Run: 2026-02-22-01KJ38FXDZMW2PDXZXE0EZAWSE

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. "Late," Gregor muttered, his eyes still glued to his ledger. His thick finger ran down a column of numbers, and his face contorted in a scowl. Elena set the package on the counter. "The bridge was out. I had to take the long way around," she explained. "Not my problem," Gregor gruffly stated, his gaze flicking to the package but never her face. He unwrapped the cloth and held the crystal up to the light, watching in silence as it caught the sun and threw tiny rainbows across the stall's canvas roof. His frown deepened. "This isn't what I ordered." She had anticipated this. The old man always found something to complain about, whether the goods were perfect or not. Elena crossed her arms and stood her ground. "It's exactly what you ordered," she said firmly. "Blue quartz, uncut, from the northern mines. I watched them pull it from the rock myself." Gregor turned the crystal slowly, examining every facet, his expression unreadable. He brought it close to his eye, then held it at arm's length, scrutinizing it with the intensity of a jeweler appraising a diamond, though Gregor dealt in stranger things than jewelry. He set the crystal down and let out a sigh. "Fine. But next time, wrap it properly. The edges are exposed." He reached beneath the counter and produced a small leather pouch, the coins inside clinking softly as he slid it toward her. Elena picked up the pouch and weighed it in her palm, her brow furrowed in concern. It felt light. She loosened the drawstring and counted: eight silver crowns, two short of what she had anticipated. They had agreed on ten. "We agreed on ten," she stated flatly, her eyes narrowing. "That was before the bridge fee went up," Gregor retorted, his thin, practiced smile never quite reaching his eyes. "Take it or leave it," he said, his tone unwavering. She took it, knowing full well the name of the game. The outer ring didn't offer many choices, and Gregor knew that as well as she did. Elena walked out of the market and into the narrow lanes beyond, the sun hanging low over the rooftops, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. She slipped the pouch into her satchel and quickened her pace. If she hurried, she might just reach the bridge before dark.