Chapter 108 - Echoes Across the Bidding Floor

Date: January X788 — Following Night

Location: Abandoned Outpost, South Ridge Base

The ruins of the old outpost glowed faintly under moonlight. Pale beams slipped through crumbled arches and tangled ivy, scattering across cracked stone like shards of broken glass. A stale scent of burned scrolls clung to the air — the last scraps of the auction records hastily destroyed.

Teresa sat on a low ledge, one knee raised, polishing her blade with calm, almost meditative focus. Beside her, the relic sword from Lot Thirty-Two lay in its linen wrap. Even at rest, it seemed to hum softly, as if remembering echoes that weren't truly its own.

A few meters away, Romeo practiced footwork. The wooden blade — worn but balanced—clacked against the stone each time his stance faltered. He frowned, adjusted, and began again.

She watched. Silent.

After a moment, he stumbled, breath sharp, and turned to her, frustrated.

"You're not going to correct me?" he called out, sweat dripping from his brow.

Teresa didn't answer. Instead, she tapped her boot lightly against the ground once.

Romeo paused. Then he looked down and saw it: his right foot had drifted too far out, throwing off his center of gravity. He shifted it inward, breath catching.

His eyes widened.

"You want me to feel the mistake… not just hear it."

Teresa gave a single nod.

Romeo swallowed, then started again. Slower. His movements shifted from frantic swings to something almost like flowing water — uneven, but patient.

Location: Outer Path — Watch Post

Kinana leaned against a broken pillar, arms crossed, listening to the distant echo of wooden blade strikes.

She glanced over as Macao approached, a crate of ration packs balanced on one shoulder.

"He asked her to train him," Macao said, half-amused, half-awed.

Kinana's lips curved faintly.

"Yes. And she agreed."

Macao set the crate down, exhaling. His gaze drifted past her, out toward the training ground.

"She doesn't let people in easily," he murmured. "Maybe... he reminds her of something she wanted but never had."

Kinana tilted her head, eyes thoughtful.

"Or maybe," she said softly, "she sees someone who won't ask her to explain what she can't put into words."

Macao chuckled, shaking his head.

"That boy's got a stronger spine than most."

Location: Central Ruins — Hidden Auction Archive

In the deep interior of the ruined outpost, three cloaked figures huddled around a makeshift table. Runelight flickered across their faces, illuminating grim expressions and half-finished glyph scrolls.

"The sword is gone," one hissed, slamming a ledger down. Ink splattered across the floor.

"That mimic-thread relic was our best chance to anchor her resonance," said another, voice tight. "Without it, we can't fracture her signal into the vault territories."

A taller figure at the back leaned forward, voice calm and chilling.

"She took it because she knew what it was."

The first figure slammed a fist down.

"Then we retaliate! Force her into open combat — send the iron detachments and the hollow-scout cells!"

The tall figure tilted his head slowly, almost as if listening to something invisible.

"No," he said finally. "She expects direct aggression. We need to choose a different front."

A cold silence spread through the chamber. Then his voice cut it.

"If we can't corrupt her name... we will corrupt what she protects."

Location: South Ridge Base — Later That Night

Romeo collapsed to his knees, panting hard, wooden blade slipping from his hand. His arms shook, sweat running down his neck in cold rivers.

"I don't get it," he gasped out, voice raw. "You make it look like breathing. But for me... it feels like drowning."

Teresa stood slowly, stepping forward until she was directly in front of him. She knelt and pressed two fingers lightly to the center of his chest.

Romeo flinched.

"What—?"

"Center," she said, voice low but firm. "All movement begins here."

He stared at her, eyes wide. Then, slowly, he looked down at his chest. Understanding flickered, shaky, but bright.

She stood, turning as if to leave. But then she paused.

"Again," she ordered, quiet but unwavering.

Romeo swallowed and rose shakily to his feet. His next stance came slower, his balance tighter, each movement slightly more certain than the last.

Location: Outer Perimeter — Approaching Shadow

Through the trees, a lone scout sprinted toward the ruins, breath ragged. In his hand, a corrupted signal glyph sputtered and sparked violently.

As he burst into the clearing, he saw her.

Teresa stood at the edge of the field, cloak drifting in the wind, moonlight catching her blade.

He froze.

The glyph in his hand writhed, mimicking energy hissing and splitting the air. His grip trembled.

She stepped forward, unsheathing her sword in one smooth motion.

Terror broke him. He turned to run.

The moment he shifted, her blade swept — a single horizontal arc. No sound but the low hum of the cut.

The glyph split in two. Both halves fell harmlessly to the grass, energy fizzling out. The scout crumpled from shock, unconscious but alive.

Teresa stared down at the fragments for a moment, then exhaled — a quiet, precise breath.

Romeo approached cautiously, wooden sword still in hand. He stopped a few paces away.

"Was that going to... explode?" he asked, voice small.

Teresa turned her head slightly, enough for him to catch her eyes.

"Yes."

Romeo's grip on the practice blade tightened.

"I want to learn... so I can stop things like that too. Not just swing a sword."

She watched him. Her gaze dropped to the wooden blade in his hands.

Finally, she gave a small nod — almost imperceptible, but enough.

Romeo's shoulders sagged, a mix of relief and burning determination filling his expression.

Location: Dark Guild Relay — Same Hour

In a hidden underground vault, a line of runic text pulsed across an obsidian screen.

"Resonance breach. Subject: Teresa. Transmission failed."

A tall figure leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin.

"She severed the signal cleanly," he murmured. A thin, amused smile flickered.

A subordinate shifted nervously nearby.

"Proceed to stage two?" he asked.

The tall figure's eyes glimmered with cold light.

"Yes," he said. "She must be pushed past her restraint. Only then will the vaults stop echoing her mercy — and finally mirror her rage."