Flip the card that calls...

Let, let, let's roll thе dice, yeah
Change the game inside out
Throw it, nice shot
Destiny's in this hand, babe

The woman's body contorted in pain as we reached the bed. Her face was ashen, and a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her skin.

"I feel so sick," she managed to whisper, slowly rolling onto her side to hold her head over the edge of the mattress. Izumi reacted quickly, rushing into the bathroom. She held a bucket just in time as the patient vomited.

"Her body's still fighting the infection. She seems to be resistant to the prescribed antibiotic. Keep an eye on her," I instructed Izumi, glancing again at the sparse patient file. "I'll check if Ann has anything else on hand."

Izumi nodded, gathering the patient's hair to keep it out of the way. The pungent smell of vomit hanging in the air made my recently eaten ramen churn in my stomach. I moved away, working my way systematically through Ann's medication supplies-but to no avail. My gaze shifted to the bulky steel safe in the corner.

Did she keep the stronger antibiotics in there?

I sighed, grabbing a morphine injection and a bottle of electrolyte solution. At the very least, it would compensate for her fluid loss and temporarily relieve her pain-though it was powerless against the infection ravaging her body. Only Ann had access to the safe. Maybe this was my chance to get the code.

As I headed back to the room, I heard low voices. I paused by the slightly open door, hoping to catch some of the conversation:

"...try closing your eyes and imagine everything is as it once was. The world is as it used to be, and you're back home with your family. What's the first thing you'd do?"

Izumi's words were gentle, like a soothing melody. The tone of her voice was both rough and soft, innocent yet comforting-a fascinating contrast that kept me lingering at the door longer than necessary.

"I...I'd tell my mom I'm sorry," the patient replied weakly. "We had a terrible argument before I came here, and ever since, all I've wanted is to ask her forgiveness."

"I understand, but I'm certain she'd forgive you, no matter what you did. We all make mistakes and say things we don't mean when we're angry. She surely knows deep down that you love her sincerely. And if you hold on now, you'll soon have the chance to tell her yourself. Just don't give up, okay?"

I could hear a genuine smile in her words. The conviction in her voice was almost admirable, given the woman's current state. Izumi seemed like a true optimist.

A faint sob reached me, and Izumi's voice immediately returned to comfort:

"If you could go back to any moment you shared with her, which one would it be?"

I could tell what she was trying to do, and I couldn't deny that she was doing it well. With her open but calming manner, she was skillfully redirecting the patient's focus-a talent that could prove useful in the infirmary.

"It was a while ago. We went to a..."

I pushed the door open, and the woman's words trailed off as I entered. All eyes turned to me as I went straight to work. I drew morphine from the vial and injected it into the patient's IV line, watching her reaction carefully. Then I added the electrolyte solution to her IV bag. My sudden entrance had silenced their conversation. But I noticed Izumi nodding at the woman reassuringly, squeezing her hand.

"We'll have to wait for Ann to return," I told Izumi once I was done. "She has the combination to the safe with the stronger antibiotics. Until then, all I can do is manage the symptoms."

"I'll go find her," she offered without hesitation.

Her initiative didn't surprise me.

"Fine. I'll stay here until you're back."

It wasn't long before she returned with Ann. Though she looked slightly more rested than in the morning, Ann didn't seem thrilled about being called back prematurely.

"I was thinking of administering aminoglycosides or glycylcyclines, but I couldn't find anything suitable," I informed her when we were alone in the room.

"That's because I keep those locked away. I only use them when absolutely necessary."

"In my opinion, that's the case here. According to her records, she was given broad-spectrum penicillin, but it doesn't seem effective. Her symptoms point to an infection."

Ann nodded thoughtfully as I waited for her decision.

After a moment's consideration, she walked over to the safe and bent down to enter the combination, shielding the keypad with her hand.

Of course, Ann wouldn't give me the code on the first day. I'd almost expected that.

When Ann retrieved the medication from the safe, she handed it to me.

"Thank you," I said as I took it. "It would be helpful to know the code for the future."

"You'll get it when I'm sure I can trust you. Let's just say you didn't exactly make the best first impression."

I sighed softly. It seemed I would need patience not just with Izumi. I'd likely have to work harder to earn their trust. Manipulating people wasn't difficult for me, but it could be tedious to keep up a facade. Then again, it was also a welcome challenge-like another game to win. And so far, I seemed to have a decent hand.

