The Event

The event took place in an elegant ballroom. Many guests from the business and social worlds were in attendance. Claudia moved confidently through the room. She was wearing an elegant, dark red dress and was clearly in her element. She believed she would be the center of attention later on—as the face of the special auction.

Julia watched her from a distance and was already savoring the moment that was yet to come.

When the evening reached its climax, the host took the stage. He smiled at the crowd and said:

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, we come to the highlight of the evening. As you know, today we have the opportunity to collaborate with a very special artist. And our model for this special evening is...”

He paused briefly for dramatic effect.

“…Julia Bergmann.”

A distinct murmur rippled through the hall as it became clear that Julia had volunteered for this performance. Many guests had actually expected Claudia to be on stage. The fact that the younger stepdaughter was now set to be the model caused quite a stir. Julia heard the comments and the murmurs and was satisfied. The reaction was exactly as she had hoped.

The artist stepped back up to the microphone and raised his hand to quiet the crowd.

“Before we begin the art performance, I’d like to explain something important,” he said in a calm, almost artistic voice. “As you know, I work with live models to later create sculptures and, above all, functional marionettes. The higher the amount of donations collected, the more poses and mechanisms the resulting marionette can assume. Every additional donation means greater freedom of movement, more complex joints, and a wider range of possible positions. In other words: The more money we raise, the more lifelike and versatile the final marionette will be.”

Julia stood next to the artist and was taken aback for a brief moment. She had thought this was just an artistic photo shoot. She hadn’t anticipated that the number of poses and the complexity of the marionette would depend on the amount of donations raised. But she didn’t let on. The bids began to rise immediately.

While the fundraising was underway, Julia watched Claudia out of the corner of her eye. Her stepmother moved through the crowd, spoke with various guests, and was clearly trying to keep the situation under control. She was smiling, but Julia could see the tension in her shoulders.

At the end of the auction, an impressive result was announced: A group of bidders had offered 300,000 euros—for the maximum number of poses and the most complex mechanisms. That was more than had originally been expected.

Claudia seized the moment. She walked onto the stage, took the microphone from the auctioneer, and turned to Julia. Her voice was calm but clearly audible throughout the hall:

“Julia… Are you really sure you want to do this? If you’d like, I’d be happy to take your place. You don’t have to go through with this.”

The hall fell silent. All eyes were on Julia.

Julia looked directly at Claudia. She smiled slightly, but her eyes remained cold.

“No,” she replied clearly and firmly. “I want to do this. I volunteered. And I’m sticking to it.”

Claudia held her gaze for another moment, then nodded slowly and handed the microphone back. She left the stage without saying another word.

Shortly afterward, Julia was escorted by two event staff members to a separate room—the dressing room backstage. The artist was already waiting there with two of his assistants.

Hanging on a coat rack was the outfit Julia was supposed to wear for the performance.

It was a form-fitting, black ensemble in the cyberpunk style. It consisted of several narrow leather and plastic straps that ran strategically across the body, leaving a lot of skin exposed. Metal rings, hooks, and thin rope guides were attached at various points. Small but sturdy fasteners and mounts were positioned at the joints and on the torso. It looked like a cross between a high-tech corset and an elaborate bondage harness—both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

The artist stepped up to her and explained calmly:

“This outfit serves as the basic framework for the puppet that will be created later. The straps and hooks will later be connected to the mechanisms. It’s tight, but you can still move. You’ll have to wear it for several hours.”

Julia looked at the outfit for a moment. It was clearly more elaborate and provocative than she had expected. The assistants helped her slip first into a beautiful, modern black bikini, then into the tight harness. The straps stretched across her breasts, around her waist, and over her hips. Thin ropes and chains ran between her legs and across her back. Sturdy metal rings were attached to her wrists, ankles, and neck. The assistants helped her slip into the tight harness. The straps stretched across her breasts, around her waist, and over her hips. Thin ropes and chains ran between her legs and across her back. Sturdy metal rings were attached to her wrists, ankles, and neck. The outfit.

Once she was fully dressed, Julia stood in front of a large mirror. She looked at herself in the cyberpunk-style harness—the straps stretched across her body, the metal hooks and rings glistening in the light. She looked like a cross between a model and a living sculpture.

The artist nodded with satisfaction.

“Perfect. Then let’s begin.”