Until the auctioneer's assistant returned to the stage carrying an ornate wooden box, and the moment its lid was lifted, revealing a delicate silver bracelet etched with faintly glowing runes, the entire hall seemed to lean forward collectively.
"Now, this is a genuine Starlit Ward Bracelet, forged over three centuries ago by the legendary artisan Cresswind Vale himself. Only three are known to exist in the entire world." the auctioneer said, his voice dropping into something more reverent,
Murmurs happened excitedly through the crowd, paddles already twitching in anticipation.
"Little sis, that's the kind of item worth fighting for." Zyver whispered, eyes wide with genuine excitement.
Zaiveil studied the bracelet curiously, something about its faint glow tugging oddly at her attention, similar to the strange pull she'd felt following the Awakening Test and the rite that followed it.
"Zai?" Zyrcus asked, noticing her sudden focus. "Everything's alright?"
"Fourth Brother, I'm not sure but, that bracelet, it feels familiar to me though I can't explain why." she said slowly, her eyes still fixed on the glowing runes.
Her brothers exchanged a quick, curious glance.
"How familiar?" Herox asked, his earlier composure sharpening into something more alert.
"I don't know," Zaiveil said
"Brothers, I think I'd like to bid on it." she paused, studying the item more closely as the bidding began to climb rapidly around them.
Zyver's grin nearly split his face in half. "Coem on, little sis. Let's win you your very first auction treasure."
The bidding for the Starlit Ward Bracelet had already climbed higher than the Frostbind Core, several wealthy merchants and one particularly stubborn noblewoman driving the price up with rapid, competitive fervor.
"Five thousand gold coins," the auctioneer called, gesturing toward a paddle raised near the front.
"Do I hear five thousand five hundred?"
"Six thousand," Zyver called out immediately, raising their family's paddle before Zaiveil could even process the number properly.
"Six thousand? Brother, That's an enormous amount of gold just for a bracelet." she asked, startled.
"That's an enormous amount of gold for others beside it's a bracelet you had your eye on so we have to get this no matter what, just trust me, little sis, we can afford this. The Royal Treasury is full of money and so us, your brothers, we have our own private money." Zyver corrected, grinning.
The noblewoman across the hall narrowed her eyes, raising her paddle once more. "Six thousand five hundred."
"Seven thousand," Zyver countered instantly, his competitive streak flaring bright.
The exchange continued for several more rounds, numbers climbing steadily higher, until the noblewoman finally shook her head and lowered her paddle in defeat, muttering something under her breath as she settled back into her seat.
"Sold, to the Hyeleux family, for nine thousand gold!" the auctioneer announced triumphantly, and Zyver let out a whoop of victory that drew several amused glances from the surrounding boxes.
"Congratulations, little sis, this is your very first treasure." he said, practically preening with satisfaction.
Zaiveil accepted the small velvet box containing the bracelet once it was delivered to their private box, turning it over carefully in her hands.
Up close, the faint glow pulsed steadily, almost like a heartbeat, and that same strange familiarity from before settled warmly beneath her ribs.
"Why do you think it caught your interest?" Heriot asked, watching her curiously.
"I don't know," she admitted, slipping the bracelet gently onto her wrist. The moment the cool metal touched her skin, the runes etched into its surface flared briefly brighter before settling into a soft, steady glow, as though recognizing something familiar in return.
"It's just felt like it was always meant to be mine, as if it was an item that I've lost before." Zaiveil continued.
"Well, i guess it was really meant for you, Sis, you have to take care of that, it would be hard to find once you lost it again." Heriot teased.
"I surely will, Third Brother." Zaiveil said.
The auction continued through the afternoon, item after item paraded across the stage, some practical, others purely decorative.
Zaiveil found herself drawn to two more pieces over the following hours.
A small pendant carved from deep violet crystal that hummed faintly with protective wards, and a delicate hairpin shaped like a crescent moon, which Zyrcus insisted on bidding.
"Brothers, you guys are spoiling me too much." she told him as the hairpin was delivered to their booth, though she couldn't quite keep the small smile from her face.
"That's the point of today, Zai" Zyrcus said simply.
"Right, we brought you here so you could get treasures that would suits your interest. And to spend enough golds for the past eighteen years that you're not here." Heriot added.
By the time the auctioneer announced a short intermission, Zaiveil had acquired three items total, the bracelet, the pendant, and the hairpin, each purchased with an enthusiasm from her brothers that was on competitive generosity.
"One more round after the break," the auctioneer promised the crowd, "featuring several exceptionally rare items, including a mysterious sealed artifact recovered from an undisclosed excavation site. Its contents remain unknown even to our own appraisers."
A ripple of intrigued murmuring spread through the hall at that announcement.
"A mystery item, Oh, we sure are absolutely bidding for that."" Zyver said, eyes practically sparkling.
"We don't even know what it is, we don't even know, if it was cursed or not." Herox pointed out reasonably.
"Third Brother, Everything's more fun with a little mystery." Zyver countered.
Zaiveil found herself smiling faintly at her brothers exchange, the bracelet's warmth still humming pleasantly against her wrist.
Whatever strange connection had drawn her toward it, she couldn't quite explain, but for now, surrounded by her brothers' easy bickering and genuine affection, she allowed herself simply to enjoy the moment without overanalyzing it.
"Fourth Brother, do you think, that whatever's inside that sealed item might be something significant?" she asked quietly, glancing toward Zyrcus as the others continued debating the merits of bidding on unknown artifacts,
Zyrcus considered the question seriously, his gaze thoughtful. "Maybe. There's a possibility Zai, but we still have to prepare, cause there's still a chance that it will just be an insignificant thing."
The thought lingered with her as the intermission wound down, patrons filing back into their seats, anticipation building steadily as the final round of the auction approached.