I was so long in Seclusion that everyone forgot about me

╭══◞ MC POV ◟══╮

The purring Divieria looked at me expectantly, as if asking me to tighten my grip around her throat. I let her go immediately.

"Naww, already over?" she wailed.

I rolled my eyes. "So you're the deviant one of the two of you?"

"Wh-Whhaaa— I am not! I'm totally normal, thank you very much!" she replied with as much sass as she possibly could.

"How much is Tulsi screaming at you right now?"

"A lot," smirked Sophia.

I sighed. I knew Divierias could have quirky personalities, but she was the first one I'd met in my long life who acted entirely different from the other self. Well, most of the time, the two sides fought with each other over who would be the dominant one and tried to annihilate each other, so it wasn't actually that big of a surprise.

I wanted to say something, but the door opened before my lips could part. The old butler stepped inside, face filled with fury. His gaze swept across the room—shock flashing across his features as he saw Sophia—and then landed on me. Only now did he seem to notice we didn't have our masks on, and his head snapped downward immediately.

"Face down, you idiots," he hissed, and the guards obeyed.

Then, louder and more controlled, he addressed us. "M-My apologies. Normally, guests never remove their masks, even in their loge."

"Next time, I'll kill every last one of you," I said, my voice cold as stone.

The butler swallowed audibly. "Th-Thank you. We are grateful for your mercy."

"I still have my uses for you. Now, tell me, why are you storming in here like this without warning?"

"W-We have intruders, and one looks like the person that entered the auction house with you. Guards also saw her leave and not come back," he stammered, still staring at the floor.

I tapped my finger against my chin. "I have no idea who you're talking about. Do you, Tu— Sophia?"

She smiled. "No, I do not. We were only two when we entered."

"B-But I saw y—" started a guard, but was silenced by Sophia planting his face into the marble with one of her talons. Blood burst outward as the helmet crumpled. The skull gave way with a sickening crack.

The old butler began to shiver, but didn't move. Neither did the other guards, who were smarter than to challenge us now.

"Where were we? Ah, yes. A third person?" I asked slowly, walking up to him.

"Wh-What person? Y-You were only two when you came into our establishment," he replied, sweat running in beads down his temple.

All I could do was grin at how hard he had to control himself. I could see his jaw clenching, his teeth grinding behind that mask of civility. How amusing.

But let me show him some goodwill.

"Now that you're here—one of my acquaintances told me she was interested in a manor in this city. Private, big, and secure. It wouldn't even matter if it's cursed or if something made it impossible to sell before. As for the payment…"

I opened the veil and tossed a palm-sized ocean-blue scale onto the ground before his face. He eyed it uncertainly, but didn't question it. I should ask later for Thorald's reaction—watching him squirm might be just as fun.

"Th-Thank you. I will look into a suitable place that you could purchase for your acquaintance. May I ask to be excused?"

"You all may go. But keep your heads down."

The butler made a slight nodding movement—as best as he could in that position—and signaled the guards to follow. One of them stepped towards the corpse, clearly intending to retrieve it, but Sophia growled low in her throat. The sound made him stop immediately and back away, leaving the body where it was. The door closed silently behind them.

Sophia began to laugh. She clearly enjoyed the power play we had just performed. Something she'd probably wanted for a very long time. And honestly, I think she deserved it. I knew how anomalies among the Vetala were treated. I knew what they did to those who didn't fit the norm.

The scent of iron filled the air as the blood seeped out farther across the floor. I'd rather not spend the rest of the auction staring at that mess. But before I used my hemomancy, I had to thank someone.

'Thanks for the treat~ You should have seen the butler. It was quite amusing. Even Sophia had a blast!'

'Hehe, I'm happy yo— wait, who is Soph—'

I cut the link before she could finish. Seemed only fair.

My gaze shifted back to Sophia, who loomed over the corpse with one talon still hovering, as if she was tempted to crush it again just to let something out.

