Chapter 19: Threat
A golden wheel appeared on the blue screen, a white ball spinning rhythmically with the wheel.
The background music grew louder.
Without much thought, Johan eagerly pressed the ODD at its center, just beside the EVEN button.
The wheel trembled as if coming to life.
The wheel spun.
Red. Black. Red. Black. Green.
The background music grew even louder, but Johan didn't even notice it anymore.
His world had narrowed to that tiny ball spinning at the boundaries of the golden wheel, his heart hammering up his throat.
Fingers laced behind his head, he leaned back at the toilet seat, letting his soft hair be the pillow, looking like a king about to command an army.
"Come on, seventeen... Daddy needs it."
His lips curled into a grin—not desperate, but electric.