Run: 2026-02-22-01KJ38K66E4C3QGAHNDHCK0EWQ

The market square hummed with a hundred voices, all layered together like the clatter of a thousand coins. I shoved through the crowd, my satchel pressed tight against my ribs, the straps digging into my shoulders. I knew Gregor wouldn’t wait—I’d never been the kind of person he waited for, especially not a girl from the outer ring. "You’re late," he said, not even glancing up from his ledger. His thick finger traced down a column of numbers, his brow furrowing like he’d just discovered a flaw in the world itself. I set the package down on the counter. "The bridge was out. Had to go the long way around." "Not my problem," he muttered. He unwrapped the cloth, revealing the crystal inside. Sunlight hit it just right, and the thing burst into tiny rainbows across the canvas roof of his stall. Gregor’s frown only deepened. "This isn’t what I ordered." I’d known that would happen. The old man always had something to nitpick, no matter how perfect the goods were. I crossed my arms and stood my ground. "It’s exactly what you ordered," I said. "Blue quartz, uncut, straight from the northern mines. I was there when they pulled it from the rock." Gregor turned the crystal slowly, inspecting every facet like it was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. He held it up to his eye, then pushed it away, squinting. For a second, I thought he looked like a jeweler, but then I remembered—Gregor dealt in things far stranger than glass and gold. He set the crystal down with a sigh. "Fine. But next time, wrap it properly. The edges are exposed." He reached under the counter and pulled out a small leather pouch. The coins inside clinked as he slid it toward me. I scooped it up, weighing it in my palm. It felt lighter than it should have. I loosened the drawstring and counted: eight silver crowns. We’d agreed on ten. "We agreed on ten," I said, my voice flat. "That was before the bridge fee went up," Gregor said, that thin, practiced smile stretching across his face—like a knife blade, sharp but never reaching his eyes. "Take it or leave it." I took it. I always took it. The outer ring didn’t offer many choices, and Gregor knew that as well as I did. I walked out of the market and into the narrow lanes beyond. The sun hung low over the rooftops, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. I tucked the pouch into my satchel and quickened my pace. If I hurried, I’d make it to the bridge before dark.