Chapter 35

At 7:00 PM in the Aurelian Hotel Ballroom, a colossal crystal chandelier hung from the twenty-meter dome, its Venetian glass shades, hand-blown by masters all over the world, scattering the candlelight like diamonds to the rhythm of a live symphony.

Veridia's elite drifted through the room, draped in luxury and exchanging polished small talk. The air itself seemed rich, thick with the scent of mon