Pickpocketer(2)

Noah pulled his hood lower, the fabric casting a shadow over his sharp, focused gaze. The damp streets glistened under weak, flickering streetlights, and the stale scent of old beer and piss lingered in the air. Groups of men loitered near alleyways and outside dingy shops, their voices low, their eyes sharp, following him like predators sizing up prey.

One group, huddled near a broken lamppost, stopped mid-conversation as Noah passed. Their laughter faded, replaced by a cold silence.

"Hey, you!" one of them barked, his voice cutting through the muffled hum of the street.

Noah didn't flinch, didn't even glance back. His steps were steady, his pace unbroken. The casual indifference in his stride only added fuel to the fire.

The men exchanged looks, smirking. One of them, a wiry man with an angular face and a leather jacket that had seen better days, spat onto the cracked pavement. "Yo, Sebastian! He's ignoring you, mate."