Chapter 1: The Pendant’s Price

My brother gave me a strange green pendant, said it would bring me good luck. Funny thing is, I’d put it on the wrong person—and that’s where everything went sideways.

It’s wild how something so small can flip your whole life upside down. I still remember the day he handed it over—he was grinning like he’d just given me the keys to a brand new Ford pickup. The pendant looked cheap. I thought it was a joke at first. But when I held it, it felt heavy in my palm, like it was humming with secrets only I couldn’t hear.

Back then, after I got the pendant, everything changed. Suddenly, I was winning every poker game at the casino. It was like the deck was stacked just for me.

The regulars started throwing me side-eye, whispering behind their hands. I tried not to notice, but their stares burned holes in my back. The dealers would watch me stack my chips, half-expecting I’d pull some sleight of hand. But the cards always fell my way, no matter what.

My wife saw the $40,000 I’d brought home, pulled me in for a kiss, and grinned: “You really are my lucky charm! Go play for even bigger stakes!”

She looked at me like I was the goose laying golden eggs. Her lipstick smudged on my cheek. I should have felt lucky. Instead, I felt...something else.

My mother-in-law beamed, promising to watch over her daughter so I could focus on gambling.

She made it sound like a favor, but the way she smiled, I could tell she was already counting the money. She even started packing my lunch, always chirping, "You just worry about the tables, honey. We’ll hold down the fort."

From that moment, my luck shot through the roof. Every bet I placed, I won, like the universe was dealing me a royal flush. Part of me loved it. Part of me was terrified.

It was almost scary how easy it all became. Even the pit bosses started hovering a little too close, but nothing could touch me. I felt untouchable, like the world finally owed me a break.

My wife splurged on a new designer purse, and my mother-in-law hit the spa, racking up a fortune on my card.

They strutted around town with their new things, posting pictures on Facebook and Instagram, tagging me with little hearts and winks. My phone buzzed nonstop with payment alerts. It was like my bank account had turned into the town wishing well.

But then, something downright bizarre happened—my daughter and I started getting age spots and wrinkles for no reason at all.

At first, it was just a couple lines at the corners of my eyes, a little gray in my beard. My daughter, not even ten, started complaining her joints ached. Her skin felt thin, papery. It was like we were both stuck in fast-forward.

We went to the hospital for a check-up, only to be told our bodies were aging like we were both ninety. I laughed at first. Then I saw the doctor’s face.

The doctors stared at us like we’d stepped out of a medical freak show. They poked, prodded, ran every test in the book, but nothing made sense. I felt like a science experiment gone wrong.

No doctor could figure out why.

One specialist even brought in his colleagues, whispering in the hallway, sneaking glances at us through the glass. I caught words like "unprecedented" and "impossible." It made my skin crawl.

I knew something was off, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

I went over everything—what we ate, where we’d been, anything out of the ordinary. I couldn’t shake the feeling the answer was right under my nose, just out of reach.

But on my way to investigate, I suddenly suffered a stroke. I was trapped in bed from then on, helpless as a child.

It hit me like a truck—one moment I was striding down the street, the next I was on the ground, my body refusing to move. The world spun, my fingers barely twitching. Panic clawed at my chest.

Before I died, my brother and my wife stood by my bedside, kissing each other without a care in the world.

They didn’t even try to hide it. Right there, inches from my hospital bed, their hands tangled together, lips pressed tight. It was like I’d already disappeared from their world. My heart twisted. Was I even still here?

“Finally dead. Now all the money we won is ours!”

My brother’s voice was cold, smug. He didn’t even glance at me, just kept his arm around my wife like I was already six feet under.

“We’ve also gotten rid of that money-sucking burden. From now on, our family can finally live well.”

My wife’s tone was pure ice, her smile twisted. That’s when it hit me—her idea of "family" never included me or my daughter.

Only then did I realize every single problem started with the pendant my brother gave me.

I tried to speak. Tried to scream. Nothing came out. The pendant burned against my chest. I knew, deep down, it was the root of all this.

When I opened my eyes again, I’d been given a second chance.

I gasped for air, blinking at the bright lights overhead. My hands worked, my heart pounding in my chest. I wasn’t in a hospital—I was somewhere loud, smoky, and alive.

I turned over the pendant and found a line of words:

"Another’s life for my fortune!"

