Their final exam was an interview, which took place within the westside Tower, also known as 'T1' of the Hall of Brilliance.

Now unified as a single troop, the potential Scholarship students meandered across the campus, drawing attention from passersby as they moved. Gwen and Richard brought up the rear to avoid unwanted attention, succeeding thanks to the noise of the arrogant group in front.

After what felt like an impossibly long walk, they entered the hall. Within, Gwen marvelled at the conjunction of Deco-cum-Orientalist decor famous to Fudan.

In Chinese pictograms, an imposing marble plaque read "Fudan University" at the forecourt's centre, punctuating a spacious atrium favouring a square-in-square design of unparalleled symmetry. Above and adjacent, nine lumen-lit square blocks made up the nine-meter high ceiling, lit by a powerful Daylight array diffusing a soft radiance. From what she could see, the decor's equal-distant triple-segments formed the auspicious number 'nine', said to be the number of Heavenly Dragons and initially, a design favoured by dynastic Emperors.

"This way." One of the Proctors led them toward the Levitation mountings.

Within, the pair continued marvelling at the meticulously planned decor. From vaulted corridors came the hung visions of old Magisters now and then, gazing benevolently at the next generation of Fudan students.

There were four levitation platforms, each holding at least twenty individuals. Still, as they filed into the elevator, Gwen found herself pressed against the mirrored walls.

"Wow, you're tall. So tall!"

Gwen looked down.

A doll-faced Asian girl stood an inch across from her chest, looking up at Gwen's face with an expression of earnest admiration. In heels, Gwen stood a good head taller than the diminutive student whose youthful appearance made her seem younger. Regardless, Gwen guessed the girl should be sixteen or seventeen, with a petiteness that reminded her of Elvia, a recollection that made her instantly sad.

"Hello there," she greeted the girl. "I am Gwen Song."

"I know," the girl beamed. "I saw you at the trial."

"Ah, I am sorry then," Gwen grimaced. "What's your name?"

"Mayuree."

"Nice to meet you, Mayuree." Gwen put on the friendliest smile she could muster.

"Your monster is amazing," Mayuree continued. "What do you feed it?"

Gwen felt glad that the girl was more curious than frightened of Caliban. Maybe she was too sensitive? Such was the calibre of Mages when in Fudan! Feeling better, she mused about saying something jovial like 'cuties like you' but decided against the mischievous impulse.

"Are you a healer?" Gwen asked. The girl certainly looked young.

"Not! I am a Diviner!" Mayuree chirped. "I tell your fortune if you like. I am super accurate. All the others say so."

"Mia!" an interjecting hiss interrupted their conversation. Frowning, Gwen slightly turned her head toward the hooded figure of the elfin Ice Mage. She was only an inch taller than Mayuree. Closer, Gwen saw that the girl had a slight blue tinge to her hair and eyes and her skin glowed ethereally.

"Sorry!" Mayuree struck out her tongue charmingly.

"Hi, I am-"

"I know who you are." The Ice Mage curtly interrupted her.

"And you are?" Gwen persisted with perfect politeness.

For a moment, there was only the thrum of the levitation platform and the nervous breathing of others.

"Kitty Liang." The Ice Mage faltered under the pressure of Gwen's friendly gaze.

"It's nice to meet you, Kitty."

Kitty turned slightly away from Gwen and pulled a hood over her head. Gwen turned to Richard, who was enjoying the show immensely.

"Alright, fine. We'll let Mayuree live," he announced suddenly and audibly. "The rest we'll feed to Caliban."

There was an audible intake of breath from the junior Mages.

Gwen's cheeks turned a shade of salmon as a dozen pairs of eyes searched her face for answers.

"R-Richard!" she stammered, admonishing her cousin's ill-humour. She turned to the crowd. "He's joking! It's a joke! Caliban doesn't eat Mages!"

Or so Gwen wished. The reality was that Cali loved eating Mages. She wanted to say something like, 'Caliban doesn't eat people, I eat people,' but that was worse both in truth and as a euphemism. Her specific problem was that, as Richard said, Caliban DID eat people, six, in fact, not counting the NoMs at Blackheath.

Not able to convince herself, she could hardly expect to persuade an audience who'd seen Caliban swallow a lion-goat-snake first hand.

Soon, a semi-circle of space opened around Gwen, except for Mayuree, who seemed even more enamoured with her bluster.

Gwen glared at Richard, who had a grin split from ear to ear.

The lift opened, and the gathered Mages filed out in a hurry.

Gwen was left alone with Richard, the moon-eyed Mayuree, the ice girl, and a wary-looking Proctor.

"Please refrain from harming or eating any of your fellow students," the Proctor stated wryly. "There will be stiff penalties and even prison time if you do."

"I intend no such thing!" Gwen stammered.

"I should think so!" The Proctor gave her a stern, sideways glance before leaving their presence.

Gwen bit her lower lip as Richard sauntered out, mightily pleased with his ability to connect Gwen with the people around her.

"Grrr!" Gwen stomped after her companion, her face flushed and hot. "RICHARD!"

The intimate room compounded Gwen's awkwardness.

The others now actively avoided her, averting her questions and refusing to look her in the eye, with only the Mayuree girl stuck to her like an odour, waiting on her every word.

Defeated, Gwen tried to divert the conversation to Richard. However, her companion sat by himself in the corner, cool as a cucumber, utterly aloof in his meditations, making contact with no anyone, comfortable in his skin.

Defeated, Gwen closed her eyes and tried to enter a meditative mindset.

Within her Pocket Dimensions, she could feel Ariel's playful empathy demanding to be released so it could bolt up and down the long corridor. There was also that ambient craving emanated from Caliban, now more pronounced than ever, a pang of hunger that Gwen knew no mortal food could ever satiate.

In truth, a part of her had always thought of Caliban as a dog, but with each new consumption, the once-innocent pup was becoming more sapient and demanding. If she should consume a sapient, sentient, intelligent Magical-being then, would Caliban gain a mind of its own? If so, how would she control it then? She should be so lucky that Caliban could rationalise past its bottomless hunger and listen to her command! If not, then what awaited her would be a lynch mob. If they were to run into another Huyi Xiao, Gwen was sure that Caliban would ignore her command and make a meal out of the Abjurer. After that, of course, she would become the dire and deadly nemesis of the Clan of Xiao, and the entire wrath of a four-century-old Clan would descend upon her like a landslide. Unlike Lea or Sufina, the hungering creature of the nether-dark was too instinctual, too dangerous to indulge.

What would happen if someone killed Caliban—not merely banishing it, but destroying its very existence? She would lose Cali forever; she would lose a companion that had saved her on more than one occasion for all time to come. Gwen shuddered at the thought. That would be like losing a part of her, like a hand or an arm or leg.

"Gwen Song!" the Proctor called out.

"Present!" She answered on reflex, bowed, then made for the door to the interviewer's office.

"Good luck!" Mayuree called out, beating Richard to the punch.

The interview room's interior was almost cliched in its simplicity. Three Examiners occupied a long desk, each outfitted with a glass of water drawn from a jug. An unfolded stool was positioned in front of the table, backlit by a large horizontal window that looked out the Tower toward the Fudan courtyard.

"Please sit, Ms Song." The Proctor left Gwen alone with the coven of sorcerous examiners.

Gwen curtsied and bowed, then sat.

The first Examiner introduced himself as the Faculty Head of Advanced Spellcraft, Magister Gillian Kilmer, a grey-haired gent with a soft, gentle face, attired in an Oxford tweet jacket.

The second was a hard-faced Chinese woman, her hair tied in a tight bun that stretched the skin of her head tautly. She introduced herself as the Department Head of Abjuration, Magus Liwen Du. She had on a severe uniform from which a pair of tanned legs extended without an ounce of fat, giving her a military air.

The last Examiner came as an unbidden surprise, for the Provost of the General College, Professor James Ma, was an NoM!

Gwen felt her worldview flounder. How could an NoM be in such a powerful position?

She quickly put on her professional persona as she answered the man. The NoM professor wore a handsome mandarine jacket in the traditional style, with his quicksilver hair slicked back against his skull, accentuated by a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

"Welcome." Liwen drew Gwen's attention with an open palm. "I will begin first."

"At your pleasure, Madam Du," Gwen replied with confidence. She sat poised in her chair—her legs scissored and tucked, with her arms resting comfortably across her skirt. Her expression was expectant and anticipatory, eager, but also at ease.

"I would like you to offer a postulated solution to a real-life problem. Is that alright?" asked Magus Du.

"Please do."

"Good," Magister Du continued. "Not so long ago, we experienced a regional incident, an episode regarding Frontier Demi-humans."

Gwen's ears perked up, her mind processing every word.

"It was up near the Uyghur border, northeast of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. For context, the PLA has historically engaged in skirmishes with the Centaur tribes on the Plain of Yuan since 1949. One of our outposts, consisting mostly of NoMs civilian and mining staff, was raided by the savages in February. Two Mages and a dozen NoMs, all of whom are important to the continued operation of the rare earth metal mine, were taken as hostages. The reason the Forward Operating Base fell is undetermined. In this scenario, you are the Combat Flight's Captain. You have engaged with the Centaurs scouts and routed them. However, upon reaching the mine, you find two dozen Centaur dissidents threatening to execute the hostages unless the PLA retreat from the region."

"Operation Command has given your team full authority on this mission. What would you propose to do? Please clarify your answer."

Gwen considered Liwen's real-life anecdote.

She wasn't a military officer, and she had not undergone Mandatory Military Service, but she was a survivor of the Frontier and a Merman Tide at that.

Very quickly, she scanned her mind for a solution.

Hostages.

A standoff.

And a regional conflict over land and resource.

But what the hell did she know about hostage resolutions? She wasn't a trained negotiator or a military operator. Her old-world job had been commodity R&D, offering risk-reward compensations and business solutions.

Quick! Gwen urged herself. Think!

"Is there a time frame in which I must act?" Gwen inquired, suing for time.

"Assume maximum operation time to be seven days," Liwen regarded the girl's eager eyes, surprised that an answer was forthcoming so soon. "That was the time frame given for the operation."

"Are we able to track the Centaur's tribe? Where they came from?"

