Chapter 6. Entering the Dragon's Den

The dim light of the evening cityscape filtered into Mireya’s office. Through the large window behind her desk, the silhouettes of Malora’s skyscrapers stood like silent monoliths awaiting a storm. Rayden stood before the glass, staring at the faint reflection of his own face.

In his hand, he held a black and gold invitation, its centerpiece embossed in raised ink.

Delvanca Auction House. By Invitation Only. Rare Spiritual Items.

Soft footsteps sounded behind him. Mireya appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression was tense, unable to hide the anxiety that had been building since the afternoon.

"That place is owned by the Bramasta Group," she stated. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Rayden didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the world outside, the lonely streetlights like a timeline leading back into his past. His face was a mask, devoid of emotion.

"It's been ten years," he said finally. "It's time I started taking back what belongs to my family."

He turned and placed the invitation on the desk, beside a small map and a detailed floor plan of the building.

"I can try to contact someone," Mireya offered, stepping closer. "His name is Harwin. He used to be the head of logistics for the Bramastas. He worked with my mother on a few projects… she always said he was a decent man."

Rayden gave her a brief glance. No more words were needed. Just a small, sharp nod.

A few minutes later, Mireya’s phone buzzed. She read the message quickly, then looked up at Rayden. "He agreed. But you only have one night. A new spiritual security system goes fully active tomorrow. Once it's online, there will be no safe way in."

"That's enough."

Rayden closed the folder on the desk and picked up a small sheet of paper detailing the patrol schedules. His eyes traced every entry point.

"I'm going in tonight. And I'll be out before the first alarm."

Mireya nodded slowly, though her gaze was filled with doubt. "Rayden," she began, "if you get caught..."

"I won't be caught."

The words were flat, absolute. He walked out of the room without a backward glance.

**

The night air enveloping the Delvanca Auction House complex was bitingly cold. A grand, colonial-style building stood firmly in the center of a stone courtyard, surrounded by iron fences and surveillance cameras. On the west side, a truck had just departed after unloading several large crates.

Perched on the rooftop, Rayden was a shadow within shadows. Clad in black from head to toe, his face obscured by a dark mask, his movements were perfectly still, almost soundless. His eyes scanned the grounds below, waiting for an opening.

The moment a guard turned a corner, Rayden dropped.

His feet made a whisper-soft landing on a metal ventilation grate. Deftly, he prized the cover open and slipped into the narrow service tunnel below.

He moved quickly through the darkness. The air in the cramped passage was damp, thick with the smell of rust and ozone. A tangled web of cables and pipes lined the walls. Rayden had already memorized the route from the floor plans; every step was precise.

Reaching the end, he paused, peering through a small vent into the main warehouse.

Dim spotlights illuminated dozens of large crates. But in the center of the room, a large glass case stood apart from the rest. Inside, three spiritual items rested on display. Their aura was palpable, even from a distance.

A crystal of the deepest forest green. An ancient scroll bound by a blood-red seal. And the root of a plant, its surface a metallic purple that seemed to pulse with a faint, inner light.

Rayden dropped silently to the floor and approached the case. Crouching beside the glass, he produced a small, cylindrical device. Carefully, he inserted a scanner needle into the seam of the seal.

Beep. A green light glowed. Energy signature match.

That plant, he thought, can repair Raelyn’s Soul Core.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the entrance corridor. Rayden instantly ducked behind a wooden rack, melting into the shadows.

Two guards entered, their flashlights cutting through the gloom.

"Everything scanned?" one asked.

"Yeah. But Vania wants it re-checked. Said she felt a residual foreign aura around the central case this afternoon."

Rayden held his breath. So, they could detect aura traces. Vania wasn't just a business heir. She was a practitioner.

The two guards moved toward the glass case. Before they reached it, a gruff voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Out. Now."

A figure emerged from a side door. An old, sturdily-built man in a full logistics uniform. His hair was white, but his eyes were sharp.

"Mr. Harwin?" one of the guards asked, surprised.

"I'm taking over. Direct orders," the old man said, holding up a clipboard. "You two can take an early break."

The guards exchanged a look, but a direct order was a direct order. They left without another word.

Once the room was silent again, Harwin walked toward the rack where Rayden was hiding.

"Come out. Quickly."

Rayden emerged slowly from the shadows.

"You're the one Mireya sent?" Harwin grunted. "And you're the boy who plans to burn the Bramastas to the ground?"

Rayden walked to the glass case. "I just need to duplicate the seal pattern. I'm not taking anything tonight."

"One minute. That's all I can give you," Harwin retorted.

Rayden began scanning the pattern with his device, his hands moving with speed and focus.

"I heard you survived," Harwin continued, his voice low. "Never thought you'd actually come back."

Rayden didn't reply. Once he was finished, he stood and stared at the glass case one last time. "They keep things that were never theirs to begin with," he said, his voice cold.

"And you're going to take them all back?" Harwin asked.

Rayden’s gaze shifted to the exit. "I'll start with this one."

Harwin was silent for a moment, then gave a short, sharp nod. "Your family didn't deserve what happened to them. But be careful. This world is far more venomous than it was ten years ago."

Rayden started for the service corridor.

"Vania knows you were here," Harwin called after him. "She is not an enemy to be underestimated."

Rayden paused and glanced back slightly. "Good. I've been waiting for a worthy opponent."

Without another sound, he vanished back into the darkness. Behind him, Harwin stood alone, staring at the glass case before letting out a long, weary sigh.

Outside, the night wind was still sharp. But in Rayden's chest, a flame of purpose was now burning, a fire that would not be extinguished until all debts were paid.