Impoverished and disheartened, Raphael left Pauline and headed to the casino to try his luck, only to lose his last coin. Fate granted him a magical piece of shagreen leather, capable of fulfilling all his desires. In his newfound life of luxury, he won the heart of the beautiful Fedora. Yet the leather’s power came with a rule: with every wish granted, it would shrink slightly, and its owner’s life would shorten accordingly. Raphael indulged in using the leather, swiftly exhausting his own life.