A loud crash echoed through the auction room, followed by panicked screams and guards yelling.

  Valor, Vitus, Verity and Veer immediately snapped to attention, their eyes darting in the direction of the disturbance. The auctioneer's face turned pale, clearly shocked by the sudden turn of events.

  Amidst the chaos, Venera quietly slipped her phone back into her pocket, a sly smile on her face. Right on time, she thought.

  "What's happening!?" Valor barked out, his sharp eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.

  Vitus, ever the quick-thinker, immediately stood up, his hand instinctively reaching for his concealed gun. "Sounds like trouble. This definitely wasn't part of the plan."

  Verity, though shaken, steeled herself and tried to keep a level head. "Stay on guard! We don't know-"

  But her words were cut off as another crash echoed through the room. This time, it was closer…

  The air thickened with tension as another crash echoed through the room. Valor's expression darkened, his hand gripping his blade's handle more tightly.

  "This is no coincidence," he muttered, his eyes darting around the room. "Someone is trying to cause trouble."

  Vitus, also on edge, agreed. "And they picked a damn good time to do it, don't you think?"

  Verity, though visibly worried, managed to keep her composure. "Stay focused, everyone."

  Amongst the chaos, Delphina got up from her seat, seeing her cue to use the distraction to snatch up the onyx key.

  With the guests and guards preoccupied with the chaos, the woman with the shark tail swiftly approached the onyx key's display case.

  She glanced around, ensuring she was unnoticed. With nimble fingers, she easily picked the lock on the glass case and quietly slipped the key into the oversized pocket of her trench coat, quickly covering it up with her hand.

  Meanwhile, the four Royals were still on high alert, their eyes darting around the room, trying to figure out the source of the commotion.

  The commotion continued, with guards rushing around, panicked guests trying to escape, and the auctioneer trying to maintain order. In the midst of the confusion, Valor's eyes caught a glimpse of a trench coat out of the corner of his eye.

  "Did you see that?" he murmured, pointing discreetly towards Delphina.

  Vitus followed his gaze, his sharp eyes catching the glimpse of the trench coat. He narrowed his eyes, suspicion creeping into his expression. "Yeah, I did. Seems like she's trying to slip away unnoticed."

  Verity's eyes were also fixed on the woman, her keen mind calculating the situation. "Looks like we have a thief among us," she muttered. "And it seems they're after the key…”

  Valor's gaze remained fixed on the woman, his mind working quickly. "She's a skilled thief to pull this off in the midst of all this chaos," he mused. "She's not panicking or running away like everyone else. Definitely experienced."

  Vitus nodded in agreement. "And the way she easily picked the lock on the case? This isn't her first rodeo."

  Verity's eyes narrowed as she took in the woman's demeanor. "Agreed. She's calculated and in control. This is no ordinary thief."

  But for Venera, this was bad news. SHE needs that key, which is now in Delphina's possession.

  "Catch her!" she shouted to her men, pointing at the shark lady.

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  At Venera's shouted command, her men immediately sprung into action. With swift precision, they navigated through the panicked crowd, eyes fixated on Delphina, who was already heading towards a backdoor.

  Valor, Vitus, and Verity watched as the men began to give chase. "Looks like she's making a break for it," Valor noted, his body tensing.

  Vitus was still taken aback by the woman's audacity. "She's either very brave or very desperate…”

  The shark lady, hearing the approaching footsteps behind her, quickened her pace, pushing through the panicked guests and avoiding the guards who were trying to maintain order.

  Meanwhile, Valor, Vitus, and Verity followed closely behind the men's chase. Valor's eyes were locked onto the fleeing figure. "She's quick, I'll give her that," he said through gritted teeth.

  Vitus nodded in agreement, his gaze never leaving the woman. "But she won't get far. We have the advantage in numbers and strength. We'll catch her.”

  The chase continued, the sound of footsteps and shouting filling the auction room. The shark lady's trench coat fluttered behind her as she darted and weaved through the crowd, but her pursuers were steadily gaining ground.

