The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Her adopted sister, Ithra, followed close behind, her sharp eyes scanning the same scene but with a far more cautious mindset. While Liora was brimming with excitement, Ithra remained grounded, a deep furrow between her brows as they walked.

"The hall looks ready," Liora mused aloud, pausing to admire a particularly magnificent mana crystal, its core pulsating gently with light. "It's more than ready—it's perfect."

Ithra, however, wasn't convinced. "It's not just about how it looks," she said, her tone steady but firm. "We have to ensure that the security is foolproof, especially with the types of people who will be attending. There are high-profile guests with just as much ambition as we have, and some of them won't hesitate to take what they want if given the chance."

Liora sighed, though she understood her sister's concerns. Ithra had always been the cautious one, the voice of reason that tempered Liora's more impulsive tendencies. But today, the excitement buzzing in her chest wouldn't let her dwell on caution for too long. She waved a hand dismissively, though not without affection.

"I know, I know. Everything's been checked—twice over," she replied. "The skeleton knights are stationed at every entry point, and Draven's enchantments are layered into the very walls. There's not a single point of entry that isn't being watched."

Ithra's frown deepened as she glanced toward the glowing runes embedded in the floor and the stone walls. "And yet, the wards flickered earlier," she said quietly, eyes narrowing as though challenging Liora to explain the lapse.

Liora's expression faltered for a moment, her hand instinctively brushing over the pendant around her neck—a small but powerful artifact that served as a personal key to the magical defenses surrounding the auction hall. "I saw it," she admitted. "But it was just a minor fluctuation. Nothing serious."

"Nothing serious?" Ithra's voice sharpened. "Minor fluctuations in wards don't just happen. If something—or someone—is testing our defenses, we need to be prepared."

A flicker of uncertainty flashed across Liora's face before she quickly masked it with a determined smile. "That's why I'm going to reinforce the wards myself," she said, her tone more resolute. "We have Draven's skeleton guards, my own mercenaries, and the best magical security money can buy. I'll add another layer of protection to the most valuable items. There's nothing to worry about."

Ithra didn't respond right away, but Liora could see the doubt lingering in her sister's eyes. Still, she nodded, her shoulders relaxing just a fraction. "Alright," she said, "but if I see anything suspicious, I'm pulling the emergency protocols."

Liora smiled, grateful for Ithra's unyielding support. "You won't need to," she said, already turning toward the first artifact—a gleaming sword resting on a bed of enchanted velvet. "Everything will go according to plan."

As Liora worked to strengthen the defensive wards, her fingers tracing the glowing runes with practiced precision, she couldn't help but feel a strange sensation wash over her. The air around the artifacts seemed charged, almost as if the items themselves were reacting to the additional layers of magic she was weaving around them.

Her hand hovered above a particularly potent mana crystal, its surface shimmering as it pulsed softly in rhythm with her own magic.

But then, just for a split second, she felt it—a pulse of dark energy, faint but unmistakable. It emanated from the far corner of the room, near one of the forbidden artifacts she had hesitated to include in the auction: a cursed amulet said to harbor the remnants of a powerful necromancer's soul.

Liora's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding as she glanced toward the amulet. The dark energy quickly faded, leaving behind nothing but the soft hum of the enchanted lamps and the distant chatter of her guards. She exhaled slowly, pushing the unease to the back of her mind.

"Just the weight of it all," she murmured to herself, though the tension in her chest lingered. "I'll investigate it later."

From somewhere in the shadows of the hall, a figure watched. Cloaked in darkness, they observed Liora with cold, calculating eyes, their gaze lingering on one artifact in particular—the obsidian staff. The staff crackled faintly with dark energy, its power barely contained by the runes carved into its surface.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The figure's lips curled into a thin smile before they melted back into the shadows, disappearing as swiftly as they had appeared.

___

By the time Liora reached the vault, Ithra was already there, overseeing the final adjustments. The vault itself was a marvel of engineering and magic—a massive stone structure with impenetrable walls, reinforced by both physical and arcane barriers. The treasures stored inside gleamed under the soft glow of mana lamps, their value enough to bankrupt entire kingdoms.

Ithra glanced up as Liora approached, her brow still furrowed with concern. "The guest list has been updated," she said, her voice laced with mild irritation. "We've received word that more representatives from the royal families are coming, as well as some high-ranking mages from the Magic Council."

Liora's pulse quickened at the news. "Royalty and the Magic Council?" she asked, barely able to contain her excitement. "This auction is going to be even bigger than I thought."

Ithra, however, didn't share her enthusiasm. "It's not just a bigger auction, Liora. It's also more dangerous. With this many powerful people in one place, we need to be ready for anything. You know how quickly things can spiral out of control."

Liora waved off her concerns with a grin. "Relax, Ithra. We've handled high-profile guests before. And besides, this is what we've been working for—this auction is going to put our merchant firm on the map. Everyone will know who we are after tonight."

Ithra sighed, shaking her head. "I just hope we're not biting off more than we can chew."

As night began to fall, the tension in the auction hall grew palpable. Liora could feel it in the air—a charged atmosphere that seemed to hum with anticipation. The final guests were expected to arrive soon, and the hall was now a masterpiece of luxury and power. The towering artifacts glittered beneath the soft light, each one more dazzling than the last.

Liora took one last walk through the hall, her eyes scanning the displays with a mixture of pride and excitement. But as she neared the vault once more, that uneasy feeling from earlier returned. She paused in front of the stone door, her hand resting on the cool surface as she listened to the faint hum of magic that protected the treasures inside.

There was something off, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. The wards were holding, the guards were in place, and yet...

"Is everything ready?" a voice behind her asked, pulling her from her thoughts. It was the security captain, his expression unreadable behind the gleaming helmet of his enchanted armor.

Liora nodded, though her unease remained. "Everything's in place. Keep the knights on alert, especially around the high-value items."

The captain inclined his head. "Understood. We'll make sure nothing gets through."

As the captain walked away, Liora's eyes drifted back to the obsidian staff, its dark energy swirling beneath the surface. She couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching. And as the first guests began to arrive, she knew that the night ahead would be unlike anything she had ever faced.

The grand auction was about to begin, and with it, the greatest test of her firm's strength and resilience.

As she took her place at the head of the hall, surrounded by her sisters and her elite team of guards, Liora couldn't help but smile. This was her moment—the culmination of years of hard work, of risk and ambition. But as the lights dimmed and the murmurs of the crowd grew louder, that lingering sense of unease gnawed at the back of her mind.

Something was coming. And it was more than just the auction.

As the night deepened, the weight of the moment settled on her shoulders. She could feel the eyes of every powerful figure in the room on her, waiting to see what would unfold.

She only hoped that everything would go according to plan.

But in the world of magic and power, plans rarely survived the night.