It was time for dinner. I sat down at the dinner table near the kitchen as my wife, Alisha, yelled at the kids to do the same. Liz, my younger pumpkin, rushed over and sat down next to me. It took Alisha two more yells before Jon emerged from the same room. Holding Ririk’s spiral in his hands, he looked like a beggar with untidy black hair and tired brown eyes. Jon sat across from me, and Alisha sat across from Liz, completing the circle at the table.

As we ate dinner, Jon moaned about how infuriating mana manipulation was. "Father, are you sure this cursed spiral is still even working?” Jon asked, his face flushed with annoyance. I just chuckled and gave him a nod. His constant complaining brought back memories of my childhood. How frustrating it was each time the spiral led nowhere. How happy I was the day I learned it, and how terrified I was when I stole my first coin using the same skills.

I was going to steal again tonight. This time, however, was different. I had never dared to rob a noble house before.

Never rob a noble boy! After all they do to you, you'll beg for an easy death.

My father’s voice echoed in my head. The consequences of getting caught flashed through my mind. The thought of my loved ones having to make a living on the streets filled me with dread. Do I really have to resort to desperate measures? Can I really leave my family behind? Alisha put her soft hand on my thigh, stopping me from tapping my foot over and over again. I looked at her, doubt evident on my face. She just smiled, and everything felt right at that moment. I continued eating while focusing more on Jon’s whining and Liz’s complete disregard for her brother’s troubles.

"Be extra careful tonight, will you?" Alisha said with a hint of trepidation as I assisted her with the evening's dishes.

"These plates pose no threat to me," I replied with a smile, eliciting a chuckle from her.

"You know what I mean, the nobles guard their homes like fierce dragons." she continued, "Perhaps we should consider targeting Telloni's shop, I've heard his business has been prospering of late," fully aware of the limited options available to us.

"The city watch has grown increasingly vigilant in recent days, petty thievery can no longer sustain us. Let us hope, that if tonight goes as planned, we shall be able to sustain ourselves for some time."

As Alisha saw to it that the children were drifting off into slumber, I descended the stairs to our shop below. I settled onto the wooden bench against the back wall, the weight of my thoughts bearing down on me as I let out a sigh and pressed my palms against my face.

I sat in the quiet darkness of the shop, knowing that I had no choice but to go through with the robbery. The guild bill was overdue, Liz needed new clothing, and Jon would soon be asking for magic tomes. I couldn't let this opportunity pass by. I had to take the risk, no matter how terrified I was at the thought of getting caught.

I closed my eyes and began the ritual my father had taught me, focusing all of my mana and shifting my awareness to my surroundings.

Cover yourself with mana, boy! Every pore and every inch of your body should be covered in mana.

Now slowly shift your focus to your surroundings. Like the night, let your mana be dark and silent. Feel the elusive mana of the night. Feel it in your very soul. Grey, my boy, you are a part of a long line of thieves. The night is our ally, and shadows are our siblings. Melt in the darkness and become one with the shadows. You are a Lindwin, my boy. Even bards mention us in their songs:

For Lindwins are scammers and thieves,

Only shadows and lies they weave,

Be careful of nights and dark days,

They’ll steal coins without a trace.

But we have our own family saying, and you will do well to remember it:

We Lindwins are scammers and thieves,

We don’t take coins from poor and leave,

Night’s blessing is all we ever need,

We only steal for our bread and our mead.

I opened my eyes, able to see clearly in the darkness. It was almost midnight, and it was time to move. I quietly slipped upstairs and bid Alisha farewell, sharing a backup plan with her in case things didn't go as planned. And then, with a deep breath and a prayer to whatever gods might be listening, I stepped out into the night, ready to risk everything for the sake of my family.

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I made my way through the dark streets, my senses heightened by the ritual and the thrill of the heist. I was a shadow among shadows, a ghost in the night.

I had spent days plotting my infiltration into the noble's house. It was no easy task, given the heightened security in the district. But I had a secret weapon—Gideon's flower shop. Every other week, they hired a cart to deliver fresh flowers for some fancy party or event. So I rented the same cart and made a few alterations, including a false bottom for myself. It was a calculated risk, but it was the only way to slip past the guards unnoticed. I lay in wait, my nerves on edge, as the cart trundled through the streets.

As I listened to the muffled sound of guards checking the entrance to the noble district, the cart I was hiding in came to a halt. I waited patiently until the sound of footsteps receded before making my move. My heart pounded in my chest as I slid out of the cart and into the shadows, hopping over the fence into an opulent mansion's sprawling garden. I was so close now. The garden was a verdant paradise, with immaculately trimmed hedges and fragrant flowers. I kept to the low ground, using the plants for cover as I made my way towards the mansion's rooftop.

