Jay left Rafael's house with a big smile on his face. It was going really well with Tiffany, she seemed to like talking to him and he managed to make her laugh. Maybe he had a chance with her after all! He hadn't dared to ask her out yet, not with Rafael's mother listening nearby, if only an opportunity presented itself...

He should have thought more seriously about what Rafael had told him. Spirits, shamanic magic, sneaking into a church... it was crazy! However, a leopard cannot change its spots, and he had always been a romantic. He understood his friend's concern about Leonard's disappearance, but he couldn't stop thinking about Tiffany's delicious smile.

I just need a bit of luck to make it happen, he thought.

Jay stopped abruptly on the sidewalk. A bit of luck? Of course, that was it! He replayed everything Rafael had told him about spirits... Yes, it should be possible. He clumsily traced the basic rune in the air, forming a plan in his head. It was bold, foolhardy even. Jay shrugged, he'd do fine. It's not like he had much to lose anyway.

All he needed was a bundle of money, and he knew exactly where to find it. Jay headed for the family restaurant. His father wouldn't be happy with what he was about to do, but then again, he was never happy... one more beating wasn't going to change anything. He replayed his plan in his mind and the resolution grew in him. He was going to do it!

Thirty minutes later, Jay finally approached his father's restaurant. His whole body was tense and the pressure was still building with each step. He clung to his usual casual attitude, everything would be fine, as long as he didn't run into his father anyway. He glanced at his phone: 18:18, a lucky number, and all the employees would be in the kitchen getting ready for the opening.

Jay walked nervously to the back door, took a deep breath, and rushed in. No one there. Perfect. He quietly climbed the stairs and crept toward the office, his ear to the ground. All he heard was the sound of dishes coming from the kitchen. So far so good. Jay entered the office without further delay and headed straight for the safe.

He knew the combination, he had always known it. It was the date when the anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat began. That was when his father chose to leave India to escape the violence. His mother, pregnant with him at the time, followed and the rest was history. It had been the right choice for sure... but his father had kept a lot of bitterness from it and an immoderate taste for alcohol.

This was not the time to dwell on the past. Jay entered the safe's combination and an auspicious click was heard. Inside were envelopes with important documents, bottles of rum and feni, and, above all, three large bundles of money. Three thousand euros worth of cash. Jay's hand trembled a little as he reached for the money, but he grabbed it firmly, and put it in his bag without showing any hesitation.

I did it, he thought to himself as a cold sweat trickled down his back. No turning back now.

All that remained was to slip away unnoticed. Jay clutched his bag and walked out of the office. The coast was clear. He made his way down the stairs with ease and then opened the back door. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the outside, the hardest part was over.

"Jay? What are you doing here?"

Damn! Lady Luck is a fickle mistress!

It was the cook, a cigarette in his mouth. Such a bad habit. Jay put on an innocent face and waved.

"Hi Rohan. I was just grabbing something for my mom. How's it going today?"

Rohan shrugged. "He's only had one shot of whiskey down the gullet so far, it should be fine."

As long as he doesn't open the safe at least, Jay thought with a shadow of guilt.

"I gotta go," he tossed to Rohan with a deceptive smile. "I still have a lot to take care of before tomorrow. Good luck tonight!"

Jay scurried off without further ado. He was afraid his father or another employee would suddenly show up. The situation was bad enough as it was. He hugged the bag a little tighter with satisfaction. Everything hadn't gone as planned but he had the money, the second part of his plan could begin.

December 30, 8:00 pm, at the Green Lion Casino.

Less than two hours later, Jay's bus arrived in front of the largest casino in the city. It was an impresive white building with columns and large windows. The name of the establishment sprawled in big gold letters over the entrance. Jay approached and the familiar sound of slot machines reached his ears.

The doorman waved to Jay. "Hey buddy, looking for work again? I think the boss would like an extra for New Year's Eve."

"Not this time Max," he replied. "Today, I'm a customer!"

Max raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Did you win the lottery or something?"

"No," Jay replied with a laugh. "But I'm counting on winning the jackpot tonight!"

