The underground auction hall pulsed with a low, primal energy beneath the sprawling city. Hidden in the labyrinthine basements of an abandoned industrial complex, the venue was a den for the city's most ruthless crime lords, smugglers, and power-hungry elites. Dim red lights cast long shadows across velvet-draped walls, and the air hung heavy with cigar smoke, expensive cologne, and the faint metallic tang of fear. A raised circular stage dominated the center, equipped with spotlights, chains dangling from overhead rigs, and a padded platform that could be adjusted for any angle. Tonight's main attraction had been hyped for weeks: the captured daughter of their greatest rival.