I crept across the roof, silently jumping onto the balcony of a room I thought looked important. I knew better than to try and open the balcony door, so I targeted the window instead. The window was a glass pane framed with wood, etched with powerful runes. The ward covering it was top-notch, far superior to the one the guild had placed on our shop. I channeled more mana into my eyes, boosting my mana sight. The window was guarded by a complex mesh of mana, sensitive to the slightest fluctuations in the mana around it. To bypass it, I would need to conjure the tiniest, steadiest mana tendril I could manage. I let the tendril sneak into the circuit, just as a faceless pickpocket might slip into a crowded street unnoticed.

I navigated the tendril through the dense mesh of mana until it reached the mana crystal powering the ward. I gently fed more mana through the thread into the crystal, slowly flooding the crystal with my own mana. It was a tricky balancing act that put my focus and concentration to the test. But I was a Lindwin, and we were the sneakiest thieves known.

The crystal that powered the ward could only hold so much mana before it started to leak its own mana. As I funnelled more of my mana into the crystal, I lost my stealth and ability to see the intricacies of the mana mesh before me. But I didn't need to be as precise with my control as before - the ward's runes were doing the work of channelling the mana for me. I steeled my nerves for the final step. Like a magician yanking a tablecloth out from under a pile of glassware, I seized control of all my mana and pulled it back into my core.

This reckless maneuver came at a painful cost. My meridians screamed in agony, and my mana core felt like it was about to burst with the sudden change in pressure. I gasped and doubled over, blood streaming from my mouth. Despite the agony, I somehow managed to stifle the cry of pain that threatened to escape my lips. But even in the midst of my suffering, I knew that my efforts had not been in vain. The crystal was empty, the ward deactivated, and the way to the noble's riches lay open before me.

I smashed open the latch of the window and slipped into the room. The room was filled with rows of leather-bound books, a plush armchair by the fireplace, and a large wooden table on the other side. The room lay silent and still before me, begging me to rob it of its riches. But before I could get ahead of myself, I channeled more mana into my eyes, boosting my mana sight. I then rushed to the table, my excitement building as I inspected the drawers. To my relief, all but one of the drawers were ripe for the taking. This room looked to be a reading chamber, as the drawers were mostly filled with notes, letters, books, and quills. I quickly pocketed the two pouches filled with gold found in one of the drawers. However, the final drawer was heavily warded, its powerful runes shimmering in my enhanced vision. I knew deep in my heart that this drawer could hold riches beyond my dreams. I had just cracked a noble’s ward. I was a master at mana manipulation. Even in comparison to the guild's mages, my control was unrivaled.

“We only steal for our bread and our mead."

Father's stern voice echoed in my head like a haunting ghost's whisper. I had enough gold with me for us to survive the next few months.

But what happens after the next few months? I broke into a noble’s house for what, two measly pouches of gold?

With a heavy heart, I sank to the floor below, focusing on the ward. I repeated the same trick as before, but this time, I allowed the mana to return back into my core from the crystal, slowly but surely hastening the demise of the ward. But as I peered into the drawer, I found nothing but disappointment. Aside from a journal and a few crumpled notes, the drawer was empty. I searched for hidden compartments or additional runes, but to no avail. The risk I had taken had yielded nothing but empty promises. I perused the letters and the journal, for sometimes secrets are worth more than gold.

My liege, the winds of war are brewing in Medila. Movements unseen and unheard, whispers on the wind. The blade is being sharpened in secret, grains and rations gathered under cloak of night. I fear a storm is approaching sooner than anyone expects.

With the first note filling me with dread, I quickly read the second.

My lord, Medila’s true intentions are confounding. The pawns are being moved in mysterious ways. Their gaze may not be directed towards our kingdom but towards the lands of Jelar. My lord, heed my warning, for the winds of war are definitely blowing. Young boys and girls are sought after by the military, and rumors of a shadowy construction site are swirling around. At great peril, I have captured one of the pipsqueaks sought after by the military and sent your way my lord, hoping you can pierce the veil guarding Medila’s movements.

As I delved deeper into the meaning of the second note, a chill ran down my spine. Suddenly, a piercing pain at the base of my neck sent me spiraling into the abyss of unconsciousness. "You dare steal from me," a voice, filled with fury and malice, reached my ears as the darkness consumed me.