Silence fell over the room, and the lights dimmed, all illuminating the stage where the auctioneer emerged. Thomas watched him begin the auction with an antique from the East, dating back centuries. He continued speaking, but this wasn't what caught Thomas's attention. He was looking at the mermaid, puzzled by her actions. Then he caught a glimpse of a familiar face, but couldn't see it clearly until he took the mask and began pushing through the crowd until he reached the mermaid's side.
The mermaid looked at him as he sat down, her posture shifting, and she seemed more nervous, as if she recognized someone. The sound of a small wooden gavel echoed behind him. The item had been sold, and the crowd applauded. The mermaid clapped as well, her gaze fixed on the hand of the person beside her, who held a gold ring. Her attention remained on the ring until he looked up at her, at which point she turned to face forward and continued clapping. Silence fell, and the auction resumed. One of the girls was wearing a visceral outfit, which made him understand why the auction was being held in an enclosed space; it wasn't an ordinary auction. The bidding steadily increased in pace until they were nearing the end.
Thomas moved among the attendees and recognized some people who seemed addicted to auctions; it appeared to be the only thing left to give their lives any excitement.
Thomas didn't understand why he was there with the mermaid until silence fell again and the last item in the auction was brought out. Thomas looked up at the stage, and time seemed to stand still as he saw someone slowly walk to the center. "It's her...it's Babylon," he kept repeating as he watched her move to the center of the stage, wearing a green robe shimmering with blue and gold, adorned with a pearl necklace, and over the robe, a blue ostrich feather shawl, also shimmering with green, held in place by a ruby brooch. The auction was in full swing when the mermaid began to raise the wooden piece in her hand, displaying a high price tag. A frenzy erupted, with numbers and shouts of excitement from the audience. Thomas didn't understand what the mermaid was doing when she looked at the person sitting next to her, raising the price. He noticed the person's nervous movements, and he too raised the bid. The price kept rising until it reached two million gold pieces for the person next to the mermaid, amidst murmurs in the room. Then, the murmurs were silenced by the final clang that signaled the end of the auction.
Thomas saw Paplin walking away from the stage, disappearing behind the red curtains that were beginning to close. He hurried after her, but when he saw her talking to the merchant about something, he approached. "I think you've done more than what was asked of you," he said. The merchant then looked at the dwarf and gave him something to put in his pocket. He then took out the key and gave it to her. "I think he's waiting for you in the room if you want to know something else before you go with the prince." Thomas understood from their conversation that the person who had been at the auction a little while ago was a prince, but he didn't know which country. Paplin's expression was as determined as ever, but he didn't know what she was planning as she walked past him. He tried to call out to her, but of course, she didn't hear him. He fell silent and hurried after her until they reached the room where he had been a little while ago. "I think everything happened as I said," she said as soon as she unlocked the room with the key. Thomas looked at who she was speaking to, but he didn't see anyone. She continued, "Are you sure it's the right day?" Thomas looked at the shadow of the sundial in the The ceiling cast a shadow that took the shape of a person, then the shadow turned into light. He closed his eyes and heard another voice say, "I don't think it's the right time. I know it's the right time." The light began to dim, and Thomas opened his eyes to find a young man in front of him. "All I want to know is that you want to continue." She looked at him confidently. "Yes, I do."