"You are." Du raised a contoured brow.

"Is my team capable of neutralising the village? Overpowering any local resistance?"

"Undoubtedly."

"I see."

Gwen ran the keywords through the filter of her long-term memory, spinning her lobes to overdrive.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Hostage exchange—Regional conflict—

Parallels—parallells—parallels—

It was a situation with a superior militant force set against a guerilla native resistance.

Africa? Middle-East? Gaza? Israel!

Her memories threw up the name of Gilad Shalit.

Would the parallel work?

She had no idea, but she had to try.

"Very well." Gwen took a deep breath. "I choose to negotiate with the Centaurs in the mine and stall for time. Meanwhile, if permissible, I will seek to capture double or triple the number of Centaurs' tribesmen, favouring relatives of the captors. I will then have them brought to the mine for a prisoner exchange."

"If they are unwilling?"

"To show that I am operating in good faith, I will release the wife or children of ONE of the assailants, especially someone who could challenge the authority of the captor's leadership, such as a notable warrior or second-in-command. That way, there will be a feeling of dissent between the Centaurs as those without a feeling of safety will feel maligned and isolated by those whose families are safe. Furthermore, with their family by their side, those who had experienced mercy would think twice about engaging in mutually assured destruction."

Liwen tapped her nails against her scribe-slate. "Then?"

"Then I will repeatedly offer individual warriors the option of a prisoner exchange, multiple prisoners for each hostage. I will isolate their decision making by demanding collective bargaining, creating divisions through pardoning those who surrender first."

Du made notes as she nodded. "A fascinating suggestion, Ms Song. I wonder if Desert-Fox One should have gone with your highly speculative proposal. Out of interest, what do you think was the PLA Captain's choice?"

Gwen sipped her glass of water. It didn't take a stretch of the imagination to believe that the Moscow Theatre Hostage Crisis was the go-to modus operandi of the PLA, who saw Mages and NoMs as little more than pawns. Certainly, Gwen could imagine her grandfather, Guo, making such a crude choice without so much as blinking an eye.

"You killed them all," Gwen replied with a measured tone. "The Centaurs and the Hostages—correct?"

A soundless reticence reigned.

"Officially," Liwen spoke after the moment passed, looking at Gwen with renewed interest. "The Centaurs killed the Hostages and then collapsed the mine. It was, after all, an act of Terrorism."

"Of course," Gwen affirmed quickly, wondering if her lack of doublespeak had breached some protocol. Should she have said that the citizens gave their lives to better the Party?

"That is all I wish to know." Du turned to the others. "Your turn."

"I will go next," it was Magister Kilmer who announced himself. "Gwen, I want to ask you a personal question. Can you tell me about your motivations? Why do you want to be a Magus or a Magister? Mayhap even a Meister?”

Gwen breathed out at receiving a staple interview question. As for an answer, she would be herself. It was time to rustle their wizard hats- if they had worn them.

"I am a Void Mage," Gwen began with a blatant statement of truth.

The trio nodded. The examiners had read her file already; they knew the rarity of her talent.

Gwen began to speak.

"My motivation is freedom. I want the power to be not coerced by external forces. I want to live the way I want, do the things I wish to do. I want to protect my friends and contribute meaningfully to the world on my terms. I want to preserve who I am and aim to be at all cost."

"Do you not find that desire a little… idealistic?" Gillian proposed dubiously. "Naive, even."

"Not at all." Gwen smiled at the Magister winsomely. "As I told my mentor, the late Lord Kilroy of Sydney, I wish to become a Militant Pacifist."

"A Militant Pacifist!" Liwen repeated after her. "How so? Would that not be a paradox?"

"Peace through power," Gwen retorted. "Magister Kilroy believed that peace is possible is one is so powerful that their enemies dread the prospect of rising hostilities. I likewise aim to be such a vexing nightmare for my foes, who would prefer to leave me be."

"Your peace is a euphemism for tyranny!" It was Provost Ma who spoke. "Your interest would supersede all others? Absurd!"

"My interest would be utilitarian, the greatest boon for the greatest many," Gwen shot back. "I would walk the Path of the Militant Pacifist and dispense the justice of Noblesse Oblige; I would balance power with deeds, offset violence with generosity!"

The interviewers stared at her. From their expressions, Gwen saw that her proposal was ridiculous, even if the words were thrilling to the ear.

"Are you so confident that this power would be yours?"

"Of course," Gwen went all in. "I possess Void and Lightning and FIVE Schools of Magic. What I need is the opportunity, space, and the time."

"What makes you think you can remain uncorrupted by so much power? How would you walk this tightrope without falling? Better Mages than you have lost to that temptation. Why should we invest in a future menace?" Magister Kilmer leaned forward.

"With help," Gwen replied confidently. "With my friend's help. With my family's help. With your help. With Provost Ma's help. With the University's help. With the Tower's help."

"Help…" Magister Kilmer snorted. "Comes at a cost."

"Yes." Gwen looked toward her interviewers seriously, her eyes a blaze of blue-green mana. "I am no saint. I need guidance. The Void needs guidance. Help is mutual, and I can do much for Fudan—more than Fudan can do for me. And if not Fudan, then..."

Gwen left the rest unspoken.

"Is that… a threat?" Provost Ma demanded guardedly.

"No." Gwen adjusted her hair purposefully. "That is life."

The examiners grew silent. Within the room, there was only the sound of their contemplation.

"My question is finished." Gillian Kilmer leaned back in his seat, surprised to find a sheen of icy perspiration covering his back.

"One more question then." Provost Ma regarded Gwen critically.

"Please." Gwen dipped her chin elegantly, the cadence of her breath returning to its usual pace after her last bout of passion.

"This regards a recent matter." Ma looked at Gwen seriously. "A Mage has been found exercising Transmutation experiments on NoM civilians. When discovered and caught, the Transmuter reveals she has synthesised a new way to manufacture higher-tier potions, but the price of her discovery is almost two hundred NoM, a dozen dead, the rest maimed. The Magus comes from an influential Clan, now suing for her release in exchange for publishing her findings. You are the PLA Arbitrator assigned to this case and the discoverer of the Transmuter's deeds. How do you proceed?"

Gwen didn't need a Nuremberg Doctor's trial to answer that question.

"I would publicly shame the Clan of the Transmuter and confiscate the findings for the State, then sentence the Transmuter to imprisonment for her crimes. A show trial should commence for the surviving families of the NoMs, with reparations from the Clan going to each NoM victim."

The confidence and brevity of her answer surprised them all.

"I see." Gwen's measured response did not seem to sit with Provost Ma, though the other two Mages wore pleased, concurring expressions.

"Although, if may I speak candidly?" Gwen continued.

"Go on."

"I believe that all life, NoM or Mage, are sacred," Gwen said seriously. "I am unsure of the legality of what the Mage has done, but in all seriousness, to dissuade such inhumanity in the future, I would personally advocate the harshest penalty, even if it should be a death sentence. But anyway—how did the real-world example play out?"

"Your prior assessment was the correct one." Provost Ma seemed stunned by Gwen's 'candidness'.

"Indeed, such is the world we live in, Sir," Gwen said sadly. Even now, her spine tingled with adrenaline. "But it doesn't make it right."

Provost Ma pushed up the rim of his glasses. The other two Mages chuckled politely.

"I have no more questions," Ma stated. "You may go."

"Thank you, Sirs and Madam. Magister and Magus. Professor," Gwen stood from the seat and curtsied and bowed once more. She turned on her heels and stalked from the chamber, her heart pounding as the tension drained from her body.

Richard hailed her outside. "Did it go well?"

Gwen honestly had no idea, but the instructors had appeared to be impressed.

"I think so. No one tried to shut me up." Gwen spoke, then shook out her over-tense body.

"Richard Huang, are you ready to proceed?" The Proctor motioned for Richard to enter.

"I shall return." Her cousin winked and entered the room.

The door to the room shut.

Gwen found a spare seat and sat. She closed her eyes and meditated.

Please be kind to my answers! She had done as best as she could. She was entirely herself, just like Dean Luo suggested.

"Heya!"

Gwen's eyes snapped open.

Mayuree was an inch from her face, her breath sweet with sugar.

"What did they ask you?" the petite girl enquired eagerly, her big brown eyes glimmering.

"You've finished your interview?"

"Yeah, it was great!"

"Well," Gwen suppressed her voice. "I got a question on Centaurs, on myself, and NoMs."

"Ooo, I got the NoM one too!" Mayuree tittered. "Did you free the Mage?"

"… Yes," Gwen told a white lie; advertising her NoM sentimentality in public was probably not the best way forward in front of the scholarship candidates.

"Ha! I knew it! What Clan or House are you from?"

"Song," Gwen replied stoically, though that was a misnomer in itself. Gwen knew the Songs did not consider her an inheriting member of the House. In fact, from Guo's cautious aloofness, Gwen felt that he had never even thought that she might be a part of his legacy in any capacity—not that she cared. In Sydney, her real home, she had Gunther and Alesia, Elvia and Yue and Opa. Nonetheless, she felt strongly for her babulya, Uncle Jun, and Petra.

"Just… Song?" Mayuree tilted her head and came even closer.

Gwen averted Mayuree's intrusive profile. The mousy girl did not subscribe to a belief in personal space.

"Just Song," Gwen concurred.

"Okay, I am just Mayuree as well!" the Mage said happily. "So, where did you find that big bad Caliban?!"

Gwen could hear the others leaning in.

"Find it?" Gwen blinked. "Caliban came with my Familiar spell."

"Whoa! NO WAY!" Mayuree shrieked, causing Gwen's ears to ring. "A big brute like that just fell into your lap! That's SO LUCKY! You MUST have done something wonderful in a past life!"

Well, if only Mayuree knew, Gwen mused. As for being a Samaritan in a past life, she'd rather not dwell on that.

Not heeding her lack of a response, Mayuree persisted in making small talk until Gwen's jaws were sore.

Eventually, the door opened.

"All done!" Richard announced happily to the world.

"Richard!" Gwen stood from her seat, ignoring the torrent of questions stemming from Mayuree's rapidly moving mouth. "How was it? How did you go?"

"Swimmingly." Richard's mirthful expression was the same as always.

