Lukas carried the envelope to the table and sat down.
He turned it over in his hands first, checking the outside.
It was made out of plain paper and had no markings or seal. He had no way to tell who had sent the letter nor anything that differentiated it from any other envelope he had ever seen.
With his checks complete, he opened it.
Inside it were two things. A playing card and a folded note.
He retrieved the card first, noting the surface. It was a joker card, but that wasn't the important part.
It was the fact that the card had the same design as the deck they'd used in the cafeteria game.
It had the same interlocking lotus pattern on the back, and the surface had a few bumps to feel the number and suit of the card.
With a frown, he set it on the table and unfolded the note.
It was handwritten and it read:
"You've passed the preliminary round, Mr. Lukas. You've been invited to participate in the real game. Carriage 122. Midnight. Come alone."
