It was a shock in itself you managed to become Alhaitham's friend, let alone form the bond that you had. In truth, though, the scribe didn't mind your presence as much as others thought he did. On the contrary; he was rather fond of it, even if he was more subtle about it.

You held a secret from the inhabitants of Sumeru, though; you were in fact a skilled thief. There was a catch, though. You only stole from only the corrupt, any money or valuables going to the poor and unfortunate instead of yourself. Even if it wasn't the most ideal solution to some of the problems people had, it was the one you used nonetheless. No one knew of your identity anyway, so it posed little problem on your part.

It wasn't too long until Alhaitham himself heard of the thief. Intrigued, he decided to investigate; even if he was no detective, he had his ways of catching such a person based on what he knew. Considering you only stole from the corrupt, it didn't take long from a plan to formulate once he realized this.

Catching wind of a rumor soon enough, you were surprised to hear the scribe had managed to be bribed by a generous reward of Mora, committing various acts of fraud and corruption. You were not expecting the scribe, of all people, to fall so easily for bribery intended for the wrong reasons.

Even knowing what you had to do, you were reluctant to steal from Alhaitham. You knew you had no choice, though; it wouldn't do to pick favorites over the corrupt and dishonest, even if said candidate was your best friend.

Night struck soon enough. Discreetly sneaking into his apartment, you managed rather easily to slink into the scribe's room. Expecting to find his asleep, you were surprised to find nothing but an empty bed, well made. It was as if he had never touched the sheets in the first place.

In truth, Alhaitham was in fact in the foyer, waiting for your arrival in secret. Upon taking a step into the room, no warning was given before you were suddenly bound to the ground by chains.

"No hesitation... How interesting."