May pondered for a minute what she wanted to investigate first. The Casino atmosphere was overwhelming, and she needed to concentrate. She had in her mind the things she saw in the mirror, and every card she had looked at the weeks before. Something was off about it all; she felt it, and yet, she couldn't pinpoint exactly what. It was the feeling of something strange happening; people would call it intuition.

  It was natural that May tried a card game first. And yet, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she should try something different this time. Maybe she would wait to try a card game together with Karina. But what would she play now?

  A young man approached May; he was wearing an elegant suit and appeared to be close in age to her and Karina.

  "Hey, good evening. You look a little lost. Is it your first time here?"

  "Oh." She answered with a smile. "Is it too obvious?"

  The man returned her smile before he said:

  "Based on the confusion on your face, I would assume that yes. By the way, my name's Victor. What's yours?"

  "Nice to meet you, Victor. I'm May."

  "Well, May. What kind of games are you after? What kind of thrill entices you?"

  "I don't know, not exactly. I guess I would like to play something simple."

  "Hum, simple, you say. The roulette is really entertaining and simple. You know, you say a number, you say a color. Then there's a spin, and the ball goes on and on. You win or lose, depending on your luck. Do you have a favorite number? People always like to bet on their favorite numbers."

  "The roulette seems interesting. Could you take me to one?"

  "Oh, sure." He took one of her gloved hands. "Come with me."

  Silently, May hoped that Karina wasn't watching the scene. Her friend would be a little scandalized about it. Didn't she know that May liked to immerse herself in the missions? And if it meant pretending to be a clumsy lady and letting a man guide her, that would do it.

  "Here it is. Look, there are already a lot of people playing here. The roulette is quite popular. I guess people like the emotion."

  May noticed a group of men and women who watched the ball spin. They screamed joyfully when it landed on a number. The girl decided to observe everything first. She noticed how the women had lots of jewelry around their necks. The spinning ball shone almost as bright as the diamonds surrounding it. A man looked particularly anxious as he looked at the small sphere. His hands contracted in fists, and his mouth moved in silence; it almost seemed like he was praying.

  Victor observed May with a smile on his face:

  "It looks like you enjoy watching the game. Don't feel like taking part?"

  May bit her lip as she answered:

  "Not yet. I mean, it appears to be quite easy. But I prefer playing when I fully understand what I'm doing." She tried putting naivety in her voice, as she knew it was important to keep in character inside the Casino.

  "Oh, but there's nothing complicated about the roulette. You know, as far as I'm concerned, the roulette is all about choices."

  "Choices? How so?"

  "Yeah, choices. You see, even before you bet on a number, everything runs against you. What are the odds? What are the chances? Of course, this is made so the odds are in the house's favor. But here lies the fun of the thing: if, for a mere whim of Lady Fortune's hand, you find yourself on the winning side. Then you would bless the day you chose betting on that number!"

  May suppressed a giggle, and she covered her mouth with both of her hands.

  "Oh, Mr. Victor! That's quite a thought. But why would I choose something that I'm bound to lose?"

  "Don't you see that that's the fun of it? Don't you find thrill in the thought of losing it all before conquering? Allow me to show you."

  Victor picked coins from inside his pocket. May saw as he placed his bet on a number, although because of the people in front of her, she didn't see what the number was.

  Once again, the roulette spun to one side, and the metallic sphere revolved to the other. She observed Victor's expression as he concentrated, almost as if he was able to move the sphere with his mind.

  "Oh, I could do so..." May thought to herself and smiled. But she needed to test other things first. At least, if there was any magic involved in the game. She didn't feel that anything came from it, but it could be hidden. But what kind of thing could she do to make it apparent?

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  "*Revelare.*" She muttered under her breath, silently so that nobody would notice. She took advantage of the fact that Victor was completely focused on the spinning ball.

  And there it was, a faint trace of magic that worked behind the game. It didn't appear to influence the game itself. And May wasn't exactly qualified to tell what it did just by looking at it. She lacked experience in that field. But that didn't bother her, as she counted the mere fact of recognizing the presence of magical power as a victory.

  The roulette stopped, and Victor's smile was as wide as possible.

  "Guess it's my lucky day."

  "So you won. Was the rush of adrenaline worth it, Mr. Victor?"

  "That's the thing. It's always worth it. But what do you say, wanna play it too?"

  May pondered for a moment. She had the money, thanks to the Agency. And it didn't seem to be *that* bad playing. The girl, of course, would keep an eye on the magical activity. If they wanted to succeed on the mission, Karina and her would need to play a couple of games. They needed to blend with the gamblers at the place.

