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The chamber exhaled a rotten opulence, where luxury and decay mingled like expensive perfume spilled over decaying flesh.
Golden chandeliers hung from the heavy ceiling, their flames flickering silently, casting shadows that danced across the black velvet walls.
Each movement of the light seemed to give life to the great mural on the hall's wall, where human figures twisted in unnatural poses — faces contorted in agony, mouths open in silent screams, eyes that seemed to follow whoever entered.
The painting shimmered in certain spots as if it were still wet, and the air, thick and hot, carried the metallic scent of old blood mixed with the sickly perfume of white lilies.
When Erebos and Niyx crossed the doors of the hall, the sound of them closing echoed deeply, muffled by the velvet. The stained marble floor reflected the silhouettes of the group already waiting for them: Lorian, seated with his usual analytical gaze, and Xanthir, lazily reclined in his chair, a theatrical smile painted across his face.
On the dark wooden square table rested a single piece of paper, folded with precision.
"What's that?" Niyx asked, approaching with disinterest, her eyes scanning the table.
Xanthir raised a finger with exaggerated elegance.
"It's our mission. We're going to steal two items from the auction," he said, with the tone of someone announcing a play.
Niyx arched a brow.
Xanthir smiled, adjusting the necklace around his neck.
"I was stopped by a stylish man wearing a black hat and matching clothes. Quite flashy, actually."
Niyx crossed her arms, amused.
"So you finally found someone just like you."
Xanthir let out a short laugh.
"Ufufu! But back to the point — he handed me this letter. The client didn't wish to identify himself."
Lorian, who had been silently observing, picked up the paper calmly. The sound of it unfolding echoed faintly through the hall, dampened by the heavy air.
He began to read aloud, with his usual neutral tone:
"My regards. My contacts have informed me of your reputation; I am quite impressed by your abilities, and thus, I have a business offer for your group." He paused briefly, exchanging glances with the others before continuing. "There are two items I want from the Eldoria auction: the Necklace of Lament and the Grimoire of Nyagarah. Steal them for me and leave them at the location indicated by the gentleman who delivered this letter. Payment will be made through him on the day of delivery. As proof, one-third of the money was sent along with this letter. I expect great things from you."
When he finished, the paper was placed back on the table. A brief silence fell over the group, broken only by the faint crackling of the candles.
Xanthir rested his chin on his hand, pleased with his discovery, while Lorian looked at everyone with the patience of someone who already expected questions.
"So… weren't we trying to be heroes or something? Are we bandits now? Xanthir, what's the vibe here?" Niyx asked with a light sigh.
The dramatic man with black hair tilted his head, flashing a charming smile.
"There's no vibe, my lovely lady. We're simply trying to make a living as a shadowy organization. Doing good or not — that's irrelevant."
Niyx narrowed her eyes.
"What you just said is a vibe."
Erebos laughed.
"I agree. 'Lovely lady' is pushing it," he said, earning a death glare from Niyx, who looked seconds away from throwing the table at him.
Lorian sighed deeply, placing his hands on the table.
"Well, what matters is this: we'll do the job, and we'll make a small fortune for it."
Niyx raised a hand.
"But if the client has enough money to pay us, wouldn't it be easier to just go to the auction and buy the items legally?"
Lorian answered without hesitation:
"Apparently, paying us this amount is far cheaper than buying both items legitimately. As you can see, it's a level of wealth we'll probably never reach."
Xanthir chuckled softly, spinning a ring around his finger.
"But unfortunately, it'll be far too expensive for Eldoria."
Erebos turned to him.
"What do you mean?"
"It's the most heavily guarded auction in the world. Rulers, nobles, collectors of forbidden artifacts — they'll all be there. Stealing from that place is suicide. That's why we'll have to divide roles. And naturally, the lovely lady will take the hardest one."
"Hm?" Niyx murmured, arching a brow.
Xanthir leaned forward, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"We need you to draw the attention of the entire kingdom. Armed forces, elite soldiers, containment units, hunters, adventurers — the whole nation must be chasing your head. With that, the auction's security will drop enough for Erebos and me to seize the goods — and anything else we want."
"Oh!" Niyx exclaimed, suddenly excited.
"You have permission to destroy everything and everyone."
"Oh, oh!!!" she said, her pink eyes gleaming with anticipation.
'Perfect! That aligns with my plans too!' Niyx thought.
Erebos tilted his head.
"And what about you, Lorian?"
"I'll blend into Niyx's chaos and provide backup if necessary."
"Ah…" Niyx muttered, disappointed, slumping into her chair.
The air grew heavy again, this time from the weight of what was to come. Lorian broke the silence:
"We have one week until the auction. Until then, you're all free. But make sure you're back here the day before for our final meeting."
Xanthir stood up and spread his arms, gazing at the ceiling.
"The Elven Court loves a spectacle. Let's give them one worth their tears," he said, in his usual theatrical tone, his smile widening in satisfaction.
Niyx glanced at him sideways.
"So… we're not the Pillars of Salvation anymore?"
The phrase hung in the air — heavy, ironic. The four exchanged glances, wondering if that was a joke or something deeper.
"When you put it like that, it doesn't make much sense anymore… but now it feels wrong to change it," said Xanthir, breaking the silence first.
"I agree."
"Precisely," Erebos and Lorian replied in sequence.
The sound of chairs sliding echoed. The meeting ended as it had begun — wrapped in shadows, with the distorted mural seeming to smile behind them, silently watching.
Seven days.
That was all the time left before Eldoria witnessed the greatest — and perhaps bloodiest — spectacle in its history.
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