Just moments ago, the auction hall had been silent.
The instant Livia's fingertips touched the fragment of the Holy Grail, an unspeakable force surged through her nerves and into her mind.
It was as if her entire being had been drained—her vision went dark, and without warning, she collapsed backward.
Almost at that exact moment, Elias's gaze snapped to her.
He showed no surprise.
In fact, there was a trace of cold scrutiny in his eyes—
Clearly, he had anticipated this.
He remained still, silently scanning the room, carefully watching the shifting expressions of the onlookers as shock rippled across their faces.
Shock—yes. That was everyone's first reaction.
But on each person's face, it manifested differently.
Jim was the first to recover.
His expression changed subtly as he quickly reached for the fragment, snatching it back with practiced precision, almost instinctively shielding it.
Then, without bothering to hide his suspicions, he swept his eyes across the room.
The first person he locked onto was Elias, hoping to read something in his face.
But Elias appeared utterly composed, as if Livia's sudden collapse had nothing to do with him.
That unnatural calmness began to sow doubt in Jim's mind.
Perhaps they were both hiding something from each other—more than they had let on.
Then, before Jim could reach any conclusions, a swift figure lunged like lightning—
Will had made his move, aiming to snatch the Grail fragment from Jim's grasp.
Almost simultaneously, another person followed, surging into the center with undeniable force.
The atmosphere ignited in an instant.
In just seconds, chaos erupted.
Elias finally moved. He remained outwardly composed, but edged closer to Jim with measured steps.
This wasn't random violence—this was the storm they had all been preparing for.
The moment everyone had been waiting for. The struggle for the fragment had officially begun.
But in the end, it was Jim who held on.
With sharp reflexes honed by years of training, he tore through the encirclement and escaped the auction house.
Will gave chase without hesitation, footsteps close behind.
Strangely, the third attacker didn't follow.
He remained where he was, as if waiting for something else.
And Elias—he, too, stopped moving.
His eyes fell once more on Livia, still unconscious on the floor.
In that moment, he understood:
No matter how important the Holy Grail was, protecting her came first.
Elias scanned the room, guarded but calm.
He didn't know who that third person was—or if more watchers waited outside.
So he didn't act recklessly.
But he did notice something.
The moment Livia began to stir, the unidentified attacker—the last man standing—
showed a visible expression of relief.
It was subtle.
Unforced.
Too natural to be faked.
Then, without a word, the man quietly withdrew.
His exit was clean, practiced—like someone completing a hidden assignment, unwilling to leave even a trace behind.
A few minutes passed.
The chaos had faded.
Most of the auction attendees had already dispersed.
Only then did Elias slowly approach Livia.
His voice was gentle, tinged with a hint of cautious probing:
"Are you all right?"
Livia rubbed her temple, her face pale but her eyes clear.
"I'll be fine. Just need a few more minutes."
She spoke evenly, already thinking ahead.
"For safety, we should split up. Let's regroup at the hospital."
Elias gave a small nod.
He said nothing more.
After another short pause, Livia's breathing steadied.
She rose to her feet slowly, composed and calm.
The two of them exchanged no looks, no words.
Like strangers, they left by separate exits—
One through the front, the other through a side door—
departing the chaos-stained auction hall without a trace of connection.
And far off, at the shadowed corner of a distant street,
a man in a dark cap stood watching.
Silent.
Still.
A phone clutched in his hand, unmoving, like a statue carved from night itself.
The wind stirred.
Leaves rustled at his feet and swirled gently behind him.