"Don't dirty yourself more with that human blood. You'll have a chance later to vent all that pent-up frustration, if everything turns out as planned," I said, with a warm tone.

"B-But what do we do with the corpse?" she asked, nudging the crushed helmet slightly with one claw.

I snapped my fingers, and the blood began to move. It drifted toward me, slowly losing gravity the closer it came, rising steadily into the air before forming a hard crimson pearl above my palm.

The moment the body was fully drained, it shriveled into a dried husk, then crumbled into dust with another flick of my fingers. Not even the armor remained.

The blood pearl gleamed, heavy with soul and taste. But instead of enjoying it myself, I tossed it lightly towards Sophia.

She caught it—with her mouth, perfectly between her teeth. Then she winked and popped it. Her expression shifted instantly, filled with ecstasy as the taste and the bound soul washed over her. For a second, I thought she might fall to her knees with how wobbly they became, but she barely caught herself. And then, all of a sudden, she looked at me as if she had just fallen madly in love.

I stepped up to her, stopping just inches from her face. "Don't lose yourself there, will you? You're still not out of the woods. Did you really think no one would ever find out about your little secret?"

That snapped her out of it. Her trance dissolved in an instant, and she became acutely aware of how close I'd gotten—and that she was very much still in danger if she, or rather they, didn't tread carefully now.

Her lips parted slightly, but I continued without pause. "Not that I couldn't understand why you did it. I mean, Divieria are treated like useless livestock. For someone like the Vetala, such oddities as you are worth next to nothing. A soul formed of two halves—one hampers the other from steady growth. For a warmonger race, a complete failure. And it seems that to this day, they have not found the flaw in their logic."

That seemed to sting her. I felt a shift in her soul, probably Tulsi talking to her very emotionally. But I still wasn't finished yet.

"The Divieria I knew—even if most of them were oddballs—were the leaders. Of course, the other nobles spread the misconception that they were just ordinary Vetala in order to ensure nothing would endanger their position, and it seems that this strategy succeeded in the end."

Sophia tried to avert her gaze, but I took her chin with my hand and forced her to keep looking at me.

"Your parents knew what you were, didn't they? But all they saw was a Vetala with stunted growth. Slower to accumulate power. More vulnerable. So they cast you aside. They never realized your so-called 'handicap' was actually an advantage. Because once a Divieria's soul reaches a certain level of strength, it surpasses its peers. Double the potential, even if it takes longer to reach its peak."

By now, she was whimpering. Small tears were slowly welling up in the corners of her eyes as I forced her to remember the shame her family put on them. But I wasn't quite finished yet.

"And even among the Divieria, those whose other soul half awakened into its own consciousness—like you two—are rarer still. That kind of symbiosis, that bond, magnifies the potential even further. But I doubt either of you knew that, or you wouldn't have run, would you? It seems to me you wanted to protect Tulsi. To help her be seen. I must say, I find that a little touching."

Sophia flinched.

"However, it was a mistake on your part to try to fool me. Or... could it be that she doesn't know the full truth and you kept things from her?"

Her eyes went wide. Tears began to fall. Her earlier wild and confident behavior cracked like thin ice under a heavy step.

"Y-You're right! I— we are Divieria. But Tulsi doesn't know everything. I've always tried to keep things from her, to hide them just enough that she'd think it wasn't so bad. And I can already hear her yelling in my head, asking what I'm even talking about and throwing in a dozen other things she's really not happy about right now."

She took a breath. "But it was never about fooling you. I just wanted to protect her, like I always have. I told her not to reveal what we are unless she was sure it was safe. Tulsi's too kind for a Vetala. Even when she was trying to level up, she only lured in the ones who were truly evil. She's too soft to carry a world like this on her own."

"True sibling love, huh?"

I let the thought hang for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Well, maybe it was luck, fate, or just plain misfortune that you stumbled upon someone like me who, purely coincidentally, could teach you higher soul magic that will make you stronger than any other Vetala."

Her breath caught again.

