"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests. Welcome to our special auction tonight. The items we present to you today are truly of the highest caliber. Please, enjoy yourselves until the very end."

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

The audience was filled with a low buzz. Guests dressed in expensive suits and gowns—but one breath of the air in this place was enough to tell they were not a gathering of ordinary humans. 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.