Elian pressed his ear against the cold iron of the vault door.
"Enjoy the dark, Steward," Rowena's voice came, muffled but dripping with satisfaction. "I'm going to fetch the City Guard. And Valdus. I want witnesses when we open this door and find the Prince's favorite pet stealing from the cookie jar."
The sound of her heels clicking on the stone floor faded away.
Elian slumped against the metal.
"She played me," Elian whispered to the damp air. "I thought I was the main character. Turns out I'm the loot drop."
He looked at the glowing timer hovering over the Bottomless Sack.
[Time Until Sack Expires: 44 Minutes.]
"In forty-four minutes," Elian muttered, "fifty-two thousand gold coins are going to explode out of this bag and crush me to death. I'm going to be killed by money. It's ironic, but I'd prefer to be alive."
He checked his wallet. 5 LP.
He had spent a fortune on history lessons and math conversions. He was destitute.