"Mind you, this comes at a cost. Yet, if you really want to protect Tulsi, you should consider it. After all, you two showed a lot of promise in the last few days."

"What's that price?" she asked without hesitation.

"Well, even though I can't really separate your souls completely without causing a fatal backlash, I can still give you a body of your own. You two are still basically one rather abstruse soul but in different bodies. Like this, on the one hand, you could protect Tulsi much better, and at the same time be far more useful to me. And to have such a special Divieria working for me would be totally worth it. Ah, but I don't need an answer right away. First, you two should talk it out and give me an answer about that later. Then I will lecture you about the pros and cons."

Sophia freed herself from my grasp, or rather I let her, and slowly moved to the couch, clearly not able to properly stand anymore. Her endurance really was incredible.

I was about to say something when another question spurted out of her mouth.

"Um, M-Mistress, I wanted to ask one more thing, if I may?"

"Ask away!"

"Your different appearances, that strange magic and your soul... are you a chim—"

Before she could finish the sentence, I blinked next to her and crashed my hand into her gut, sending her flying toward the ceiling. With a loud bang, she hit it hard and, moments later, dropped straight down onto the floor. This time, I heard the unmistakable sound of bones breaking.

I squatted beside her and looked into her pained eyes. "Dear Sophia, if you cherish your life, never again compare me to one of her absolutely failed and ludicrous experiments. Do you understand me?"

My voice was calm. Cold. So frigid that the air itself froze.

She raised her head, wincing, and nodded.

A moment passed. Then another question rang out—my, my, how persistent she was.

"But aren't chimeras among the strongest Mana Beasts? How can something like that be a failed experiment? I mean, they were created by the Eternal Witch, the most powerful witch who ever existed!"

...

Huh?

"Huh?" I said aloud, frowning. Wasn't that something Asche asked me a while ago?

I glanced at Sophia. "I'm not even sure which 'Eternal Witch' you're talking about. The only Eternal I remember wasn't a witch at all. Maybe others called her that, sure—but she never actually used magic. So how exactly would that make her a witch?"

Now Sophia, still wincing, slowly stood up and looked at me questioningly. "B-But the chimeras were created by the Eternal Witch with her dark magic... before she was ultimately sealed by the Origins and the Sword of the Gods."

I rubbed my temple. I could feel the headache coming. "Stop, stop, stop. Please tell me—what kind of godly sword are we even talking about? And who said she was one of the Origins anyway? That's complete tosh."

"W-What? Those are the stories everyone grows up with! The ones that talk about how the witch stole the sun and the knowledge of the world. How she couldn't die. How, in the end, the heroes sealed her with a divine blade in the same place she first entered the world. And yada yada yada…"

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Nope. Doesn't ring a bell," I replied, flatly.

Sophia blinked. "How can that be? How do you know Krone and Babel but not the story of Eternal? She was considered the worst of all witches! That's what the records say. She and the others—Krone, Circe, Laticia the Witch Queen, Walpurgis II.—they were all part of the same ancient coven. Most of their names are lost, but those four are common knowledge."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So Walpurgis had a daughter? Interesting. But I'm afraid I must disappoint you. I have absolutely no clue who you're talking about."

Watching her squirm brought a smile to my face. "Well, be that as it may, we have more important things to do," I added, trying to suppress the laugh building in my throat. It was satisfying, watching her second-guess everything. I had to start somewhere—make her question what she'd been taught.

I was still surprised by how the events I had lived through were twisted like this. And just like before, I'd been crossed out of the story entirely. No name, no trace. Why was I never included in any narrative? Why did they speak of someone with the title Eternal Witch when the Eternal—who truly created the chimeras—had no magic at all? It made no sense. And the longer I sat with it, the more bitter it tasted. How dare they cut me out.

Sophia cleared her throat, pulling me back to the present. "Is it alright to ask one more question?"

"Go ahead."

"If you're not a chi—" She stopped mid-word. My fist had tightened. "What are you?" she asked instead, more carefully.

