---
Not the same events.
The same pressure.
Morning brought reports. Midday brought movement. Evening brought planning. Night brought thoughts he could not fully shut off.
On the second day, he spent hours in the auction house itself.
The building stood attached to the shop but carried a different atmosphere now that it was being prepared properly. Dust had been cleared. Chairs aligned. Curtains brushed and rehung. Display platforms were polished until lantern light reflected softly off the wood.
Mira stood in the center aisle, posture straight, voice clear but not loud, practicing the opening line for the auction while two junior staff members sat in the front pretending to be important buyers.
"Welcome," she said, calm and elegant, "to the Dawn House Auction. Today, your patience will be rewarded, your wealth will be tested, and your taste will decide whether you leave richer or merely regretful."
She stopped, frowned slightly, and looked at Sekhmet.
"Too much?" she asked.
