Chapter 1864 Underground Auction

• The elevator doors slid open, revealing a cage spacious enough for twenty people. Yet only Finnegan, Emmy, Peter, and Sally stepped inside. Sally pressed the lowest button, glass nail tapping against metal. The doors sealed, and the car began its silent descent. Roughly ten seconds later, it halted. Finnegan counted the heartbeat-long drop, estimating they were now thirty meters beneath the surface.
• The doors parted; Sally swept an arm outward with a hostess flourish. “Mr. Peter, and you two—please.”
• They followed her through an additional checkpoint and emerged into a cavernous hall carved beneath the city. The chamber resembled an ancient arena—perfectly circular, tiers rising high—but instead of blood-stained sand, a colossal exhibition platform dominated the center. Hundreds of spectators already filled the seats, their conversations weaving a low, expectant hum.