Trevor brought out his points card with a slightly trembling hand. The moment the allocated Future points were deducted from his balance, a sharp pang shot through his chest. His heart bled. Those points weren't just numbers on a digital screen; they represented years of relentless, back-breaking work. Because he still hadn't fully awakened his abilities, the only jobs available to him paid miserably low Future. And now, watching those hard-earned points vanish into thin air felt like a cruel joke.
The girl standing behind the small makeshift table smiled at him, then they placed a thick black cloth over the three identical wooden boxes arranged neatly in front of them and began shuffling them rapidly. The boxes slid and spun across the table with deceptive speed, their movements almost hypnotic.
A crowd had gathered once again, pressing in closely. Everyone watched with intense focus, hoping desperately that the humiliating failure they had witnessed earlier with the previous man was nothing more than a fluke. The man who had lost his points earlier still lingered nearby, arms crossed tightly over his chest, his face etched with a mixture of bitterness and lingering curiosity.
Trevor refused to sit back passively. He leaned forward slightly in his seat, eyes narrowed in concentration. Quietly, he activated his ability and reached into the swirling currents of the future, straining to glimpse exactly where the prized watch was hidden. The visions came in fleeting flashes, but they were enough to give him a direction.
When the shuffling finally stopped, the girl dramatically pulled the black cloth away with a flourish, revealing the three innocent-looking boxes once more.
"Okay, pick a box," she said, her voice light and melodic, carrying that sweet, inviting smile that had already fooled so many.
According to the information Trevor had received from his brief sight into the future, the watch should be in the box on the right. Yet after witnessing what had happened to the man before him, doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind. His hand hovered uncertainly over the three boxes, fingers twitching with hesitation. The crowd held its collective breath. After several long seconds of internal debate, Trevor finally made his choice and pointed to the middle box.
The girl opened it with a dramatic gesture. Nothing. The box was completely empty.
A wave of collective groans and gasps of shock rippled through the onlookers. It had been the right box after all. Murmurs of disbelief spread quickly. It seemed that not everyone who glimpsed into the future received the same clear result. The seed of suspicion that had already been planted in the crowd now grew rapidly. One by one, people began turning away, shaking their heads in frustration and disappointment. The excitement that had filled the air only moments ago was rapidly dissolving into skepticism.
Reason told Trevor that he should stand up and leave with the rest of them. Walking away now would be the smart, logical decision. But an inexplicable urge surged through him once again, gripping him tightly and forcing him to remain seated on the worn wooden stool. His body felt strangely heavy, as if invisible chains held him in place.
Alvin, who had been standing a few steps behind, noticed immediately and walked over with concern written all across his face.
"Dude, it's over. We really need to go now," he urged, placing a gentle hand on Trevor's shoulder.
"No," Trevor replied firmly, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. He turned his gaze back to the girl. "Let's do this again."
"Are you sure?" she asked, her bright smile returning instantly. When the crowd had started dispersing, she had looked a little gloomy, her shoulders slumping slightly at the thought of lost business. But now, seeing this determined young man willing to continue, her eyes lit up with fresh excitement and greed.
"Okay, little bro, start it up again," she called cheerfully to the boy.
Once more, the black cloth was placed over the boxes, and the rapid shuffling resumed. The rhythmic sound of wood sliding against the table filled the air.
The people who had already begun walking away paused in their tracks when they realized Trevor wasn't moving. They exchanged glances, then couldn't resist calling out warnings, their voices laced with genuine concern and frustration.
"Brother, it's clearly a scam! You're just wasting your hard-earned money."
"Yes, listen to us, please. You won't be able to get that watch from them no matter how many times you try."
More and more voices joined in, offering advice and pleading with him to stop before he lost everything. The words washed over Trevor like a tide, but he remained unmoved. He raised his hand politely to quiet them.
"Thank you all for your concern," he said calmly, meeting their eyes one by one. "But I can make my own decisions."
