Inside the grand theater hall, cloaked in layered darkness and a faint gothic glow, nearly a hundred and fifty figures sat in orderly rows and columns. Shadows clung to velvet seats and towering arches, while murmurs rippled softly through the space. Anticipation hung thick in the air, sharp enough to taste.
"Sir, would you consider selling your seat number for an esteemed gentleman?" Auction officials leaned in close, whispering into waiting ears with careful smiles. Beyond the sealed walls, the city churned in chaos as countless powers clawed for entry, each desperate to gain even a foothold inside.
"No thank you, and fuck off."The brutish man didn't even glance up as he spat the words, his voice low but firm. Who but a beggar would accept such an insultingly veiled bribe. Simply witnessing these interactions was enough to make most people wealthy beyond reason.
