Rolling Against Death
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1. The High-Stakes Gamble (Tom's POV – Facing the Death Roll)
The arena was silent.
Tom's opponent, the hooded figure, held out the massive golden die, letting it hover between them. The weight of fate pressed down on Tom's chest as he clenched his fists, unable to rely on anything but pure chance.
Azarek's voice rang out from above. "The rules are simple. Roll the dice. Highest number wins."
Tom exhaled, steadied his heartbeat. The dice in his opponent's hand gleamed as it spun in place, waiting to be cast.
"Let's see if you can survive without luck, Gambler," the hooded figure murmured.
And then, they rolled.
The die clattered against the stone floor, spinning wildly before settling.
Tom looked down.
His roll: A 7.
He swallowed hard, turning his gaze toward his opponent's die.
It tumbled to a stop.
A 9.
The crowd roared.
Tom felt ice in his veins. He had lost.
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2. The Price of a Loss (Tom's First True Consequence in the Dice Realms)
Azarek smirked, leaning forward in his seat. "You know what that means."
The golden chains around Tom's wrist tightened.
The hooded figure took a step forward, their voice like wind over an open grave.
"You have lost something," they whispered.
Tom gritted his teeth, expecting pain, expecting something to be ripped away—but then he felt it.
A memory.
A piece of himself… fading.
His name.
Not Ravik.
Not the Gambler.
Not Tom.
It was gone.
The realization sent a jolt of terror through him. He still remembered his training here, his dice rolls, his losses—but his true self was slipping away.
Azarek's gaze was unreadable. "A loss is a loss. You don't get to choose what's taken."
Tom clenched his fists. No. No, he wasn't letting this happen.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to think.
If luck wasn't an option, then what else did he have?
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3. Fighting Fate With Skill (Tom Refuses to Accept the Loss)
The dice lords played by the rules of probability, but Tom had spent his whole life playing against fate.
And he wasn't about to stop now.
His fingers flexed as the feeling of loss settled in his chest. The golden chains binding him to his fate tightened, but something shifted in his mind.
His dice were still in his hands.
And in the Dice Realms, the game wasn't over until it was over.
Tom took a step forward, voice steady. "Double or nothing."
The crowd gasped.
Azarek's eyes glowed with interest. "Bold. But are you prepared for the stakes?"
Tom's fingers tightened around his dice. "If I win, I take back what's mine—and I want answers."
Azarek smirked. "And if you lose?"
Tom's pulse pounded. He didn't know. He had already lost his name, his identity. If he gambled again and lost, what else would he have left?
But then—his instincts kicked in.
He wasn't just gambling anymore.
He was controlling the table.
He lifted his dice, meeting his opponent's gaze with steel in his eyes.
"Then I'll find another way to win."
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4. The Dice Gods Take Notice (The Hidden Beings Watching Tom's Gamble)
Somewhere beyond mortal sight, something shifted.
The Dice Gods had been watching.
A mortal who had lost his name, his past, his future—and yet, he still challenged fate itself.
A ripple spread through the fabric of probability.
And for the first time, one of the Dice Gods leaned forward to watch.
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5. The Rematch – Betting Against the Universe
Tom threw his dice.
The crowd held its breath.
This time, he didn't just roll.
He willed it.
Not luck.
Precision. Calculation. A shift in probability so small it didn't break the rules—but it bent them just enough.
The dice clattered, glowing faintly as they landed.
A 12.
Perfect.
His opponent's dice landed a moment later.
A 10.
Silence.
Then—the crowd erupted.
Azarek's slow clap echoed over the arena. "Well played, Gambler. Well played."
The golden chains around Tom's wrist dissolved.
His mind steadied.
And for the first time since arriving here—his true name echoed in his thoughts.
Tom Peters.
The first piece had returned.
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6. The Next Step (Azarek Reveals What's Really Happening)
As the crowd began to disperse, Azarek motioned for Tom to follow him into the shadows beneath the arena.
"You remember now, don't you?" the Dice Lord murmured.
Tom hesitated. "Not everything. But something."
Azarek smirked. "Good. Because someone has been trying to make sure you don't."
Tom's stomach twisted. The Council.
Azarek's golden dice twirled in his fingers. "You're not the first to try and control luck. But you might be the first to actually do it."
Tom exhaled. He had won today, but this was only the beginning.
And now?
Now he was playing a game that even the Dice Gods were watching.
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