I rolled my eyes. "You really don't want to learn, do you."

I stepped closer. "I'll give you one last warning, my dear. You're special, yes. But not special enough. Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. Got it?"

She swallowed. "Y-Yes."

"Good. Now sit and enjoy the second half of the auction. It should start once the troupe finishes their act," I told her, my gaze already shifting to the stage where Hijra al-Néan danced once more. I watched in silence, wondering what their queendom might look like. Worth visiting, I decided. One day, maybe.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Their show was shorter this time, and in my opinion, less impressive. Not that it mattered to the rest of the audience. They all cheered and applauded as the troupe left the stage, only for the auctioneer to appear a few breaths later.

I had stopped listening to what he was saying. His voice was grinding away at my patience. It grated so badly I wanted to rip his head off.

So, as the second part of the auction began—where the living goods were sold—I tuned him out entirely and watched the stage with bored detachment.

From humans to beast-kin, elves, even harpies. Everything was for sale.

For a moment, I found myself wondering if Deidre and Asche had managed to free anyone, but then someone walked up to the auctioneer and whispered something in his ear. A frown appeared on his face. He turned toward the audience.

"We seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties with the dwarven tech installed in our warehouse," he announced smoothly. "Some of our more precious goods may not be available for presentation tonight, but worry not. What remains on offer is of the highest quality, and your stay will be more than worthwhile. We apologize for the inconvenience and will ensure that all guests receive appropriate compensation."

The crowd didn't take it well—at first. But the moment the word 'compensation' was mentioned, their mood shifted into something far more eager. Whatever the Gilded Maw was offering, it had to be something extraordinary.

Then a hare-kin was brought onto the stage. The reaction was immediate. The crowd erupted, bids flying wild until the poor thing was sold for one hundred thousand gold.

"That's an awful lot for a normal hare-kin," I muttered.

Sophia shrugged. "They're popular among humans. Something about their nature."

"And what nature is that, exactly?"

"They're feisty and jumpy. Their ego's strong too. Human nobles love to break that—and redirect it. Be it as assassins, or for other nightly services," she explained.

I sighed. Hare-kin were one of the more prideful species on this continent. Not the arrogant kind. Just proud of who they were and what they did. Unlike high-elves or dragons, they didn't look down on others. And yet, that pride often made them vulnerable. Especially the younger ones.

They loved a good fight, but they never expected their enemies to fight dirty. That was how they got caught. And judging by how young this hare-kin looked, I could guess exactly how they tricked him.

"Do you think they confuse hare-kin with rabbit-kin and the myth behind them?" asked Sophia after a pause, her tone making her contempt for humans painfully clear.

I groaned. "I doubt they even know the difference. And rabbit-kin... sure, they're open about their sexuality. They don't condemn anything. But that doesn't mean they want to go at it all day like animals. I'll never understand how that myth stuck."

Sophia shook her head in disbelief, and we both turned our attention back to the stage just as the next being was presented.

"That's a novelty," I said, right as a collective murmur rippled through the audience below.

"Wow. I've never seen one of them in person. How did they get her past the Silk Road?" added Sophia, her voice tinged with genuine surprise.

I had no idea what the Silk Road was, but the name was funny—especially considering who was now standing taller than anyone else in the middle of the stage.

The female archetype of her kind suddenly lunged towards the crowd, but the chains wrapped around her legs yanked her back. Bound at the edge of the platform, she glared at them and screamed.

"You rotten filth. Do you really think the Gossamer League will stand idle whilst you try to sell me?"

The collar around her neck lit up, and though her mouth moved, no sound followed. Her eyes were a mix of fury and fear.

The auctioneer raised his voice again, perfectly unbothered.

"As our esteemed guests can see, this specimen still has much to offer. And quite a mouth that needs taming. You may use her however you wish, but we recommend her for the fine silk she can produce."

He raised a hand. "Starting bid—fifty thousand gold."

Silence.

