The moment the lights in the ballroom flickered off, a collective gasp filled the air. The room plunged into darkness, and for a brief, breathless second, all that could be heard were the whispered questions of confused guests.
"What's going on?" someone muttered from the back of the room.
"Is this part of the show?" another voice whispered urgently.
The soft murmurs quickly grew into a chorus of nervous chatter, the guests exchanging glances as they tried to make sense of the sudden blackout. The anticipation that had hung over the Gala all evening now turned into a tense, buzzing energy, as if the very air was alive with uncertainty.