He didn't wait for Max to answer and walked into the casino. It was still early, the main room was mostly empty which suited him just fine. Jay went straight to the roulette wheel and waved at the dealer. He didn't know her, probably a new recruit.

"How can I help you?" she asked.

Jay pulled the cash out of his bag and tossed it on the table. "I'd like chips of ten for three thousand euros, please."

She flashed him a bright smile, no doubt pleased with the activity he was bringing her. She must have been bored before, because there was only one other player at the table, and he seemed to only play small amounts. That said, she was friendly in vain because her smile was not half as nice as Tiffany's. He was going to bet everything he had on her.

Twenty-six. It was a February twenty-six when I met Tiffany for the first time.

He remembered it as if it were yesterday. Her parents had just divorced and she had transferred to his high school. When he had seen her appear in the schoolyard, it had been as if an angel had descended from heaven. That image was burned into his brain and he hasn't stopped thinking about her since. It was love at first sight! He had never told anyone about it of course, they would have laughed at him.

The dealer was waiting for his bet. "Six chips on the twenty-six straight up," he said in a confident voice.

"Six on the twenty-six," she repeated as she slid them back into place.

The dealer immediately threw the wheel with an expert gesture, while Jay, his eyes fixed on the twenty-six, traced the magic rune that Rafael had taught him. Just a bit of luck, he hummed in his head, she's my lucky charm.

"Three red, odd, and manque," announced the dealer. "Place your bets!"

He had lost but the ball had fallen just short of twenty-six, he had a good feeling about what was to come. Jay bet on the same number and repeated the runic sign as the wheel spun. This time it would work, he was sure of it!

He lost again, and again. But he kept betting on twenty-six without stopping, it was going to work, it had to work! After thirty bets, he had lost almost two thousand euros, and the dealer looked at him with compassion. She had advised Jay several times to diversify but he had not listened to her. She's my lucky charm, he thought again as he traced the rune. It can't be otherwise.

"Six on the twenty-six," he insisted.

And he continued to lose. The roulette table had gradually filled up, and six other people were now trying their luck alongside Jay. Of course, they weren't using the same amounts as he was, and they weren't concentrating on only one number. You could see in their eyes that they thought Jay was a fool for playing this way, and maybe he was.

Was it out of blind confidence or because losing so much money was addictive? In any case, Jay kept betting until he had only six chips left. His last sixty euros. After that, his spending spree would come to an end, and he would have to accept his defeat.

No point to stop here, Jay thought. All in!

He prayed as he placed his last chips. He loved Tiffany with all his heart, it couldn't be any other number. The dealer threw the wheel. This time Jay's gaze was not fixed on the twenty-six, but followed the ball. The wheel began to slow down. By reflex, he traced the shamanic rune in the air like the previous times. It was at this point that Jay felt as if the world was splitting before his eyes, as if he were seeing a new aspect of things that transcended everything he knew. At the same time, he felt a strange connection being made, dozens of threads running from him to each person in the casino.

Something was running through them, some kind of magic bubbles, an immaterial energy that was filling him little by little. The ball was still spinning. It was as if time had slowed down. He involuntarily continued to absorb the energy coming from the threads until he was completely full. It felt as if he had eaten too much, but the feeling did not last as the energy abruptly disappeared and time resumed its course.

"Twenty-six black, even and pass," the dealer said, giving Jay a congratulatory smile. Even the bank could have feelings sometimes.

He had won thirty-five times his bet, two thousand one hundred euros! This was not far from what he had at the beginning, but Jay wasn't interested in how many chips he received. All his attention was focused on one token that was glittering in the middle of the others. After a while, right in front of him, a four-leaf clover appeared where there was nothing before.

Jay shook with excitement. He reached out surreptitiously to grab the token and put it in his pocket. No one seemed to notice, and he sighed with relief. Everyone was too focused on the new bets to look at his chips. His hand did not leave his pocket, clasped around the token, and through that contact he felt the same connection as before. The threads that linked him to the others. He knew he had succeeded in getting the blessing.

"Six on the twenty-six," he said again. Except this time, his hand was clutching the token and not tracing the shamanic rune in the air.

