if (game.play() === true) { return "The House Always Wins"; }

In a universe where fate is decided by the shuffle of a cosmic deck, four archetypal players gather at the table to play a game older than time itself. The King of Hearts seeks love that always eludes him, the Queen of Diamonds hides her emptiness behind a mask of glamour, the Ace of Spades believes control is the answer to everything, and the Joker knows the trick to surviving chaos is to embrace it. But as the game unfolds, they soon realise that every hand is rigged, every strategy flawed, and the true power lies not in the cards they play but in the unseen force that deals them.

In this philosophical and darkly humorous tale, the stakes are high, the rules ever-shifting, and one truth remains unshakable: no matter how many times you play, The House Always Wins—but the game goes on.

Read the short story [runtime=”24m”]:

Soundtrack (made with Suno AI): The Mirror Play