Mara stood in front of the black curtain. The sign beside it glowed softly.
VIP VIEWING — RESERVED LOTS
The room behind the curtain felt colder than the rest of the auction. Like the air was trained to keep people calm.
A woman in a suit stepped in front of Mara. She did not say Mara's name. She did not say any name. She only held out a small tablet.
On the tablet were clean words.
PROOF REQUIREDSHOW RESERVED LISTING
Mara's hands shook as she lifted her phone. The listing was already open, like it wanted to be seen.
MARA R. — FUTURE REGRET — RESERVED
The woman nodded and placed a small clear sticker on Mara's wrist, over her skin. It felt light, but Mara hated it. It felt like a tag on a product.
The woman did the same for Nina, Theo, Jace, and Lark.
Then the woman pointed at a second rule sign inside the curtain.
NO NAMES SPOKENNO SCREENSHOTSVIEWING COUNTS AS WITNESS
Mara's stomach turned.
Viewing counts as witness.
So even being here made the system stronger.
They walked through the curtain.
Inside was a smaller room with glass walls. Soft lights. Quiet music. People in nice clothes stood in a half circle, holding tablets like menus. They looked excited in a calm way, like shoppers at a fancy store.
At the front was a large screen.
It was not showing a video yet.
It was showing options.
AUTHORIZE VIEWINGCONFIRM ATTENTIONAGREE TO TERMS
Mara's chest hurt. The same words again. Always the same words.
A second screen on the side showed a live counter.
WITNESSES: 23WITNESSES: 24WITNESSES: 25
The number kept going up as more people entered.
Theo's face went pale. He pulled his notebook out and wrote:
EVERY PERSON HERE MAKES IT HARDER TO ESCAPE.
Mara nodded. Nina's eyes were wet. Jace's face was too calm, like his missing fear made him wrong.
Lark stood very still, watching everyone like they were counting exits.
The suit woman pressed a button on her tablet.
The big screen turned black.
White text appeared.
last seen online 3 seconds ago
Then the words faded, and a new title showed up:
FUTURE REGRET — PREVIEW MODE
Mara's breath caught.
A soft voice filled the room. It sounded polite. It sounded like Support.
"Thank you for your interest," the voice said. "Viewing will begin now. Please remain calm."
The screen showed a simple sentence.
THIS REGRET IS BEING GENERATED LIVE
Mara's blood ran cold.
Generated live.
So the system was not just selling something that already happened.
It was making it right now, using witnesses like fuel.
The screen flashed.
A short scene appeared, like a dream that someone else was controlling.
Mara saw a hallway that looked like Halcyon.
She saw lockers.
She saw a blank line on an attendance sheet.
She saw her own hands shaking as she tried to write her name, and the ink kept fading.
Then she saw her mom's face.
Her mom looked confused.
Her mom looked scared.
Her mom said something on the screen, but the sound was muted. Mara could still see the shape of the words.
Like her mom was asking, "Who are you?"
Mara's chest tightened so hard it hurt. She felt like she could not breathe.
The room around her was quiet, but the witness counter kept climbing.
WITNESSES: 31WITNESSES: 32
Nina grabbed Mara's sleeve, squeezing once, like: Don't break. Don't cry. Don't speak.
Mara nodded. She forced her eyes away from the screen, but the screen pulled at her like gravity.
Theo lifted his small camera inside his bag, hiding the lens behind the strap. He tried to record without anyone seeing. His hands shook.
A warning flashed on the side screen right away.
RECORDING RISK DETECTEDDO NOT SCREENSHOT
Theo froze. He lowered the camera fast.
The voice spoke again, calm and sharp.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Mara's skin crawled. It knew. It always knew.
Then the screen changed again.
A new line appeared, like a knife.
BIDDING OPENS IN: 10
A countdown started.
10… 9… 8…
Mara looked at the crowd. Their faces were blank with interest. Hungry but polite. They watched like they were waiting for dessert.
Mara wanted to run.
But she also wanted something else.
She wanted to take it back.
She wanted to steal her regret before anyone could own it.
She turned slightly and looked at Lark.
Lark understood without words. Lark slipped a small paper into Mara's hand.
It was a simple map sketch.
A small door behind the screen area. A short hall. A staff desk.
Lark pointed with their eyes: That way.
Mara nodded once.
The bidding countdown hit zero.
A loud bell rang softly.
The voice announced, "Bidding is live."
Numbers appeared on the screen.
Current Bid: 18
Someone raised their tablet. Another person raised theirs. The number jumped.
22… 27… 34…
Mara's heart hammered.
Nina's eyes flicked to a side list again, searching for Eli's bond line like she was watching for a bomb.
Theo's face looked sick.
Jace's pocket buzzed. He flinched.
His phone tried to open. He pushed it down, but it buzzed again, harder.
Mara reached for his sleeve, but he shook his head once, tight.
