I never liked auctions.
They're loud, filled with shallow people pretending to be deep, and worst of all—everyone smells like desperation masked with expensive cologne.
Still, I was here.
Not for the artifacts, no. I had a reputation to keep, appearances to maintain. The Lapui Head personally invited me, asking that I make a statement about unity and the so-called "New Age World." His words, not mine.
I would've declined—gods know I wanted to—but recent events forced my hand.
Pixie.
Even now, the girl haunted my thoughts. That Hollow blood awakening, the chaos, the... loss of control. It reminded me that the world was shifting far too fast for me to stay idle.
So here I was.
Standing in this overdone palace of an auction house, acting interested in jewels and weapons when all I wanted was quiet.
Then the elevator chimed.
Ding.
I turned.
And fate, in all her twisted humor, delivered four headaches directly to me on a silver platter.
Dario.
Aurelia.
Seraphina.
Erza.