The dealer and the other players seemed oblivious to the shift that had occurred. They bet. The wheel spun. As the ball began to slow down, Jay felt the shift again. The token heated up in his hand and he felt the energy stored in it decrease.

"Twenty-six black, even and passe," said the dealer, frankly surprised this time. "Congratulations sir!"

Jay smiled stupidly. He now had over four thousand euros in chips in front of him. It made him laugh out loud. He was blessed by the luck spirit! His life would changed dramatically, just like this! He stretched his willpower, absorbed a little more of the other players' luck and announced with confidence:

"Six on the twenty-six!"

The dealer gave him an uncertain sidelong glance but accepted his bet. The roulette wheel spun and, as Jay had expected, he once again felt the tilt and the loss of spiritual energy that went with it.

"Twenty-six black, even and passe," said the dealer.

Three times in a row! He had won the straight up three times in a row for a total of over six thousand euros! He let out a shout of victory that startled his neighbor. It was fucking awesome. He was the king of the world! As Jay rejoiced, the others began to look at him strangely, and several players called a bet on twenty-six just as he had done. Jay thought it was probably best to stop while he was ahead. He'd seen in the movies what happened when you won too much at the casino, and he'd probably already stretched the limits...

Jay changed his chips into cash and stuffed them into his bag under the envious gaze of the others. Then, with one hand clasped around the token in his pocket, and the other clutched on his bag, he hurried for the exit. Jay left the casino in a trance. It was dark now and he was afraid that someone would follow him to take his money; or worse, his lucky clover token. It would be so bad to screw up now! He kept looking behind him as he walked down the street, but apparently he was worried about nothing because he didn't see anyone following him.

When he was five hundred meters from the casino, Jay allowed himself a little dance in the street. He had succeeded. He knew that the twenty-six would bring him luck! Starting from now, he could use his magic powers to win money at the casino as needed. This meant that he would be able to move out and be free of his father's abuse. Not to mention that Rafael wouldn't be the only one with shamanic powers tonight, a little more magic was bound to come in handy.

I'll have a fucking great life now!

Jay looked at his phone, 11:10 p.m. They were supposed to meet at 3 a.m so he still had time... He had promised Rafael to rest to be in shape, but considering his state of excitement it wasn't going to be possible. All had changed, he had all the luck he needed right at his fingertips now! He looked up at the stars for a moment, then dialed Tiffany's number. It was late, it was not the right time. It was never the right time, but he didn't matter anymore.

"Hello?" said a sleepy voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey Tiffany, do you know that you're my lucky charm?" asked Jay.

"Jay? What's the matter, you been drinking?"

"No," he replied. "You know I don't touch alcohol. It's just that I was looking at the stars and it made me think of you. Would you like to go out for a drink sometime?"

Silence. Jay's fingers was fiddling with his token in his pocket.

"I'd love to," Tiffany finally replied. "After New Year's?"

"Yes, after New Year's," nodded Jay. "It's great!"

He smiled stupidly at his phone as if she could have seen him; and, he didn't know why, but he imagined her doing the same. Neither of them said anything for a moment, then Jay added, "I really like you Tiffany, you're such an angel."

He heard her laugh before she replied: "Thanks."

They said goodbye and hung up. Jay felt like his heart was going to explode with happiness. Life was such a beautiful thing. He had magic, money, the starry sky above his head, and a chance with the girl he loved. This night was just perfect.

He continued to walk home singing at the top of his lungs, laughing when passersby changed the sidewalk to avoid him. They probably thought he was drunk, but he was only drunk of happiness. Rafael had said that their lives were going to change, that the whole world was going to change. He was already enjoying it!

Jay arrived home a little before midnight. Everything was dark. He quietly opened the front door and headed for his room. He had barely reached the lounge when the lights suddenly came on. Jay stopped in his tracks and blinked, completely dazzled. The smell of his father reached him before he could see or hear him, an old sweat and alcohol stench which permeated the entire living room. He braced himself for what was to come but couldn't help to shudder when he heard:

"I was waiting for you, dirty little thief!"