The invitation was sealed with a card that shouldn't exist.
A Joker—black and gold, marked with the insignia of infinity bending into itself.
Lia frowned the moment it materialized in Rex's hand.
"The High Table doesn't invite newcomers," she whispered.
"Guess I'm not a newcomer anymore." Rex flipped the card, and a dozen masked silhouettes shimmered faintly in the reflection.
Each one turned their head toward him.
Watching.
[Directive: Attendance Confirmed.]
[Location: The Hall of Mirrors.]
[Time: When the next lie is told.]
Rex blinked. "So… what, I just lie and we teleport?"
"That's not—"
"I'm fine." He cleared his throat dramatically. "I'm totally sane."
Reality twisted.
They landed in a ballroom made of refracted probabilities.
Chandeliers dripped starlight. Every guest wore a mask carved from constellations. Music didn't play—it gambled, fluctuating between laughter and thunder depending on the odds of survival.
At the top of the grand staircase stood The Dealer, swirling a martini of quantum foam.
"Welcome, players, to the First High Table Trial. Tonight's game is simple: bet your identity."
Lia's voice was low, controlled. "Rex, don't—"
"Too late," he said, already smirking. "I always bet on me."
The crowd rippled with anticipation. Each gambler drew a glowing card that contained fragments of who they were—memories, talents, regrets. Lose, and you'd forget everything you ever loved. Win, and the House rewarded you with someone else's truth.
"Rules are for mortals," Rex muttered.
The Dealer raised an eyebrow. "And you're not?"
"I'm improvising my species as I go."
Laughter rolled across the mirrored floor, the kind that made even Lia smile—until she noticed her reflection smirking back a second late.
"Wait…" she whispered, eyes narrowing. "The mirrors—"
The reflections began moving on their own.
Each gambler's copy peeled off the glass like liquid reality, carrying their secrets like a second deck of cards.
The real players now had to out-bluff themselves.
Rex stared at his mirror. It smiled, charming and dangerous.
"So," Mirror-Rex said, tossing a glowing card. "What will you wager, Wildcard?"
Rex smirked. "My bad habits."
"That's cheating. You have too many."
"Then I'll start with the one that keeps me alive."
Lia inhaled sharply, feeling the tension vibrate between worlds. "Rex—what are you doing?"
He glanced back, eyes gleaming with mischief and something softer.
"Trust me. Sometimes, you have to gamble your worst to find your best."
And with that, both Rexes moved—one all logic, one all chaos.
Cards clashed, mirrors shattered, laughter roared.
Every fragment reflected a possible Rex—each one daring the universe to fold first.
The Dealer leaned forward, his grin razor-sharp.
"Oh, I do love when math bleeds."
When the light finally dimmed, only one Rex remained standing.
His mask had cracked—just slightly—revealing a glimmer of gold beneath.
[Result: Partial Victory.]
[Reward: Identity Access Unlocked – ???]
Lia approached him quietly. "You almost lost yourself."
"Yeah," he said, exhaling. "But at least now I know who I'm not."
She looked at him for a long, unguarded moment. "You're impossible."
He smiled. "That's the idea."
And somewhere behind the cosmic curtains, the House of Odds whispered once more:
"Wildcard trajectory — still unstable. But… fascinating."