The Time Keeper

Chapter 61 - Once, Twice, Three Times

My pulse quickened as Xerces strode into the spotlight, a striking figure clad in a black tie and crisp white shirt. Tactical suspenders accentuated his frame, and a draped jacket exuded an air of calculated elegance.

The threads of my memories wove together, connecting the dots that had already been loosely tied this whole time.

Back at the docks while assisting the fisherman with unloading his crates, I had used fractured sight on a crate—only to witness a scene of the very box on a different pier, alongside the fisherman and another figure.

Much like the Xerces standing before me up on stage now, he had a youthful appearance masked with an aura of gravitas. His presence was a palpable force. Xerces was no doubt the same person I had seen with fractured sight.

As the puzzle pieces fell into place, a chilling realization washed over me. Xerces, deeply entwined in the intricate web of connections I had fallen into—The Barros Family Scroll that came from the crate, the supplements in Araway, Lorenzo, Pandora, and now The Black Rose—all intertwined within his presence. Could Xerces be behind all of this mess or was there even more to untangle?

A shiver traced a path down my spine, a tremor of unease tinged with the moment's gravity. I stood rooted to the spot in between bodies of various sizes, masking my shock behind a veil of impassivity, unwilling to reveal my startling revelation to those around me.

King's introduction echoed in the background, the crowd's exuberance muted by the weight of my sudden comprehension.

Xerces extended his gratitude to King with a firm handshake and took centre stage, stepping into the spotlight of the auction. With poised eloquence, he addressed the expectant crowd.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and others alike," Xerces's voice, a blend of confidence and allure, captivated the audience's attention. "As King has announced, I will be the new supplier in charge of these illusive underground markets, taking over the previous one. Only with your cooperation as loyal customers will we be able to maintain and help our community thrive once more."

Xerces' news caused an elated outcry from the crowd, causing the whole market to rumble from just the noise.

"I've gathered for this esteemed auction an assortment of treasures—artifacts of immense value and rarity, and for the future, I'll only be providing the utmost best materials at my disposal to add to the market's collection. And without further ado, let us continue with the auction shall we?"

As Xerces's words reverberated through the eager crowd, I glanced around, my gaze darting amidst the sea of faces, searching for signs of Fleur and Lucas.

Fleur's crimson jacket, a beacon in the crowd, moved purposefully, luring attention away to a distant corner. Lucas though remained elusive. Hopefully, he was ready and waiting for our opportune moment.

The auction's tempo escalated, all focus turning back to the stage as Xerces began unveiling the treasures he had assembled.

As a sizable, fabric-covered box was wheeled onto the platform, Xerces began describing the product.

"Behold, esteemed guests," Xerces's voice, rich with dramatic flair, echoed through the air. "I give to you an ancient relic from a great beast of old—a treasure retrieved over a decade ago from an exhibition in the depths of the Ira Hills. The beast was told to be slain by one of the greatest and most influential arcanists of their time."

As King removed the fabric covering, a hushed reverence fell over the audience. Revealed within the large glass box lay an immense, dirty-grey object, a dull green hue accentuating its imposing presence as if it was mossy. Despite its dull outward appearance, an energy seemed to emanate from the object, an undeniable aura of power that sent shivers down my spine.