Tandi's eyes fluttered open. She yawned softly as she stood up, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She really needed to stop falling asleep on the job. What was she doing in this alleyway again…? Oh, right, she was waiting for someone to pass by! Someone with a nice, vulnerable neck and some money to spare for a poor little tabaxi rogue. And today was certainly the day to find them, what with the Grand Bazaar in town. All she had to do was stand here in the shadows, and wait…

As Tandi stood there, hiding in the alleyway, hearing the noise of the crowd, squinting from the brightness of the sun, and feeling the heat all around her, she felt an odd sensation. Like… Like she’d done this before. Not just standing here in the alleyway, but… Standing here today. As she shifted to avoid a spray of dust, she remembered doing it before… Not just once… It felt like three times… No, four times… Everything felt so strange… She’d never felt like this before… But she’d thought that three times before, it felt like… She grasped her head. Oh, it felt like she was going to go insane… But… But she shouldn’t focus on that now… Someone was rounding the bend, and she was about to get her prize…

Tandi swiftly stepped behind her target, and within a second her dagger was around their neck. “Don’t move a muscle. Just give me your coin purse, and you’ll be fine.” Chronnalein cackled softly. “Hi again, Tandi~.” Tandi was taken aback. How did Chronnalein know her name?! …No, more importantly, how did she know Chronnalein's name?! She’d never met her before! …Right? She stumbled back, dropping her dagger as Chronnalein cackled. “Ohhh, is someone feeling weird, Tandi~?” Tandi leaned against the wall, her head beginning to hurt. “Who are you?! How do you know my name?! H-How do I know your name?!” Chronnalein cackled again. “Ohh, you remember my name? That’s very good to know! You’ve been such a good guinea pig, Tandi~!” Tandi grabbed her dagger again, shaking. “Guinea pig..?! I… Wh-what have you done to-“ Chronnalein shushed her. “Shhh, the experiment's over now~. Just stare at the pretty hourglass again, and everything will be just fine…” She waved the emerald hourglass before Tandi's eyes again, and Tandi felt her mind begin to follow the glittering sand. It began swirling around in a spiral again, but this time, instead of pulling her mind inside, she felt it pushing her mind out… Freeing her mind from its strange pull… And soon the glittering sand began to fall down instead of up, and as the last grain fell to the bottom, Chronnalein snapped her fingers. “SLEEP! Hahaha, I can’t wait to…” Tandi didn’t hear the rest…