Ann assigned Izumi and me to the upcoming night shift since she would be participating in a game that evening. The night shift meant we'd be dealing with injuries from the games again. I sincerely hoped it would be quieter this time, especially since Izumi didn't even know the basics needed for this job. Even if there were fewer emergencies than the previous day, working with her as an assistant would still test the limits of my patience. I hated working with incompetent people. That was one of the few things that could truly make my blood boil when provoked. But I couldn't exactly blame her, given that she'd only started this job yesterday. Expecting miracles would be unreasonable. And in this world, you couldn't be too picky. I tried instead to see the advantage: working closely with her might bring me closer to my goal.

"Before tonight's meeting, Hatter wants to see you," Ann informed me as she released us from duty later in the afternoon. Izumi was still in the other room, presumably playing therapist for the patients.

I sighed.

"This will surely be a pleasant conversation."

"You brought this on yourself," she replied curtly. But her expression softened quickly. "However, I do acknowledge that you saved Izumi's life, no matter your mysterious reasons for doing so. I think even Hatter will see it would be foolish to execute you for that, especially since I could really need your help here. I've put in a good word for you, which I think has softened him a bit."

"You didn't need to bother. I can handle Hatter on my own," I said dismissively, turning to leave.

I heard Ann sigh behind me.

"Fine, do as you like, but be back here by 10 p.m. I'm counting on both of you."

I waved my hand dismissively as I closed the door behind me.

◇

My knock on the heavy wooden door had barely faded when it swung open. Last Boss' tattooed face greeted me, staring with those vacant, psychotic eyes.

This place really is a breeding ground for lost souls.

"Hatter wanted to see me. Here I am," I said to the bald man, who remained frozen in the doorway.

He let out a stuttering, bone-chilling sound that sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. It took a moment to realize he was laughing, his eyes wide and wild.

"Well, look who it is-the traitor," he rasped, his voice piercing like the clash of rusty katanas in battle.

Ignoring his comment, I took a step forward, intending to push past him.

"May I?"

Looking slightly bewildered, the bald man stepped aside. Clearly, he wasn't used to someone meeting him with indifference rather than fear. Like a silent shadow, he followed me to the grand staircase that led down to the opulent living room of the luxury suite. There he stopped abruptly, resuming his role as guard.

Hatter stood by the large windows, seemingly waiting for me. To my surprise, he was alone. Not a single scantily clad woman was in sight, nor any clinging to his arm as living decorations. This suggested that our conversation was to be more serious. His entire demeanor was colder and more distant than usual today.

"Could we have a moment alone?"

He directed these words to Last Boss. I turned to watch as he nodded and slowly trudged back to the door.

"Let's sit," Hatter suggested, grabbing a whiskey glass from the sideboard and glancing over his dark sunglasses at me. "Drink?"

"Not necessary," I replied, sinking into the ornate armchair that was far more comfortable than it appeared.

Hatter approached and settled a short distance from me on the sofa, swirling the whiskey and ice in his glass. After taking a sip, he set it on the table in front of him, removed his sunglasses, and looked up at me with an unusually serious expression.

"Chishiya..." he began with a heavy sigh. Almost unconsciously, I slid my hands back into my pockets and leaned back. Here came the lecture, without a doubt. "Ann has thoroughly briefed me on last night's events. You can imagine my surprise when I heard about it. Chishiya, a close and trusted member of the council, turning out to be the traitor. I never would've thought you'd betray me. I'd have staked my reputation on it. But people can surprise you, can't they?"

He looked at me expectantly, eager to see how I'd respond.

I shrugged and reached into the bowl of savory rice crackers on the table in front of me.

"What do you want me to say? A woman nearly bled out in front of me. I saved her life by bringing her here. Since when is that a crime?" I asked nonchalantly, crunching on the rice snack.

Hatter frowned.

"I wouldn't have pegged you for someone so selfless, Chishiya. Maybe I misjudged you there, but it's not so much about you wanting to help someone. It's the fact that you tried to keep it hidden from the Beach until the last minute, even though you had multiple opportunities to come clean. If I recall, you even voted for your own pardon."

"And yet I came forward in time, didn't I?" I countered.

Hatter leaned back, crossing one leg over his knee, regarding me in a way I hadn't seen before. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was a trace of admiration in his expression. It took him a moment to respond.

"You're pretty clever, Chishiya. You know I'm in a position where I can't really hold you accountable. Of course, I could still have you executed if I wanted. I could even declare the last vote invalid due to the circumstances. But that would be incredibly foolish, given that you're far more valuable to me alive."

