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Meanwhile, away from the chaos tearing through the ballroom, the host's residence was no less suffocating.
Reymond ، the trembling host of the gala rifled frantically through his drawers, pulling them open, scattering papers and trinkets across the polished floor. His breath came in shallow, panicked gasps.
"Find anything yet?"
The voice behind him was low, deliberate, and heavy with menace.
Reymond flinched, his hands shaking as he turned slightly. "P-please," he stammered, his words tumbling out in desperation. "I did everything you asked! We made the distraction—what more do you want from me?!"
"All I asked for," Megh replied, stepping forward with the slow, steady grace of a predator, "was a single sheet of paper. That's all, Reymond."
Reymond's knees nearly buckled as the towering figure loomed over him. "P-please… I have a wife… and kids…"
Megh's expression curved into something almost resembling pity , but the gleam in his eyes betrayed the cruelty beneath. "I know. And I'm sure your wife would be thrilled to hear this little story of yours."
A scream echoed down the hallway, cutting through their exchange like a blade. The chaos outside swelled; the infection raged on.
Guards stormed in, alarms blaring, red lights pulsing as the emergency siren wailed. But outside the residence, Margaret's force shield was already in place, shimmering against the night, keeping the outbreak from spreading further into the city.
Lucius, catching sight of the encroaching infected pressing against the barrier, ground his teeth. He had no weapon, no revolver — nothing.
Until his gaze fell on a fallen guard's body.
Without hesitation, Lucius crouched, pried the rifle from cold fingers, and rose to his feet. The gun felt awkward, heavier than his revolver, but he didn't have the luxury of choice.
He pulled the trigger.
The crack of the shot split the air as the bullet ripped through an infected's skull, sending it collapsing in a heap. Lucius's breath was ragged, but his eyes burned with focus as he scanned the chaos.
"Nai… Margaret…" he muttered under his breath, firing again, his only thought to carve a path back to them through the nightmare.