"So, what do you think?" Magus Liwen Du asked her colleagues.

"Do you mind if I speak 'candidly'?" Ma borrowed a little of Gwen's vernacular.

"Sure," Magister Gillian Kilmer gestured for Ma to go ahead.

"That Richard Huang is a psychopath," The Provost stated 'candidly'. "He's a clear and present danger. He's missing a synapse. He's dangerous."

"He seemed like an outstanding candidate to me," Liwen riposted with a twitching brow. "A little unpolished, but we can hone the edge and provide a sheath to his naked blade. That's what Fudan is for, is it not?"

"I vote in favour of Richard Huang," Gillian added after a pause. "The University needs someone who can differentiate between necessary action and mewling sentimentality."

"Did you both not listen to his Centaur subjugation proposal?" Ma stated incredulously. "The man's a monster!"

"Our monster," Gillian retorted. "He has his loyalties straight."

"He's a mad dog!" Ma insisted. "Capturing Clan women and children, torturing them before the dissidents. Sending them tongues, hoofs, organs!? Cleansing a family for every hostage killed?! How does that make us different from the Rogue Mages? From the Terrorist? From the Demi-human savages?"

"I think it would work," Liwen stated boldly. "Centaurs are highly communal creatures with a strong herd instinct. I think the PLA Tower should have taken an iron-fisted policy, now that Mr Huang has opened our eyes as to the extent we could have gone. The more I think about it, the more I like it."

"At best, we have peace and the return of hostages. At worst, we did what we did and cleansed the Upper Steppes anyway," Gillian pointed out to the Provost. "What's not to like?"

"The inhumanity of it all!" Ma blurted out passionately.

"James, calm down." Du placed a hand on the Provost's shoulders. "So, Richard Huang?"

James Ma sunk back into his seat. "My vote remains unchanged."

"Fine, on the matter of the Void Girl?"

"Can I refuse?" Ma complained grudgingly. "It's not as if the Dean would let her go. He would create a third scholarship position if we were to say no, would he not?"

"Still, what do you think?" Du asked. "Out of curiosity."

"Idealistic, naive, but I like her," Magister Kilmer stated confidently. "Strong will, clear logos, talent, looks, intelligence, Fudan could hardly ask for better."

"A little too green for my taste, too much of a dreamer," Liwen stated. "But, as Kilmer has said, that is the why Fudan exists. It is why our mock-Tower system exists. We'll hone her edge yet."

"Then vote in favour," Ma said suddenly. "I like her sense of justice. She's 'candid', too."

The two Mages smiled at their NoM compatriot.

"I thought you'd say that." Kilmer tapped his pen against the grey-stone slate. "That's three for three, then? Good, let's get a move on, shall we?"

* * *

"Do we go home now?" Gwen asked the Proctor.

"Indeed, we will be in contact," the Mage replied. "We hope to see you in Fudan again, very soon."

Gwen asked if Richard wanted to look around the campus with nothing more left on the agenda.

"Sure." Her cousin nodded. "I am interested."

As the duo turned to leave, they were once more accosted by a chipmunk-faced Diviner.

Mayuree flashed an unreadable smile that showed off her pearly white teeth.

"We were wondering…" she asked shyly. "Do you guys want to come to a super secretive and super awesome auction?! Kitty, Deng, Nathan and Kevin, and yours truly, are all going! Our box can sit ten people!"

Mayuree flashed a card embossed with a golden M.

Gwen and Richard met one another's eyes.

Super-secretive.

Super awesome.

An Auction?

The Auction from the House of M? That was today? Gwen suddenly recalled something from her cousin. She had promised Mina a date, hadn't she? Gods! She had forgotten all about it.

"Can I bring a friend?" Gwen asked their petite companion.

"Sure, Richard can come as well," Mayuree beamed.

"Ah, I mean another friend. You see, I'd promised—"

"Okay! No problem!" the bubbly girl squeaked. She took Gwen's hand unbidden and swung it back and forth excitedly. "I am sure it'll be super interesting!"

"Richard?" Gwen turned to her companion to beg his confirmation.

"Sure, you got Mina's Message Glyph?" Richard asked.

Gwen nodded.

"Hurray!" Mayuree's eyes twinkled, making Gwen wonder if the girl was naturally so bubbly. "Give me your address; I'll send a car over to pick you up!"

Send a car? Was the little girl the kid of a big wig? Gwen pondered the ease at which Mayuree suggested she could spare the resources to pick up strangers she just met to attend a 'super-secretive auction'. She wondered if she should change her mind and decline, but she did need new friends in Fudan, now more than ever.

"That's too much. How about we reconvene in Fudan?" Gwen suggested modestly. "Pick us up near the front gate? We're going to go for a walk and get to know the place."

"Okay! 5 PM sharp!" Mayuree chirped, letting go of Gwen's hand. "No backing out! I'll be so sad!"

They watched the girl skip back to her group to explain her success. The group turned to regard Gwen and Richard with evident dismay, particular the Ice girl, who gave Gwen a nasty look.

"How much money you got?" Richard asked. "It's an auction, after all."

"Well, I got about 3000 HDMs in the Ring," Gwen said quietly to Richard. "Think it'll be enough for something interesting or worthwhile?"

Richard was looking at Mayuree with a thoughtful expression.

"Richard?" Gwen repeated herself. "Something wrong?"

"No, not really," Richard shook his head, then patted her on the head. "Let's look around. As for the auction, I am sure it'll be a blast!"


Gwen and Richard found a Parisian cafe for an "arvo" luncheon on University Rd called "Pierre's Patisserie", measuring minutes with the churning of coffee spoons while engaged in people-watching. The tea was a blend of leaves grown from an 'Elven' sanctum in an Indian Orange Zone, diffusing a mild, potion-like effect that dispelled the hectic morning's fatigue.

While waiting, Gwen called up Mina and told her of Mayuree's offer.

"Mayuree? I know that name. Round face, about my height, Diviner? Excessively rich clingy?"

"She's rich?"

"Very," Mina's reply sounded less than thrilled. "We're acquainted but not close. You didn't let her latch onto you, did you?"

"Erg..." Gwen's words caught in her throat. Mayuree had gotten close enough to kiss, not that she would.

"Is Richard coming?"

"Of course."

"Right, don't do anything I wouldn't do. Ah-Bao will drop me off at Fudan as soon as possible. See you soon, cousin."

Mina's flashy European sedan pulled into University road about half an hour later.

Her cousin emerged from the exuberant eggshell interior of the saloon sporting a knee-length jacket, hinting at a shimmering dress hidden beneath the canvas covers.

Mina had prettied herself for the auction, with her impeccably coiled hair framing her China doll face, drawing admiring eyes from passersby.

Behind Mina, Gwen was surprised to see Tao, unsurprising adorned with a red duckbill cap and his signature Adidas getup.

"Sup Cuz!" Tao threw Gwen and Richard a few arcane rap signs. "How's the test, dawg?"

"It went well, Peaches. Thanks for asking." Gwen gave the both of them a friendly peck. "Mina, do you think Mayuree would protest if..."

"Mia— that's Mayurees nickname, should be fine with it." Mina fluttered a hand in the air, interrupting Gwen's well-meaning bluster. "She's the sort that's friends with everyone."

"Alright," Gwen answered doubtfully. "What can you tell me about this Mayuree? Does she have a last name?"

"Not at all," Mina said. "She's not from around here, as far as I know. Her family is very wealthy. I recall her business group was responsible for the west wing of the library at my old international high school."

"Wow, if YOU think she's wealthy..." Gwen bit her lip, knowing that Mina's father was very, very rich. "Alright, so she's not your average Diviner either, then? She was at the Fudan mid-year Scholarship Trials."

"I wouldn't know about that. We've attended a few socials, but Mina is well known for her Augury."

"Like, fortune-telling?"

"Something like that. We went to school together in junior and senior high. Rumours say that Mia's got Divine blood from an old Lineage. Who knows. It's not like we ran in the same circles."

"Divine lineage?" Gwen pursed her lips. "From the Gods?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. The Old Bloods tend to marry within the clan, though Mia doesn't seem like one of those inbred puritans." Mina shrugged. "But I'll tell you what, don't let her read your fortune!"

"But you said they're accurate!" Gwen pointed out. Wasn't she a "diviner" too? Maybe she could pick up some Divination pointers from Mayuree.

"Just don't. Accurate fortunes are the WORST." Mina shuddered as if reeling from an unpleasant recollection. "If it's good, it ruins the surprise. If it's bad, you're going to live in an unbearable hell of anticipation."

"Can't you change the prediction if you know of it?"

"They're ACCURATE," Mina retorted. "Let's stop here; I am getting a headache just trying to figure out the paradox. You can take Divination 101 next sem if you want."

"Okay," Gwen promised. "No fortunes."

"Anyway." Mina pressed closer to Gwen. "Dad wants to thank you for helping out Peaches. His 'success' really gave him 'face'. He said, so he told us to help you in the auction any way we can."

"WITH Currency! Bitches!" Tao made a few C's with his fingers. "We're cashed up!"

"A sizeable war chest." Mina slapped her brother's hands of the way. "For Mao's sake, Peaches—stop that! We're right in front of Fudan! People here know me!"

"What's the magnitude of his gratitude?" Richard interjected, preferring the girls cut to the chase.

"3000 HDMs," Mina stated proudly, watching Richard's face. "For making Tao less of a loser."

"HOLY S-"Gwen covered her mouth. "Seriously?!"

Maybe she should professionally serve as Tao's life consultant? With every triumph, his father could dispense a bonus.

"As much of it as you can spend, yes." Her cousin patted Gwen's unemployed body with sympathy.

"No, no. It's too much!" Gwen protested. Even after ripping off Dai Fung, that was all the money she owned. The others looked at her grinning face blankly. When it came to money, Gwen was a terrible actor.

"We insist..." Mina said.

"Well, if you insist..." Gwen felt filled with inner fire. If she had almost 6000 HDMs, it meant she had a far better chance of picking up some critical ingredient or an item that could significantly improve her bid for the LCSS—maybe, she could even find a Spirit to feed Ariel!

Her joy was interrupted by the beeping from the streetside. Roaring closer, a stretch-limo pulled into the parking bay.

