2025-06-20 14:51:36The grand hall buzzed with chatter, wine glasses clinked, and priceless collectibles sparkled under golden chandeliers.
“You’re here to find the medicine, not stir up shit,” Rose snapped, clearly losing patience, “and stay in your lane!"
“Relax. I promised your old man, didn’t I? I’ll get your stuff—no need to lose sleep over it.”Seth lounged back in the plush seat, eyes roaming curiously over the display tables.
“Not gonna lie—some real top-shelf stuff here.”
“Just get me that NOVA 4,” Rose hissed, “and I’ll bid on whatever the hell else you want.”
“Even tonight’s grand prize?” Seth perked up, suddenly interested.
“Yes. Even the damn lunch with Goldmaster,” Rose gritted out, rolling her eyes.
Inwardly, she scoffed—maybe those people downstairs were right. Seth really is a shallow, money-chasing jackass.
“Relax. Just messing with you,” Seth chuckled, leaning back with a cocky grin.
Then the auction began.
The crowd from the regular entrance finally poured in—William and Emily among them, faces like thunder.
They glanced around in a panic… only to lock eyes with Seth, lounging in the VIP section, whiskey in hand.
Damn it!
A rich, smooth voice echoed over the speakers, announcing the first item, a platinum etched timepiece once owned by a king of some irrelevant old country. Bidding erupted as wealthy hands raised fast.
William enthusiastically raised his hand too. “Five million!”
There were gasps.
William knew that the money he was going for was coming out straight from his coffers, his savings weren't deep enough to comfortably afford the amount he had just proposed.
The mere thought of those people—especially the shock etched on Seth’s face—sent a rush of exhilaration through him. He was on fire, determined to seize victory and turn the tide no matter what!
He grinned smugly, looking right at Seth as the hammer dropped.
“Sold.”
Seth gave no reaction. Not a blink. Which, somehow, stung William more than being punched in the jaw.
More items came and went, rare art, antique weapons, weird statues that looked haunted, William remained silent throughout.
Then finally…
The host cleared his throat.
“Our next item… the crown jewel of the evening. A vial of NOVA 4.”
Everyone went still.
Everyone had heard of the legendary NOVA4—its name alone carried weight like thunder. A miracle among miracles, said to bring the dead back to life! Worth more than gold, hailed as the undisputed king of all medicines!
A spotlight hit the center of the room, where a velvet pillow rose from beneath the stage, on it, a vial of silver liquid, sealed in glass.
Seth immediately frowned.
Rose noticed. “Is that it?”
He leaned in. “That’s not right. NOVA 4 is dark silver. Thicker too, that liquid’s almost translucent and way too light.”
She blinked. “Are you sure?”
Seth stared at it.
No vacuum seal, wrong color and he couldn't even perceive the smell from where he sat which was uncommon. And the auctioneer described it like it was some kind of healing drug.
Seth shook his head. “It’s not the one.”
William, who had been waiting for a chance to clap back at Seth, took the chance and instantly signaled Emily who yelled out, “four million.” Everyone gasped.
“Of course he says that!” he laughed out loudly, garnering the attention of others. “It’s because he can’t afford it!”
"You're right, William. No matter how hard a lapdog like him wags his tail, it's not worth $4 million. Miss Tyrel isn’t that stupid," one of the guests sneered. Laughter rippled through the room, their eyes flicking between Seth and Ross with a disgusting smugness.
"Is that so?" Seth chuckled coldly. "Seems like you really don’t understand the power of the Tyrel family." He crossed his arms and leaned back comfortably. "Let me put it this way—Miss Tyrel donates more than that every year just to help stray dogs."
"Four or five million? That’s probably just enough to feed some worthless homeless fools," he jeered.
"You—!" William choked with rage, his face flushed.
"You bastard!" Emily snapped, spinning around to glare at Seth. "Five million!" She raised her paddle, stunning the entire room.
