The chamber dimmed once more.
A low chime resonated through the air like the toll of a cosmic bell, signaling the final phase of the Whisper Auction. Raidan's heart thudded in his chest—not from fear, but the electric tension of a trader standing at the edge of a galactic chessboard. What came next would either elevate his status to legend or plunge him into a storm of political retaliation.
Seated in his private viewing booth high above the central auction ring, Raidan was flanked by only two: Elira, his keen-eyed intelligence chief, and Koro, now fully recovered and dressed in understated yet dignified robes as his official Trade Liaison. Through the crystal interface that wrapped around them, they could see the rows of booths, each shrouded in shimmering privacy fields. Behind every veil, a representative of a superpower, a syndicate, or a ruling house waited.