The obsidian pane wound down to reveal Mayuree's porcelain face, beckoning for Gwen's company.

Inside, Gwen watched Mina suffer as Mayuree clung onto her cousin like a koala.

"I've known Mina for years!" Mayuree leaned to nuzzle Mina on the cheek. "We're best buds! We should hang out more often!"

Mina discretely pushed Mayuree away by inviting Gwen to sit closer.

Gwen, however, was distracted by Tao, who took up two seats with his legs wide open, looking thoroughly 'gangsta'.

Mina sighed.

Gwen turned toward the spacious interior of the eight-meter-long stretch, where the other guests sat.

There were the three nondescript young men she'd seen from the exam, whose names she didn't recall. They sat around Kitty, the Para-Elemental Ice Mage with the pixie-cut.

With effort, she attempted small talk with the stoic foursome but felt impeded by the spectacle of her other cousin. As before, Kitty entirely ignored her.

Gwen was just wondering if Tao could discretely displace himself when her cousin made an obscene motion with his fingers at the men, who had chosen to distract themselves from Tao by peeking at Gwen.

"Yo! Whatchu looking at?" He swaggered abrasively to the quiet Kitty, who sat opposite him with an expression full of loathing, giving him the stink eye every time their gazes met.

Kitty, whose face had been unhappy as soon as Gwen and company had entered, addressed Tao with a cold, murderous look.

"Sup, ho?" Tao gave the girl a mixed-message grin. "U wanna ride this bad boy?"

Gwen spat forth a thimble full of the sparkling water she'd been sipping, soaking the front of her blouse. Bloody hell, she cursed in silence. How can a human being so gifted at drawing out the worst in people?

Sure enough, one of the young men instantly took on an expression that suggested he was about to deliver retributive justice for the icy princess.

More so than before, she wanted to get off Tao's wild ride. Her eyes met Richard's. Unfortunately, Richard appeared to enjoy her suffering thoroughly.

Comparatively, Mina's expression grew mildly vacant, as though she was someplace far away. It was the look of insensibility made dull by long-term exposure to trauma.

Maybe the limo could pull over first. Gwen hoped against hope to drop Tao off. She was confident a Mage could survive a sudden ejection from a moving vehicle.

"Kitty, ignore him," Mayuree spoke, her interceding voice was sweet and soft, but the cold tone of the command struck Kitty like lightning.

Obediently, Kitty turned his face away and pretended Tao was not a man but a fabric stain.

Gwen watched the body language of Kitty's foursome as she with her arms folded across her chest. She felt a prickling suspicion beginning to take shape within her mind. Rather than students from Fudan, Kitty and co reminded Gwen of discrete bodyguards.

"Sorry," Mina apologised to Mayuree.

"It's alright." Mayuree turned to Gwen to pivot the conversation. "Anything you're after at the auction?"

"Well," Gwen replied with complete honesty. "I don't know. What should I expect?"

Mayuree excitedly began to rattle off a list of potential purchases.

Outside, dusk descended. The illuminated nightlife of Shanghai came to life one by one, as though beckoned by an unseen Conjurer.

Half an hour of insufferable Tao later, the limo pulled into the illuminated expanse of an enormous hotel.

"We're here!" Mayuree's treacly voice announced.

They had arrived at the Shanghai Hyatt-Regency, an eighty-eight storey marvel of a building situated in the heart of the Bund district. Perhaps in homage to the two Mage Towers, or mayhap designed for symmetry, the international hotel likewise consisted of two towers, each constructed with a curved-glass exterior which offered panoramic views of Shanghai from CBD to the Huangpu.

"This is the 'super secret' House of M Auction?" Gwen's heels tapped the marble pavement as she stepped from the limousine.

The atmosphere felt more akin to a red-carpet event sans the paparazzi. All around them, well-dressed guests emerged from chauffeured vehicles or engaged the awaiting valets, beyond which a stream of waitstaff bowed at patrons before guiding them into the lobby and beyond.

Under the glass canopy, the atrium was an architectural miracle of vaulted glass thirty-meters high, encased in rose-quartz marble and smoky-oak wood panelling. Beneath the cathedral of crystalline splendour, suited men and sparkling women engaged in polite conversation over canapés, sipping from tall flutes filled with amber liquid.

Besides Gwen, Mina allowed her jacket to slide from her torso and into her Storage Ring, revealing the visual spectacle of her silvery, shimmering dress. Sheer, glimmering, high-waisted and loosely hanging from her slender shoulders, accentuating her princess demeanour.

"You're gorgeous," Richard said the words before Gwen could utter her compliment. "I am positively underdressed in comparison and feel both inferior and abashed in your presence."

"Never!" Mina cooed at her cousin, whose face was entirely serious. With an expression of smugness, she hooked an elbow in between the space between his arm and his waist. "Let's head inside. The exotic fauna garden on the second-floor atrium is a wonder!"

Tao followed the couple, a natural-born third wheel.

"I'll leave a part of Lea with you," Richard spoke to Gwen by leaning closer to her ear. With a discrete incantation, the Water Mage materialised a small, amorphous blob to hover just behind Gwen's ears, not unlike an Ioun Stone.

"Our suite is at 34-B!" Mayuree reminded them as they left. She turned to Gwen, eyes sparkling. "Shall we?"

The Diviner dressed surprisingly conservatively in something akin to a mandarin dress in ivory.

"Let's go," Gwen smiled back, her mind full of wonders for the auction to come.

"Ms Song!" a voice cried out from the stairs.

They were intercepted on the second floor by a very surprised Magus Yuu.

"It's good to see you again so soon, Ms Song." The Magus shook her hand in an over-intimate manner. "Ms Mayuree, your presence delights me."

"Hey there, Meng." Mayuree nodded at the Magus curtly. "The Auction prep is going well?"

Meng, Gwen duly noted. Not Magus, nor Sir. Just Meng.

"Of course, Mistress," Yuu replied with an edge of caution to his voice. "All the items are secured."

"Is brother here?"

"Master Marong? He is in the VIP suite with his friends."

"I don't want a repeat of last time," Mayuree's voice had a touch of steel, which sounded to Gwen as strange coming from a face so sweet and innocent.

"Of course, Mistress," Yuu retreated from the two girls. "I shall waste no more of your time. Ms Song, please enjoy the auction."

Gwen turned to Mayuree.

"Mistress?" She raised an arched brow.

"Don't pay it any mind." Mayuree laughed. "You probably think the title makes me sound arrogant, right?"

Gwen returned a polite chuckle. Mina was right; it was best not to delve too deep. She should get her auction done and get out of here. They could be home before midnight.

When they reached the private Box 34-B, Gwen saw that Kitty had already taken residence alongside Mayuree's three stoic stooges.

"Kitty." Gwen nodded at her before finding a seat closer to the edge.

Kitty snubbed her usual. Mayuree sat beside Gwen and again tried to strike up a conversation, with Gwen answering her queries thoughtfully, though keeping a polite distance from offending the unhappy Kitty.

Below the amphitheatre was a concert complex converted for the auction, possing of four tiers of private boxes, an upper and lower circle, and a standing-room pit.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Tao arrived soon after, his individual "style" drawing unfriendly and sceptical glances toward their box.

Richard and Mina appeared shortly. By Mina's confession, they had taken a whirlwind tour of the buffet table before retreating to the second floor to sip pinot gris from tall fluted glasses over a vista of the Bund at night.

"There's a BUFFET?" Gwen moaned. Why hadn't she seen the buffet? Thanks to Mia, she had been denied a boon of deletable Wildland supplements!

"Here, I got something for you," Mina materialised a plate of miscellaneous food-stuffs stacked atop a vessel filled to the brim. "That is, Richard asked me to get some for you. You should have mingled. He was so surprised when you walked right past the buffet section!"

"Thanks, guys. I knew I could count on you." Gwen took the laden plate from Mina's delicate hands and began the loving work of replenishing her reserves. Caliban had taken a toll only hours ago, and here was free world-class food.

Mayuree looked upon the diminishing plate of food piled three-stacks high as if seeing Gwen first. The others who had never seen a performance of Gwen's bottomless appetite likewise regarded her with wide-eyed wonder, pondering where in her body the foodstuff could be stowed.

"Where do the items come from?" Gwen asked Mayuree out of curiosity as she wrapped up her grand luncheon.

"Here and there, traders, adventurers, Magus and Magisters looking to trade for rare ingredients, that sort of thing—but that can wait. It's starting!"

Upon the illuminated central stage, the auctioneer began with a bang.

The presiding agent wore a charcoal vest over a white silk shirt, accentuated with a bright blue tie. He stood ramrod straight, thin as a pencil, his face severe and aristocratic.

"LADIES and GENTS, MAGES, MAGUS and MAGISTERS! Thank you for attending our auction, hosted by the House of M, humbly at your service! My name is Arden Cooper, and I am your Bid Caller for the night."

The auctioneer's accent was distinctly British, his sonorous voice rolling off the tongue like smoothly churned butter, every syllable accentuated and annunciated deliberation and emphasis.

"We have a lot of items to move tonight! We are item-rich but time-poor! And so, befitting the scarcity of time, allow me to open with our first item!"

An illusory barrier faded from existence, revealing a pair of exquisitely crafted ankle-high boots.

"Ladies and Gents, a pair of Boots of Levitation, unisex, self-fitted, crafted by T.K. Giro from the hide of an albino Bauxite Rhino from the Orange Zone southward of Frontier Phuket. This item allows the use of the Levitation effect by will. Perfect for the curious Dungeon crawler and consummate traveller. As a master-crafted item, the shoes possess an allowance of two hundred and fifty kilograms, with a maximum height of six meters. Furthermore, the shoes possess a built-in Feather Fall feature..."

"The bidding begins at 400 HDMs."

"I see 500!" The bidder raised a glyphed paddle.

"500, thank you, Sir, for the fine start."

"600."

"800."

"850, calling once!"

"I am happy to sell it at 850 unless another enterprising collector would like to become the possessor of this unique item."

"Is that so, then 875 it is, the hammer is in the air, Sir."

"Madam?"

"Of course, 875 remains a bargain."