The girl continued smiling warmly, though inwardly she doubted he had much money remaining. If he were wealthy, she would have been thrilled at the prospect of extracting even more points from him. Still, many curious onlookers stayed behind, drawn in by Trevor's unusual confidence and refusal to give up. The atmosphere grew thick with anticipation once again.
After the shuffling ended, the black cloth was removed with the same theatrical flair.
This time, Trevor followed the vision he had received precisely and chose the middle box without hesitation.
The girl opened it slowly. Once again, it was empty. The watch had actually been in the box on the left.
A deep, collective sigh swept through the remaining crowd. They had expected disappointment, yet a small spark of hope had lingered in their hearts, wishing for an unexpected miracle. That spark was now extinguished.
But Trevor refused to surrender after this latest setback. Driven by a stubborn determination that even he couldn't fully explain, he continued playing round after round. Each loss chipped away at his remaining points until, eventually, he was left with only his last five Future points — the final remnants of years of exhausting labor before any of them had awakened their true abilities.
Alvin stepped forward again, his voice urgent and laced with worry.
"Dude, it's really over now. You've lost enough. Let's just go."
The sheer weight of what Trevor had thrown away in such a short time hit him like a physical blow. Those points represented countless sleepless nights and grueling days of low-paying work. Losing them all in what appeared to be a simple street game was heartbreaking, almost soul-crushing.
Trevor was about to push himself to his feet when Omar, who had been watching silently from the side, finally spoke up.
"Hey kid, why don't you try looking into the future of the boy doing the shuffling instead?"
Trevor blinked in surprise. "Is that even possible?"
"You managed it in the hospital when you looked into the futures of Alvin and Emilia," Omar reminded him calmly. "You can do it here too."
"But last time it cost me half of my lifespan," Trevor protested, hesitation clear in his voice. "If I push myself like that again, what will happen to me then?"
"Don't worry," Omar reassured him, his tone steady and confident. "This time I will help you. You will still lose some lifespan, but it won't be nearly as severe."
Trevor nodded slowly, steeling himself for what was to come. He focused his gaze on the young boy behind the table.
"One last time," he said to the girl, sliding his nearly depleted points card across the table toward her.
The girl should have been beaming with joy at the sight of yet another transaction, but instead a cold wave of unexplained dread washed over her. She couldn't pinpoint where the uneasy feeling was coming from, yet it settled heavily in her stomach, making her smile feel slightly forced.
Trevor then delved into the boy's future. Thanks to Omar's assistance, his eyes did not turn milky white, and no streams of blood trickled down his face. However, a fierce, splitting headache still exploded behind his temples, threatening to overwhelm him.
The images arrived in blurry, fragmented pieces, but they were clear enough for him to piece together the truth.
As the boy shuffled the boxes with practiced skill, the watch remained completely stationary in its original position. It was never moved or swapped at all.
That realization meant that anyone using basic future sight should have been able to locate the watch easily. So why did everyone keep failing?
While Trevor was still processing this, a new detail emerged in the vision. The boy discreetly reached down and brought out a small, sleek black device, placing it carefully under the table where no one could see.
"A Time Disruptor," Trevor thought, the pieces finally clicking into place. That was how they manipulated the game. That hidden device interfered with people's glimpses into the future, causing them to perceive the wrong location and always choose incorrectly.
With this newfound knowledge burning brightly in his mind, Trevor understood exactly why the crowd had failed repeatedly and which box truly held the watch.
After the black cloth was removed for the final time, the girl spoke with her usual sweet, melodic tone, though her voice now carried a faint undercurrent of nervousness.
"Pick a box."
Trevor didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second. With absolute certainty, he pointed directly at the box on the right.
For a brief moment — so quick that most people would have missed it entirely — the boy behind the table froze. His hands stiffened mid-motion. The reaction did not escape Trevor's sharpened senses.
The girl stepped forward, her movements slightly less fluid than before. She lifted the chosen box with both hands.
There, resting elegantly inside, lay the watch they had all been chasing.