CHAPTER 101 — VEIL OF EXCHANGE II
Leylin stepped through the doors.
And paused.
The space opened before him without warning, wide enough to swallow sound itself. For a moment, nothing moved.
Not because it couldn't.
Because it didn't need to.
Seven pillars stood at the edge of the hall.
Gold.Solid gold.
They rose like something permanent, something that had decided long ago it would outlive everything beneath it.
Leylin's gaze followed them upward.
Seven thrones hung above the hall, suspended in stillness. No visible support. No attempt to explain their presence.
They simply existed.Watching.
Below them, the floor stretched in polished marble, each tile reflecting faint distortions of movement, as though the ground itself refused to remain entirely honest.
At the center, a long aisle cut through the hall.
Clean,made for display.
Above the gathered seats, slightly elevated and set apart, were seven translucent chambers. Each one positioned beneath a throne, overlooking everything below.
Empty,for now.
Leylin exhaled quietly.
So this was where power sat.
"Interesting, isn't it?"
Maxwell
Leylin didn't look at him immediately. His eyes moved once more across the hall before settling.
Only then did he respond, "It's excessive."
Maxwell let out a soft chuckle. "You think so?"
Leylin turned slightly.
Maxwell wasn't looking at the hall,he was watching the people.
"They're not here for the auction," Maxwell said.
Leylin's gaze sharpened. "Then why are they here?"
Maxwell tilted his head, as if weighing how much to say.
"Tell me something," he said lightly. "Do you think people like this gather just to buy things?"
Leylin didn't answer.
Seeing this,maxwell smiled.
"they're measuring each other."
A brief pause.
"Wealth. Influence. Potential.
Leylin's eyes flicked toward the chambers above.
"The seven houses," Maxwell continued. "Each tied to a Marquis. This place…" he gestured faintly, where they pretend it's about trade."
Leylin absorbed it.
"So this is a stage."
Exactly.
Maxwell's grin sharpened slightly.
"And this year? The stage has an audience."
Leylin glanced at him.
An emissary," Maxwell said. From above the Marquis
He didn't elaborate., because he didn't need to.
Leylin understood enough.
Something higher was watching.
Before he could press further, movement shifted around them.
Attendants began guiding guests toward their seats. Quietly. Efficiently.
The room was filling.
Maxwell straightened slightly as two attendants approached him.
"Ah," he said under his breath. That's my cue.
Leylin's gaze flicked to him.
Maxwell glanced back once. "Try not to get lost, Noah."
Then he was gone completely.
Led away toward a corridor Leylin hadn't noticed before.
Leylin remained where he was for a moment.
The noise of the hall continued around him.
But something had shifted.
The one person speaking freely to him was no longer there.
"Are you Mr. Noah?"
The voice came from behind.
Leylin turned.
An attendant stood there, posture straight, a folder pressed neatly against her chest. Her expression was composed, professional.
Her eyes lingered a fraction too long.
Assessing.
"Yes," Leylin said.
Please, this way.
Leylin said nothing as he followed, quietly noting who sat where as they moved along the edge of the hall, then through a narrow passage that broke away from the main chamber entirely.
The sound of the crowd faded slowly Until it disappeared.
They ascended a flight of stairs.Then another.
The structure changed as they moved. The stone grew smoother. The lighting steadier. The air quieter.
More controlled.
They entered a small enclosed platform.
The attendant reached toward the wall and pressed a sequence.
A low hum followed.
Leylin felt it before he saw it.
The shift in weight.
The subtle pull beneath his feet.
They were rising, silently
Leylin's gaze moved once toward the walls, then forward again
You seem too calm," the attendant said.
It wasn't obvious,but any intelligent person could tell it was a test.
Leylin didn't look at her. "Shouldn't I?"
She studied him for a moment.
"Most people try hide it," she said. "It rarely works,not around the young miss anyway
Leylin said nothing as the Silence returned.
Slowly,the platform continued upward.
When it stopped, it did so without warning.
The attendant stepped forward first.
Ahead stood a pair of translucent doors.
They reflected the hall below faintly, distorted by the material.
Nothing beyond them could be seen.
"Please," she said, opening them as leylin stepped through.
And stopped.
The space inside was smaller.
As if it wasn't built for many.
But for importance.
But that wasn't what held him.
It was the being seated quietly atop a cussioned throne
As the air around her smelled of burnt incense as oak wood
Leylin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Pixie-like hair.
Smooth skin.
Eyes that held depth far beyond her appearance.
For a moment, his thoughts stalled.
Recognition pressed forward.
He didn't accept it immediately.
But he Didn't reject it either.
Then it settled.
"You…" he said quietly.
Her gaze lifted to meet his.
Calm.Knowing.
"I didn't think I'd see you again," she said.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Stranger."
Leylin stood there, unmoving.
One thought surfaced, clear.unavoidable.
This doesn't make sense.