Run: 2026-02-22-01KJ332EA6ESMD201PB2S9YV34

The market square buzzed with the sound of a hundred voices. Elena pushed through the crowd, her satchel clutched against her chest. She knew the merchant would not wait — he never waited for anyone, least of all a girl from the outer ring. “You’re late,” Gregor grunted, not looking up from his ledger. A thick finger ran down a column of numbers as he scowled. Elena placed the package on the counter. “The bridge was out. I had to take the long way around.” “Not my problem.” He unwrapped the cloth and lifted the crystal to the light. Sunlight caught its surface, scattering tiny rainbows across the stall’s canvas roof. His frown deepened. “This isn’t what I ordered.” She had expected this. The old man always found something to gripe about, whether the goods were perfect or not. Arms crossed, she held her ground. “It’s exactly what you ordered,” she shot back. “Blue quartz, uncut, from the northern mines. I watched them pull it from the rock myself.” Gregor turned the crystal slowly, inspecting every facet. He brought it close to his eye, then stretched his arm to view it at a distance. He looked like a jeweler appraising a diamond, though Gregor dealt in stranger things than jewelry. He dropped the crystal onto the counter and exhaled. “Fine. But next time, wrap it properly. The edges are exposed.” Reaching beneath the counter, he pulled out a small leather pouch. Coins clinked faintly as he pushed it toward her. Elena snatched up the pouch and tested its weight in her palm. It felt light. She loosened the drawstring and counted — eight silver crowns. They had agreed on ten. “We agreed on ten,” she stated, voice flat. “That was before the bridge fee went up.” Gregor smiled — a thin, practiced twist of the lips that never touched his eyes. “Take it or leave it.” She took it. She always took it. The outer ring didn’t offer many choices, and Gregor knew that as well as she did. Elena left the market behind, vanishing into the narrow lanes beyond. The sun hung low over the rooftops, shadows stretching long across the cobblestones. She slipped the pouch into her satchel and quickened her pace. If she hurried, she would reach the bridge before dark.