Tonight was the annual masquerade ball my family held every single year. It wasn’t just a party—it was a tradition, something that had been going on for generations. People looked forward to it, dressed up for it, and whispered about it like it was the biggest event of the season. The mansion had been prepared for days, every corner scrubbed and polished until the marble floors shone like glass. The chandeliers above glimmered with hundreds of candles, their light bouncing off the golden walls. Roses in shades of red and white had been placed in tall crystal vases, their fragrance drifting through the air so strongly that I could smell them the moment I walked down the staircase.
The ballroom was filled with people already. Women in long gowns that glittered under the light, their masks d
