Ethan stared at the broken man at his feet, the heavy iron chain cold against his palm. The sheer ruthlessness of Celestial stunned him. One mont Axhel was a commander, the next, he was a gift offered to appease a powerful variable.
"Why?" Ethan asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Why go this far?"
"This is what I do, Mr. Blake," Ross replied, adjusting his cuffs with practiced elegance. "I solve the mundane frictions of our organization. We hope this unpleasantness can remain in the past. For Celestial, only benefits are eternal. We now recognize Royal as an organization backed by a Mage—or a Knight—and we will permit you to join the Union of Supernaturals."
Ross paced slowly, his eyes fixed on Ethan. "An auditor from the Union will visit you shortly to certify your addition and explain the laws. Think carefully; we’re a Tier 5 organization within the union. It would be wise to treat us well."
Ethan narrowed his eyes, processing the weight of those words. "And what if I don’t want to join?"
Ross let out a soft, dry chuckle. "The Union does not permit supernatural organizations to exist outside its jurisdiction, Ethan. There is no second alternative. To stay outside the Union is equivalent to declaring war on every supernatural organization in the world. Hehe... feel free to try it if you wish."
Ethan nodded slowly, realizing the cage had simply grown larger. "I understand."
"Splendid," Ross said, his smile returning. "If that is all, I hope we can maintain contact. But before we conclude, two small things. First..."
He extended a heavy gold card etched with strange, shifting geotric patterns.
"We sincerely invite you to the third and final round of our auction. There are items there that are of imnse utility to people like us. I assure you, you will not leave disappointed."
Ethan took the card, his grip firm. "Fine. But before that, I am taking my friends with ."
"The second thing is precisely about that," Ross said, gesturing toward the back entrance. "They have already been brought here. We have treated all their wounds and stabilized them. You have nothing to worry about."
The heavy doors at the back of the gallery opened. Emily and Samantha walked in, looking dazed and deeply confused. Their status had shifted instantly from terrified prisoners to esteed guests.
Samantha’s eyes widened the mont she saw Ethan. Although she had been drifting into unconsciousness as she was being dragged away, she vividly rembered the young man who had stood up and charged the stage to defend her. She looked at him now, standing over a fallen guard and holding Axhel’s leash, and felt a surge of inexplicable hope.
Emily, however, was trembling. She looked at Ethan with wide, fearful eyes, knowing he was the man who had just bid five hundred million dollars for her. She didn’t know what he intended to do with her, but seeing her Aunt Samantha by her side was her only comfort. They had been separated for so long; seeing her alive was the only thing keeping her from collapsing.
Ethan looked at them, his heart heavy with a mix of relief and sorrow. However, he saw the reflection of his own power in their eyes—they were terrified. To them, he wasn’t a savior yet; he was the terrifying force that had just purchased their lives for half a billion dollars. He looked like the very monsters who had held them captive.
Recognizing their reaction, Ethan decided not to force a reunion or explain everything in this den of vipers. He kept his voice neutral and low.
"Follow ," Ethan said, his tone leaving no room for argunt.
He turned back to Ross, who gave a polite nod and gestured toward the exit. "You are free to go for now, Mr. Blake. The third round of the auction will comnce in thirty minutes. We shall expect your presence."
Ethan gave a thin, cold smile. "I’ll be there."
He turned on his heel and walked toward the main exit, the heavy iron chain of Axhel in one hand and the golden card in the other. Samantha and Emily followed several paces behind him, hesitant and trembling, like shadows tethered to a dark god.
As they stepped out of the Silver Tier gallery into the main hall, a hush fell over the remaining crowd. The bidders who had been evacuated earlier were still lingering, whispering in small groups. Although the combat inside had been brief and contained, the sheer aura of violence that had leaked through the doors had set everyone on edge. They were all curious to see what would beco of the young man who had dared to cause a scandal.
The mont Ethan erged, the room went dead silent.
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd. Ethan walked out without a single scratch on his suit, looking perfectly composed. He wasn’t being dragged out by security; instead, he was being escorted by the facility’s elite guards as if he were an honored guest of the highest caliber.
To the eyes of everyone present, the ssage was clear: this young man had not only challenged the house but had erged victorious. He walked with the stride of a conqueror, two of the most expensive "items" of the night trailing behind him, and the forr commander of the facility crawling at his heels like a dog.
Ethan took his phone out of his pocket and called Jason directly.
"Send a van to the entrance imdiately to pick soone up," Ethan said, his voice cold and commanding. "And tell Alexandria that everything is fine."
Across the city, in the high-tech command center of the Royal headquarters, Jason’s head snapped toward the monitors. A look of imnse relief washed over his face as he turned to Alexandria, who had been pacing the floor in a state of near-collapse.
"Everything went well," Jason said, his voice cracking slightly. "They’re coming ho."
Alexandria burst into tears, her knees buckling as she sobbed with an emotion she hadn’t dared to feel—the terrifying, wonderful realization that the nightmare was finally ending. Victoria imdiately moved to her side, wrapping her in a fierce embrace and whispering words of comfort.
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