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— Ha, your big moment has finally come, buddy, — he thought, wagging his finger and admiring the recently "honestly" stolen ring. Just a couple of weeks ago, he had swiped it from a drunk mage in a shabby tavern, where the man had been bragging about the ancient artifact. "It's not just a trinket, it swaps bodies! Poof — and you're someone else!" the mage had babbled, nearly falling off his chair. Crane had waited until the mage fully passed out, then deftly pulled the ring from the pocket of his stained cloak. The mage snored softly, barely stirring, completely unaware of the theft.
Crane hadn’t tested the artifact back then, deciding to save that moment in case the ring ever came in handy. Now, as he watched the weary traveler by the wall, he felt a surge of excitement. "Poof — and you're someone else," he mentally repeated the mage’s words, hoping the man hadn’t been lying. After all, risking it for treasure was worth it.
His gaze and thoughts shifted back to the stranger, who seemed preoccupied. The figure by the wall wasn’t just sitting idly — the cloak shifted slightly, as if the person was examining something or holding an object underneath. Long fingers occasionally flickered in the dim light, adjusting the fabric.
"Is he hiding something? I wonder what," Crane thought, narrowing his eyes. His excitement was reaching its peak. If this traveler had something valuable, the body-swap plan would be even better than expected. But he didn’t want to waste any more precious time — he would swap bodies with the stranger, take everything from the treasure stash, hide it somewhere safe, then return here and switch back. After some time passed, he’d return to the hiding spot and claim the loot.
The plan seemed flawless. Even if his crew woke up, they’d just see Crane sleeping while he was actually elsewhere. And when the time came to switch back, he’d sneak up on his own body and reverse the swap.
He felt for the tiny vial of sleeping potion on his belt. "For emergencies," the alchemist had called it when Crane bought it. No emergencies had occurred yet, but now the potion felt like the perfect addition to his plan. Carefully, he unscrewed the lid and took a small sip, feeling the bitter liquid burn faintly down his throat.
"I'll return to my body and just say I fell asleep or stepped on a sleep mushroom," he thought, focusing on the silhouette as he carefully lowered himself onto the cold cave floor, leaning back against the wall.
Crane felt the world begin to blur. His vision swam, his fingers tingled, losing their sensitivity, but the ring on his hand still glowed faintly. He squinted, trying to focus on the figure ahead.
— Come on... — he muttered, feeling his body weaken, refusing to obey.
But nothing happened. His limbs grew heavier. The sleeping potion worked faster than he’d expected.
— No, no, not now, — Crane whispered, straining to stay conscious. He clutched the ring tighter, nearly panicked. — Come on... activation... magic, poof, work, you damned thing!
But again, nothing. Gritting his teeth, Crane barely held back his frustration.
— Fine, if that's how it is... Swap! Swap bodies!
He focused all his willpower on a single thought: replace, exchange, switch.
Suddenly, the world spun violently. The ring flared with a bright blue light, and Crane felt his very soul being forcefully ejected from his body in a powerful surge.
Crane felt his consciousness plunge into emptiness. He seemed to be falling, yet there was no body, only the sensation of rapid movement. His head spun, and all that remained was the strange, rushing sensation.