The carriage stopped with a gentle lurch in front of the next destination. Corin let his gaze glide over the façade of the massive building. It was different from the fortress of Sarethul, not growing into the sky, but growing in width.
A bastion of black stone, with columns of dark marble flanking the entrance. A symbol was emblazoned above the massive double doors: a stylized rose with thorns wrapped around a single eye.
He turned to Viviana, who stepped out of the carriage with her usual, hard-to-interpret smile.
Before he could ask what this was, she pressed something into his hand.
A mask. It was made of dark metal, ornately decorated with a feather design around the edges. The nose area was elongated - almost like a black, elegant beak. A sight reminiscent of a raven.
Corin held it up. "Is that supposed to mean that I'm not supposed to be seen or that I'm supposed to be seen exactly?"
Viviana laughed softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Both. The masks conceal, but they also define. Everyone here wears one. And each one tells a story."
He noticed that she wasn't wearing a mask herself.
"I take it you're exempt from this game?"
She stepped closer and placed her hand gently on his chest, letting her fingers linger for a moment.
"I am a Virelli. I am the game."
Corin smirked, putting the mask on and feeling the metal cool against his skin. The world before him became slightly distorted, but he realized immediately that this wasn't about mere anonymity. No, this was a statement. Everyone wore a mask and yet everyone knew exactly who was behind them.
The House of Commandments.
He let his gaze glide over the building again. "An auction house, isn't it?"
Viviana clapped her hands lightly. "Correct. But not just any old one. It's the most exclusive in the city. You don't just buy and sell gold here, Corin. Power, influence and secrets change hands here."
She turned towards the entrance. Two masked guards in perfectly tailored black suits opened the heavy doors for her, and a dim golden light streamed from within.
"Come, Corin. Let me show you how real deals are made."
The inside of the auction house The first impression was overwhelming.
Soft music played in the background, quiet, but still perceptible. A magnificent domed ceiling arched above them, decorated with a dark fresco depicting dancing shadows. The walls were covered with heavy, blood-red curtains that shrouded the hall in a mixture of mystery and decadence.
Masked figures moved silently between small, private seating areas. No names, no obvious affiliations, just subtle clues in the masks, in the fine embroidery of the clothing, in the signs that only those who belonged in this world understood.
A servant approached them, an ornate silver plate in his hand. "A drink for the lady and her companion?"
Viviana took a glass with a deep red drink that shimmered in the light. "Corin, would you like some? It's no ordinary wine, but... a promise."
He looked at the dark liquid, then at Viviana. Her gaze was an invitation. A test.
He took a glass and smelled it. A hint of spice, of something unknown. Finally, he took a sip.
A promise, huh? He gulped it down and smiled.
"So, what's at stake?"
Viviana leaned closer to him, her voice a soft, silky whisper.
"Something very special is being auctioned off tonight. And I want you to understand how this city really works."
Corin leaned back, letting his gaze wander around the room. The shadows, the masks, the quiet negotiations. Yes, he understood. And he was ready.
Viviana led Corin to one of the private boxes that offered an unobstructed view of the auction stage. The masked company among them moved with a certain elegance, but there was also something lurking in their movements. Everyone here wanted something, even if it was just information.
Corin let his gaze wander around the hall. He could feel them.
Countless eyes, hidden behind elaborate masks, were focused on Viviana.
It was subtle, just a fraction of a second, a brief hesitation in a movement, a gaze that lingered a little too long. And yet it was there. She had decided to be the only one not to wear her mask.
A message.
He sat down next to her and lifted his mask slightly so that she could hear his voice unfiltered.
"You want someone to know you're here."
Viviana smiled without taking her eyes off the stage. "I figured you'd notice."
She rested her chin lightly on her hand and played with the gold rim of her glass. "Haven't you ever wondered what the true currency of power is, Corin?"
He leaned back as the first rounds of bidding began. An intricately crafted dagger was presented - made by a forgotten blacksmith from the ancient East, whose blade was said to hold a curse.
"Gold? Influence? Information?" he asked casually.
Viviana smirked. "All three - but there's something even more important."
Her eyes sparkled in the dim light.
"The fear of being seen."
Corin let her words sink in. She didn't really want to buy anything. She wanted to see who was buying.
He looked at her posture, the way she seemed to be sipping her wine idly while she was aware of every movement in the room. The real object of the auction was not some antique relic, it was a person.
The evening dragged on. Rare artifacts, ancient scrolls, mystical items - some useful, others nothing but well-told lies. But finally came the lot Viviana was waiting for.
A nondescript box was brought onto the stage, with a seal mark that not everyone would recognize. But Corin noticed how Viviana tapped a finger lightly over the armrest, a sign that the real part of the game was about to begin.
The bids were opened.
Some hands went up immediately, but Viviana didn't move. She didn't want to buy, she just wanted to watch.
And then, after several rounds of bidding, a hand went up in the crowd.
A mask made of dark silver, simple and inconspicuous. Too inconspicuous.
Viviana smiled barely perceptibly. There he was.
Corin didn't know who this person was, but he could feel it, the hint of tension that passed through the room. The purchase wasn't just a transaction. It was a message.
The hammer had fallen. The item was sold.
Viviana drained her glass and stood up smoothly. "Well, Corin, I think we should take our leave."
He stood up as well. "Already? Not interested in one last round?"
She smiled, but there was something calculating in her eyes. "Oh, the really interesting round is yet to come."
They left the box and walked through one of the long corridors of the auction house. The dim lanterns cast distorted shadows on the black marble floor.
Corin felt it before it happened.
A barely perceptible twitch in the air, a movement at the edge of his field of vision, too quiet.
His body reacted instinctively.
He grabbed Viviana by the wrist and pulled her to the side as a dagger sliced through the air, right where she had been standing.
A masked assailant leapt out of the shadows, blade in one hand, the other ready for the next blow.
Viviana laughed softly. "So it is."
She had expected it.
Corin let go of Viviana and took a step forward. "Now I understand why you brought me along."
Viviana brushed back a strand of hair. "I knew I could rely on your eyes."
The attacker moved quickly, but Corin saw it all.
He dodged the next attack before it began, stepped back and put distance between himself and his opponent. The dagger came again, but this time Corin was ready.
In one fluid motion, he pulled a chain from his wrist, which formed into a spear in a split second.
The blade flashed in the faint light.
"I'm sorry, but the evening isn't over yet."
The attacker hesitated and that was his mistake.
Corin moved with terrifying precision. A quick lunge, a deft swing with the spear, and the blade of his weapon sliced just past the attacker's shoulder, a warning.
But before he could continue the fight, he heard footsteps behind him. Several of them.
Viviana sighed and slowly turned around. "Oh, this is going to be entertaining."
More masked figures appeared at the end of the corridor.
Corin clicked his tongue. "And here I thought we were going to have a quiet evening."
Viviana grinned. "Welcome to my world."
The next attack began.