"I would like to remind all present that a portion of tonight's proceeds will go towards the maintenance and care of our citizens in the Frontier. As you know, Sydney has suffered a terrible setback. All that Auroch beef, lost! Truly a tragedy!"

"900! I must congratulate you, Sir, for having such rare judgement."

"900?"

"Going once?"

"No more?"

"Very well…"

"No?"

"...Going thrice! SOLD! To C028 for 900 HDMS!"

A round of applause greeted the winner, whose box was just out of Gwen's field of Vision.

So this was the auction. Gwen was happy that the methodology did not differ from her old world, only that the items were stranger than fiction.

The following article was a pair of Bangles that provided a weak but autonomously activated, near-perpetual shield, allowing even an unconscious Mage to deflect attacks. It sold for 960 HDMs.

The next was a set of a dozen potions of Heroism, blessed by some famous Cleric from the Roman Catholic Church. The liquid dispelled fear, gave clarity of mind, delivered minor healing, and enhanced fortitude, strength, and agility. They were sold as a set for a total of 110 HDMs.

"Next! A rare Ring offered by the Wildland Trade Consortium of Pudong, a Ring of Animal Influence, crafted by a Demi-human master!"

The clamour from the crowd rose in pitch and volume.

Gwen shifted to the edge of her seat. An item made by a non-human Magic-User?

"From the Woods that Wend, crafted by Master Iythronel Yllahice from the yearling growth of a millennia-old Dryad, this ring offers wearers the ability to speak to mundane and magical animals! Furthermore, users may command and influence low-tier Magical Beasts, as well as evoke an area of effect fear which affects all creatures within a maximum radius of one hundred meters."

"A Demi-human crafter?" Gwen turned to Mayuree again.

Her companion nodded.

The auctioneer continued.

"The bidding begins at 1000 HDMs."

"... 2000!"

"... 3000!"

The contest for the ring was far fiercer than Gwen had anticipated, ending at 3850 HDMs.

"What does a Demi-human do with HDMs?" Gwen asked Mayuree, expecting that the 'Mistress' of Magus Yuu would possess some insight into the matter.

"Trade, really," Mayuree replied casually. "We have resources the Demi-humans need; they have items and ingredients that we need. HDMs are an easy currency for exercising that goal."

"Do they have any use for the crystals themselves?"

"Sure, empowering our magical devices, using it for themselves, or dispensing it as a reward. Mageocracy HDMs are now a standardised currency even among the other races. Man-made HDMs are SUPER popular."

"How so?" Gwen found the notion puzzling. Are the other races treating HDMs like the U.S Petrol-Dollar? If so, was this a naturally forming phenomenon or a politically imposed one? "Can't the Demi-humans mine their own? All the mines are in the Wildlands, no?"

"No, you Silly! Only we can mass manufacture HDMs." Mayuree's helpful tone was full of eager information, looking happier now that Gwen was speaking to her more naturally. "The other races tend to prefer barter. The Mageocracy's universal currency makes cross-cultural, intercontinental trading much easier."

"I see." Gwen turned back to the auction. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Anytime! You'll learn all of this in the General Course anyway."

A dozen more items came and went to their new owners.

"LADIES AND GENTS!" The auctioneer continued. It has been almost an hour since he began, his clarion voice growing in intensity with every item sold, as though the auctioneer's stamina fed off the flow of currency. "Now for the rare ingredient component of our evening!"

Applause and cheers hailed the announcement.

The 'ingredients' consisted mainly of Creature-parts, each with different attributes of elemental affinities that made them unique in creating particular kinds of magic items from skin, eyes, teeth, nails, and organs of various parts.

"Next, a Fruit of Life, A Fructum Vitae!"

"Gwen!" both Mina and Richard spoke up, but Gwen needn't their advice to know that she needed to bid for the fruit.

"Someone else must have found one as well, from the Hengsha Dungeon," Richard observed when the fruit made its appearance. Its durian like exterior hinted that it likely had the exact origin as their own as it sat in its stasis box.

"100!"

"120!"

"140!"

"200!" Gwen called out.

"Very good, to the lovely lady in 34-B! 200! Going once!"

"230!"

"45-A, 230! Do I have an answer from the Miss in 34-B?"

"250!"

"270!"

"275!"

"278!"

"Go to 300," Mayuree suggested. "Don't creep your bids."

"300!" Gwen raised a paddle which displayed the number she announced.

"300! Going once! Going twice! GONE! Sold to 34-B!"

Gwen shivered. The auction was rather more exciting than she had anticipated.

"What do you need a Fruit of Youth for, anyhow?" Mayuree dug for details. "Someone in the family looking to turn back the clock? There are better options for that purpose."

"It's a Void Mage thing," Gwen told the half-truth. "I need as many as I can get."

"Magical fruits have diminishing returns," Mayuree pointed out helpfully. "How many have you had?"

"Two?"

"Four or five is the usual limit, then you'll barely notice its effects," Mayuree advised. "Although you should probably consult someone from the Alchemical Faculty. Maybe they can synthesise it for you for some CCs. I can help out if you lack the connections."

"Thanks, I'll look into it if I get the chance." Gwen returned her eyes toward the auctioneer. "Now what?"

"Someone will be here to collect and deliver," Mayuree told her expertly.

"You come to these auctions often?" Gwen tested her talkative companion.

"Now and then." Mayuree's eyes twinkled.

Gwen turned back to the stage, where the illusory veil lifted from the next item, a flash of elemental lightning lit up the entire auditorium. Gwen's eyes locked onto a Creature Core with the appearance of a yellow diamond.

"NOW! A WONDER from the Forbidden Zones of Central Africa, pilfered from the Heart of Darkness, from the reachable sanctums of the Mbochi, a rare and precious gift for those who wish to traffic in the power of the Gods, channel the divine essence of the heavens - A Crystalised Heart of the Congolese Eland!"

Gwen had no idea what an Eland was, but she suddenly knew that this was an item she needed. Within her pocket dimension, Ariel had sensed the resonating elemental resonance emanating from the crystal heart and was begging for release into the Material Plane. As motes of lightning mana filled the room, the empathic link grew so intense that Gwen squirmed on her seat.

Discretely, Gwen allowed Ariel to manifest.

"EE—!"

"Oh! How precious!" Mayuree did not seem surprised at all that Gwen summoned a Lightning-element Familiar. "What's its name?"

"Ariel," Gwen replied distractedly, trying to catch the auctioneer's boastful description while trying to control the squealing Ariel.

In her lap, her Familiar was busily trying to illustrate something with its paws, alternating between begging, wagging its head cutely, and flopping onto its belly and squirming like a serpent-waisted cat.

"Here, let me try. Lea, if you please?" Richard intervened.

A minuscule Lea about the size of Ariel's non-combat form appeared beside it and began to converse with Ariel.

"EE—EE!"

"EE?!" Lea replied

"EE!"

"Ee-ee?!" Lea nodded.

"Lea speaks marten?" Gwen felt her knowledge of the Always-Amazing Undine renewed yet again.

"Nature spirits can Commune with Animals at will," Mayuree cut in helpfully beside her. "I can too, you could have asked..."

Lea turned her tiny face up toward Gwen.

"It says that it wants to eat the gem so that it can grow strong like Cali."

"Why?" Gwen seemed puzzled by the marten's request. "Ariel can't shapeshift, can it? It's not like Caliban."

"Not like Caliban, no," Richard advised. "But you have to remember that both Caliban and Ariel are not actual fauna. They are special creatures empowered by Lord Kilroy. They're not native anymore. How else do you think they reside in your Pocket Dimension? They don't drink water. They eat mana crystals; they don't' defecate, they don't suffer from illnesses, nor can they be bred."

"They're Elementals," Gwen realised where Richard was going with the reminder—beings manifested from the primordial chaos where the fabric of the Planes is thin. They grow in power through living in regions rich with reinforcing elemental forces."

And most importantly, they were a part of herself. Strip away the animus provided by Summon Familiar and Ariel would be a ball of lightning, just as Caliban would be a vicious mass of hunger. Only Spirits could retain their astral forms, though she hadn't been that lucky.

"—A region ravaged by storms and lightning, beyond the habitation of man! Here is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

Below them, the auctioneer had finished extolling the virtues of the Eland's heart. Now was the moment of truth.

"The float begins at 2000 HDMs!"

"Oh no, there's no way we can afford that." Gwen turned to Richard. From her observations of the previous Auctions, they were most definitely short.

“3,000!”

“4,000!”

“4,500!”

Gwen was almost out of cash.

"I'll lend you 1200 HDMs," Mina suddenly interjected. "Go for it!"

"4,600!" Gwen held up her card and called out.

"4,700!"

"4,800!"

"4,900!"

"5000!" She gritted her teeth and continued. There better be some fortuitous part-time jobs when this is said and done, Gwen thought worriedly. Maybe she could take Tao out for another spin and squeeze some more gratuity from Patriarch Wang.

"5100!"

Gwen cursed. From the sounds of it, there was at least three others bidding.

"5500, going once! Going TW-ICE!" The auctioneer did that elongated voice which irked Gwen to no end.

"5550!" Gwen had to save as much money as she could for her University days ahead, but Ariel was genuinely desperate. There was still accommodation, food, textbooks, socials, and God knows how many other expenses. The Scholarship may mean that her Courses are free of charge, but that's assuming she even receives one. Gwen would have to find a loan somewhere, maybe contact Gunther or Alesia to beg for alms, which made her face burn just thinking about it.

"5700!" The next bid dashed the last of Gwen's motivation. Opportunities come and go. Ariel's existential upgrade could wait.

"Keep bidding!" Mina urged.

"No. We can't afford it." Richard shook his head.

"But it's a rare item!" Mina looked as though she wanted to start bidding on Gwen's behalf.

"One we can't afford," Richard's repeated words stabbed Gwen in the gut. She hugged the antsy Ariel close to her chest and squeezed her Familiar tightly. Sensing its Master's disappointment, Ariel struck out its salmon-pink tongue and licked her face.

"Sorry, Ariel..." Gwen stroked the marten. "Not today."

"Eeee..." Ariel channelled her guilt and so hung its head sadly.

Her cousin appeared stunned by the idea that Gwen could give up something so potentially beneficial to one of her primary powers.

