THE REAL THIEF

     [Destination Reached.]

Something was amiss. Everything was eerily quiet – as if there hadn't been a full-blown fight here before. There were no thugs guarding the door, the roofs… or anything. With cautious steps, I approached the abandoned building, crouching to blend into the shadows and become nearly invisible. I avoided the lantern's flickering glow and slipped inside the hideout.

"Where's James?"

I heard whispers coming from one of the rooms near the entrance. Still cloaked, I made my way there and peered through the keyhole. Inside, I saw James and his five men, sitting and talking at the far end of the large room. Their voices were muffled, but I could still make out their conversation.

James stood up, holding a paper with my bounty picture drawn on it. It read, "Wanted: Dead or Alive." Above the text was a surprisingly accurate drawing of me in my thief attire.

"We tell the guards who the Shadow Dancer is," James said, walking closer to the door. "And we get the reward."

"Guards won't believe a high schooler is the Shadow Dancer," another man said. "We need proof."

"Oh, we'll find proof. Let's go to that idiot's home; I'm sure he has a bunch of incriminating evidence lying around. "If we find even one piece of incriminating evidence and turn that over to the authorities, we'll be set for life."

"When do we head out?" one of the men asked. "Now?"

"Yes. That coward won't be at his home. He's probably staying with a friend or something. It's perfect for us."

I hid behind a burnt-out table, keeping a low profile and staying out of the light to maintain my invisibility spell. I'd had enough running for my life today; I just wanted everything to go smoothly for once.

"How do I stop them?" I whispered to myself. "I can't just kill 'em!"

The door creaked open, and James and his men walked out, swords at the ready. As James lagged behind, he suddenly pulled out his bow, nocked two arrows, and shot, killing two of his men instantly. Before their bodies hit the ground, James moved like lightning, drawing his sword and slashing the necks of the remaining men. They didn't even have a chance to defend themselves.

"Sorry, boys. I changed my mind," he said with an evil smile. "I don't think I'll split the gold with ya."

"Oh –" I had never seen a bunch of dead people before. I was close to throwing up. "What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!"

"Damn, Axel," he said, retrieving his arrows. "Shadow Dancer, huh? Don't worry, I'll make you dance like you've never danced before, you mutt."

[Quest Started: Stop James before he reveals your true identity.]

"That's the plan. But how!" I muttered, glancing at the box that appeared near my face. "It's easy to say."

I drew my dagger from my belt and slowly crept toward him. Each step felt endless, like he was getting further away. I had never killed someone in my sixteen years of life and didn't plan on doing so anytime soon.

"I got an idea…" I said as I watched him exit through the door. "If he wants the Shadow Dancer to be found… then I'll grant his wish."

I trailed behind James, keeping a distance to muffle my footsteps on the cobblestone streets of Gravif. He passed by two guards, who gave him a nod – they probably knew him well, likely because he kept their pockets full.

"Well, James, I think it's my turn to keep your pockets full, eh?"

I closed the distance, staying within the shadows. We were practically walking together, with only a few steps separating us. I grabbed my dagger, checked around to make sure no guards were nearby, and discreetly slipped the dagger into a loose part of his belt.

After the dagger was planted, I reached into my pocket and took out a spare neck gaiter I always carried. I hung it on his belt, but not before I stole his pouch. The clinking of the gold coins as he walked just charmed me, I guess.

"That should do it," I whispered, standing still and watching him walk away. "I need to wait until he exits this district. Looks like the guards here are his friends, basically."

Using Shadow Step, I teleported to a rooftop and followed him from above. Once he entered the Megino district -where my sister and I lived- I leaped off a short building and intentionally entered a tavern, making sure to show myself in my thief attire.

The guards inside, slightly drunk, immediately sobered up, dropped their mugs of beer, and began to chase me. I quickly teleported away before they exited the tavern. Just as I had planned, after leaving the tavern, they saw a lone man walking in the dead of the night. With the Shadow Dancer's signature blade and mask on him, it was the perfect setup.

"Oi!" one guard said, furrowing his brows. "Come here for a sec, citizen."

"What?" James asked, annoyed. "Why the fuck would I do that?"

"It's the Shadow Dancer!" the guard's friend yelled. "Stop, thief! Halt!"

"Shadow Dancer? Me?" James gritted his teeth. "You idiots! I'm not a thief! Why are you accusing me of being the Shadow Dancer, anyway!"

"The dagger! And the mask!" The guard grabbed him by the arm. "You're under arrest for – shit, for everything you've stolen from Gravif and her people. Remain silent and cooperate."

"Fuck you!" James escaped the guard's grip and unsheathed his sword. "Come and get me, fuckers!"

Another guard hit him in the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out cold. I watched the events unfold from a nearby rooftop, a satisfied smile on my face as I tossed and caught the pouch I had stolen from him.

"There you go, James," I said. "They caught the Shadow Dancer. I guess you always get what you want."

[Quest Completed. Rewards: 25g, 2AP]

"Oh sweet. Another quest completed, huh? I know what AP means, but what is 'g' I wonder? Gold? Please be gold."

[Would you like to see your inventory?]

"Uh… yeah?"

A series of translucent boxes appeared in front of me, floating in mid-air like magical projections. All of them were empty, except for one that displayed a small stack of gold coins labeled '80 Gold.'

I reached out and touched the box containing the gold.

[Would you like to withdraw 80g?]

"Uh, yeah," I replied.

In an instant, a pouch materialized in my hands, heavy with the weight of the coins inside. I opened it and saw the glittering gold coins. It felt real, solid, and – reassuring.

"Nice," I muttered to myself, tying the pouch to my belt. "Oh, almost forgot. I got 2 more Ap thingies."

[Spend the Ability Points now?]

"I'll decide that tomorrow. I gotta hit the bed ASAP…" I yawned and stretched my arms out. "Phew – what a day… I guess I'll see that redhead woman tomorrow."