Then Sophia picked up the crystal and placed a bid. No words spoken. No further bids followed. Everyone glanced around, trying to guess which loge had purchased the arachne. But no one knew. Except us.

I frowned. "Why?"

"She mentioned the Gossamer League. There's a good chance she's part of it. If we get her out and send her home, we might earn something far more valuable than gold."

I considered it. Then nodded. "Doesn't sound too bad. What do you know about the Gossamer League?"

Sophia leaned forward slightly. "They're only the biggest merchant association on the continent. They control the far east, across six territories. Their main country is in Seriketh, the homeland of the arachne and moth-folk."

She paused, as if reciting from memory. "Their capital, Virelisse, is built between sheer cliffs that drop from the ocean deep into their territory. Massive chitin towers—both natural and shaped. Myr-Veilanth and Saltweft are said to be the cradle and bastion of their trading empire. Even the Ninki Nakas don't challenge them anymore. Not since they failed to conquer Caellith Mere. Multiple times."

I gave her a sideways look. "Never heard of any of them. And how come humans don't talk about them? You were there when I asked the students about this continent."

Sophia shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe because the League is protectionist. They rarely trade outside their territory. Lamia, naga, sure. And other continents. But unless you're dragon-kin or from the Kingdom of Origin, the Eternal Citadel, or the Witchdom, they won't even speak to you."

She gave me a sly look. "So tell me. How exactly didn't you know this, being from the Witchdom and trained by the High Council? Just how secluded were you?"

I paused mid-motion. "Uh... very."

Sophia smiled, clearly not buying it.

…

Oh well.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The arachne was led offstage into one of the back rooms, just like the others. Then the next one was brought out. And the next. And the next.

After a while—and a few more apologies for the inability to present certain lots, which definitely meant Deidre and Asche had found the moon elves—the auctioneer raised his voice.

"We will now come to our final object today. A rare breed among breeds, even for this continent. Hated and hunted for their potential in hemomancy, for their peagonhood to forgotten gods and monsters. Pursued by the Jaeger Families for their rumored loyalty to Eternal's forbidden teachings..."

He paused, clearly relishing the silence that followed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor of presenting to you a Vixiere. A child born of a noble vampire and a vixen."

The room erupted into surprise. Cheers, gasps, laughter. Like a crowd at a zoo. As the contraption slowly lifted her up, the scent hit me.

Familiar. Impossible. No—here?!

Oh, fate must be on my side. I could smell her. That distinct, intoxicating scent. One only they carried. A sweetness laced with memory. Nostalgia wrapped in blood.

Those idiots had no idea what they were dragging onto the stage. She wasn't just some half-bred hybrid of vampire and vixen. She was royalty. A breed of her own. Born that way from the beginning—no fusion, no bloodline mix, no artificial trigger.

My first true creation—a Teade.

Vixens born with dominion over blood. Stronger than pureblooded vampires. More beautiful and cunning than any common fox-kin. They could pose as such if they wished, hiding their vampiric traits with ease. But they were far from ordinary.

And she was here.

I had to have her. She was mine. Meant to be claimed. Raised. Forged into my knight. She would feast on vengeance for those who dared put her in this cage. She would thrive in blood. She would rise.

But then her face came into view.

And everything stopped.

'Eva.'

'Eva?'

'WHY?!'

'EvA.'

'EVAA.'

'HOW—tHe lOoOosT MoOn.'

My aura surged outward. My skin cracked. My thoughts fractured into static.

How? How could she be here?

She was—

Dead.

No. No, calm down. That couldn't be her. I wished. I hoped. But no. Did he do it? Was Anansi here? Was it the System again? A trick? A test?

I felt the rage building, pressure blooming beneath my core. Something ancient stirred inside me. Not grief. Not shock.

But Greed.

My skin began to flake. Light scales shimmered beneath the breaks.

'Pride.'

'Wraith.'

'Greed.'

'Who is it. Who will it be.'

'It is—'

'GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, YOU BIG IDIOT,' Asche's voice snapped through the link like a thundercrack.

