The Eremite cracked his knuckles as he neared the two of you, easily towering over Alhaitham. Your eyes widened as you noticed just how large the man was, he could easily knock you out with a single swat.
"Do you have what we agreed on," Alhaitham asked, crossing his arms as he looked the Eremite straight in the eye.
What they agreed on...? Wait...are they...?
Your brow furrowed as you realized what was going on. Alhaitham was working with the Eremites?! No matter how you looked at it, all angles pointed toward that conclusion. The Eremites were known for stirring up loads of unwanted trouble, with a bunch of them being wanted criminals.
What is Alhaitham doing with criminals??
You observed as the two of them discussed something in hushed voices. You slowly leaned in, trying to decipher the whispers being exchanged until the two of them suddenly turned and looked at you.
"Um..." you stood up straight and nervously looked at Alhaitham.
"Is this her?" the Eremite asked, looking you up and down as you fidgeted with your thumbs.
"Yes, as promised, here she is," Alhaitham confirmed, nodding toward you. You jolted in surprise, shooting a confused look back at him.
What? As promised, here I am? What the hell does that mean?
Before you could say anything else, Alhaitham pulled you close into a hug.
"Play along," he whispered, before pulling away and nodding to the Eremite.
PLAY ALONG??? TO WHA-
You grunted as another Eremite grabbed your arms and roughly tied your hands together before shoving you toward the other Eremite. His grip on your arms dug into your flesh and you tried not to flinch as he restrained you.
A million questions rushed through your head in those few moments, but only one stuck out the most.
Did he use me...again...?
You glanced at Alhaitham again, this time with a look full of hurt as his betrayal pierced through your heart for the second time this week. You bit your lip to stop it from quivering as you looked down, cursing yourself for being naive enough to trust him...even after he had played you once.
A mix of rage and agony throbbed in your blood as you watched Alhaitham turn away from you.
"I gave you the payment, hand over the goods," he demanded sternly, holding his hand out.
The Eremite harshly handed a large green object....the same one Alhaitham hid in your house.
What is that thing...
"Here, the knowledge capsule you asked for," the Eremite said, with a stiff expression.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