Jace pulled his phone out and angled it away from the crowd.
Mara saw the PROXY screen for half a second.
PROXY BID ACCESS: AVAILABLEIn exchange for penalty removal…confirm bid authorization
Jace's thumb hovered.
Mara's stomach turned.
The system was offering him a clean trade.
Buy the regret, and your punishments go away.
Buy the regret, and the system "forgives" you.
Mara wrote fast in her notebook and shoved it into Jace's view.
DON'T.
Jace didn't look at the note right away. His eyes were locked on the screen with the numbers going up.
Current Bid: 44Current Bid: 51Current Bid: 58
Mara grabbed Nina's hand and squeezed, then pointed slightly toward the back door on Lark's sketch. Nina hesitated, then nodded.
Mara, Nina, and Theo moved slowly, blending with the crowd. They did not push. They did not run. They stepped like they belonged there, like buyers.
They reached the small door behind the screen area.
It had a handle and a small keypad. No big "Agree" screen. Just a simple lock.
Theo pulled out a thin metal pin from his bag and looked at Nina.
Nina nodded once.
Theo slid the pin into the small gap. His hands shook. He worked fast, silent.
Click.
The door opened.
They slipped inside.
The hallway behind it was dim. A staff desk sat at the end, empty. A small monitor glowed on the desk.
Mara leaned close.
On the monitor was a simple page.
RESERVED LOT CONTROL
Under it:
OWNER: PENDINGTOKEN: NOT ASSIGNEDVIEWING: ACTIVEWITNESS COUNT: 39
Mara's chest tightened.
If she could take the token, she could stop the sale.
She reached for the mouse—
And the monitor flashed a warning.
UNAUTHORIZED HANDPAYMENT REQUIRED
Mara froze.
Even touching the control wanted a payment.
A small list popped up.
PAY WITH: MEMORY (minor) / TIME (minor)
Mara's hands shook. She had already lost so much.
Theo wrote on paper and shoved it toward her.
WE NEED THE TOKEN OR WE LOSE EVERYTHING.
Nina wrote under it with a shaking pen.
Eli. Please.
Mara stared at the options. Her thumb trembled over the screen's confirm button.
Then the numbers outside jumped again. They could hear the bell sound through the wall, soft and pleased.
Current Bid: 71
Mara pressed TIME (minor).
Buzz.
A small dizziness hit her again, like a quiet chunk of days got peeled away. She hated it. She didn't know how to measure it, and that made it worse.
The control screen unlocked.
A new button appeared.
ASSIGN OWNER TOKEN
Mara reached for it—
And the door behind them opened.
Mara spun.
Jace stood there.
He looked too calm. Too steady. Like nothing could scare him anymore.
He held his phone up.
On his screen was a clean badge:
PROXY VERIFIED — BIDDER ACCESS
Mara's stomach dropped.
Jace stepped forward and tapped the desk screen once, like he had done it a hundred times.
ASSIGN OWNER TOKEN
The desk screen beeped.
Then it showed:
OWNER: JACE (Proxy)TOKEN: ISSUED
Mara's breath stopped.
Nina grabbed Mara's arm, shocked.
Theo's hands shook as he lifted his camera, trying to record the screen without being seen.
Jace's phone buzzed deep, like a lock closing.
A new message popped up on Jace's screen.
PENALTIES CLEAREDTHANK YOU FOR YOUR PURCHASE
Mara stared at Jace like she didn't know him.
She wrote on paper, shaking so hard the letters went crooked.
WHY DID YOU DO THAT?
Jace looked at the paper. His eyes were tired, but his face stayed calm.
He typed on his phone, then turned it toward Mara.
I SAVED YOU.
Mara's chest hurt.
She wrote back fast.
GIVE IT TO ME.
Jace's jaw tightened.
He typed again.
I CAN'T.
Mara's hands went cold.
Nina stepped closer, eyes wet and angry. She wrote one line and shoved it into Jace's view.
YOU BOUGHT HER LIKE AN ITEM.
Jace flinched. Just a tiny movement, like the words hit a part of him that still worked.
He typed again, slower.
IF I HAND IT OVER,THE SYSTEM WILL CHARGE A BOND (MAJOR).IT WILL PICK WHO.I WON'T LET IT PICK.
Mara's throat closed.
Because that meant Jace wasn't holding the token like a hero.
He was holding it like a hostage.
And Mara didn't know which one of them the system would cut to get it back.
Outside, the auction bell rang again, louder this time.
The voice announced, smooth and happy:
"Reserved lot has been purchased."
Mara felt sick.
The room had clapped for her pain.
Jace slipped his phone back into his pocket like it was a weapon.
Then he looked at Mara and typed one last line.
WE LEAVE.NOW.
Mara stared at him, shaking.
Because she didn't know if Jace had just saved her…
or just became her new problem.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2025
All rights reserved.