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"Please, don't hurt me!" the young man pleaded, raising his hands in surrender.

Kessler maintained his defensive stance, not letting his guard down. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he repeated, his voice firm but less threatening.

The young man swallowed nervously. "My name is Marco. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I was just... just looking for something I lost."

I scrutinized him closely, searching for any sign of deceit in his face. His eyes seemed sincere, but we were still uncertain of his intentions. "What is so important that it led you to break into someone else's house?" I asked, trying to sound more sympathetic.

Marco hesitated before answering. "It's... it's an amulet. A pendant that belongs to my family. It was stolen from me, and I followed the thieves here."

Kessler and I exchanged glances. His story was plausible, but there was still something that didn't add up. "Who stole it from you? Why do you think it's here?" Kessler asked, lowering the flashlight a