"Thanks, I'm flattered," I replied with a sarcastic undertone.

My comment elicited a dry laugh from Hatter.

"You perform exceptionally in the games, especially with the Diamond attributes; no one rivals you there. It would be a real shame to lose you as a Beach member, and now that you're assisting Ann in the infirmary, you've become even more indispensable to our community. I assume you're aware of this."

"I had a hunch," I replied, reaching into the bowl for another snack. This meeting was well worth it just for the refreshments.

"However, I'm sure you'd agree that my people should be loyal to me. I need absolute trust from everyone here at the Beach, especially my council members. You're still on my side, aren't you, Chishiya?"

Hatter's face took on a serious expression again, his piercing gaze fixed on me. He didn't spell it out, but I could hear the underlying warning in his words. I thought of the game cards I planned to steal from his suite. If everything went according to plan, Izumi would be the perfect distraction to help me achieve my goal. At the very least, I'd play the loyal follower until those cards were in my hands.

I gave a slight smile.

"Of course," I replied. "That's why I joined the Beach-to gather the cards and return in the end."

A bold-faced lie, but I'd say whatever was necessary to convince Hatter of my supposed loyalty.

He stared at me silently, as if trying to read my true intentions.

"That's not enough for me," he said, abruptly standing after almost a full minute. Placing his hands behind his back, he began pacing with quick, almost frantic steps. "I need proof of your loyalty. I need information. Information about the military group. I'm certain they're plotting something. Something aimed against me. They're becoming increasingly uncontrollable, especially Niragi. That guy's volatile, and he's influencing Aguni in a direction I don't like."

An interesting turn. He was scared. He seemed to finally realize what I had seen coming for some time: the military group was spiraling out of control.

"So you want me to keep an eye on them?" I inferred.

"I want you to keep a particular eye on Niragi. With Aguni by his side, he feels untouchable here. I need to know if he's plotting something. Every detail, every piece of information is valuable to me, understand? I can't afford to have them turn against me. That would mean the end of the Beach and the peace we've painstakingly built."

His words made me scoff inwardly.

He executes traitors without a second thought and then talks about peace. His peace was probably worth as much as the peace promised by past dictators-absolutely nothing.

"Fine, if that's all," I said, standing up from the chair but not without grabbing one last cracker from the bowl. "I'll try to listen in and keep tabs on Niragi."

Hatter stopped in front of me and nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Only report to Mira if you find anything worth noting. I trust her. Anything else would only raise unnecessary suspicion."

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

Her, of all people?

"Fine," I replied, eager to leave the King Suite behind. I was about to turn to go, but Hatter's voice stopped me.

"Wait, I have something else for you." I watched as he turned and disappeared into the adjacent room, presumably the bedroom. Through the slightly open door, I saw him open a closet and bend down to something. There was a short beep followed by a soft click. Though I couldn't see much, I was certain he'd just opened a safe.

Was that where he kept the cards? If so, why was he opening the safe in front of me?

Hatter may not have been the smartest, but he wasn't foolish. He wouldn't be careless enough to reveal where he kept his most prized possession. In a world where cards were almost as valuable as gold or diamonds, he'd likely choose a more secure hiding place.

"Here," Hatter said, handing me something as he returned. I looked down at the inconspicuous item in his hand. It was a playing card, not one of those typically won in the games.

It was a Joker.

I hesitantly took it to examine it more closely. The image in the center showed a wide-grinning cat's face, with the familiar "We're all mad here!" from the children's book printed beneath in black letters.

I raised my eyebrows at Hatter.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked suspiciously.

"It's a free pass. Show it before the game assignments, and you can choose your number freely. It allows you to keep an eye on Niragi if necessary."

"Wouldn't it eventually seem suspicious if I kept ending up in the same games as him?"

"That's why you should use it sparingly and wisely. Only a few people at the Beach possess such a card. I only give them out when I deem it necessary."

I nodded, realizing how Mira had ended up in the same game as me recently. I was now certain she also had a Joker card. That explained things.

I'd be a fool not to accept this gift. It could definitely prove useful to decide which team I ended up with.

So this was the reward for betraying the Beach. All I had to do was spy on Niragi and report back to Hatter. How amusing.

After leaving Hatter's suite, I triumphantly pulled the card from my pocket and held up the Cheshire Cat's grinning face against the light. This card was almost like a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.