The night air was thick with the scent of damp stone and burning torches. The noble's mansion loomed like a dark fortress against the backdrop of the crescent moon, its towering columns casting jagged shadows across the cobblestone courtyard. Odi, now 25 and an extremely skilled thief crouched atop the slate rooftop, her heartbeat steady despite the thrill of what she was about to do. A lifetime of thieving had sharpened her instincts, and tonight was no different, except for the eerie whisper of warning curling at the edges of her mind.
Her beauty was despicable, her blonde hair and blue eyes was magnificent and for some reasons, she is glad that she learnt the skill of self-defense from Oliver, a skill that had helped her gotten rid of the peasant perverts.
She adjusted the leather strap of her satchel, her nimble fingers double-checking the small blade tucked at her waist. She was dressed in fitted dark tunic and trousers, fabric meant to blend into the night. Her jet-black hair was braided and tucked beneath a hood, keeping it from betraying her position. She wasn't just a thief, she was a shadow.
A smirk tugged at her lips as she whispered to herself, "Never get caught, Odi. Just like always."
She exhaled slowly and dropped into the courtyard below, rolling into a crouch. The guards patrolled in predictable patterns, four stationed at the front, two roaming near the stables. "Amateurs." She mumbled as though she was enjoying every bit of her job.
Oliver's training had made her sharper than most, and this job was beneath her skill level. The door she needed was locked, but locks had never been an obstacle.
Drawing a small tool from her satchel, she worked swiftly. "Click," the mechanism whispered as it surrendered to her skill. She slipped inside, pressing herself against the wall as the grand interior unfolded before her. Gilded walls, towering bookshelves, and chandeliers dripping with jewels. A display of wealth that sickened her.
"People starve while nobles collect baubles," she muttered under her breath. "God, why do bad things happen to good people?"
The item she had come for was in the study, an ancient artifact rumored to be worth a fortune. Oliver's instruction had been clear: retrieve it, no mistakes. She crept forward, each step soundless, her eyes scanning the lavish room for traps. Her gaze landed on the glass case at the center of the chamber. Within it rested a silver amulet, its surface engraved with markings she couldn't decipher. A strange aura clung to it, almost as if the shadows deepened in its presence.
Her fingers itched. She had stolen crowns, relics, even royal decrees, but this amulet felt… wrong.
Odi swallowed her unease. Focus. She lifted her lock-pick again, but this time, before she could even touch the glass, the room shuddered. The candle flames flickered, elongating into thin, twisting shapes. The air turned heavy, thick like honey, pressing against her chest.
"What in the…"
A voice, ancient and layered, whispered from the amulet itself. "Thief of shadows, beware. Your soul is not yours to wager."
Odi flinched, her breath caught in her throat. It had spoken. Artifacts didn't speak.
Her fingers hesitated, her mind screaming at her to leave it. But Oliver wouldn't care for excuses. If she returned empty-handed, she'd pay for it. A debt is a debt, he always said. And hers was carved into her skin, bound by scars and shackles she could still feel, even when they weren't there.
"Shut up," she hissed at the artifact, gripping the case's edge. "Necessity is laid upon me. I have to do this"
With a flick of her wrist, the lock snapped. The glass lifted with surprising ease. Odi grabbed the amulet, and immediately regretted it.
A surge of energy shot through her, freezing her blood and sending a violent shudder through her body. Her vision blurred, and suddenly, the walls shifted, the room spinning into a different version of itself. She was no longer in the noble's mansion but standing in a battlefield of burning cities, bodies strewn in rivers of gold.
A future? A curse? She didn't know. She only knew she had to get out.
The sound of approaching boots yanked her back to reality. The guards had heard something.
"Shit!"
Odi snapped the amulet into her satchel, bolted for the door, and pressed herself into the shadows. Two guards rushed in, torches raised high.
"I swear I heard someone," one muttered, stepping cautiously.
Odi's mind raced. No escape through the main entrance. She would have to go up. The shelves. It was a risk, but she had faced worse.
She inhaled, counted to three, and moved.
Her limbs propelled her up the bookshelf, scaling it in fluid, practiced motions. One guard turned just as she reached the rafters, eyes widening.
"There!"
But she was already leaping. She caught a beam, swung her body, and landed soundlessly on the upper balcony. She sprinted toward the window, glass shattering as she flung herself through it and into the night air.
The cold wind greeted her like an old friend. She twisted mid-air, aiming for the thick canopy of trees. The impact rattled through her bones, but she bit down the pain and rolled with it. No time to stop.
She took off into the darkness, the stolen artifact burning through her pouch. At that moment, she wondered what Oliver needed the amulet for. The way he cautioned her about getting this job done was more than usual.
She didn't stop running until she reached the hideout.
Ben, her best friend since she was 12, also a slave and a thief like her, but more like a younger brother, he was waiting, arms crossed, face twisted in worry.
"I was worried sick!" he exhaled as soon as he saw her approach the door.
Odi yanked the necklace from her pouch and tossed it onto the wooden table between them.
"The guards nearly caught me, and this amulet spoke to me."
Ben's eyes darkened. "Odi… this doesn't look like a normal treasure. Where the hell did Oliver send you?"
But before Odi could respond, Oliver stormed in.
"Where is it?" he insisted, his voice hoarse.
Odi picked it up from the table and handed it to him. And he gave this siniste
r smile that made Odi and Ben cringe.