With a puff of pink smoke, a woman appeared on the stage. Long, crimson hair flowed to her back with beautiful, elegant curls. The tight black dress she wore was in contrast to her pale skin, and a similarly black mask covered her face, giving her some degree of anonymity.

“Welcome, esteemed guests, my lords and ladies, and young masters.” She raised her hands on either side, pale blue mana spread from her hands, shooting up to the chandeliers hanging above the stage, lighting them up. “A pleasure to have you all here tonight. Now, without further ado, let us begin the auction!” Her voice echoed across the room, accompanied by waves of mana that probably served to enhance it.

Two men walked from behind the black curtain at the back of the stage, carrying a silver inlaid wooden case. They stopped by the pedestal, one of them opened the case’s lid, while the other carefully reached inside, and took out the object inside, and placed it on the velvet cushion.

Ash narrowed his eyes as the object reflected the light of the chandeliers. “Our first item is the glass dagger of the witch hunters!” The woman’s voice echoed. “Legends say in the past, these daggers were commonplace, and they were able to cut through threads of mana!”

Ash heard several gasps coming from the rows of seats below. “Is that even possible?” he asked with a low voice. Professor Maple nodded. “It was, one. But these daggers can no longer do that. See, she claimed it was able to do that, not that it is.” He smirked. “Let’s see how many careless people will fall for this.”

“Our starting price for this item is two thousand gold coins!” The woman declared. “Do we have any buyers?”

Almost immediately, several people raised their hands, and the auction began. Ash barely kept his jaw dropping as the price of the dagger rose by the thousands every time a new bid was made. After a few moments, he took a couple of steps back, and leaned against the balcony wall.

Thousands, tens of thousands of gold coins… Such riches shouldn’t have been possible, not when there were people worrying about going hungry in the winters.

“Sold!” The woman’s voice echoed. Unable to curb his curiosity, Ash glanced below to see for how much it was sold. “Fifty thousand.” Leon whispered, leaning towards him. “Weird, isn’t it. It’s just a glass dagger, but they can’t stop themselves.”

Ash nodded. “Weird…” he repeated. Even a quarter of that money would have been enough to feed the whole of Serna for decades! And here these people were wasting it on vanity items like this!

As the next few items were shown, explained, and sold for incredible amounts of gold, Ash simply watched in disbelief. “Are you ok?” Fionna’s voice startled him. “You’re pale as a sheet of paper.” She added with a worried expression.

Ash shook his head. “I’m fine, just shocked.” He vaguely gestured below. “It’s just very… foreign to me.” He hesitantly spoke, choosing his words carefully. He glanced at her. “Don’t worry about me.” She was rich too – she was a noble after all, as was Maya, and Damien. Even Leon was wealthy since his family owned this auction house.

He couldn’t help but feel alone.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Fionna smiled. “I don’t quite know how they can remain so rich while wasting such obscene amounts of money.”

Ash couldn’t hide his confused expression fast enough. Fionna laughed quietly before he could come up with something to say. “Did you think my family was so rich too?” She asked with a glimmer in her eyes. Ash shrugged and nodded, she had read him like a book.

“We’re not.” She clarified as another item was sold for an obscene amount of wealth. “My dad’s a soldier – one with a low rank. We’re nobles because we own a small plot of land down south, beyond the forest. There are a handful of people living there, but since the land is so difficult to work there, dad doesn’t collect any taxes from them. They’re barely surviving as is. And he doesn’t have any men to send there.” Ash’s surprised expression made her chuckle. “We’re not poor by any means, don’t misunderstand, but well… this much wealth being thrown around is certainly foreign to me as well.”

She turned towards the stage, and watched as the next item was placed on the pedestal – a beautiful crystalline chunk, filled with green mana.

“Ash!” Professor Maple snapped, prompting him to quickly step forward. “They began showing the mana hearts, we need your sight.”

“Green.” Ash immediately said. Professor Maple nodded. “That much I can see. Besides, look at it, this one is a crude mana heart. Miss Hawken doesn’t want it.”

Maya shot the professor an annoyed glance, then pulled Ash closer to the edge of the balcony. “I think I annoyed him.” She muttered with a low voice so the professor wouldn’t hear. They waited for this mana heart to be sold, and as the next one was brought to the pedestal, Ash immediately gasped.

This one was a mix of green and brown and had a much smoother surface than the one before. “This Arcane mana heart was taken from an ancient earthvein serpent. It was nearly five hundred years old and has both nature and earth affinity.”

Ash immediately shot Leon a glance. The young man’s mana was almost identical in colour to this mana heart. “Professor – this is good for Leon, isn’t it?” He asked as the auctioneer declared the starting price to be ten thousand gold coins.

“It is indeed.” Professor Maple looked at Leon. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

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Leon’s eyes widened. “Really?” He asked as he ran up to the balcony’s edge. Without even a split second of hesitation, he raised his hand, holding a piece of luminous red cloth.

“And we have a bidder already!” The masked woman’s voice echoed in the auction hall. “Any other bidders?”

Another luminous cloth waved from one of the other balconies. “Another esteemed guest has placed a bid!” The masked woman declared. Leon just rolled his eyes and waved the cloth once more. “The bid is now at twenty five thousand gold coins!” The woman’s voice rose.

“Odd…” Maya scowled as the other person raised the bid once more, prompting Leon to do the same. “Double affinity is really rare, both in mana hearts and in people.” She explained, noticing Ash’s questioning glance. “I suppose it’s an unlucky day for Leon.” She concluded with a shrug.

As the bid was raised to fifty thousand gold coins, the person on the other balcony stepped back, letting Leon win the auction.

“Yes!” the young man jumped up and down.