The words shimmered in the dim light, like they were written just for me, daring me to make the same mistake again. Daring me. Just like before.

“Hurry up and lay down your cards, it’s your turn.”

The voice snapped me back to the present. I looked up, saw the familiar faces, the green felt table, the mountain of chips. It all came rushing back—I was at the casino, right at the moment everything went to hell.

Hearing that familiar voice, I finally understood—I’d been reborn.

My hands shook, but this time it was with purpose. I knew what was coming, and I wasn’t about to let it happen again.

Back to the moment of life and death at the casino. The air was thick with cigar smoke and tension. I could hear the slot machines chiming in the distance, the low hum of conversation, the sticky heat of too many bodies packed into one room. My skin prickled.

At that moment, I’d already placed my bet, ready to show my hand.

The chips were stacked high in front of me, my cards face down. Sweat dripped down my temple as the dealer eyed me, waiting for my move.

I knew for sure I’d win, but my daughter—God, I could already feel it—her heart would give out the second I flipped my cards.

It was like I could see the future play out—the moment I showed my hand, her life would start slipping away, just like before.

Her body would age as if she were ninety, spending the rest of her life bedridden, hooked up to oxygen, robbed of her childhood.

The memory of her tiny hands clutching the hospital sheets made my chest ache. I couldn’t let that happen. Not again.

So…

I had to get out. My heart pounded. Panic clawed at my throat.

I glanced around, searching for an exit, but every door seemed to close tighter the more I thought about running.

Just as I was about to slip away, the casino staff caught on.

They moved fast—two burly guys in black shirts blocked the only open path, arms crossed. The room seemed to shrink around me, the air growing thick.

One by one, the bouncers glared at me, daring me to try anything.

Their eyes were hard, unreadable. One cracked his knuckles, the other just smirked, like he’d seen this play out before.

“You’ve already put your money down. Trying to ditch your cards now?”

His voice was slick, threatening. The other gamblers at the table leaned in, eager for the drama.

The boss slammed a hunting knife on the table, splitting it with a loud crack.

The blade glinted under the fluorescent lights, biting into the wood. Everyone jumped, but no one said a word.

His voice was icy and threatening.

He leaned in, breath thick with whiskey and cigarettes. "You think you can just walk out after winning so much? It’s not that easy!"

“If you want to bail after the game starts, you’ll have to pay with a hand! Think it over.”

He tapped the knife against his palm, slow and deliberate. The message was clear as day, and my skin crawled.

I couldn’t stop shaking.

My hands trembled so badly I nearly dropped my cards. My heart hammered against my ribs, my mouth dry as cotton.

My brother, standing nearby, tried to talk me down:

He put on his best concerned face, but his eyes flickered with excitement. "Evan, since you’ve already bet, why not just finish this round?"

“Your daughter has a bad heart. Her medicine and hospital bills cost a fortune!”

He laid it on thick, piling on the guilt. "You know how hard it’s been. You can’t just walk away now."

“Your mother-in-law has high blood pressure, and your wife still owes her boss money. You’re the only hope for this family.”

Every word was a weight on my shoulders. He made it sound like I was the selfish one for wanting out.

“If you win this round, you won’t have to worry ever again!”

He leaned in, voice low and urgent, like he was sharing a secret meant just for me. I could smell the desperation on him.

My wife chimed in, “Exactly! Don’t be so selfish. Can’t you think about our family for once?”

She rolled her eyes, arms crossed, like I was just being dramatic. "You always make things harder than they need to be."

The two of them took turns guilt-tripping and coaxing me to keep playing.

Their voices blended together, pushing and pulling, until I felt like I was being smothered by their expectations.

It felt like there was no way out.

I looked around, desperate for an ally, but all I saw were hungry faces waiting for me to crack.

I forced a smile. Inside, I wanted to scream. “When did I say I wasn’t going to play?”

I put on my best poker face, trying to sound casual. My voice came out steadier than I felt.

They looked me up and down, noticing my pale lips and sweaty forehead. It didn’t look fake, so they bought it.

They exchanged a quick glance, satisfied that their trap was still working. The tension in the room eased, just a little.

But they still posted four bodyguards at the door, giving me just ten minutes.

They made a show of it, lining up like sentinels. One even checked his watch, tapping his foot impatiently. My nerves jangled.

I immediately pulled out my phone, but the casino had jammed all cell signals for privacy.