Run: 2026-02-22-01KJ39W2FQT5E3GMK79NXZCKXA

The market square hummed with the chatter of a hundred voices. Mirabel forced her way through the throng, her bag pressed firmly against her chest. She understood that the trader would not wait — he never paused for anyone, especially a girl from the outer circle. "You're late," Aldric remarked without lifting his gaze from his record. He ran a hefty digit down a column of figures, furrowing his brow. Mirabel placed the parcel on the counter. "The bridge had collapsed, so I had to take a detour." "That's not my issue." He unravelled the fabric and examined the gem, holding it close to the sunshine. As it sparkled in the light, casting miniature rainbows across the canvas roof of the stall, Aldric's frown intensified. "This is not what I ordered." Mirabel had anticipated such a response. The aged merchant always found fault in everything, regardless of their pristine state or otherwise. Defiantly, she folded her arms. "It is exactly as you ordered," she asserted. "Uncut blue quartz from the northern mines. I personally observed its extraction from the rock." Aldric rotated the crystal meticulously, examining each facet. He brought it close, then further away, scrutinizing it as a jeweller might a diamond, though Aldric's trade was in peculiarities beyond jewellery. He placed the crystal back down and sighed. "Fine. Nonetheless, next time, package it appropriately. Its edges are exposed." He reached below the counter and produced a tiny leather pouch. The coins within made a sound as he slid it towards her. Mirabel grabbed the pouch and felt its weight in her hand. It felt insubstantial. She loosened the cord and counted: eight silver crowns. They had decided on ten. "We settled on ten," she stated calmly. "The bridge fee hike was an unforeseen circumstance." Aldric offered a practiced smile, thin and devoid of warmth in his eyes. "Either take it or leave it." She took it. She consistently took it. The outer ring offered few alternatives, and Aldric was well aware, just as she was. Mirabel strode out of the marketplace, navigating the confined alleyways beyond. The sun had nearly set over the rooftops, casting elongated shadows across the cobblestones. She slipped the pouch into her bag and hastened her stride. If she hurried, she would reach the bridge before nightfall.