  Venera then quietly texted on her phone, warning her men of Alice, Rachel, and Zalgo to tell them to be on standby for the shark lady, hitting Send and placing her phone back in her pocket.

  The pursuit continued, with Delphina managing to gain a slight lead, but both the Royals and Venera's men were relentless in their pursuit, their eyes never leaving her.

  Valor's jaw clenched as they closed in on the fleeing thief. "She's not getting away. We're almost there."

  Vitus agreed, his eyes narrowing in determination. "Just a bit closer, and we have her. She's almost run out of space to run.”

  The chase seemed to reach its final stretch, the shark lady's path gradually narrowing down as the rear exit approached closer. The men, now mere feet away, were closing in on her.

  Valor, seeing the imminent capture, quickened his pace, his eyes locked on the fleeing woman. "We're almost there. We have her!"

  Vitus was close on his brother's heels, his expression determined. "She's trapped. She won't escape now…”

  The shark lady's movements grew more desperate as she realized her options were running out. Her eyes darted around frantically, searching for a way out, but there was nowhere left to go. She was surrounded.

  Valor smirked, sensing the woman's growing panic. "End of the line, thief."

  Vitus, also sensing her surrender, smirked as well. "Looks like she's finally realized she's cornered."

  Delphina didn't back down. She conjured what seemed to be a cannon on her arm, which was glowing with aura. Without a word, she fired a lightning-quick blast of pressurized water at Vitus. Valor, not wanting his son to take the shot, leaped in front of him, wanting to absorb it. But the water pierced through his body with ease, which impaled both Valor and Vitus, leaving them both dead upon impact, the two Royals' lifeless bodies hitting the floor.

  The unexpected turn of events sent a shock of silence through the room. Verity's eyes widened in horror as her brothers' lifeless bodies hit the floor.

  "Valor... Vitus...!" she whispered, her voice cracking with a mix of grief and disbelief.

  The surrounding men, equally shocked, were momentarily frozen, stunned by the unexpected turn of events.

  In the midst of the chaos, Delphina aimed her cannon around at Verity and also Venera's men, cocking a brow in a way that said "Who else wants some?".

  Delphina stood her ground, her arm cannon still aimed ominously at the shocked men and Verity. Her gaze flicked between the fallen Royals and the remaining men, each look filled with a chilling blend of triumph and defiance.

  "Anyone else want to step up?" she questioned, her voice cold and calculated, her eyes daring anyone to challenge her further.

  The remaining men, their shock slowly giving way to fear, exchanged hesitant glances, weighing their options. The room was eerily quiet, the tension in the air almost tangible.

  Verity, though still stunned by the tragedy that had just unfolded, was now filled with a cold anger. She took a step forward, her eyes narrowing at the shark lady.

  "You...you'll pay for this," she hissed, her voice quivering with suppressed rage. "You have no idea who you're dealing with. You've just destroyed one of the most powerful families in the entire continent.”

  The shark lady's gaze shifted to Verity, her expression unchanged. Before either of them could act, Verity choked as she felt a blade pierce her from behind out of the blue. Looking behind her, Delphina saw Elara, her gemstone arm-blade now stained red with royal blood.

  "Oh, I know exactly who we're dealing with," Elara, her voice dripping with mockery. "The precious Royal Family of Valoria. A dynasty of pampered aristocrats who've grown fat and complacent over their power and wealth.”

  The shark lady's expression remained impassive as she watched Elara's move. Her gaze shifted back to Verity, who was now clutching her wounded stomach, her eyes wide with shock.

  "You..." Verity managed to hiss through gritted teeth, her voice filled with pain and disbelief. "What are you...?"

  Elara leaned on one foot, her demeanor nonchalant, almost taunting. "Just an opportunist making her move. Your family's been sitting on their throne for far too long. It's time for a change."

  Delphina took her chance and dashed out of the exit behind her, only to be met with Alice and her friends…