It hit me like a flare in pitch black. 'What was I—'

'I don't know what's happening over there, but I'm coming back right now without waiting for Deidre. Don't move and stay where you are,' Aska ordered. She was worried. Even through the link, I could feel it.

Before I could respond, the pig bellowed from the loge, "Seven million gold coins! No one but me will have her!"

...

...

The auctioneer raised his hand. "And we have a—"

I tapped the black crystal twice. Let the rest of his words drown. I wasn't listening. A hush spread across the hall. Confused murmurs swirled below.

"What is the meaning of this!" the useless aristocrat barked.

I rose. Stepped forward. Drew the curtain wide. My face fully visible.

"Mine."

I tossed the black crystal onto the stage, letting it land right in front of the auctioneer—and in front of her. Even with that emaciated body, even with the collar, she was still radiant. A perfect Teade in my eyes.

The pig gave me a death glare I could feel through the mask, then turned and stormed out of his loge. He wasn't going to let it slide. GoOoOOd. Let him try something. I'll make it... beautiful.

A slight pause.

"Sophia. Here."

"Huh? What's this?" She blinked down at the ring I'd just handed her.

"Spatial ring. Carry your own things."

"Ehh... You... I... What?"

"Come on. I'm not letting my new servant get intercepted by that bastard."

She fiddled with the ring, channeling a bit of mana into it. A natural, huh. With barely a blink, she tucked her things away.

"Ready!"

I didn't wait for further comment. I turned and left the loge. The guards stationed outside reacted strangely, unsure if they should move or kneel. I ignored them.

"Mistress is coming, little fox," I murmured under my breath. My grin spread unnaturally across my face as I walked, ignoring the tug at my soul-link that begged me to reopen it.

I didn't need words.

The chorus in my head was already enough.

╭══◞ ??? POV ◟══╮

I honestly had no idea what had just happened. One moment, I was locked in a cage, housed inside some kind of metal shell. Then a man appeared, declared that I was his, and left.

I had no idea how much time passed after that. Eventually, another man arrived. I felt a spell wash over me—I couldn't move. A mage.

Not long after, the blanket they had thrown over the cage was pulled away. The mage opened the door. He held a collar in one hand. I wanted to fight. To move. To scream. But I couldn't even twitch.

I had to watch as he leaned forward and fastened that awful thing around my neck. The chill of the metal made me flinch inward. I wasn't new to the feeling of helplessness—but I had never felt so completely reduced, so exposed to the whims of others.

Then came the pain. A wave of electricity surged through the collar, tearing through my body like fire. I almost fainted.

The mage grinned. He was enjoying this.

As the paralysis spell faded, I tried to gather myself, to lunge, to claw at him with whatever strength I had left.

"Stop," he said coldly.

I froze mid-thought. It wasn't just my limbs. My will staggered. My mind screamed at my body to move, but something deeper smothered it. No. This wasn't just a command. This was compliance. Something inside me told me—no, insisted—that I had to obey.

I fought it, biting down on the thought like a wild animal refusing a leash. I strained against it with all the scraps of will I had left.

It didn't matter.

"Don't even try," he said. "You're far too weak to resist a slave collar. The longer it's on, the deeper it digs. It rewrites you. Soon, you won't just obey, you'll enjoy it. Crave it. You'll think it's your idea. It's a nice little custom-made piece, courtesy of the archduke himself."

He scoffed. "Disgusting taste, that one. I will never understand what he wants from a creatures like you. Not that it matters. Your fake auction awaits. A total farce, but whatever."

He turned to go, then paused to smirk. "You know, the worst part? It'll look like you volunteered."

He gave me a command. And my legs moved. I didn't want to walk, but I did. I didn't want to obey, but I couldn't stop myself. My plan—every scrap of it, every contingency—collapsed like paper in the rain. I had barely made it out of the colosseum. I'd barely held on. And now I was a puppet.

