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 24: Fractures Beneath the Skin.
The edge of the cliff loomed far above them like a broken crown. Seth lay at the bottom, half his body skewered by a branch thick as his arm. It had ripped clean through his side, puncturing flesh and muscle as blood oozed slowly from the wound, dark and thick.Nearby, Rose knelt, shivering and wounded but alive, thanks only to the way Seth had rejected her seat during their fall. Her dress was torn, her knees were bruised, and arms were scraped, but her eyes, her eyes were wide with something deeper than shock.She had been scared for Seth's life but now she felt a different emotion... Rage, pure, undiluted rage.Of course, Seth had passed out and come through, and now Rose had found out somethings that were better left unsaid."So it was all a lie," she said, voice eerily calm. "You never came here for me. You were after the mine, that’s why you let my family trust you, that’s why you pretended to care."Seth blinked as sweat and blood were rolling down his temple as pain spiked in
Chapter 23: The Cliff.
Vin.The humanoid radiation weapon had been her signature for years. A horrible invention that turned humans into unstable walking beasts capable of emitting waves of nuclear energy that could turn normal humans into beats that gave off harmful radiation, and now she was here.A decade of rivalry had all come down to this.Vin and Seth.The Iron Wolf of the East, and the Ghost Commander of the West.Two elite secret agents, hand picked by their respective nations to wage secret war, the winner would keep the mineral to themselves, a mineral with the power to change the world, Astralite. The mineral that now just happened to lie buried within the Tyrel family's mining zone.Vin stood atop a combat truck in the distance, her arms folded, pale hair whipping in the wind like silver flames. Her soldiers were behind her, clad in radiation suits, rifles trained and eyes sharp. But Vin didn’t need to use her soldiers, she had her creatures.The humanoid monster she had released glowed a faint
Chapter 22: Ghosts on the Road
The moment Seth hit the ignition and sped out of the hotel’s private driveway, the engine roared to life as the tires squealed as they gripped the asphalt, launching the vehicle forward into the night. In the passenger seat, Rose lay unconscious, her face bruised from the earlier fall, her limbs limp as a ragdoll. Seth kept one hand on the steering wheel, the other on his phone.“Come on, come on… Pick up Damnit.”Lucas wasn’t answering, the screen blinked, then went black.No signal.Seth’s eyes narrowed. “They’re jamming the frequency. FUCK!!!”He tossed the phone into the back seater. Whoever was after them wasn’t just some gang of street level idiots. This was organized and professional. He checked the rearview mirror and there it was as he had expected, a convoy of matte black SUVs, headlights off, driving hard at his tail.“Of course,” Seth muttered. “Nothing says friendly neighborhood assassination squads like rolling blackout trucks at 120 kilometers per hour.”Bullets explode
Chapter 21: Kisses, Tears, and Bullets?
The city lights blinked drowsily as the hour crawled past midnight. Seth sat by the wide window of his guest room, scrolling through classified documents on a holographic tablet when his private phone buzzed.There was one new message from Rose, he squinted his eyes and read the message."We need to talk, meet me at ‘that’ hotel, now!!!"There were no emojis, just text that slurred just slightly. He thought to himself, “that was like her, rude as always,” but something about it felt off, besides, the mention of the very specific hotel told him she meant business.Having stared at it for a second he tossed the tablet aside and grabbing his coat.The hotel was quiet. The lobby hummed with soft jazz music and rich laughter. Seth didn’t bother checking in, he knew exactly which suite to head for, it was the room where they had first met each other, the room where it all began, all thanks to a very passionate night. Within minutes, he reached the room door and knocked once but no answer c
Chapter 20: Hidden Agendas and Holographic Maps.
The Tyrel estate was quiet when Seth stepped outside. His hands, deep in his pockets, and he looked every bit the picture of idle boredom, but his brain was already spinning gears too fast for most to follow. Rose’s outburst. General Cane’s suspicion. The increasing tension around Velkor City. It all smelled like something was about to break.And it didn’t help that his comm link buzzed in his pocket like a very rude wasp.He clicked the receiver into his ear without breaking his stride. “Talk.”“Good evening Boss, unfortunately, I may have got bad news.” Lucas said with a tight voice. “Our informant’s gone dark and it is not looking pretty.”That woke Seth up at the sound of that.“Where?”“Lumina,” Lucas said. “Just outside the eastern border checkpoint. The man on the operation made his last report three hours ago. Since then, nothing. No pings, no comms. Not even a post, it's like he just vanished.”Seth’s jaw clenched. “You think he was compromised?”“There’s no other explanation
Chapter 19: Bitter Wine and Sharp Tongues.
The room had just begun to settle after Rose’s explosive declaration. The music, once soft and elegant, had turned awkward and quiet. Servants whispered behind polished doors, politicians shifted uncomfortably, and even the chandeliers above seemed unsure whether to keep glowing or fall off the ceiling.Rose’s mother, Lysa, stood frozen for one long, thunderous moment. Her face twisted with a mix of rage, disbelief, and that distinct look of shame at her one and only daughter.Then, without a word, she turned sharply on her heel and stormed out of the hall, her dress swirling behind her. The sound of her heels echoed through the halls as all turned to watch her leave.Mr. Mason, however, didn’t even flinch. He was grinning like he’d just watched a very satisfying ending to the scene he had just witnessed.“Well then!” he said, clapping his hands together. “That settles it. Let’s set a date!”Everyone in the room blinked.Except General Cane.He stepped forward, his jaw tightened, his
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