The room had finally settled. Plates piled high with exotic meats, glowing fruits, spiced drinks, and tiny desserts decorated in alien designs were scattered across the low table. Lyra was gnawing through a thick, roasted slab, tail flicking lazily. Viola had a platter of fruits and small pastries, delicately picking pieces while her eyes never left the table's edge. Angel sat upright, slowly sipping a faintly luminescent beverage, eyes half-closed but sharp as ever.

Xavier leaned back on the couch, taking a bite from his own plate. The room smelled rich, almost intoxicating, spices and sweet meat mingling with the faint metallic tang of the auction hall. He chewed, swallowed, and then… it hit him.

A sharp, sudden twitch deep in his chest, right where his heart beat. Just for a fraction of a second, it skipped. His hands stilled on his plate, and a subtle flush crawled up his neck. Impatience rose unbidden, raw and biting, and he didn't even know why. The normal hum of the room felt slower, stretched, like he was suddenly a second behind the world.

Lyra noticed first, flicking her ears. "What's wrong with you? You're twitching like a startled wolf."

Xavier shook it off, though his fingers drummed the edge of the plate. "Nothing… just… impatient."

Viola raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "For no reason?"

Before anyone could press, the auctioneer's voice boomed across the hall again. "Lot 369 — salvaged treasures from the abandoned Celestine Museum. Hundreds of items, from relics to art pieces, machinery to jewelry. Starting bid: one hundred million credits!"

The screens flickered, revealing the contents. Ancient sculptures of hybrid creatures, gilded armor pieces that shimmered with magical runes, stained glass panels depicting forgotten battles, jeweled weapons once wielded by ceremonial guards, odd machinery that looked half-alive, and intricate statues of deities from lost worlds.

One item in particular froze Xavier mid-bite — a small rock fragment embedded in a delicate sculpture. Its glow, its shape, its subtle pulse… it was eerily similar to the Goddess' Fragment. Even from this distance, he could feel its pull, the same cold, silent weight pressing at the edges of his mind. But unlike the other fragments that made jagged surfaces and spikes, this one seemed smooth.

Lyra noticed him staring. "That one's making you twitch too?"

He didn't answer immediately, eyes locked on the fragment. The impatience in his chest turned sharper, more urgent. Something about it… it wasn't just curiosity. It was pulling at him, demanding attention, and the world outside the room — the clatter of cutlery, Lyra chewing, Viola's quiet commentary — all faded into the background.

Angel, ever observant, tilted her head. "Interesting choice for a museum bundle," she murmured. "Could be worth a fortune… or trouble."

Xavier let out a quiet, controlled sigh, brushing a hand over his face. "Yeah… definitely worth trouble."

The auction was about to start, but for Xavier, every number, every bid felt slower, almost irrelevant. All he could see was that fragment.

Xavier pressed the switch immediately. "One hundred million."

A few murmurs ran through the hall, but it was a minor entry compared to the frenzy before.

Then, almost instantly, another hand shot up from across the room. "Two hundred million!"

Xavier's brow furrowed, heart skipping again. "Three hundred."

"Five hundred million!"

He blinked. Half a second too long, and the number climbed again. "Seven hundred million!"

"One billion!"

"Two." His face was calm, but there was a slight tremor, a trace of impatience that hadn't been there before.

"Three billion!"

Viola's eyes narrowed. "Xavier… calm. You're getting reckless."

Angel's gaze flicked between him and the screen. "This isn't a normal auction anymore. Whoever's bidding against you isn't letting up."

Of course, it was Victor who was bidding against Xavier. Every single time Xavier called a bid, Victor's counter followed. And somehow, it seemed as though Victor knew he was bidding against Xavier.

"Five billion!"

Xavier slammed his hand down. "Ten!"

"Fifteen billion!"

"Twenty!"

"Thirty!"

The numbers climbed impossibly fast. Each new bid made Xavier's chest tighten, the unease in his heart growing sharper, more insistent. His hands trembled slightly as he pushed again. "Forty!"

"Fifty!"

Lyra's tail lashed. "You're insane. Stop."

"I can't!" Xavier snapped, eyes locked on that fragment. It called to him, every fiber of his being screaming for it. "I need it!"

"Seventy billion!"

"Eighty!" He growled.

"Ninety!"

"Hundred!" Xavier spat, even though he didn't have a hundred billion credits on him. Every nerve in his body burned for that fragment, every heartbeat skipping like a drum.

"One hundred and twenty billion!"

Xavier's hands fell to his knees. He gritted his teeth, chest tightening painfully. The impatience, the need, the obsession — it all coiled into something sharp, cutting through his calm. He couldn't keep up anymore.

Lyra leaned close, voice quiet, almost sympathetic. "Let it go, Xavier. He's not stopping."

Viola's tone was sharper. "You're obsessed. Step back before it ruins you."

Angel didn't say anything. Her eyes tracked the screen silently, calculating, noting Victor's style, the patterns.

Xavier exhaled, slow and controlled, though inside he burned. "Fine… for now. But I'll get it. Eventually."

The auctioneer's hammer fell. "Sold! Lot 369 — to the highest bidder!"

The room erupted in a mix of awe, excitement, and whispers. Xavier's fists clenched, but his smirk returned slowly, thin and dangerous. That fragment wasn't gone, it was just delayed. And he wouldn't forget it.

Xavier turned to Angel and asked, "Can you hack into the system and find out who that bidder was?"

"I am already onto it." A few seconds later, Angel smacked her lips nervously and muttered, "You are not gonna like it."

"Who is it?!"

"Viktor."

"That fat fuck from the club?" Xavier raised a brow as he asked. He was in disbelief. But more than that, he was confused and curious.

"Is it possible that he knew it was me he was bidding against?" he wondered.

"Perhaps."

Viola nodded in agreement. "All I can say is there wasn't anything useful or valuable in that museum collection. And definitely not something to spend 120 fucking billions on."

Lyra's hand found his arm, tail flicking. "You're seriously twitching. Don't let him see that he got under your skin."

Xavier's eyes flicked back to the screen once more. "He didn't just get it. He woke it up inside me. And trust me… I won't forget."

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