The air in Eldoria's fifth inner circle reeked of spilled wine and rotting vegetables. Cobblestone streets twisted between cramped buildings, their shadows stretching long under the fading afternoon sun.
"Get back here, you thieving rat!"
Kai's lungs burned as he sprinted through the narrow alley, his white cat ears flat against his skull. The glass potion bottle pressed against his chest, its azure liquid sloshing with each desperate stride. Behind him, two women in flowing jade robes gave chase, their footsteps impossibly light despite their speed.
"It's mine! I won it fair!" Kai shouted over his shoulder, vaulting over a stack of crates. "You're just pissed I beat your rigged game!"
"Fair?" The taller woman—the senior sister—laughed, her voice dripping venom. "You call hiding in the shadows like a coward fair? You cheated, beast-boy!"
