Veyr didn't lead Xavier and Klatos through a grand entrance or guarded hall. Instead, they passed through a freight elevator buried three levels below the underworld's main artery, the kind used for cargo that didn't want records. The lift descended without numbers, only a slow pulse of light climbing down its inner frame, counting depth in a way only machines cared about.
"Rules are simple," Veyr said while the elevator moved. "No names. No open threats. If you bid, you commit. If you win, you pay. If you break either rule, you don't leave."
Xavier nodded, calm. Klatos folded his wings tighter, eyes tracking every reflection in the steel walls.
The doors opened onto a space that didn't look like an auction hall at first glance.
It looked like a cathedral built by criminals.
