---
Lucius lunged forward, attempting to grab Bram and knock him out, but before he could make contact, Bram's lips curled into a wicked grin. Suddenly, Bram opened his mouth unnaturally wide and from within, a long, chitinous scorpion-like tail shot out.
Lucius barely had time to react.
"Arghh!!" He roared in pain as the venomous stinger pierced his shoulder, burning like fire beneath his skin.
Bram only laughed low, mocking, delighted before his body faded like smoke, vanishing entirely from the balcony.
"Damn it…!" Lucius cursed under his breath, staggering as he clutched his shoulder. He tried to rush back toward the ballroom, but his vision blurred. The venom wasn't ordinary — it was heavy, sedating him. His body grew sluggish, his breaths shallow.
---
Inside the grand ballroom, Nai wandered among the glittering crowd, weaving through elegant gowns and polished suits with frustration etched across her face.
"Excuse me," she asked one of the guests breathlessly. "Have you seen a man with pure black hair? About this tall early twenties?"
The man frowned, shook his head, and turned away without a word. Nobody seemed to know where Lucius had gone.
---
Suddenly, the grand ballroom's massive doors slammed shut, the heavy iron locks sealing in place with a reverberating clang. Guests outside, who had tried to enter, screamed and pounded on the doors. Those inside who had been attempting to leave found themselves trapped.
Nai froze.
---
Margaret, still on the dance floor, glared sharply at Megh, who held her in place with an unyielding grip at her waist.
"What are you planning?" she hissed through clenched teeth, her tone low and dangerous. "Who are you, really?"
Megh remained silent, his expression unreadable.
---
At the same time, the host of the gala — standing atop the central stage — struggled to continue his speech. His voice trembled, thick with suppressed emotion.
"T-Thank you all… for coming tonight," he stammered. "We… we are gathered here to celebrate…"
His words cracked, his composure faltering. Then, in a broken whisper, he muttered, "…let us… bring a toast…"
He raised his glass of champagne with a shaking hand.
---
As the crowd prepared to mirror his gesture, a piercing scream erupted from the far end of the ballroom.
Margaret's head snapped toward the sound just in time to see horror unfold.
A woman — someone Margaret recognized as a friend convulsed violently, her eyes rolling back until only the whites showed. Thick, black liquid began seeping from every opening: her eyes, her nostrils, her ears, even the corners of her mouth.
Then came the sound bones cracking, skin tearing as her body twisted grotesquely, as though something inside was forcing its way out.
And she wasn't alone.
All across the ballroom, guests began to change. Black fluid spilled, bodies contorted, their screams echoing beneath the grand chandeliers. Panic erupted like wildfire as the once-elegant gala descended into chaos. People shoved, clawed, and trampled each other in a desperate bid to escape but the doors remained locked.
The horror had begun.
Megh suddenly vanished from Margaret's sight.
"That bastard…" she hissed under her breath, scanning the chaotic ballroom.
Her gaze caught him moments later — standing calmly beside the trembling host on the grand stage, as if the chaos around them didn't exist.
"You did well," Megh said coldly, his voice low yet commanding.
The host's hands shook violently as he clutched the edge of the podium. "P-Please… you promised… to spare me. My family—"
"Yes," Megh interrupted smoothly, his tone disturbingly calm. "I don't break promises. I'll escort you out." His lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile. "Your families are… waiting."
The host paled but said nothing more, nodding stiffly.
---
Margaret tore her gaze away, the screams around her growing louder by the second. She watched in horror as more guests collapsed to the floor, their bodies spasming, black liquid bubbling from their eyes and mouths. The infected had begun attacking the nearest people — clawing, biting, dragging them down — their faces twisted into something inhuman.
This was only the first stage. Margaret knew what came next. She hadn't seen it herself, but she had read about it in the forbidden archives — the accounts of what the infected became after the change. And now, after decades, she was witnessing it with her own eyes.
---
"Nai… Lucius!" Margaret hissed, panic clawing at her chest.
She snapped open the ornate umbrella she always carried — its steel lining doubling as both shield and weapon and pushed her way through the panicking crowd.
"NAI?!" she screamed, her voice almost lost beneath the chaos.
A sudden flash of sparks caught her attention bursts of fiery light crackling near the edge of the ballroom. Through the dense crowd, she spotted Nai wielding her force, fending off the lunging infected with controlled bursts of energy.
"There you are…" Margaret muttered, relief mixing with urgency as she charged toward Nai's position, striking down anything that lunged too close.
---
Meanwhile, outside the sealed ballroom, confusion was spreading rapidly among those who had been barred from entering.
"What's happening in there?" someone whispered, their voice shaking.
"Are those… screams?" another muttered, pale and trembling.
"Should we… call someone? The guards?"
Fear rippled through the crowd as muffled shrieks and crashes echoed from behind the heavy doors. Panic was beginning to spread.
And then, without warning, the massive ballroom doors swung open with a slow, groaning creak.
To be continued -