What the auction host had said kept echoing in Chiaya's mind—organic matter from outside the world. Could Karan have been telling the truth? No, no, no, Chiaya, you're really starting to lose it. There had to be another explanation.
She turned to Karan and asked, "What did you mean when you said you felt something?"
From the moment Karan had arrived on Earth, he had felt the absence of soul power. In Narval, he had sensed it from the moment he was born, so he hadn't known what its absence felt like until he set foot on Earth. Just before the auction began, he had started to sense it faintly around him. He didn't know what the source was—it could have been a person or an object using soul power.
"I felt the presence of soul power," Karan said, "but there were men guarding the door I wanted to check, and I knew they wouldn't let me in. So at least I wanted to check the open rooms, but I didn't find anything. Then that woman showed up, and I was about to tell her that I'm leaving."
Chiaya wanted to say "Oh yeah, right" in a sarcastic tone, but she knew how passive-aggressive it would sound.
Karan was certain that Chiaya thought he was lying.
"I'm telling the truth, Chiaya."
"I said nothing," Chiaya replied nonchalantly.
They quietly stayed and watched the auction. They had no other choice, since they didn't know how to get the money. When Chiaya saw Holt approaching, she felt relieved, like a child who had lost their mother at a wedding and was comforted upon seeing her.
Chiaya expected Holt to speak with his usual cold and emotionless tone, but the man was smiling. For the first time, she saw a hint of an emotion on his face and a trace of cheer in his voice.
Ah, of course—who wouldn't smile after finding a golden-egg-laying chicken?
"That was a neat sale! Congrats," Holt said with a smile. "Even after giving the auction house and me our cut, you'll still have quite a bit of money left."
"What about the money?" Karan asked.
"The card the valet gave you works like a bank card. In a few hours, you'll see the money in your account. But you can take five hundred thousand dollars in cash if you want," Holt replied.
"I'd like that."
"Very well. At the end of the corridor on the left, you'll see a door with rose carvings. Go there, present your card, and ask for a Tandart backpack. The amount will be deducted from your account," Holt said. "It was a pleasure doing business with you. And if you ever want to sell those vambraces of yours, you know where my shop is." he added, then walked away.
When they arrived at the room Holt had described.. The guard at the door told them to wait for a moment.
Once inside, they noticed that the person who had entered before them had already left. The room must have had separate entrances and exits.
They followed Holt's instructions. Karan was given a plain black backpack that looked very ordinary. And at the exit, a guard greeted them.
Chiaya and Karan were then escorted to their car. Just like when they entered, Holt had warned them not to follow any car too closely. That was why the guards were escorting the guests out one by one.
A valet brought the car and handed the keys to Chiaya with a look of disgust, as if he were holding a dead bug.
Once they got in the car, Karan asked, "What do I do with this card?"
"First, put it in your 'wannet' " Chiaya said with a smile.
Chiaya noticed a black car approaching them before she could enter the main road.
At first, she thought it was Holt's car, but on closer look, she realized it was a different vehicle.
Weren't cars supposed to maintain the prescribed following distance? Why was this one so close?
Noticing that Chiaya kept checking the rearview mirror, Karan looked back.
"Do you think it's following us?" he asked.
"I don't know, but it definitely broke the auction house's rules," Chiaya replied. "We didn't see any buildings on the road, and the mansion was at the end of this road, so it can't be coming from anywhere else."
As Chiaya started to tense up, the car passed them. Its windows were tinted, so they couldn't see the driver. Chiaya shouted to Karan, "Quick, get the license plate!"
Chiaya thought she was probably panicking for nothing. She'd always seen drivers who acted as if the world would end if they didn't speed and overtake the cars in front of them. This driver was probably one of those people.
By the time they got home, it was already evening. Even though Chiaya had sampled everything she found at the auction house, she was still hungry. They ordered some food and ate. Afterward, they decided to shower and then head out to the ATM to check the money. Karan would also get a chance to learn how to use one.
As they walked, Karan asked, "Is there anything you want, Chiaya? I want to repay you."
"Oh, you don't owe me anything. Besides, you've been paying for everything the past few days. But… maybe you could take me out for a nice dinner one evening," she said with a smile.
"I don't think I'll be here for another evening."
What? Did he just reject a dinner date with me? Chiaya thought.
I knew he'd leave as soon as he got his money. So why am I feeling annoyed now?
When they reached the ATM, Chiaya suddenly remembered—ATMs have cameras!
"Keep your head low," she warned. "There are cameras, and it could cause problems later."
"What's a camera?" Karan asked.
"Think of it as an eye that watches you and remembers everything it sees," Chiaya explained.
They inserted the card into the ATM, and sure enough—the money was there!
Not wanting to linger in front of the machine, they quickly removed the card and walked away.
When she got home and lay down in bed, Chiaya thought. From the moment she had met Karan, she had experienced crazy things. She had entered places she had never been before and done things she had never done. It was fun, she thought with a smile.
The next day she would go to work and return to her normal life. And maybe, a few months later, it would be as if it had never happened…