Following their lunch break, the guards emerged from their base and dispersed to their designated areas. Among them was Oliver, who was assigned to duty. He returned to the blazing pavement where he and his fellow guards stood motionless, scanning their surroundings.

     Oliver rests his eyes, and as he does, he reminisces about the sweet moment when he was with his dear friend, Gregory. He can vividly see himself with his companion laughing and enjoying each other's company as memories flash in his mind's eyes. The memory brings a slight smile to his face.

     However, a sudden commotion to Oliver's left abruptly interrupts his warm recollection. The sound of screaming girls and men yelling immediately captures his attention. He quickly opens his eyes, widening them as he glances left and right.

     Constrained from moving, Oliver glances around the noisy area. He squints, trying to spot anything. But all he can see is the crowd on the sidewalks, and they are obscuring his view.

"Thief!" a woman frantically screamed.

     Oliver becomes aware of the situation upon hearing the woman's frantic shout. However, he knows he cannot move from his position until he spots the thief; his feet remain rooted. After a second, he immediately spots a man clutching a handbag as he emerges from the crowd and hastens past the group of guards on standby.

"Attention! Catch the thief!" Oliver barked, stomping as he pointed at the fleeing culprit.

     Reacting swiftly, Oliver springs into action, taking the lead to catch the thief. Two of his fellow guards willingly join him, and together, they give chase down the streets. With each step they take, their sprint becomes faster.

     As the thief rushes through the sidewalk cafe, he knocks over empty tables and chairs, leaving a trail of debris. The surrounding people shout and scatter as they try to avoid the chaos, but Oliver and his team navigate a clear path that brings them closer to their target. With the thief in sight, Oliver sees an opportunity to apprehend him and extends his left arm forward, reaching for the flowing tailcoat the thief is wearing.

     As Oliver was about to apprehend the thief, the man suddenly leapt to the left, evading his grasp. To Oliver's surprise, the culprit darts into a narrow alleyway. Oliver hurryingly follows, thrusting his body through the dusty walls of the alley. Only one of his troops can follow him, for the other has a bulkier body that prevents him from squeezing through.

     After a long and suffocating squeeze, Oliver and the other guard finally emerged on the other side of the narrow alleyway. However, the thief was nowhere in sight. All they could see were numerous carriages passing on the road.

     Oliver shakes his head from side to side as he scans the area, searching for the thief. Oliver's sharp eyes immediately spot the thief entering another alleyway to their parallel left. However, an obstacle stands before them—they must cross the busy road filled with swift horses, wagons and carriages.

"There's the swine!" Oliver exclaimed, pointing at the fleeing thief. "Let's go!"

     Oliver leaps across the main street, dodging the oncoming carriages as he hastens. With each leap, he and his fellow guard skillfully manoeuvres left, right, front, and back, avoiding the hazards of the bustling street. Despite the dangers, they successfully reach the other side, unscathed and ready to continue their pursuit.

     Upon reaching the sidewalk, Oliver swiftly squeezes through the close-fitting alleyway, his remaining troop following closely behind. Oliver anticipates finding another open area beyond the alleyway. But, he emerges into a spacious set of alleys that sprawls out before him as his mouth gapes open.

"Sir... we lost the thief!" the guard panted, struggling to catch his breath after emerging from the compressed path.

"Not!" Oliver yelled, pointing a finger in the air. He then spoke calmly, "...If I haven't given up."

     Oliver continues the pursuit alone, his last guard dropping on the ground due to exhaustion. Oliver veers to the right side but only finds a dead-end blocking his path. He retraces his steps and sprints towards the left alley. As he turns to the corner, his sharp eyes quickly see the thief peeking inside the stolen purse.

"...My good sir... why do you have to resort to an act of stealing?" Oliver asked in a deep and authoritative voice, approaching the thief through the dimly lit alleyway.

     The thief's face contorts as he glares at Oliver, his teeth clenched. He stands up, clutching the stolen handbag with both hands and attempts to flee in the opposite direction. But, suddenly, the ground erupts and rises before him, blocking his path.

     With no way out, the thief's breath quivers, a cold puff of hair streaming through his mouth as he breathes. Trapped and cornered, the last thing on his mind is to face the guard. He quickly turns around and reaches for his dull pocket knife, pointing its rusty blade at Oliver.

     As the thief turns around, his eyes widen. Shock has his jaw dropped. Overcome with panic, he stumbles over his shoes and falls to his knees in the corner, staring at Oliver in disbelief.

     Meanwhile, Oliver boldly steps forward, the afternoon sunlight illuminating his handsome, confident face. Reaching the corner, he halts and crosses his arms as the sun glimmers on his silver hair. Oliver smirks as he raises his chin, looking down at the frightened culprit.

"Give it up now. Return what doesn't belong to you," Oliver ordered with a deep, low voice.

"A Podeshire!? No, don't! Please, don't kill me!" the thief begged, throwing the stolen handbag at Oliver.

Oliver caught the stolen item before it could hit the ground. "Heh, good," Oliver scoffed, smirking at the thief.

"I- I only stole it because I needed the money to buy water!" the thief explained, kneeling on the ground.

     Oliver lifted his chin higher as he glared at the thief. However, his heart softened as he looked into the thief's glistening eyes. The prideful smirk on Oliver's face slowly transformed into a kind smile illuminated by the warm sunlight. As he gazed down at the thief, his amber eyes shined with a glistening glow, lending him an almost angelic aspect.

     Then, Oliver marches towards the thief as his hands swirl until a glass of water forms in his palm. The sunlight glints off the cool liquid, casting a sparkling reflection on the surrounding walls. With a kind smile, Oliver extends his arms forward and gives the drink to the pleading thief.

"Take it," Oliver offered the glass of water he had summoned, holding it out to the thief.

The thief hesitated for a quick, brief moment as he shook his head. As he took the glass of water with tearful eyes and trembling hands, he whispered, "...T-thank you."

"Make a better path from now on," Oliver nodded. Then, he turned around and began walking away as his steps echoed in the narrow alleyway.

"Thank you!" the thief cried.