I am so excited. Today, my sixteenth birthday, the day I have been waiting for all my life. Today, I will embark on my first ever solo mission. Today, I will begin leading the thieves guild. I squat on the rooftop, wearing my black bodysuit with a lifetime of skill that makes me almost invisible in the shadows of the night. I wait patiently, crouching on the edge of the roof like a gargoyle, ready to spring at just the right moment. I have done my research. I know the guards names, know their patterns, know where they are holding my target. There. Benjamin sneaks off to the woods to find his mistress, a pretty young woman under my employ, her only job to keep him occupied. I wait a few minutes after he is gone, just to be careful. Then I leap. The open sky never fails to be exhilarating, even when I have a job to do. When I land, I fold up my gliders wings and deposit them in my bag of holding. This may technically be a test, but there is no doubt I will succeed, not with a lifetime of training and the best equipment the thieves guild has to offer at my back. On this new -but no less familiar- rooftop, I carefully slink to the left edge, stabbing a long metal nail into the wood. Then I jump, my gloved hand on the nail the only thing between me and the hard ground. The fall may not be lethal, but that does nothing to make it less dangerous. Failure is not an option. Hanging by one hand, I swing my way through the open window, landing with a barely audible thump. I keep moving. I navigate through the maze of rooms easily, having drilled the maps into my head for weeks. There! Just behind that door lies the culmination of sixteen years work. Behind that door lie the jewels of lord Kubota himself, pretty stones that will nonetheless fetch an exorbitant price with any fence you care to name. Slowly, reverently, I move towards the door. Carefully, deliberately, I touch my fingers to the smooth wood, intending to push the heavy door open. I am so, so close! And then, my whole body spasms, and I crumple to the cold floor, my head too dark for thoughts even before I slip into unconsciousness.