"I won’t let you—"
"Ten million." Rose cut her off, raising her bid without hesitation. She didn’t have time for petty arguments—she had only one goal: win the NOVA 4 and save her grandfather.
"Don’t be reckless! That thing’s clearly a fake!" Seth tried to stop her.
"Even so, I have to try! It’s his only chance!" Rose shook him off, her eyes wild with determination. No matter what, she had to get it.
The guests were in shock. Who the hell could throw out ten million like it was nothing?
"Ten million and one!" Emily growled, her pride shredded by the night’s events—there was no way she’d let Ross outshine her in the final bid.
William winced at the number but raised his chin proudly.
"Twenty million!" Rose called again, raising her paddle with calm resolve. The room fell completely silent.
"Twenty million and one!" Emily snapped back recklessly.
"You’ve lost your mind!" William hissed. "Your whole family’s liquid assets barely reach thirty or forty million!" He yanked her arm, desperately signaling the auctioneer that her bid wasn’t serious.
"Thirty million," a deep voice rang out from the corner. All eyes turned. "And if that’s not enough—make it forty."
His eyes drifted meaningfully to Rose and Seth.
The auctioneer slammed the gavel—sold! NOVA4 had just fetched a record-breaking price. The staff erupted in cheers, clapping and shouting with excitement.
There was a sudden shift, heads turned abruptly, a certain presence had arrived, some people pointed in his general direction subtly as they spoke about him but none dared call him out.
Mr. Gabriel had arrived.
He was dressed in exquisite materials, smooth black silk with golden embroidery, the aura and persona that he carried was simply unmatched in the auction. After all, he was the one hosting this event.
With a proud smile, Mr. Gabriel raised a hand. “Settle down, everyone. I’ll personally deliver NOVA4 to the buyer!”
Applause echoed from all sides.
Then—chaos.
With a flick of his wrist, Seth launched a feather-tipped dart through the crowd. It struck the glass vial containing NOVA4 dead-on.
Clang!
The vial shattered. A silver liquid burst out, splattering across the marble floor—where it instantly ate through the stone, leaving behind smoking, pitch-black holes.
“What the hell?!”
“Isn’t NOVA4 supposed to bring people back from the dead? How can it be this corrosive?”
Panic rippled through the room. Rose stood frozen, her face pale, a chill creeping down her spine.
“That’s because…” Seth rose slowly, eyes sharp as ice.
“That was never NOVA4.”His voice cut like a blade.
“That was concentrated acid—supercharged sulfuric acid.”
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Chapter 153. Orders from the Top.
Ceres's POVThe summons comes an hour before the break of the dawn sun, and the runner who brings it does not look at my eyes and doesn’t tarry for any kind of questioning. “Summons and complaint,” the runner says, thrusting the letter, it is the High Council Chamber. I know what it is about already.I get dressed without thinking, slip on my jacket over a shirt that reeks of smoke, and slide out of my quarters with my jaw closed hard. Two of my personnel are dead. One died where the west wall collapsed. Another bled out waiting on evacuation that never arrived. Their names are still lodged in my throat.The hallway leading up to the higher levels is quiet in a way that is definitely orchestrated. No chatter from the patrol. No movement. Just the smooth walls and the lights that give the sense that calm has not been purchased with bodies.The doors of the chamber open readily.They are already seated.Five of them today, sometimes seven, sometimes three. Depending on their expectat
Chapter 152. The Girl Who Didn’t Speak.