“The earthvein serpent’s mana heart goes to the gentlemen in room seven!” The masked woman declared. The two men who brought the mana heart put it back into the silver inlaid wooden case, then walked behind the black curtain.

“They’ll bring it here at the end of the auction.” Leon said with a satisfied expression.

“Um, Leon…” Fionna sheepishly spoke up. “Do you have the funds for that purchase?”

Leon smirked and nodded. “Dad’s really good at running this place. It’ll be fine!” He then walked back inside and threw himself on one of the sofas. “That was stressful!”

Damien chuckled, following him inside, leaving only the two noble girls, Professor Maple, and Ash on the balcony. The next few mana hearts that were sold were filled with blue and yellow mana. With every mana heart that was brought out, Maya looked at Ash with gradually diminishing hope in her eyes, only to see him shake his head.

“And this is the last of our mana hearts for today!” The masked woman declared as the two men brought a gold inlaid wooden case. It was larger than the cases they carried before, and a third person followed them, he opened the lid of the case, and carefully removed a vibrant, blood-red mana heart from the case, and placed it onto the velvet cushion.

Ash drew a sharp breath and immediately covered his eyes as the vibrant mana that the heart emitted hurt his pale eyes. “Blood-red.” He spoke.

“Our final mana heart for today is taken from a flameheart phoenix, assumed to be over one thousand years old. Attuned to fire, this Celestial mana heart’s starting price is one hundred thousand gold coins!”

Several audible gasps sounded from the auction hall. “Celestial?!” A woman exclaimed from below.

“I need this.” Maya hissed, snatching the luminous cloth from where Leon left it, and raising it high into the air.

“A guest from room seven is already bidding!” The auctioneer declared. “Do we have any other bidders?”

Several pieces of luminous cloth were raised into the air. Maya clicked her tongue. “I don’t care – I’m getting that.” She whispered, waiting for the masked woman to count the bids and increase the price. “One hundred and fifty thousand gold coins!”

Maya once again raised the luminous cloth.

“Do you have the funds for this?” Professor Maple asked with a concerned expression. Maya nodded. “Father wants me to have the best.” She stated. “Money isn’t an issue.”

“You could have similar success without a celestial mana heart as well,” Professor Maple scowled. “You don’t need to be so hung up on-“

“You may have been able to have great success with just a rare mana heart professor!” Maya hissed, ready to wave the luminous cloth again. “But I have mana blindness – you yourself said I need to aim for ascension.” Her fiery gaze was focused on the bright red mana heart, shaped like a near perfect orb. There were very few flaws on it, and while it did still look like a cut gem, there were very few facets on the mana heart.

“I have the means to make my growth easier, to make it happen faster. I won’t push that aside, not when my family supports me.” Maya continued, not taking her eyes off the mana heart. Ash could see its reflection in her eyes. It was a perfect match for her, he simply knew it. “Your success with just a rare mana heart is remarkable professor, but my aim is higher.” She concluded, raising the luminous cloth once more.

Professor Maple took a sharp breath as if he was about to speak, but after a moment’s consideration, he breathed out a sigh. “Do as you wish…” he muttered with a dejected tone. Fionna looked at the elderly man with a sympathetic expression but remained silent.

“Room seven has raised the price to two hundred and eighty thousand gold coins!” The masked woman declared. “Are there any more bidders?” She clapped once, then waited a few seconds, then clapped once more. Maya held her breath, waiting for her last clap. The next few seconds felt like an eternity, even to Ash. Then, the third clap sounded. “Room seven has won the bid for the flameheart phoenix’ mana heart! Congratulations to our esteemed guests!”

Three men approached the pedestal and collected the celestial mana heart. As they disappeared behind the curtain, a person came out, carrying a small, onyx case. He carefully opened the case, and placed a small object wrapped in a black cloth on the cushion.

Then, using a long wooden rod, he unwrapped the cloth from the item.

It was a pendant, made of a black metal, inlaid with silver, with a small, black gem embedded at its centre. A simple silver chain was partially hidden beneath the black cloth.

Ash narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t quite see it too well, like there was a shadow being cast on it. It withered and swirled around the object, growing darker with each passing second.

“Esteemed guests, this is a pendant found in an ancient burial site. The seller has not shared much more information with us, except for the fact that it must be kept wrapped in Nilcloth and must not be touched with bare hands.”

Professor Maple started on his feet, nearly knocking his chair over. “Give me that,” he said, taking the luminous cloth from Maya.

“As not much information has been shared, the bid starts at ten thousand gold coins!”

Professor Maple immediately waved the luminous cloth.

“Room seven has placed a bid!” The woman exclaimed, “Any other bidders?”

The auction hall was silent, and Ash spotted no luminous cloth being waved. “In that case,” the masked woman declared. “Room seven has won the bid!”

Professor Maple dropped the cloth on his chair. “Good.” He stated absentmindedly. “This is good, we all found what we needed, more than that even.” His lips curled up with a smile as he went back inside, with Maya, Fionna, and Ash in tow.

The auction was over. “What was that you bought, professor?” Maya asked, but Professor Maple simply shrugged. “Something that may be relevant to my research, I doubt it has any real value.”

Soon, a knock sounded on the door, then the men carrying three different sized cases stepped inside. They placed them all on the desk at the middle of the room, and wordlessly left. Only when the door closed behind them did anyone move at all.

Maya rushed at the biggest case, opening it and momentarily blinding Ash. Leon sat upright on the couch, immediately taking his mana heart out of the case as well. Professor Maple also took the small, onyx case in hand, and carefully opened its lid.

A piece of the black cloth also raised with the lid, revealing the pendant.

The shadow he saw at the auction hall immediately reappeared, black as the night and much denser than before. It spread from the amulet, swirling, and reached towards Professor Maple’s hand.

“Professor, stay away from it!” Ash shouted.