Max covered himself with his worn cloak tighter, the hood hiding his face as he walked through the busy streets. His steps were slow, and calculated, as though he had all the time in the world, but his eyes were sharp, they missed nothing.

He's been here for a few hours, blending into the crowds, just another drifter with nothing to his name. But now, his attention was focused on a group of ragged kids moving through the shadows, their faces hardened by the street. They didn't look like children. They looked like survivors.

A shadow moved swiftly from one rooftop to another, barely visible beneath the scorching midday sun. With a series of mysterious hand signs, the shadow passed a hissed message to another figure concealed behind a well.

"Two streets north," Max read the message, his eyes narrowing. "I'll need to move fast... don't want to be late to the party."

The luxury of no longer needing to hide was something he relished - he could now move through the town freely. Six months had passed since that little incident, and while he had his life back, it felt like a new kind of normal.

Max moved fast through the busy streets, the noise and heat of the crowd pressing in on him. Sundays were always the worst - the busiest day in the town square. The crowds were unbearable. He didn't know who the target was yet, but with the help of the two shadows - one on the rooftops and the other by the apple cart - he'd find out in a matter of minutes.

On the rooftop, the shadow paused again, sending more coded hand signals into the air.

"Fifteen steps northwest," Max muttered, following without hesitation.

As he moved past the apple cart, he snatched an apple and took a quick bite. It was bittersweet - not his favorite - but it didn't matter. He wasn't here to enjoy apples. There was bigger loot to be had.

He watched, impressed, as Mikael - the rooftop shadow - leaped down gracefully, landing silently in the crowd. It was always incredible to watch him move, like a shadow brought to life, the medieval ninja of the streets.

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"You really have to pay attention to him," Max thought. "He gives you a decoy first - a little accidental bump. His hat lowers with a mock apology: "Oh, I'm so sorry, sir, please forgive this fool." Then, he starts rambling. That's when the victim's brain turns off, and Mike picks up the exact location of the gold pouch. In this case, it's tucked in the right breast pocket - always a tricky spot for a left-handed man."

Max smirked. "Of course, Mike already has it. He'll hold onto the pouch for all of five seconds before his brother swoops in to pick it up from him. Then, off they go, Mike to the apple cart, leaving the gold pouch behind for someone else."

And this, Max knew, was where things got interesting.

A small wooden box, hidden near the cart, creaked open. A tiny figure scampered out - a five-year-old named Viper, part of the wrong crowd. With his quick hands, he snatched the gold pouch and ran away, weaving between the legs of people passing by.

That would have been a clever move... if no one was following him.

"Teleportation," Max's voice rang out from the other side of the street, and in the blink of an eye, he stood directly in front of Viper. "Hi, Viper," Max said, a mischievous smile forming on his lips. "Just hand over the gold, and I won't cast any spells. Deal?"

Viper's eyes widened with fear, but he handed over the pouch, his voice trembling. "How do you always know?"

Max grinned, pocketing the gold. "Well, for starters, I taught you that trick," he replied casually. "Bye now. Until next time."

Before Viper could react, Max vanished into thin air, reappearing on the roof just above him. From his vantage point, Max watched the brothers - Mike and Mikael - enter the street, Viper crawling in pain on the ground.

"What happened?" one of the brothers asked, kneeling beside the boy.

"It was Kallen!" Viper groaned, clutching his side. "He ambushed me... used some spell. I'm in so much pain."

Max(Kallen) remained hidden, but his gaze never left the unfolding scene.

"That bastard. How does he always know?" the other brother muttered. "Boss won't be happy about this. We've got to find another target by the end of the day."

Their voices faded, the brothers retreating into the distance, leaving Viper alone. When the air was clear, Viper jumped up and cleaned himself from the dust. "No way I'm telling anyone I handed the gold without a fight."

Max knew that Viper's pride wouldn't let him admit he'd been caught so easily. He leaned against the edge of the roof. The city below him seemed oblivious to the little game of cat and mouse that played in its shadows. But Max? He'd seen it all before.

Max’s lips curled into a small smile as he moved through the crowd, his mind already on the next move. It was only a matter of time before he found them. The hunt was always the same.

But the stakes? The stakes had just changed.