  "Okay, let me see. I wanna bet on this number." May picked some of her coins and placed them at the number 13.

  "A fine choice, if I might say so."

  May felt that the people at the table surrounded her. Their eyes were mesmerized by the spin of the ball. The numbers ran and became a blur. Even she, if she really paid attention, could get lost in the moment. The lights at the Casino, the song of money, wealth, and games being played. Yes, she could get lost. Especially when the ball spun so beautifully. Every time it got close to the 13th, May felt her heart skip a beat. It was almost like falling in love. And when it stopped at the number, the entire crowd exploded in cheers. It was dizzying, and it felt different from everything. She caught her breath as she said:

  "Wow, I can see the appeal of the game. It's so fun. And wow, I thought I was about to lose, but when it fell on the 13... I can't even explain, it's marvelous."

  "That's the feeling! I told you so. There is something about the roulette that is hard to explain. It's almost like magic."

  Something clicked in May's mind. Magic? It was like the happiness had been drained from her. And then everything felt exaggerated. Why was she so happy about the game anyway? And the way the people cheered... Something was different, something was strange.

  Victor looked at her, worried by the sudden change of expression. The way her face frowned, a few different emotions crossed her mind at the moment.

  "Is there anything wrong...?"

  "I-I don't know. I guess it was just an uneasiness. Maybe it was something I ate or the heat of the summer. I feel a little dizzy."

  "Well, it might be. The roulette can be quite intense, too, you know? Take it easy, why don't you sit a little and enjoy the game from afar?"

  May nodded and ruffled her dress as she sat and watched how the other people played. They were happy, and the cheering didn't stop. She saw as Victor placed more and more bets. He lost some, and then won some more. She didn't know much about the roulette, but the little she knew made her think that the game should be more difficult. At least, she believed people would lose a lot more. But the people who played in front of her seemed to be winning as much as they were losing.

  Once again, the girl tried to feel the magic and read the magical energy around the room. Was there something influencing the people who played the game? She hated that she was too weak to interpret and understand the magical patterns. It appeared to be simple, so she didn't suspect anything.

  Victor sat close to her. His posture relaxed, and he had a relaxed smile painting his face. May thought that he looked satisfied with the results he got.

  "So, are you feeling any better?"

  "Yes, I am. It was nice resting for a little while. I mean, I was just a little overwhelmed by everything here. It's all so pretty and shiny."

  "I get what you say. It can be too much at times. But I'm glad that you feel better."

  "But please tell me. Did you win a lot? What happened?"

  "Oh, yeah, yeah. Luck was by my side; it's been a good evening. I'm confident I will make some money tonight."

  "I hope so. And now that I'm better, I can start trying my luck too." May giggled with her own words. Sometimes it was pretty easy playing the silly girl. And she knew that it would help a lot in the mission.

  "Do you want to try other games?"

  The girl pondered for a little. She should try different things, but at the same time, she wanted to see if there was anything wrong with the roulette.

  "I don't know for sure. I want to get the gist of the roulette first. I feel like I might be facing a winning streak."

  "That's nice. You know, I feel it too. Winning for the first time playing? You sure are something else."

  May didn't have a mirror in front of her, but feeling how her face heated up, she was sure of what she looked like at that moment.

  "That was a nice surprise. Let's see if I can do it again." May said and placed some of her coins on the 19.

  Once again, the roulette spun to one side, and the croupier released the metal sphere to the other side. This time, May focused her magical power. She needed to be subtle and not get distracted by everything. When her powers interacted with the enchantment on the roulette, she felt something. Even though she couldn't pinpoint what it was.

  "I'm sure Karina would have a good guess of what this magical power is, at least if she were with me." May thought to herself.

  The exploding cheers caught her attention; the ball had landed on the 19. May smiled and looked to the sides. She felt more in control of the feeling, and it didn't overwhelm her.

  "Well, guess fortune's a friend to you. And if I might say, the roulette seems to really suit you." Victor said as he reached closer to her.

  "It was fun. I never imagined it would be this entertaining."

  "Well, once you start playing it, it's hard to stop. I'm glad you liked it. Do you feel like continuing to play?"

  "Oh, no. I guess I'm good for now. And by the way, I promised I would play with a friend. I believe she's at the slot machines."

  "I guess they're nice too, the slot machines. You should try them too, although they can't compete with the roulette. Maybe it's something about the people watching and cheering and playing."

  "I think you're right, Mr. Victor. Thank you for your company." May said sheepishly. The girl adjusted her dress and waved goodbye to the man. Her pocket was full of coins, and her mind was a storm of different questions.