Far beneath the respectable streets of Srome, beyond the reach of the lamps that illuminated the city each night, another world existed beneath the surface.
Hidden behind an old warehouse and accessible only through a series of concealed passages was an underground auction hall where stolen goods, forbidden substances and illegal weapons could be purchased by anyone wealthy enough to afford them.
Yet objects were not the only things sold within those walls.
For the right price, even a living person could become merchandise.
The underground hall was packed that night.
Alcohol, cigarette smoke, sweat and expensive perfume mixed heavily in the enclosed air as men and women from different walks of life gathered around tables facing a raised stage.
Many wore masks to conceal their identities, though the expensive jewelry and fine silk clothing worn by some made little effort to hide their wealth.
Others kept themselves covered beneath dark cloaks, speaking only when necessary and carefully avoiding the attention of those around them.
Armed guards stood at regular intervals along the walls with their hands resting near their weapons.
Their eyes constantly moved across the crowd, watching for anything that might disturb the auction.
No one inside the hall appeared to trust anyone else, and considering the kind of business conducted there, perhaps none of them had any reason to.
At the front of the chamber stood a large iron cage concealed beneath a heavy black cloth.
Two heavily armed guards waited on either side while the auctioneer stepped onto the stage and adjusted his coat.
The conversations throughout the hall gradually quieted as he raised both hands and smiled toward the waiting crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight. Our people have managed to obtain something truly precious.” He allowed his words to linger as the last few conversations disappeared.
“Something exceedingly rare, something many of you would gladly pay a fortune to possess.”
Whispers immediately spread throughout the chamber.
Several guests leaned forward in their seats, while others began quietly speculating about what could possibly be hidden beneath the cloth.
He walked toward the cage and placed one hand upon the covering.
“I believe there is no reason to keep you waiting.”
With a sharp pull, he tore the black cloth away.
The atmosphere inside the hall changed instantly.
A young female Elf stood behind the iron bars.
Her wrists were bound, and a simple, worn dress covered her delicate frame.
Long blue hair fell over her shoulders like a clear summer sky, but its beauty only made the exhaustion upon her face more noticeable.
Her posture had weakened from whatever she had endured before being brought there, and her eyes remained fixed upon the floor as dozens of strangers stared at her from beyond the cage.
The auctioneer spread his arms as though proudly presenting a priceless treasure.
“This young Elf possesses a Mana Spirit.”
The hall erupted almost immediately.
“Impossible…”
“A Mana Spirit?”
“You’re saying she’s a Spirit Mage?”
Several nobles leaned forward in their seats, their earlier curiosity quickly transforming into open greed.
Others began whispering excitedly among themselves as they studied the Elf more carefully, no longer seeing the exhausted young woman standing inside the cage but the rarity of the power she carried.
“That is correct,” the auctioneer continued, clearly pleased with their reaction.
“A Mana Spirit resides within her, granting her power far beyond that of an ordinary mage. Her potential alone makes her an exceptionally valuable specimen.”
The Elf slowly raised her head.
For a brief moment, her gaze passed across the crowd gathered before her. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
She saw masked faces, expensive clothing and eyes filled with hunger for something none of them had any right to possess.
Yet there was no anger left in her expression, nor any visible hope that someone might suddenly come to save her.
There was only exhaustion.
The auctioneer continued as though he had not noticed.
“Such talent is extraordinarily rare. Finding an Elf capable of possessing a Mana Spirit is difficult enough. Capturing one alive is even more difficult.”
Several masked nobles were already reaching for their bidding boards.
The sight caused another satisfied smile to spread across the auctioneer’s face.
He returned to the center of the stage and raised one hand.
“Without wasting any more time, we shall begin the bidding at one hundred thousand gold coins!”
A wooden board immediately rose from somewhere within the crowd.
“One hundred and twenty thousand!”
Another followed almost instantly.
“One hundred and fifty thousand!”
More boards began rising throughout the chamber as voices competed with one another and the price climbed higher with every passing moment.
Behind the iron bars, the Elf slowly lowered her head again.
She did not struggle against the restraints around her wrists or plead with the people bidding for ownership of her life.
She simply stood there in silence, listening as strangers placed increasingly greater values upon her as though she were nothing more than another rare object being sold that night.
And the bidding had only just begun.