(I'm so sorry this is late. Things have been very emotional in my town. I couldn't focus. This is a really weak chapter so I'm sorry that it couldn't make it better)
"Hey," Fedyor came across Marie and Sergei. In death they all decided to let go of what was holding them back. Let's just say Sergei got a beating from Marie and Fedyor when he arrived.

"Hey," Marie replied. "What's going on?"

"I've decided to bet my life," Marie's eyes widened.

"Do you think your good enough?" Fedyor nodded.

"I've been training for the past few months. I mean its just betting your life. It can't be any worse."

"Do it. What are you going to lose?" Marie said.

"Ok,"

"Can you fully explain what is going to happen?"  Sergei asked. Marie turned to him.

"You bet your life and if you win you can reincarnate." Sergei nodded.

"What do you lose if you don't win?"

"I'm already dead. Your point? No one really says what happens when you lose. They don't like to talk about it." Sergei grew exasperated.

"I hate this! Why?! This fucking sucks! Why can't we just move on! Without troubles?"

"Because we all don't deserve to go off without troubles." Fedyor walked away from the pair. He walked into the main hall. He saw the man dressed in gold. It was a long gold robe that was religious in nature. Fedyor slammed his hand right across from him.

"I'd like bet my life!" The hood covered his eyes and nose so all he could see was a familiar smirk that he couldn't place. He nodded and moved a deck of cards across the table laying it out in a very stylish way. A voice appeared in his head.

"Blackjack..."

Fedyor nodded.

"Hit me," one card passed to him from across the table.

Six.

Fedyor nodded again. "Hit me," another card.

Four.

That made ten. If he was playing with someone else he would pass on the next turn. But he wasn't. "Hit me,"

An ace.

Fedyor's eyes widened in delight. That made 21. If he made it an 11 which he would. He would reincarnate back to the living world.

"It's an 11," he smirked. It was a quick game, but then again it was always quick game when played without any other people. "I win."

"You're wrong..." Fedyor was horrified.

"What do you mean?" The masked man moved his face up a little bit. He saw his eyes, a familiar grey color. Fedyor stumbled back and fell on the ground he tried to get away. The masked man grabbed Fedyor revealing his face.

"Hello Fedyor, it's been awhile."

"How?" Fedyor was terrified. "They said you were getting taught by the Sankts?"

"I wanted out and I replaced my grandfather. You're all mine now."

"Why?"

"I couldn't have you in life but now I have all of you. Forever. Alina lost her power and I seized control. Your fates are mine. I'm not letting you reincarnate, Fedyor, I want you all to myself. Now let me show you what happens to people who defy me." Shadows enveloped his body and squeezed him.  His life was flashing before him again. These were different though. All memories of his time in the Ravkan Second Army. He felt all the pain of when he was injured. It felt all so real. Then he died.

Fedyor sat up.  Fedyor was on his couch. Kaz was looking at him weird. He had a cold look in his face.

"Thought dead bodies weren't supposed to sleep?" His raspy voice reached his ears and Fedyor shivered.

"Yes,"

"What?"

"I'll help you! I want him gone."  Kaz crossed his legs in satisfaction.

"That's great, I thought I was going to have to dig up dirt on you. Or rough you up a bit." Kaz stood up and walked to Fedyor. "Now, care to explain the change of heart?" Fedyor rose up and towered over him.

"Not particularly," Kaz shrugged and turned away.

"Suit yourself. Now do me a favor?"

"What?"

"I'm sure we can't defeat The Darkling on our own, I'm used to working in a team and you've been here far longer than me, so..."

"So what?"

"Help me put together a team, I know who want to be our first member, so put together four other people," Kaz ordered. Fedyor nodded.

"Who is the first member?"

"Alexei the Mapmaker," Fedyor nodded in approval.

"Makes sense, he knows the place in and out. He kinda keeps to himself. How do you plan to get Alexei to help us?" Kaz smirked.

"Simple, I'm going to win in a game." Fedyor shook his head.

"He's actually really good, I don't think you can beat him." Kaz looked up at Fedyor.

"Well he may be good, but I'm better." Fedyor was cautions in how he was approached Kaz.

"What do you mean?"

"I ran a casino when I was alive."

"Y-you ran a casino?!" Kaz nodded.

"Yes, when I was part of the Dregs, I mean, when I come back to life." Fedyor wheezed and grabbed the top of the couch. He started to laugh. Kaz walked towards him. "You doubt me?"

"Of course!" Fedyor was flabbergasted. "It's impossible to come back to life well, without a heartrender that is, and besides you've been dead for hours. There's no way." Kaz looked like he was debating something in his head. He moved his hand to grab Fedyor's. He shook his head and retracted his hand. "Are you alright?" Fedyor tried to touch  Kaz's shoulder. Kaz then slapped him so hard Fedyor almost stumbled back.

"I don't like being touched. But I have a heartbeat. I assure you I'm alive." Kaz clapped his hands, his gloves masking the sound slightly. "Now let's go get Alexei." Kaz left the room suddenly, leaving Fedyor to follow. They reached the Casino rather quickly. Kaz spotted Alexei rather quickly. He went after him, leaving Fedyor in the lobby. Fedyor could see Kaz approaching him. He was whispering in his ear. Alexei was currently throwing dice. He scowled. He didn't want to be bothered. Fedyor looked at the doors in order to keep his view of Kaz clean.

XxX

Kaz smirked near Alexei. "You're going to lose." Alexei scowled. But still he kept his eyes on the game. He tossed a card on the table. The person across from him smiled and tossed another card that was higher than Alexei's

"I win Alexei. " Alexei gave an almost cheerful scowl. If that was even possible.

"Damn you, Mikhael,"  Mikhael left Alexei and Kaz "alone" while laughing. "So what do you want Kaz?" Kaz put his hand down on the card table and smirked.

"Let's play cards, if I win, you do me a favor and if you win I'll come in handy later?" Alexei, defeated, nodded.

"Fine, What do I have to lose? I'm dead."

"Good," Kaz sat down in Mikhael's seat. He grabbed the cards left behind by Mikhael and shuffled. "Let's play 'Go Serpent'." Alexei nodded and grabbed five cards from the newly shuffled deck. Kaz did the same and set the cards down in the middle of the table.

Kaz had a six, a jack, nine, two, and a queen.

"Any sixes?" Alexei nodded. He gave him his six. One pair, two to go.

"An eight?" Alexei asked. Kaz shook his head.

"Go Serpent, any jacks ?" Alexei nodded again.

"What the fuck? How do you keep winning?!" Kaz smirked.

"I don't know."

"Gimme a ten!" Kaz shook his head again.

"How about a two?" Alexei's widened in delight.

"No! Go Serpent!"  Kas grabbed the card on top. Kaz looked at the card and smirked. He showed it to Alexei.

"I win," Alexei slammed his hands on the table.

"How!?!?!"  Kaz's smirk twisted into a Cheshirelike smile.

"I'm just good." Kaz slowly got up thinking about his limp. When he stepped he remembered it was gone. He whispered again in Alexei's ear. "You're going to help me rescue Matthias." Alexei scoffed.

"That means we are taking down the Darkling. I would've said yes is you just asked."

I'm really sorry. This chapter is really weak.  But I promise i have better plans for the next chapter. I liked a couple elements in this chapter but I don't think it was on par with the others.