Was this what the maids had felt? The hollow-eyed ones with smiles carved on their lips and nothing left behind their eyes?

I wanted to scream. To cry. But the collar didn't allow that either. So I shut the world out. Silenced everything. My body followed the commands. That was all that remained of me.

At some point, I was told to stop. Then told to move again. The mage guided me onto a platform beneath the stage—something mechanical, humming quietly. I stepped onto it.

Above, I heard the auctioneer's voice rising again.

"We will now come to our final object today. A rare breed among breeds, even for this continent. Hated and hunted for their potential in hemomancy, for their peagonhood to forgotten gods and monsters. Pursued by the Jaeger Families for their rumored loyalty to Eternal's forbidden teachings..."

I stood still, like a statue.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said proudly, "I have the honor of presenting to you a Vixiere. A child born of a noble vampire and a vixen."

I laughed on the inside. Those idiots never realized it, thanks to my hereditary skill [Status Forgery]. I could only fake one line in my System sheet, since I had not been able to level up at all after they dragged me out of the colosseum. But that was enough. I could still adjust my listed race, just like my mother taught me.

She always said to never let anyone know what I truly was. Not even allies. Not even friends. She made me swear.

And I did.

I always will.

Then I heard the voice. Deep and bloated. The same one I had heard when I was first dragged downstairs. "Seven million gold coins! No one but me will have her!"

Pig. He sounded like an orc pretending to be human.

Please... no.

Let it end before he—

Then I noticed the orb above the stage. It flickered, then turned completely black. Silence fell over the hall like a dropped curtain. Suddenly... scent. A fragrance rolled over me, thick and familiar. Sweetish, with a warm undercurrent I couldn't quite describe. Not heat. Something deeper. Something I had only ever known from my mother.

Nostalgia washed over me before I could fight it. Fortunately, I could still tilt my head slightly. I looked around, trying to find the source. The pig grunted again. I barely heard it. He was irrelevant.

A curtain opened. And the scent hit me full force. Familiar. Powerful. I tried to lift my head further, but I couldn't.

A voice echoed across the hall. Light. Feminine. And absolute.

"Mine."

At that exact moment, a black crystal landed on the stage in front of me.

Just like that, the auction ended.

I was taken off the stage. Carried? Pushed? I barely remembered. The mage was waiting. The same one who had collared me. He looked nervous now. Not smug. Not cocky. Nervous.

He started to speak, but another figure entered—an older man in ceremonial black. "Change of plans. The Vixiere goes with me. My client holds priority over the archduke."

"What? That's not possible. No one outranks the archduke except—"

"Ancient Blood," the man said. "The master appraiser himself approved it. She sold us Dawnbringer like it was a toy. You really want to cross someone like that?"

The mage went silent. He nodded once. Slowly. Pale.

I didn't blame him. The only other Ancient Blood I'd ever heard of was the Empress of the Ashen Realm. And no one crossed her.

"She didn't seem to like the archduke," the man added, "and it's clear he feels the same. Let's not escalate things."

I was ordered to follow again.

And I did. But something strange stirred in me. Not fear. Not dread. Something I hadn't felt since my mother died.

Hope.

We walked through narrow halls, climbed stairs, turned a corner. Entered what looked like an entry area.

Then—

Shouting.

"Stop! That slave belongs to his Highness the Archduke! Step aside and return her at once!" barked a soldier in overly polished armor.

"I'm sorry, but that won't be possible," the black-robed man answered. "Per protocol—"

"Silence, you filthy dog!" the pig bellowed. "She's mine. And I've had enough of this circus. Knights—remove these fools."

He stepped forward, the guards parting. His gaze locked on me. "And you, my little toy," he cooed, "are going to make tonight very special."

He kept coming. Closer and closer. Reaching out with those disgusting, slimy sausage fingers. I tried to squirm away, but the collar held me still.

But I couldn't even flinch.

Just before he could touch me—

A voice cut through the air behind him like a blade.

"Get your fingers off her, you disgusting fat piece of shit."