Run: 2026-02-22-01KJ390PDPJF164TWPNRAEEDXM

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. "Tardy, as always," Gregor muttered, eyes fixed on his ledger as he traced a thick finger down a column of numbers, his frown deepening. Elena set the package on the counter. "The bridge was out. I had to take the long way around," she explained, a hint of apology in her tone. Gregor's gruff response came without looking up. "Not my concern." He unwrapped the cloth and held the crystal up to the light, where it caught the sun and threw tiny rainbows across the stall's canvas roof. His frown intensified. "This isn't what I ordered." She had expected 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 asserted, her voice firm. "Blue quartz, uncut, from the northern mines. I watched them pull it from the rock myself." Gregor turned the crystal slowly, examining every facet with meticulous care. He brought it close to his eye, then held it at arm's length, his gaze narrowing as if appraising a precious gem, though his dealings were in far stranger commodities. With a resigned sigh, he set the crystal down. "Fine. But next time, wrap it properly. The edges are exposed," he cautioned, producing a small leather pouch from beneath the counter, the coins inside clinking softly as he slid it toward her. Elena scooped up the pouch and weighed it in her palm, her expression turning skeptical as she felt its lightness. She loosened the drawstring and counted: eight silver crowns. They had agreed on ten. "We agreed on ten," she stated flatly, her gaze locking onto Gregor's. A thin, practiced smile that never reached his eyes crept onto Gregor's face. "That was before the bridge fee went up," he countered, his voice laced with a hint of finality. "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 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 would reach the bridge before dark.