The hall lights brightened and the seats filled with murmuring nobles. The bidders came draped in colorful robes or armored vests covered in arcane sigils. Some hid their faces behind smooth masks others showed their heritage proudly with glowing house crests. Eldric stepped onto the circular platform as the opening chime rang across the hall. He lifted his hand and the audience fell silent.

Welcome to the Vanton Grand Auction

His voice carried confidently through the hall without needing any amplification magic. Years of practice had turned his tone into a finely tuned instrument capable of cutting through even the loudest crowd. He introduced the rules the bidding etiquette and the new security protocols for this season. Each attendee listened intently because breaking rules inside Eldrics auction house could mean walking out without magic limbs or worse without a name left in the noble registry.

Now let us begin Eldric said and the ward chamber rose slowly in the center revealing the silver tablet

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

The tablet pulsed again faintly almost like a breath. Eldric sensed the shift but maintained his calm expression. Behind him Lyra and Garron moved discreetly to the side ensuring no one would get close to the chamber without permission.

This relic was retrieved from the ruins of Kareth Hollow Eldric said. It predates the last documented empire by at least two thousand years The script is not recorded in any archive It is selfreactive and may respond to perception or presence

Whispers grew and Eldric felt several nobles trying subtle spells to analyze the relic. The ward flickered each time but held strong.

Let the bidding begin at one hundred thousand crestmarks

Hands raised. Sigils lit up. The numbers escalated quickly. Two hundred thousand Four Three Five The hall shifted from nervous anticipation to competitive frenzy.

Then something unexpected happened.

The tablet flared with a sharp silver glow. The entire showroom dimmed for a heartbeat as if the relic absorbed nearby light. Several nobles gasped and a few recoiled. The ward shuddered and Eldric felt the chamber tug against his stabilizer.

Lyra whispered sharply Eldric its resonating with the crowd

Garron moved closer to Eldric. You need to end the auction now

But Eldric was focused. The glow intensified and the script began to rearrange itself. The markings twisted and spiraled into new patterns forming what looked like an ancient sigil. Eldric stepped forward and placed his hand on the ward. The audience watched in stunned silence.

And then they heard it.

A voice Not loud but persistent A whisper that slid through the hall like cold air seeping under a door. A language none of them understood yet all of them felt deep in the chest.

Lyra grabbed Eldrics arm. That is a calling Its choosing someone in here

Eldric steadied himself as the ward hummed louder. His own vision blurred for a moment and he saw ruins collapsing a figure standing in ancient armor a tower made of glass and bone and a battlefield buried under sand. Then it vanished.

The nobles grew restless Some stood Some clutched amulets some tried to cast countercharms onto themselves.

Eldric raised his voice If anyone attempts a disruption spell you will be escorted out

He touched the stabilizer crystal again and the ward steadied slightly. The relic pulsed one more time then dimmed as if exhausted. The mark on its surface settled back into its original script but Eldric knew it was not the same as before.

He breathed once and forced the tension out of his shoulders. Bidding continues

The hall erupted louder than before. Now fear mixed with greed. If the relic could awaken or speak it was now worth more than ever.

Prices shot upward without hesitation.

Half a million
Eight hundred thousand
One point two million
And then Duke Armanth of the Thorns House rose and declared a bid so high the hall fell silent.

Five million crestmarks

No one countered.

Eldric struck the final chime.

The Silver Tablet is sold to House Thorns

Applause mixed with nervous murmurs. The relic dimmed again as if displeased but Eldric did not show it. As staff moved to secure the relic and escort it to the buyer Eldric turned toward Lyra and Garron with a calm mask.

But his voice was low.

That relic woke up for a reason And the vision it showed me is not something I can ignore

Lyra narrowed her eyes. You think this is connected to the other disturbances

Eldric nodded slowly. This is just the first one The season is going to get much worse

The chime rang again signaling the next item but the unease in the hall lingered. Something had shifted today and Eldric could feel the world tilting toward a new path.

A path that was dragging him with it whether he wanted or not.