"Fair gentlemen and lovely ladies. Welcome to our special auction tonight. The items on display today are truly top-tier. Please, enjoy yourselves until the very end."

A masked master of ceremonies gave an elegant bow on the dimly lit stage. Luxurious chandeliers hung in the hall, but their light was somehow poisonous, illuminating the faces of the gathered guests through their masks.

The audience was filled with a low buzz. Guests dressed in expensive suits and dresses—but one look at the atmosphere was enough to tell they were not a gathering of ordinary people. Instead of numbered paddles, they held small devices displaying the starting bid prices in real-time.

Several guards in black suits stood at the side of the stage.