Run: 2026-03-25-01KMJ8FD5MPJXECSYQDW9WFGTA

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 remarked, without lifting his gaze from the ledger. He ran a thick finger down a column of numbers and frowned. Elena set the package on the counter. "The bridge was out. I had to take the long way around," she pointed out. "Not my problem," he grumbled. He unwrapped the cloth and held the crystal up to the light. It caught the sun and threw tiny rainbows across the stall's canvas roof. Gregor's frown deepened. "This isn’t what I ordered," he declared. 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 asserted. "Blue quartz, uncut, from the northern mines. I watched them pull it from the rock myself," she added. Gregor turned the crystal slowly, examining every facet. He brought it close to his eye, then held it at arm's length. Elena believed he resembled a jeweler appraising a diamond, though Gregor traded in stranger things than fine baubles. He placed the crystal down and sighed. "Fine. But next time, wrap it properly. The edges are exposed." He shoved beneath the counter and retrieved a small leather pouch. The coins inside clinked as he slid it toward her. Elena grabbed the pouch and tilted it in her palm. It felt light. She loosened the drawstring and counted: eight silver crowns. They had settled upon ten. "We agreed on ten." She stated the words flatly. "That was before the bridge fee escalated." Gregor smirked — a thin, practiced expression that failed to reach his eyes. "Choose, then," he declared. "Accept it or refuse it." She accepted. She always did. The outer ring deprived her of options, and Gregor understood that as well as she did. Elena strode past the market and into the crooked lanes beyond. The sun lingered low over the rooftops, and the shadows sprawled long across the cobblestones. She tucked the pouch into her satchel and quickened her steps. At a brisk pace, she could reach the bridge before dark.