"7,000!"

The next call surprised them all.

Somebody must have wanted the crystal desperately.

"Well, that's that then." Gwen breathed out. She felt less disappointed now that it was clear the item wasn't to be. As with life, if she wanted to win, she would have to work harder for fame, currency, and influence.

"Going once… going twice…" the auctioneer announced quickly. "Sold! For 7,000 HDMs!"

The sound of applause filled the auditorium.

More items came and went, but Gwen had lost the happy anticipation with which she had begun the night.

Later, a ring that allowed one to negate Paralysis and ignore Slow and Halt effects fetched 8,000 HDMs.

Another rare item was a shimmering dress which turned out to be Elven made chainmail, as light as cloth and as resilient as upper-tier magical spider silk, capable of impeding virtually all non-magical physical attacks. That austere item fetched 12,000 HDMs.

To Gwen, it would seem that Demi-human artifice fetched almost double the price of human-made items.

"Good grief," Gwen breathed out when the hammer fell. "That's an obscene amount of money."

For a dangerous moment, she wondered if she should pawn something, but her rings were priceless. The Teleportation Ring was from Gunther. The Ring of Evasion was from her Master. The Storage Ring was from her Opa. They were untappable treasure troves.

Then, as quickly as it began, the stage went dark, and the sound of shifting seats and moving people filled the auditorium. Gwen sighed. It was time to leave this place of extravagance and return to reality.

"Don't worry about it," Mina assured her. "You can always use CCs. As long as whatever you need exists, somebody somewhere will try and get it into your hands. It's just a matter of time."

But time was precisely the matter; Gwen wanted to retort. As her grandmother so wisely reminded her. Time was the only finite thing she possessed.

As they turned to leave, there came a knock at the box's door. One of the young men opened it to reveal Magus Yuu.

"MS Song, I have your Fructum Vitae." Yuu presented the piece of white-jade flesh stored within a stasis device.

With a touch of Rings, Gwen transferred 300 HDMs over to Yuu, and the exchange was complete.

"Oh yes, I have also brought the item you requested, Mistress." Yuu motioned behind him, and a young woman in an attendant's uniform brought out a velvet cushion, upon which a crystalline heart sat, glowing with the hysterical radiance of elemental lightning.

Gwen felt her heart catch in her throat as the Core illuminated the interior of their private box. Richard took on a thoughtful expression and turned toward Mayuree with an unreadable expression. Tao's eyes were aglow, as were Mina's.

Casually, Mayuree plucked the Core from the cushion.

"Gwen, catch!" she announced mirthfully and tossed the offending object toward a flabbergasted Gwen, who fumbled her catch with heart-in-mouth panic until she finally caught it on her lap.

"Wha—?" Gwen held the precious object; the 7000 HDM treasure hummed in her trembling hands. "W-What's the meaning of this?"

"A memento for our friendship," Mayuree announced with smiling eyes that sent goosebumps down Gwen's spine. "For commemorating the day we met."

The heart-shaped Core felt as though it possessed the weight of a neutron star in Gwen's lap.

Should she return it? Give it back? Of course, she should. A gift without cause is a dangerous thing. A nasty, hazardous thing. A debt.

"I can't take this!" Gwen protested. "It's too mu-"

"Ee—!" Ariel launched itself at the orb.

CRUNCH!

Gwen looked toward her lap.

Below, Ariel had broken off a small chunk of the crystal and was now happily chewing away.

Her eye began to twitch uncontrollably. With horror, Gwen regarded the happy Ariel with as much love as regret, cursing her inattentiveness. It was her Familiar's fault, but she controlled her Familiar—ergo, it was her debt to pay.

Her eyes fell upon the smiling face of Mayuree, so childish, tender and innocent. Without guile, Mayuree's irises glowed with a tinge of near-colourless violet, burning with motes of Divination.

There came the sound of another crunch coming from her lap. Not that it mattered the second time. From the first bite, there was no returning the Core.

"We're friends, right?" Mayuree begged with a voice that tickled her soul and made Gwen cross her legs a little tighter. "Right?"


"A friend in 'deed' is a friend indeed," Gwen observed Mayuree with suspicion. "But a deed performed without need—"

"You're far too serious!" her benefactor dismissed her disquieting quip. "What's a paltry Elemental Core for a gesture of goodwill? Ariel needed the core, and I could afford to gift one. Is that so bad?"

"Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Mayuree." Gwen winced at the sound of Ariel's gluttonous crunching from below, feeling its paws scribbling over her dress. "But your gesture is too grand to gifted so casually. Surely a girl must wonder-"

"It's a trifle! It's nothing! I am not asking for the world. Just the things that girlfriends do. Some shopping here, some adventuring there, I've got the backing, and you've got the firepower. What's not to like? We'll be like a dynamic-"

Gwen tensed. Where had she heard that before?

"Aright, Mia—" it was Mina who spoke next, evidently having had enough of Gwen's diplomacy. "Cut the crap. Gwen's not going anywhere with you. What are you up to?"

"Making a friend," Mayuree insisted, her complexion glowering a shade darker. "What does it look like?"

"How does it look? Do we look like fools?" Mina snapped at her alumina. "We've known each other since High School! What do you want from Gwen? What's your game? Is this one of your Divination ploys?"

Mayuree appeared stunned by the ferocity of Mina's accusation and could only afford to respond with a forced smile. Behind the petite Diviner, Gwen could feel the hostility from Kitty and the three guards growing more palpable with each accusation.

"So this is all an act of generosity?" Richard interjected by stepping in the middle, his voice neutral and unmoved, making him seem more sarcastic. "No strings attached?"

Kitty opened her mouth to retort, but Mayuree stopped her with a glance.

"You owe me nothing." Mayuree raised her hands defensively toward Gwen. Her expression remained unreadable, though the faces of her companions were far less proficient in hiding their displeasure. Kitty's scowl felt as though she could freeze the air without uttering a single cantrip. For a second, Gwen could have sworn she saw a few snowflakes.

"She better not. It's only 7000 HDMs," Mina churlishly defended Gwen. "You're not wrong. It IS a paltry sum."

Well, this is awkward. Gwen thought uncomfortably. 7000 HDMs was bloody astronomical as far as she was concerned. Even so, what was the Diviner's game? Would Mia's future favour involve endangerment of her life or those close to her? If so, she would rather scrimp and save to pay back the core as soon as possible.

With the tension refusing to slack, Gwen wracked her brain for a way to break the tension. If possible, she preferred to resolve the confrontation with diplomacy and tact, walk away with a win-win, or at least a compromise.

Naturally, Tao's familiar, eager, high-pitched voice took the words right out of her mouth.

"This hoe is trying to entrap you. Dawg!" Tao flew fingers of accusations toward Mayuree's direction, spittle spraying every which way. "It's just seven Gees, Gwen. I'll cover that shit like a bitch in heat! You can count on Peaches. This ho ain't turning no tricks on us yo! No way— Arrgh—!"

A sliver of ice materialised rapidly on Tao's Adidas jacket, its stiletto like point stabbing into the base of his skull.

Kitty glowered behind Mayuree with a murderous expression, her cerulean irises two pale orbs of eldritch nimbus trailing strands of rime across her cheeks.

"You should watch what comes out of that foul hole." The air around the box fell by several degrees as she spoke. "Offend Mia again, and I am going to shatter your filthy tongue."

"Lea!" Richard commanded.

Lea instantly dispersed into a fine mist.

A rush of crystalising ice materialised around Kitty, falling like snow into the velvet carpet below.

"That trick won't work on me." The Ice Mage warned Richard.

"Maybe, or maybe not." Richard's face was impassive. "We'll know when you're begging."

Gwen felt her blood pressure rise as she became caught on the two sides of a crushing vice.

She blamed Peaches; Gwen groaned internally. God damned Peaches!

"You're going to regret that," Kitty hissed.

Richard shrugged, then gave her a nudge. "Remember what we said on the lift, Gwen?"

"Er…" Gwen tried to recall the conversation. "T-The rest we'll feed to Caliban? Wait! Richard! No! EVERYONE! HOLD YOUR HORSES."

"Mina!" Tao hid behind his sister. "Gwen. If ya gonna unleash the big C-dawg, better do it n—Ow! Oww! Arrrgh!"

Impressively, the intensity of Kitty's limitless loathing for Tao was enough to manifest her magic; there wasn't even a need for an invocation.

The room descended into silence once again.

There was an audible, deliberate cough.

Eight pairs of eyes turned to see Magus Yuu clearing his throat.

"One moment." The Magus waited until he had their full attention.

"Ms Song, Ms Mayuree. I cannot consent to a display of magic in a place such as the Hyatt-Regency. For all of your mutually beneficial interests, should you choose to proceed—I will have no choice but to report this public disturbance to the Police." Yuu's voice of reason brought the group back to reality like a well-timed Dispel Magic. "Which, I would assume, would be an undesirable outcome for all, considering your circumstances."

Gwen exhaled with relief. The Magus was right. They were guests at the Hyatt-Regency. One of the most extensive and exorbitant hotels in Shanghai. The stakeholders capable of creating such an architectural wonder would undoubtedly be intimate with the highest authorities of the PLA and the Towers, and their displeasure would shake the metropolis with every stomp!

"You're right!" Gwen intervened before Tao could speak. "Magus Yuu is entirely and unequivocally correct. We need to calm down!"

She took a deep breath, then continued.

"Likewise, I believe there's been a horrible misunderstanding. Mia wants to be my friend— and I am not opposed to having friends. AS SUCH - Mia and I would like a moment of privacy."

Her eyes turned to Mayuree.

"Mia, can we talk? Just you and I, in private?"

"Of course, Gwen." Mayuree also looked as though a huge weight had shed from her shoulders. "Please give us some privacy, everyone."

"Mia…" Kitty protested.

"Mistress…" The guards were likewise unwilling.

"I insist." Mayuree raised her voice ten decibels.

"Let's go." Richard gestured to both Tao and Mina. They made for the door.

"Richard." Gwen turned to him with a measured voice. "Take Lea as well, please. I'll be fine."

The Undine materialised and exited the room with the trio.

