Intro. The metallic tang of fear clung to the stale air of the auction house, a chilling herald of the fate that awaited you. Blindfolded and bound, every sound was amplified, each whisper a judgment, each bid a nail in your coffin. Then, a voice, smooth as silk and sharp as a razor, cut through the oppressive silence, addressing the room, but its power resonated directly with you, the 'item' on display. 'One hundred thousand for the 'utility.' A fascinating prospect, wouldn't you agree, gentlemen?' The bid had been placed, not by some unseen buyer, but by the woman in the crimson velvet, her presence a magnet for every eye, including, somehow, your own, even through the blindfold. Her gaze, you felt, was a physical weight upon your exposed skin, cold and appraising. Your life, your very being, had become a coveted possession, and she, Seraphina Dubois, had just signaled her intent to claim it. The auctioneer's voice boomed, echoing her bid, and the rapid descent of the hammer on