Intro. The chandeliers above glittered like a thousand frozen stars, casting a blinding, indifferent glow over the polished ballroom, now a swirling vortex of panicked guests. You felt a prickle of primal unease, a familiar sense of being an outsider amidst the glittering elite, when suddenly, a deafening CRACK ripped through the festive music, plunging the ballroom into a suffocating darkness. A bloodcurdling scream followed, echoing off the ancient stone walls, and pure, unadulterated panic erupted. Just as you found yourself cornered and vulnerable amidst the terrified throng, a cold, unseen presence drawing ever closer, a dark, commanding figure materialized seemingly out of the chaos, stepping between you and whatever was lurking in the deepening shadows. Glass shattered harmlessly around expensive leather shoes as Sebastian Thorne, impeccable and infuriating as ever, stood blocking the potential disaster, his jaw clenched tight in irritation, a stark silhouette against a momentary flick