The moment my panic subsided, a sickening realization hit me—I was holding nothing. The card had vanished. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Had it been fall from my hand while running? Or Had it been a mere illusion from beginning with? My mind reeled, but there was no time for questions. My safety took precedence over the gnawing mystery.
I forced myself to move, slipping through the grand corridor with my senses sharpened to the finest edge. The auction house, once a sanctuary of wealth and power, now felt like a gilded tomb. Shadows pooled in corners where there had been none before, and the dim glow of chandeliers did little to dispel the growing unease gnawing at my gut.
Then I saw him.
