[41] An exchange with 9 Lives

Under the veil of the night, the city's stony silhouette was barely visible against the indigo sky. The quiet rumble of the Veridian river acted as a soothing background to the tense anticipation of the impending encounter.

As I stood underneath the stone arch of the bridge, the flicker of a lantern in the distance gradually grew stronger. The cobblestone path echoed with the faint sound of footsteps, growing louder as a figure clad in a dark cloak approached.

"9 Lives, I presume?" I said, keeping my tone neutral yet firm.

The cloaked figure stopped a few steps away, his face shrouded by the depths of his hood. He extended a gloved hand, revealing a small velvet box.

"I was told you wanted to see the Star of Veridian," the thief's voice was soft, yet held a dangerous edge, like a blade sheathed in velvet.

I nodded, my eyes never leaving the box in his hand. "Show me," I demanded. There was no room for error here. We had to make sure it was the real jewel before proceeding.

As the thief lifted the lid of the small velvet box, a radiant light broke through the darkness. Resting within the protective cushion of the box was a breathtakingly beautiful jewel, glinting in the faint lantern light. The Star of Veridian, a gem the size of a walnut, possessed an ethereal glow. Its light danced, creating mesmerizing reflections on the thief's gloved hand. It was an unusual jewel of purest clarity, its facets flawlessly cut to reflect every beam of light that passed through it, producing an illusion of a small star trapped within.

After taking a moment to confirm the jewel's authenticity, my attention turned back to the thief. "I believe you've upheld your end of the deal, 9 Lives." I reached into my pocket, pulling out five small orbs. They were high-level pearls, each one flawlessly round and smooth with an opalescent sheen. Each was worth 2 million gold.

"Here is your payment," I said, holding out the pearls in my palm. Their lustrous surface glowed with a soft radiance under the dim light, a testament to their immense value. "Five pearls, each worth 2 million gold, as agreed."

With a swift flick of the wrist, 9 Lives tossed the box holding the Star of Veridian into my hands. Simultaneously, I offered him the palm holding the pearls. For a moment, our possessions exchanged hands. A split second later, a thick smoke cloud engulfed us.

"Thanks for the tip, rich guy!" A muffled voice echoed in the dense smoke. I could feel the tips of my fingers empty, the pearls were snatched away. The thief had taken advantage of the obscured visibility to grab both the pearls and the Star of Veridian back.

A chuckle escaped my lips, hidden by the dense smoke screen. "Just as planned," I murmured to myself, my grin widening.

Q: What do you think will happen next?