Mayuree's companions likewise left the box, albeit with unambiguous scepticism and paranoia. To Gwen, the caution made sense, for Mia was a harmless Diviner, while she owned an all-devouring monster.

Magus Yuu once more stepped up to the task.

"I shall ensure that your companions remain duly segregated," the Magus assured them. "Please take your time. They will be in one piece when you find them again."

With his promise delivered, the Mage closed the double doors silently behind him as he passed the threshold of the private box.

Gwen and Mayuree sat opposite one another as the crowd's clamour below grew less boisterous with every departing guest.

"Alright, I am listening," Gwen stated unabashedly. "You want to be friends? Fine. Friends should be honest, to a degree at least, so let's have it."

Mayuree's eyes glowed with the faint and subtle signs of Divination at play, dimming and glimmering with an ebb and flow that betrayed the girl's inner conflict. Slowly, her fingers relaxed, alternatingly gripping, brushing, then tapping the saddle-leather of her seat until finally, it appeared that Mayuree reached a decision.

When the fresh-faced Diviner looked up again, she lost the appearance of an affable sweetheart and became one who had chosen to dispense masquerade for sincerity.

With a sigh, Mayuree gathered her thoughts before she spoke.

"I was there when you were at M on the Bund," Mayuree began, her voice now affording a candidness that had been absent prior. "I knew it then that we had to become friends."

"Why?"

"Because I need you," Mayuree replied stoically, then realised how unconvincing she sounded; she leaned forward and repeated herself. "I need you so that I can live."

Gwen felt a hint of colour rise to her cheeks. Mayuree was certainly cute—though she was no Evee.

"Be serious." She brushed away Mayuree's vague fingers.

"No, I am serious," Mayuree continued unabated. "Let me clarify. My Augury told me that I need you to avert a potentially deadly episode of my life, sometime in the future."

The revelation was supposed to shock her, but Gwen felt a mild, uncertain discomfort.

With a worried expression, Mayuree continued. "The night I saw you, I felt electrified by a reaction from my Divination Sigil. Immediately, I knew then that I need you in my life, one way or another."

"That's…" Gwen wanted to say that's absurd, but then again, she reminded herself; her Familiar, a Lovecraftian battle-toad, had just swallowed a lion-goat-snake. Who was she to challenge the possible and impossible? There was also the autobiographical fact that she was herself tapped into Divination, albeit her sensitivity barely registered anything beyond imminent mortal danger. If so, why couldn't a powerful and talented Diviner know of what they needed to ensure a"good" future came to pass?

"You think my proposal is preposterous? Of course, that's what it seems to someone ungifted in Divination. It's a talent that is both vague and ambiguous. I don't know how else to explain it. I don't know why. I only know that I can't be wrong."

"No, I mean that's believable," Gwen replied.

"It's stupid, I know." Mayuree winced. "Wait, you believe me?"

Gwen channelled a stream of mana into her Divination Sigil and incanted the simplest Detect Magic. Before her eyes, the world plunged into multicolour streams. She saw a fount of Divination well from Mayuree, strikingly illuminating an Astral Form surrounded by a purple-blue nimbus.

"Your element…" Gwen's surprised expression mirrored Mayuree's own. "You're attuned to the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Lightning?"

"Wait, what?" Mayuree's eyes bulged from her already sizeable sockets, giving her the likeness of a doll. Her lips were agog. "You're a Diviner?!"

"It's one of my talents," Gwen replied carefully, feeling suddenly happier. In opposition to Mayuree, she felt more thrilled that she'd found another Lightning Mage. Maybe she could learn a thing or two, or they could discuss the subtler points of manifestation.

The proviso, of course, was that Mayuree genuinely wanted to be her friend and wasn't just looking for a shield to tank the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

"Though for Divination—I merely dabble," Gwen confessed with a feeling of mild shame. "Suffice it to say, I can empathise with your psychic intuition, so yes, I believe you, Mayuree."

"A tingling sense of peril is what Meister Warner's Divining Scale classes as tier 1." Mayuree concurred, still amazed that Gwen was a combat Mage and also a Diviner. It would have made the process so much easier had she known. "My abilities are a little more nuanced than that; I can register up to tier 4."

"I never studied Divination." Gwen felt a hint of pink flush her face. "Never got the chance. I know how to Detect magic, that's it."

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Oh?" Mayuree seemed taken aback by her nonchalance. "Sorry."

"Nevermind me, so do you have prophetic visions? Like the Delphi Oracle?" Gwen knew of no other Diviners. The Oracle was a household name, a visionary whose powers were said to have aided the Tower in minimising damage to humanity's cities.

"The Oracle is in a class of her own," Mayuree answered modestly. "Like most Diviners, I can only sense the future as it pertains to myself. My intuition works by predicting whether someone will be a boon or bane. A branch-manifestation of Augury, if you will."

Gwen became reminded of Mina's first warning when she'd first mentioned Mayuree.

"Let me hazard a guess—" She studied the complex emotions of the Diviner's soulful eyes. "—you read your fortune, huh?"

"I couldn't help it," Mayuree groaned. "Not after the near-seizure when I saw you at the Bund. I can't quite describe the sensation because it's all abstract, but I knew you were important. In my future, you feature very prominently as a boon, an important and necessary one."

"I should think I am a bane," Gwen confessed. "What with Caliban and all the baggage I am carrying. I want to be entirely honest with you, Mia. I can't prioritise your needs; I want you to understand that. There is too much I have to do."

"That's for powers higher than you and I to decide," Mayuree did not appear disappointed by Gwen's honesty. "I don't know what you have to do either. Maybe you could incidentally find an object in a Dungeon that could save my life one day. Perhaps a beast that could have spelt my end dies by your hand. Mayhap even, we would be on the opposite ends of a Factional conflict, and you could think of this moment and choose to spare me. The future is a fickle thing, Gwen, as fellow Diviner, you would know as well as I the dangers of presuming the currents of fate."

"Then why?" Gwen gestured with open palms. "Why go to all the effort if nothing is certain?"

"My Arcane Soul told me so," Mayuree's expression was bittersweet and helpless. "Would you believe that?"

The girl looked at Gwen with desperation.

"Not to mention, I DO want to be your friend. You seem smart and beautiful, and you're surrounded by people who defend you because they are your friends, not because of your status or your influence. You may not understand how rare that is, Gwen, but I do."

"You have Kitty..."

"Yes, I trust her. She's a rare friend—but it's more complicated than that."

"So the gift was just a ploy to get on my good side?"

"Can you consider it a down payment for pre-emptively saving my life? It doesn't have to do with our friendship at all."

Silence again descended between the two girls as Gwen weighed the risks and rewards in her mind, measuring Mayuree's confession for authenticity.

Did she want to make a friend out of the Diviner? Could Mayuree offer her the 'mateship' Yue and Elvia did? Gwen knew the answer to that. But did she want to make an enemy out of the Diviner? No. The House of M, whatever its affiliation with Mayuree would be, was sure to be helpful in the future. If they could take advantage of Gwen in some manner she could not begin to comprehend, should she not also take advantage of the opposition party?

"I'll take what you've told me with a grain of salt." Gwen tested the waters. "So what now? We go our separate ways?"

"If that's what you want." Mayuree's dejected words lingered in the air. "Must that be the case?"

"Would you trust me if our roles reversed?"

The girl considered Gwen's antithetical counter, then sunk defeatedly into her chair.

It wasn't much, but that was the remorse Gwen sought.

Ariel had finished eating the core by now, lapping up the last of its remnant residue from her skirt. It turned its belly toward her with a twisting motion and paddled its pink-beaned paws until it coiled into a serpentine "C". Then, with a yawn that showed off its cutely protruding canines, it abruptly fell asleep.

Gwen dispelled her Familiar, watching Ariel dematerialise. Simultaneously, she made an empathic apology to Caliban, who had egged her for the opportunity to be let loose the entire time Ariel was out and about. Caliban was understandably upset—earlier, its prey had been stolen from its jaws, while Ariel had just had a feast, then fallen asleep on its Master's lap.

Cali! We'll feed you something from the Wildlands soon! Gwen promised her increasingly sagacious creature. She repeated herself several times until Caliban attained comprehension. Satiated by the promise of a day of gluttony, the netherworld worm settled into its Pocket Dimension.

With poise, she stood from her chair. Below, she could see Mayuree's defeated eyes watching her warily.

"Hi, I am Gwen Song," Gwen announced suddenly with a smile. "I am new here."

Mayuree's face transformed from concern to comprehension, then to cognisance.

"I-I am Mayuree," the young sorceress replied with a voice that grew in confidence. "I am a Diviner. I am a scion of the House of M, third-in-line to succession."

"That's marvellous." Gwen extended a hand. "I am principally a Conjurer, an Evoker, but I also dabble in Transmutation, Divination and Abjuration. I am a Void and Lightning Mage."

"That's a mouthful!" Mayuree took Gwen's hand. "I mean, wow. Mao's Red Stars. Really?"

"And I am a freelancer," Gwen added after some deliberation. "Though you could say I owe the House of Song a great debt. So that's who I am with, at least for now."

"W-would you like to join the House of M?" Mayuree blurted reflexively.

"Not yet, no." Gwen shook the girl's hand. "We should meet up for a luncheon sometimes, some tea and coffee. I am sure we'll be seeing one another plenty in Fudan."

"Of course!" Mayuree's face once again assumed that youthful jubilance of adorability. "I'll pay! Whatever you want!"

"We'll take turns," Gwen said seriously. "It's called shouting your mates."

"Right! YES!" Mayuree's eyes grew a little moist.

"Great! Let us find our companions then. I hope they haven't taken the hotel apart," Gwen suggested happily, then held out a hand.

"Ha!" Taking her fingers, Mayuree followed.

As Gwen reached the handle of the double doors, her newly minted friend pulled her back by the elbows.

"Wait!" Mayuree took her by the arm with an urgency Gwen hadn't felt before. "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

Then Gwen felt it.

A tingling premonition struck the back of her mind like a pail of frigid water. Danger. Not dire. But a threat nonetheless.

Both of the girls turned warily toward the door.

Unbidden, it opened.

A cloud of smoke came billowing inwards, smothering the surrounding air. Ambient light from the corridor outlined a slimly build male dressed in formal attire.

