just beginning.