Inside the party, while Menat was busy with her guests and the final preparations for her fashion models, the lights began to dim gradually. It was the wind, coming strong and fast through the large windows—a powerful gust.
One of the models screamed as she trembled in the hands of a man holding a dagger. Only the center light remained on, casting an eerie glow. Blood from the young woman splattered onto the guests nearby.
The man, with a crazed look in his eyes, licked the blood from his dagger. It was a poisoned blade, a specialty of Orig. Someone from the assassin's guild had infiltrated the show, enraging Menat.
"Where's Taya? Didn't you, Menat, ask me to scare Taya? Look, I've cut off her head. You should have seen her eyes..." the man ranted wildly, his laughter piercing the atmosphere. Menat had enough of this chaos. True, she'd hired someone to harass Taya when the lights went out mid-show, but not to kill her. This man was clearly out of control.
