Chapter 2

I tried to suppress my shock and keep my expression steady as I walked back to the table. But my hands wouldn't stop trembling.

I pushed the cards in front of me away, my throat dry. "Lucy, I'm a bit tired and dizzy… I don't want to play anymore."

I was about to stand up when Eva grabbed my hand. Her smile remained kind, but she gripped my hand tightly. "It's New Year. How could you stop playing just because you won some money? Come on, two more rounds to make it even."

"Yeah, Milo." Lucy looked at me, a barely noticeable urgency in her eyes. "It's still early. Let's play a few more rounds. I'll rub your shoulders for you."

Zayn didn't say anything. He just looked at me with a complicated expression on his face.

The cards in my hands felt ice-cold, and the chill seeped through my palms into my heart.

Something was seriously wrong.

I suddenly remembered what Hector had said before I left. "Milo, if anything feels off, come back immediately. I have a bad feeling Lucy is up to no good."

I absolutely couldn't keep playing anymore. I'd get some sleep and leave first thing in the morning.

"I'm really tired. I'm done playing!" I yanked myself free and turned to leave.

"Don't go!"

All three blurted out at once. There was obvious anxiety on their faces.

That confirmed my suspicion, and I hurried toward the room.

The protective charm against my chest suddenly burned hot. Its voice rang out in panic. "Don't leave! If you stop the game now, your soul lamp will go out immediately! Do you want to end up in a coma?"

I froze, unsure whether to walk away.

"Uh, Eva, Lucy." Zayn suddenly spoke up. "Just let Milo rest in the room for a while. I have some calming essential oil. Apply it to his temples and let him relax before coming back to play, okay? It'll only take a few minutes."

Lucy and Eva exchanged glances. They seemed to think Zayn's suggestion was acceptable.

Eva let go of my hand and smiled. "Alright. Zayn, take care of Milo. Come back soon. We'll be waiting."

Zayn took my hand, and we quickly walked over to the room at the end of the corridor. The moment the door closed, his smile vanished.

"Did you realize something was amiss?" His voice was low as he gripped my arm.

I stared at him suspiciously.

"I didn't want to come over at first." Zayn's expression became grim. "But I had no choice. When my grandpa fell sick last year, they paid my bills. I owe them big time. They told me I just had to play poker with you and keep you happy. I didn't know this was a life-swapping ritual!"

His voice trembled. "Eva isn't just an ordinary businesswoman in Toria. She's a famous witch over there. Lucy's brother has been in a vegetative state since a car crash two years ago, and no treatment has helped.

"Eva became obsessed with finding someone to trade lives with her son. Do you know what the requirements are?"

Zayn stared at me, his words deliberate. "The man must be born during the witchiest hour of the night, with blessings written in his birth chart. He also needs a red birthmark on the back of his left shoulder."

My mind went blank.

The witchiest hour of the night?

My grandma, Eliza Kushner, used to stroke my head and sigh. "You were born during the witchiest hour of the night, yet you carried blessings within you. Your misfortunes and blessings go hand in hand. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing…"

And I'd had a red birthmark on the back of my left shoulder since I was a child!