The cloak looked like something I could have bought from an ordinary tailor. Dark gray cloth. Plain fastening. Enough weight to hang properly, without the thick lining that made my formal coat unpleasant in a warm corridor.
For a hundred and fifty points, I had expected it to look more secretive. It lay folded on the desk beside the purchase record.
[ THE VILLAIN'S LEDGER - ENTRY ]
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CREDIT
+ SHADOW CLOAK: DELIVERED
DEBIT
- VP: 150
VP BALANCE: 300 → 150
NDI: 8%
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I had read the terms before confirming. Minor help with concealment. Resistance to detection magic. No promise of an invisible body, silent movement, or a safe path through every ward in the academy. The purchase hadn't changed those limits.
I lifted the cloak with my left hand and shook it out. The lower edge brushed a loose receipt off the desk. It landed beside my boot.
