035 THE EYE OF RA
"Why is he at the auction?" Dorin asked, still stunned.
She didn't recognize Damen at the auction party when she counted the guests.
Ambrone smirked. "You mean the same guy you had a little crush on earlier."
Dorin's face flushed, but she pressed on. "If Damen Dark was there, it's possible the psychic we've been looking for—the one helping him—is there too."
"That's reasonable," Lander said, but paused thoughtfully.
"What is it?" Ambrone asked.
"If it's the same psychic we're investigating," Lander said, "why did he save us from the sonic wave attack? He knows we're investigating Damen Dark. Wouldn't it have been better for him if we'd… been gone?"
"Maybe he didn't see our faces," Dorin suggested. "Or Damen never told him about the investigation files on him."
"That's not possible," Ambrone interjected. "Psychics don't need to see your faces to recognize you—they can read you through your mind."
"So, there's only one conclusion left," Dorin said, relief washing over her. "Damen Dark didn't tell the psychic we were investigating him… or maybe he doesn't even know the psychic exists. I told you… Damen is innocent."
She exhaled, grateful that the thought of arresting Damen could finally be dismissed. She's beginning to like him a little.
Lander remained silent.
He rarely misjudged someone. After a long moment, he said, "Perhaps I was wrong about the boy. But the psychic protecting him… that's still a potential threat."
"Yes," Ambrone added. "All psychics are dangerous. It's not easy to guard against them."
"What do we do now?" Dorin asked.
"We continue to monitor Damen Dark," Lander replied, "but we change his status—from suspect to related person."
"I don't care what you do with the boy," Ambrone said firmly. "The most important thing right now is to find the Eye of Ra. That artifact alone is worth more than both your heads."
"Aye, sir," Dorin and Lander replied in unison.
------
Damen and Zairgid were led through a narrow escape stairwell, avoiding the police in the auction hall. Soon, they passed through the kitchen before entering another hall.
The floors above were thick, so despite an epic battle raging between heroes and villains overhead, it felt as if it didn't concern them at all.
The manager of the room stepped forward to greet Zairgid. "Master Zairgid, your equipment has been prepared and is ready for delivery," he said.
Their first stop was a line of mannequins, each clad in a sleek, form-fitting suit that covered them from neck to toe.
The manager explained, "These are our top-of-the-line armored body suits. They're made from silk harvested from one of the space rifts—extremely tough and resilient while remaining flexible. They can withstand impacts from several Rank F meta abilities before breaking."
"Wow… this is incredible," Damen said in awe. It was the first time he'd seen meta-level equipment.
"We'll take two sets," Zairgid said.
Next, the manager presented a row of helmets and masks. "These are our premium helmets. They filter most poisons and are fully breathable underwater. Most agents and operatives carry these as standard issue."
Without waiting for Damen's opinion, Zairgid added, "We'll take two of these as well."
Then came the boots. "Our top-of-the-line boots provide defense against Rank F attacks and are meta-cushioned for enhanced running speed."
"We'll take two pairs."
Finally, they reached the weapons section. An assortment of rifles, handguns, and melee weapons lined the display.
"We'll take two handguns with ammo," Zairgid said. Then he glanced at Damen. "Is that enough?"
Damen wandered to a corner and picked up a dagger, inspecting the sleek blade.
"What about this one? I like it," he asked.
"You have good taste," the manager replied. "This is the standard dagger for our elite forces. It can penetrate shields up to Rank F."
"Give it to him," Zairgid ordered.
"What about you, sir? Do you want a dagger?" the manager asked.
"No way. I'm not letting freaks get close enough for me to use one of those. I'll pass," he replied.
Damen quickly suited up, sliding the armored body suit under his regular clothes. He laced the boots, pocketed the handgun and dagger, and packed the helmet into his backpack.
Fully geared, he was ready for whatever came next.
-----
Damen returned to his dormitory and collapsed onto the couch, utterly exhausted. His hand brushed over the armored suit beneath his clothes, and he couldn't help but smile.
"I've never felt this safe before," he muttered.
Then a thought struck him.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the strange amulet he had picked up during the chaos at the auction. Its centerpiece was a gem shaped like an eye, gleaming faintly in the dim light. One of the robbers had dropped it onto him, and he had instinctively pocketed it in the confusion.
Everyone leaving the auction hall had been thoroughly searched. If Zairgid hadn't smuggled him out through the back, Damen would have been forced to surrender it.
Now it could only be considered stolen by the robbers.
"What are you?" he whispered, marveling at the eerie stone.
Curiosity got the better of him. He grabbed his datapad and browsed the auction listings. When the results popped up, his eyes widened in shock—the gem matched an entry listed as The Eye of Ra.
"Ten million Aurs… starting price?" Damen gasped. "I just walked out with something worth more than a bank vault. I'll be rich if I sold it."
His excitement quickly dimmed. "Yeah, right. This thing must be tagged. I couldn't sell it if I tried."
Still, he couldn't bring himself to discard it. With a grin, he slipped the amulet onto a cord and tucked it beneath his armored suit.
"Guess no one will find it under there," he said, satisfied.
Before heading to bed, he opened his phone to check his status.
Name: Damen Dark
Rank: F
Strength: 56 | Charm: 38 | Meta: 40 | Command: 38
"Not bad," he said, pleased. "I've leveled up a lot today."
An idea crossed his mind. He scrolled through his favorites and tapped on Dorin's name.
"Let's see what you're up to," he murmured, activating Live View.
The feed filled with dense mist, hazy and unclear. His stomach tightened.
"What the hell? Did she get hit by a poison cloud?" he asked, worried.
Then the fog shifted, revealing Dorin's reflection—her body stark naked in a mirror.