Thief. Pick-pocket. Criminal. Jin Xiao had heard all of these names before. He wasn't a stranger to them. Hell, those words were often used to describe him. That's just who he was--a petty thief.

Jin had even remembered where it all started.

When he was five, he took a pencil from his neighbor and never gave it back. Six--five yuan from his grandfather. Seven--ten yuan that time.

By eight, he was a porch-pirate, stealing any market item people got via milkman and delivery.

By ten, Jin's porch-pirate escapades furthered as what he stole he sold to others.

By eleven, Jin was practicing his skills in hopes to take more valuable things.

By thirteen, Jin Xiao had stole a priceless jewel from its display case and sold it to the highest bidder.

That's just how he was.

He was nineteen now.

Nobody knew what Jin did. He was sly. 

If people did know, they'd call him a klepto. And he'd be locked up in a short amount of time. 

It was better to sneak and not be known than to be a wanted man.

Jin paced through the streets of Shanghai as the moon shone brightly. He huffed his cigarette. 

He'd have to time this just right. 

Jin quietly slipped into the museum, heading to the more ancient section.

Fuck, he thought as he saw a couple of night-guards when he peered around the wall.

Jin took a deep breath before before using his lighter to set the complete cigarette on fire. Quickly, he chucked down the hallway.

The guards didn't seem to notice.

 I guess I have to do a little more, he thought. So long, cigarettes.

Using his lighter, Jin set the box on fire and chucked down the hallway.

Now all I have to do is wait, he thought.

The first guard tapped the other one on the shoulder. "Fire," he told her.

She gawked.

The two guards exchanged looks before racing down the hallway toward the smoke.

Then, Jin continued by.

He was able to sneak a sword from the Xia Dynasty out of the museum

It may go for as much as a million yuan.

Jin was able to hide under his heavy coat. 

"Now to sell this thing," He mumbled under his breath.

He'd take a different route to his destination. After all, that's what he did each time he stole from that museum.

Jin stopped dead in his tracks.

A group of people blocked to path.

Jin continued to study them. Who were these guys? They'd have to be tourists, right? Wait? Why were they even here?

He moved one foot forward.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you," a voice muttered.

Jin's heart nearly stopped. Had he been followed by a guard? Slowly, he turned around.

There stood a boy, just a bit shorter than him.

Jin breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it wasn't a guard or a policeman.

"I'm Dion Lloyd," the boy said.

Jin said nothing.

Dion told him, "Don't go down that way. I'm warning you. Choose a different path."

"Why?" Jin raised an eyebrow.

Dion swallowed. "Well, Koios told-"

"Koios? I do not have time for this shit." Jin waved his hand and to his surprise, Dion vanished into thin air. It was almost if Jin had blown him away.

Jin laughed slightly to himself. Was he ill in the head? Had he eaten a bad root? All he knew was he was seeing this. He turned back around.

Jin started in the direction of the group. He just hoped they'd let him by.

"Where you think you're going?" One of them asked.

Jin swallowed. "I don't mean to cause any trouble, sirs, but I must get through. I have somewhere to be."

"We've all got places to be. You're not special," another commented.

Jin then reached into his trench-coat and rested a hand on the Xia sword.

When worst came to worst, he could always use it. Although, he wasn't sure how good it would be. He also didn't wanna damage the merchandise.

The third one narrowed his eyes. He whispered something too Number One.

Number One then swung at Jin. 

He ducked.

Number Three pulled a knife on Jin and Jin's first instinct was to pull out the sword. 

"He's got a damn sword on him!" Number One wailed, running away.

"How you like that?" Jin smirked at Number Three.

Number Three angrily charged at Jin and he once again ducked. Jin kicked the blade from the thug's hands and kicked him in the stomach.

Number Three hit the wall, falling unconscious.

Number Two had been behind Jin. He unsheathed his dagger and stabbed Jin in the back.

Jin gasped, barely clinging onto the sword.

As he twisted the blade in Jin's back and held onto his shoulder, Number Two asked, "How you like that?" He let go of Jin's shoulder and ripped the dagger out from his back.

Jin collapsed to the ground. He couldn't breathe. Jin felt like blood was filling up his lungs.  

Number Two smiled a toothy grin and raced off, dragging Number Three.

Jin clutched the sword.

He gazed toward the mouth of the alleyway.

He saw a figure. Who was it? Was it Dion? There was no way for Jin to tell for sure. 

The figure seemed to be beckoning for Jin to follow in.

Grunting in pain, Jin pushed himself up from the ground and slid the sword back into its holder. Jin reached for the wall to hold him up. He was very unsteady.

He coughed. Blood escaped from his lips.

Dammit, I'm going to die here, he thought.

Moving his hands and legs forward little by little, Jin made it to a door to a cellar.

The hooded figure was waiting there for him. The figure opened the door to the cellar and pointed in.

"You want me to go in there?" Jin asked in a raspy voice.

The figure nodded but said nothing.

Jin sighed and headed down the old, creaky steps. Finally, he reached the ground and collapsed.

Jin noticed markings on the ground. What are these symbols?, He thought.

Suddenly, the figure closed the cellar door and let darkness consume the room.

"Hey!" Jin tried to shout, but was only able to get the first sound out. He felt so weak.

Jin laid his head down on the floor. He knew his time was up. He wondered what would've happened if he had listened to Dion. He knew he wouldn't be in this mess.

Jin couldn't even take a deep breath at all. Jin let his eyes flutter shut. He had used all of his remaining energy trying to get down into the cellar. Jin felt cold and numb. He gave in. He let the cold-numb feeling fully take him over. And just like that, Jin Xiao was dead.