"If the Hollows are truly back…then this auction is pointless."
Heads turned.
It was Prince Callum; he was standing alone on the edge of the fifth-floor balcony.
The man looked down at me, his expression unreadable.
"Because what use is gold…if the sky falls upon us all over again?"
And just like that—
The energy shifted again.
Everything turned quiet, again.
This time, not out of fear.
But out of false beliefs.
The kind that only comes when you realise the end might be near.
The kind that makes you re-evaluate everything.
Even the Lapui Head himself—watching from a hidden booth, stood up.
I could feel his gaze burning into me from the repercussions it would have on him.
And just looking at how someone could be at such an important position and still so idiotic at the same time was beyond my understanding.
***
The crowd seemed to be moving.
Not in the usual rich-noble kind of way. This wasn't polite shuffling or gentle murmurs.
No—this was panic.
