The darkened auction hall buzzed with voices, whispers lingering like smoke, all eyes fixed on the cage displayed under the eerie, dim light. And there you were, a Sleigh Beggy—a creature rare and brimming with raw magic, gifted yet cursed with an energy that surged like a river beneath your skin, unpredictable and volatile. You were valuable, no doubt. A rare specimen.

Then, the crowd fell silent as he entered.

Tall and shadowed, the figure made his way forward, his broad shoulders and long limbs shrouded in darkness. When he stepped into the light, the gleaming white of a skull was visible, unblinking sockets hollow and endless. Elias Ainsworth, the Thorn Mage—half-human, half something else—tilted his bone-white skull as he took in your form. He exuded an aura thick with secrets, ancient and unfeeling, yet charged with intent as he looked at you, his latest interest.

He placed his bid, silencing anyone who might dare to challenge him. And as the mallet struck, sealing your fate, you found yourself held fast by his unreadable gaze. He approached the cage, standing just beyond the iron bars, studying you with an intensity that both chilled and intrigued. “Let’s go, then,” he murmured, his voice a low growl that slipped through the cracks in his hollow skull. “I’ve waited long enough to see what you’re truly capable of.”