The Music Speaks

Upon hearing the voice, I change my mind, maybe I can stay a bit more after all. I grab a bidding paddle with the number 46 on it and select the furthest seat from the stage that I can find. All the other attendees find a seat they fancy and sit down. As soon as everyone is comfortably installed, the person with the microphone speaks again.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I know what you are all here for, but tonight’s auction might have a few other items that will catch your eye! My name is moonlight, I’ll be your host for tonight!”

The theme of anonymity holds true, even the host wears a mask to cover his face and gives us a false name. The auctioneer stands behind his podium made of what seems to be spruce softwood and a small desk rolls onto the stage pushed by one of the butlers. On top of the desk, a rather large rectangular silhouette is covered by a black piece of cloth. The butler removes the cloth, and the first item is presented.

“What lies before you is no ordinary landscape painting! This is an art piece created by a very powerful enlightened, it is said to put the mind of whoever gazes upon it at ease. The starting price is 10,000 notes!”

‘WHAT!?? 10,000??! FOR THIS?! Surely no one will bu--’

A bidding paddle with the number 58 inscribed on it is raised. The auctioneer then asks for an 11,000-note bid and another bidding paddle is raised. This goes on until the price of the painting has been raised to the ridiculous price of 20,000 notes. At this point, no one else is willing to pay anymore for this painting and it is awarded to an old man in a black suit who rejoices with his partner next to him. The butler guides the mobile desk off the stage and another returns with a new item. The covering cloth is removed and what is revealed is a cage holding a small animal. It resembles a rabbit, but its fur is a myriad of colors, in the image of a rainbow. Its ears fall to the floor and and there is a single horn protruding from in between them.

“This little fella has been blessed by an echo of [it] but that is not all! It has managed to develop an ability, a rarity among rarities! It can shoot beams of energy from the horn on its head! Our establishment has the means to make it subservient to whoever wishes to be in possession of it. The starting price will be 30,000 notes!”

This time, a bidding paddle is raised at an astonishing speed and the woman holding it speaks.

“60,000.”

It is the woman wearing the red dress I spoke to earlier in the evening. Perhaps she holds incredible power and those around us do not dare oppose her, or maybe 60,000 notes is simply too high of a price for the beast, but no one else raises their paddle and the lady is awarded the horned rabbit.

Items are presented in rapid succession, a variety of articles come onto the stage. They go from special instruments, to manuals, to art pieces, mostly things that can be found on the outside. Even the [echo-blessed] animals are legally allowed to be sold as long as one obtains the necessary permit. So far, I have not seen anything that demands such secrecy and I have not seen Calvin either. With each passing moment, the feeling that my time is being wasted grows. Nonetheless, I steel my resolve and convince my self to stay at least until the end of tonight’s auction. That’s when the auctioneer makes an announcement.

“Thank you for the patronage of our amazing buyers! Now that we have gotten all of the conventional items out of the way, let us delve into to the real articles of this auction!”

‘Is the pill finally coming?’

I had hoped that the reason I decided to stay would finally show itself, but what appears on the stage sends me into a state of shock. A little girl walks up. She is wearing tattered clothes and is covered in dirt. Her hair is matted, clearly a result of neglect and she is missing a few teeth. By her eyes, I can tell that she has been crying.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the two ‘special’ items tonight! It wasn’t originally planned for this auction, but we decided to throw it in as a surprise! We found this little one alone, on the outskirts of the district near the slums! Imagine our surprise when we saw her punch right through a concrete wall with her bare hands!”

He puts a large block of concrete in front of her and instructs her to hit it. At first, she refuses, but once the auctioneer whispers something into her ear, she grits her teeth and punches it. With her strike, the concrete block is shattered.

‘W-what the hell?!’

This little girl couldn’t have been older than 10 years old. Normally, her hand should shatter upon coming into contact with the concrete. However, surpassing all my expectations, she obliterated it, leaving it scattered on the ground in a million pieces. I am having difficulty understanding what is transpiring here. I try to make sense of the situation by listening to the whispers around me.

“Oh....another one...!!”

“I thought they had all perished...”

“....How fascinating!”

The auctioneer speaks again.

“As most of you have noticed, she is able to make use of pure flow at the tender age of 9 years old!! Her potential is limitless! You can use her as a bodyguard, a spy, an assassin or whichever purpose your heart desires! She is one in a million! The starting price will be 500000 notes!”

This makes no sense at all! No one should be able to use pure flow before 18. This is not a question of talent but a question of permission. It is impossible to access the instruments within our souls without guidance from [it] who assists us in playing our [melodies] for the first time. Pure flow is simpler than playin a [melody], but the latter is mandatory to 'unlock' the power of our souls., that is the rule! How could she, not even being in her teens, display pure flow almost equal to the early first stage?? This is simply way too strange!

The bidding starts, a tall man raises his bidding paddle.

“600,000 notes.”

My blood is boiling, regardless of her abilities, how could they treat her as an object and put a price over her head!? I want to intervene, but I am not an idiot, if I do anything with all these eyes here, I will die. This place is filled with [enlightened], even if they are not particularly strong individually, if they join hands against me, I cannot win. As much as it pains me, there is nothing I can do.

Another bidding paddle is raised.

“800,000 notes! She’ll make for a fine battle slave!”

‘...I-I can’t help her; I’ve got the mission... and I’m sure she’ll be fine right...?”

"I see number 46 in the back with his paddle raised! How much would you like to bid?”

With nervousness in my voice, I reply.

“1-1,000,000 notes!!”