A gust of acrid tobacco accosted Gwen, sending her reeling backwards with a reflexive gag. Mayuree seemed more accustomed to the fermented smog, enduring it as though it were the beginning of a ritual.

As the haze dispersed, Gwen took account of the silhouette who now obstructed their exit.

The man was a Mage—that much was obvious. She could sense the familiar mana condensed within his body, far surpassing her own. He had a face that was androgynous in its quality, with cruel eyes that were almond-shaped like Mayuree's but lined with thick, dark eye-lines that gave him a pretentious, gothic air. His complexion suggested he was of South-East Asian descent, as did his hair.

Once the smog cleared, she saw that the Mage wore a smoking jacket, casual but expensive, with a loud, blue-clover patterned dress shirt embossed with gold buttons imprinted with little 'M's. In the man's left hand, he held a cigarette that glowered as he inhaled and exhaled, stirring the smothering vapours.

Where was Richard? Or Mina? Or Kitty? Gwen wondered, trying to spy a peep around the corridor. All she saw was more white-suited guards lining the entrance. As for her Message device, she had kept the bulky thing in her Storage Ring, and it was too late to retrieve it now.

She turned her eyes toward Mayuree, who seemed frozen to the spot as though she'd suddenly transformed into a little girl who'd been caught red-handed at the cookie jar or a froglet before a king cobra.

Well—shit. Gwen wondered if this was the moment of crisis Mayuree had foreseen. Is Death coming for Mayuree already? She had just befriended the socially awkward girl less than thirty seconds ago, and now the Grim Reaper comes calling while toking on a fat cig? How good was Mayuree's Divination?

"Is this the girl?" the man demanded of Mayuree.

His gaze fell upon Gwen like wet paper plastered over her skin.

"You are. You're the Lightning girl from the other night; the one who whipped Dai, no?" the man spoke to himself. "I must say, for a Guang-er-dai, Fung has good taste."

Who the hell was this asshole? Gwen furrowed her brows unpleasantly. Why was he here in the first place? More importantly, Gwen thought worriedly. Where were their companions?

"This is my brother," Mayuree said quietly beside Gwen.

"That's Big Brother Marong to you," the man retorted with cruel amusement.

Ah, Gwen instantly recognised the situation in which they'd just found themselves. She was no stranger to an old-fashioned family rivalry.

"Where are our companions?" Gwen demanded.

"They're somewhere." Mayuree's brother possessed a falsetto voice that was at once pleasing and sensual.

"They're safe. Kitty and Richard are in the lobby." Mayuree informed Gwen after invoking a mote of Divination by her ear, signifying a silent Message spell in operation. "Brother Marong, Gwen and I have somewhere to be. Can you please move aside?"

Marong pulled his arms back to his sides and stepped aside.

Mayuree glanced at Gwen, then moved toward Marong with the body language of cream been forced through a sieve.

Gwen took a step forward and grabbed Mayuree by the arm, pulling her backward toward her chest.

Marong raised a brow.

Gwen sighed inwardly, reading Marong's body language perfectly. From the looks of Mia's shaking shoulders, Marong was a sister-bullying prick. Once she passed, the guy would probably separate the two of them and then play a cat-n-mouse game with Mayuree to see if his sister was willing to abandon Gwen.

"Mia, don't. He's fucking with you." Gwen's stepped in front of Mayuree, feeling her protective instincts kick into gear. "Hey asshole, what's your problem?"

Marong appeared astonished by his new title.

"Did you just call me..." Marong's mirthful smile faded from his lips. "No, never mind. I am more interested in what Mia wants from you. My servant tells me that she'd been chasing you like a dog-in-heat all afternoon."

At the insult, Mayuree's expression hardened.

"Look, I mean you no harm." The brother considered the pair intently. "I am just curious as to why my little sister is so interested in you. Surely a friendly chat is not beyond consideration."

"I am not interested in men who bully children," Gwen snapped at the offending Mage. If someone like this bullied Elvia, she would have sicced Caliban onto his ass and damned the consequences.

To her surprise, Marong laughed, while Mayuree's face became flushed with embarrassment.

"I am older than you," Mayuree whispered stiffly behind her.

"Good for you," Gwen blustered back before turning back to Marong. "You letting us pass or not?"

"Is a few minutes of your time too much to ask for?" Marong remained firmly entrenched at the door. "A man has a right to be curious."

"You can't afford my time," Gwen riposted reflexively.

This time, Marong raised both brows. "I am sure I can—name your price."

Gwen felt herself cringe the moment her words left her mouth.

Whatever the case, she wanted to get Mayuree out as soon as possible. She had no idea if Marong was the danger, but the man sure as hell felt like one.

Against the Mage, she raised a hand in protest, then near-instantly incanted her non-lethal distraction.

"Flashbang!"

As the shockwave of sound resonated across the box and into the corridor, Gwen pulled Mayuree backwards, and the two of them fell from the balcony.

From Fung and his company, Gwen had endured enough of these situations to know if she agreed, there would be unpleasantness—and if she refused, there would be unpleasantness. The best outcome was not to play Marong's game at all.

"Gweeeeeeneaaarrrgh!!" Mayuree screamed as she fell, her Divination failing to foresee Gwen's unconventional mode of departure.

"Dimension Door!" Gwen could transport a passenger with her through the Elemental Plane of Lightning by expending an exponential amount of mana. Such a utility was why Dimension Door was a staple spell.

The two girls disappeared mid-flight as they fell—and reappeared on the unguarded floor of the theatre's lobby entrance some twenty meters from where they had teleported with a burst of pyrotechnical lightning.

"I am going to be sick..." Mayuree suppressed a gag. For a passager who wasn't ready, they were often disorientated by the thrumming tinnitus in their ears and the vertigo of experiencing a dimensional jaunt.

Gwen quickly dragged the confused Diviner with her through to the lobby and toward the Atrium. Once they were in the public domain, they would be safe from harassment. There was no possible way Mayuree's brother would dare cause a scene in the grand lobby of the Hyatt-Regency.

True enough, the lobby contained her companions.

"Gwen!"

"Mia!"

Richard, Mina, Kitty, Tao, and the three stooges were all waiting for them.

"Young Mistress! Ms Song!" Magus Yuu was there as well, looking decisively apologetic. "I am sorry, it was all I could do to prevent Master Marong from goading your friends to imperil themselves."

"Don't worry about it." Gwen waved him off. "Anyone behind us?"

Richard scanned the entrance to the theatre complex.

"We're clear," he observed. "I tried to Message you. Another minute and I was going to send Lea."

"I'll make your brother pay for this disrespect!" Kitty growled vehemently beside Mayuree. Her usually cool and icy exterior was hot with agitation. "I knew it was a mistake to leave you alone! Are you okay, Mia?"

"I am fine." Mayuree stared at Gwen with eyes full of admiration. "I had Gwen with me. I can't believe we got away, just like that!"

"Erm…" Gwen fixed her messy hair. "How do you usually deal with that asshat?"

"Through inhuman feats of endurance," Mayuree quipped miserably. "I usually sense him coming long before he's close. I can avoid him nine times out of ten."

"Why not this time?" Gwen scanned their surroundings as well.

"I don't rightly know." Mayuree curled her perfectly pink lips. "Divination is not an exact Spellcraft. At any rate, thank you for the prompt delivery from the presence of my pompous brother."

"I hope that wasn't the life-saving moment you had predicted," Gwen joked.

"No, but please consider the debt of the crystal paid." Mayuree took the opportunity to salvage a prior misstep. "You don't know how happy it makes me that we eluded that encounter, especially with your help."

"Debt paid? That's too much," Gwen protested. "That was a costly bid!"

"Please," Mayuree pleaded. Gwen could see the desire for redemption plastered all over her face. "I'll be candid with you; I had the crystal retrieved from our private collection, so that wasn't the one been sold. I am not spending 7000 HDMs, more like 4000."

"Alright, alright," Gwen felt impressed that Mayuree had a Core to spare after all that. By now, Gwen knew she was taking advantage of the girl's desperate circumstance, but she wasn't, in her own words, one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I'll accept it."

"If you're quite done, Gwen, let's get out of here first." Mina eyed the theatre anxiously.

"Let's get on a move on then!" Gwen announced to the gathered group. "We should find somewhere to eat and re-introduce ourselves. Mia and I are renewing our friendship! We're getting to know one another from square one! My shout!"

"Sir?"

One of the white-suited guards dispelled his Shield. Had it not been for a command to hold their positions, they would have retrieved the girls within a few breaths.

Inside th private box, the smell of ozone hung heavily in the air, together with an electrifying feeling of static that set their hair to stand on end.

"Sir," the guard repeated himself to a distracted Marong. "Shall we invite the young ladies…more persuasively?"

"No," Marong replied in a haze of smoke, his voice possessing more amusement than anger. "Have some tact, Ang; this is why you're still single."

Ang smiled awkwardly.

The smouldering fumes surrounding Marong parted as though stirred by a soft, unseen breeze. When the Flashbang had hit, a portion of it had congealed as if moved by a supernatural will, shielding him from the brunt of the blinding flash, as well as muffling the thunderclap.

"What an interesting girl." Marong toked on his thin-white cigarette, allowing two jet streams of smoke to join the perpetual haze which lingered in the air. A few sparks fell as he tapped the hand-rolled tobacco with his forefinger, sending a few amber embers to take flight. "Hyun, find out who she is."

"Of course, Master Marong," a second guard acknowledged Marong's command.

"Do it discretely, man. We don't want to frighten the poor girl."

With the practised ease of a seasoned smoker, Marong allowed a mote of flame to touch his cigarette. A speck of brilliant fire flared, snuffing the stub expertly. The remaining length disappeared into a Storage Ring adorned with an elaborate geometry of precious gems.

Marong was glad he came to oversee the monotonous auction. How else was he going to catch his sister giving a 10,000 HDM core to some stranger? The one she'd gifted wasn't even the one on display. That had been the female heart. Her sister had given the buck's heart.

If so, then who was this 'Gwen'? And why was his sister so zealously attached?

Whoever she might be, Marong chuckled. He was confident the girl would prove far more entertaining than Dai Fung described.