The lights above the stage dimmed, drawing the audience’s attention once more to the center. The announcer stepped forward in her sleek black gown, her voice echoing clearly through the ornate auction hall.
"We now begin the second round," she declared. "Objects of rare origin, singular use, and forbidden purpose await your bids. Proceed with discretion."
A low murmur spread across the crowd, the polite chatter quickly replaced by hushed anticipation. The first half had been tame—ornaments, enchanted trinkets, minor tools of value. Now, the true auction began.
From their seats in the lower gallery, Noah exhaled slowly, his gaze flicking toward a particular figure sitting several rows ahead.
Or as he liked to call her—the goth mommy.
Clad in a long, black dress lined with silver filigree, Saphielle sat motionless, her gloved hands resting on her lap. She didn’t glance at anyone. Didn’t blink. Didn’t even breathe, from what Noah could tell.
"She’s completely focused," he muttered. "I told you—this is what she came for."
Cordelia sat beside him, arms crossed over her chest, still chewing the inside of her cheek after what had happened earlier. "The Hollow Echo?"
Noah nodded. "A soul-binding relic. She thinks it’ll let her bring her master back."
Cordelia hesitated. "Can it?"
"No," he said flatly. "At best, it’ll let her speak to a fragment of him. Maybe one last goodbye. But necromancy and Hollow Echo don’t mix. She’s going to ruin it. Probably ruin herself too."
Cordelia looked ahead, thoughtful. Then she glanced sideways. "And if we get it first?"
"We keep it locked in a box and sell it to someone less obsessed," he replied. "We can’t let her waste it. It’s a relic, not a miracle."
He leaned in a little, lowering his voice. "Let’s just hope you didn’t spend too much earlier... we’ll need every coin."
Cordelia didn’t answer immediately.
"Those earrings were very pretty," she finally said.
Noah gave her a look.
He sighed, turning his attention back to the stage just as the announcer gestured toward the velvet-covered pedestal being rolled in behind her.
The velvet sheet was pulled back with a dramatic sweep, revealing a small, obsidian orb levitating above an ancient silver base. Pale mist coiled around it like silent whispers, and a chill brushed over the auction floor.
"The Hollow Echo," the announcer said, her voice softer now, almost reverent. "Forged in the last era of the Wailing Isles. Said to carry the voice of those long lost. Starting bid: 1,000 gold coins."
Noah exhaled slowly, already feeling the tension in his neck. Beside him, Cordelia sat straighter, her hand hovering above the paddle marked 69.
"She’s going for it," he muttered.
As if on cue, a card rose smoothly from across the room. Number 7.
"Bid acknowledged. 1,000 gold."
Cordelia didn’t hesitate. She raised her card. "69 – 1,100 gold."
A pause. Then Number 7 again.
Back and forth it went, each bid sharper than the last.
Noah clenched his fists slightly, eyes flicking between the item and Saphielle. She was like a statue—emotionless, unmoving, but relentless.
Saphielle responded instantly. "1,700."
Cordelia bit her lip. "1,800!"
A murmur echoed through the hall now. The price was steep for an item with no guarantee. But the bidders didn’t care.
Cordelia hesitated for just a moment, her fingers tightening around the paddle.
Saphielle didn’t blink. "2,200."
Cordelia looked at Noah.
He nodded. "We’re still in."
She raised it again. "2,300!"
Then, for the first time, Saphielle leaned forward.
Cordelia froze. Her hand trembled slightly. "I... I don’t have more."
A bell chimed—sharp and final.
"Sold!" the announcer declared. "To Number 7 for 2,400 gold!"
Noah closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.
Cordelia leaned back with a groan. "I was so close..."
Noah turned to her, eyebrows raised. "So close... but not enough. And whose fault is that, Miss ’Pretty Earrings’?"
Cordelia gave him a guilty side-eye. "You’re never letting that go, are you?"
Above, Saphielle rose silently from her seat and began to walk toward the side exit, where the item would be handed over.
Saphielle walked with a quiet, deadly grace. Her black gown trailed behind her like a living shadow as she passed through the velvet-draped hallway to claim the Hollow Echo.
Noah and Cordelia remained seated, tension buzzing between them.
Cordelia sighed, rubbing her temple. "She’s really going to try it, isn’t she..."
"Yeah," Noah muttered, eyes fixed on the hallway where Saphielle had disappeared. "She thinks this thing is going to bring him back."
’But it won’t. Not really. Just whispers. Echoes. A fake version of closure.’
Cordelia nodded grimly. "Even if the Hollow Echo worked at full capacity, it would never restore someone completely. A fragment at best. A voice. Maybe a memory. But... not the soul."
Noah glanced sideways. "You know that, I know that. She doesn’t."
"She just wants to hear him one more time," Cordelia murmured.
Noah’s tone sharpened. "You can’t revive someone from the dead."
She leaned back with a frustrated groan. "If I hadn’t spent those 200 coins on those stupid earrings..."
Noah raised an eyebrow, not letting it go. "You’re damn right."
"Okay, okay! You’ve made your point!" she hissed, shoving his shoulder. "They were beautiful."
"They were unnecessary."
"They matched my outfit!"
Noah stared at her flatly. "This is why we lost."
Cordelia sank lower into her seat, grumbling. "If you’re going to guilt trip me, at least do it with food."
He smirked. "Aren’t you on a diet?."
As they bickered, Lys sat silently beside them, lost in her thoughts again. Her cheeks were still faintly flushed, and her fingers fidgeted in her lap.
’He’s sitting so close again... do we look like a couple from the back? I... I wouldn’t mind if we did. Hihihi...’
She hadn’t even noticed Saphielle leaving.
Or the fact that the Hollow Echo was gone.
Or the fact that Cordelia had nearly bankrupted them for nothing.
And she certainly hadn’t noticed the subtle tension in Noah’s jaw, the way he whispered under his breath:
"This is going to go horribly wrong."
The hum of the auction faded as Saphielle quietly left through the nobles’ exit. Noah stood up immediately.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
"We follow her," he said, voice calm but urgent. "She’s heading back to her family estate—one of the oldest necromancer houses in the region. It’s in the outskirts, past the northern gates."
Cordelia crossed her arms. "So she’s taking a carriage?"
"Exactly. We will hit the carriage later on."
Lys blinked. "W-Wait, hit? What are we doing?"
Noah replied simply, "We’re going to steal the Hollow Echo before she can use it."
Lys froze. "A quest? Is this... a mission? What are you two talking about?"
Cordelia and Noah both tensed for a second.
"A figure of speech," Cordelia said smoothly, flipping her hair. "You know, like... a metaphor. Totally normal stuff."
"Yeah," Noah added quickly. "Just... normal noble problems."
Lys squinted. ’That was definitely suspicious... quest? Mission? Who even says that?’
Still dazed, she followed as the two moved quickly toward the exit.
Noah adjusted his cloak. "She’ll board her carriage soon. We follow from the rooftops until it slows. Aqua and Gaia will block the wheels. Fire stays behind to cover any threat. I’ll grab the item."
"Wait, you’re making me attack a noble’s carriage?" Lys asked, half-laughing, half-panicking.
"You’re just borrowing the spirits’ help," Noah said with a sly grin. "Think of it as... training."
"This feels like the opposite of training..."
As they stepped into the night, the moonlight bathed the streets. In the distance, a black carriage with silver trim rolled out of the auction gates.
Noah’s voice dropped to a low murmur, a grin creeping onto his lips.