Seth's POV.The first time I saw her was in front of a broken staircase, one hand on the railing as if she was weighing whether the rest of the structure was sound.She did not appear to be hurt. That was the first thing that registered. Everyone else showed their injuries. Limping legs. Bandaged arms. Weak gaze that kept darting to corners that no longer existed. She simply stood, stable and calm in a manner that did not belong in a situation like this.It had formerly been an outpost for Ceres’ relay. Reinforced walls. Heightened lines of sight. Good places to create choke points. It could have withstood. It didn't. The burn marks can tell far more about it than any survivor. Breaches in the walls of the west. Internal damage done. Fire was applied in places where a precision strike would have been better. Failure upon which layers of poor decisions are heaped.She was watching me as soon as I entered.I felt it. That subtle push against the eyes that means a person is paying attent
Chapter 151. What Shadows Don’t Say
Noel's POVThe base just didn't feel the same after the mission.It never did, especially after intense brawls, but this time it wasn’t because of damage, loss, or wear and tear. It was eerily quiet, as if the walls themselves were listening. Soldiers trooped along at a slower pace. Muttered conversations ceased as soon as someone walked into a room. Everyone was thinking, and no one wanted to be the first to open their mouth.I went to the locker room and sat down without removing any equipment.The smells of metal, oil, sweat, and disinfectant lingered. It was a familiar scent. One that should have been grounding. Instead, it made everything feel all too real.I closed my eyes and here it came once again.That shadow.I hadn’t counted on that. Now I understood that. During the struggle. While everything was mayhem. While orders were being barked out. While opposing abilities were erupting into vicious bursts. I’d felt it extend the wrong way. A.pull that was nonsensical. A presence
Chapter 150. The Cost of Standing Still.
Seth's POVA struggle like this lingered in me after the struggle itself.Not the movements. Not the blows. These faded quickly, stored away with the rest of the physical memories. But the sensation, the weight in my chest, the shakes long after the adrenaline left my system that stayed.I had raised my fists against my own people.No. That wasn’t true.I hadn’t fought them. I had fought the uniform, the orders, the situation.“That’s the lie I kept telling myself,” that's how I summed up... It was a quiet road from here to the castle. Too quiet. They drove along the road hugging the cliff, with the moonlit sea shimmering far below like a scattering of broken glass. The wind beat against the windows with a mournful, deep moaning noise, and I tried to hear what guilt sounded like when words failed.Ceres drove as if nothing had happened.One hand on the steering wheel, a relaxed posture, humming to herself as if after a successful training mission rather than a field where blood and sm
Chapter 149. The Shadow I Didn’t Chase.
Noel’s POVThe first thing I felt was pressure.Not fear. Not excitement. Pressure, like the air itself was leaning inward, compressing around my chest, reminding me that this wasn’t training anymore. This was real. Real enemies. Real blood on concrete. Real lives hinging on every wrong step.Velkor’s outskirts were burning.Floodlights cut through smoke in harsh white lines, slicing shadows apart and stitching them back together in ugly shapes. Government units moved with discipline, voices clipped, orders sharp and efficient. This wasn’t chaos. This was controlled violence.I stayed low, close to broken walls and overturned crates, my shadow stretching thin beneath me, alert, listening. Shadows always talked. Not in words, but in pressure, in direction, in that quiet pull that told me where danger lived.“Advance left,” Alex’s voice came through the comm. Calm. Too calm. “Noel, cover the rear.”“On it,” I whispered.I slid backward into the shadow of a collapsed beam, breath steady
Chapter 148. Lines in the Dark.
Seth’s POVThe car smelled like oil, metal, and something burned into the upholstery long before I ever sat in it. The engine hummed low, steady, like it had made this trip too many times to care anymore. Ceres drove with one hand on the wheel, relaxed, as if we were heading to a meeting instead of a battlefield.I stared out the window, watching the dark blur past, trees thinning into broken land and concrete scars. Camps like this were never placed somewhere clean. They thrived in forgotten spaces. Places no one would miss if they burned.“Where are the others?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.Ceres didn’t look at me right away. “Redeployed,” she said. “Different camp with a higher priority.”That answer sat wrong in my chest.“Just us?” I pressed.“For this operation,” she replied. “Yes.”The silence that followed was thick, heavy. I didn’t like being alone with her thoughts. Ceres was dangerous not just because of her ability, but because she enjoyed watching people figure out
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