Gasps echoed across the ballroom.
The girl who walked in wore a sleek black satin gown with silver embroidery that glowed like dying stars. She had no entourage. No known surname. No whispered lineage.
But her aura?
It demanded silence.
She walked barefoot across the marble, her movements fluid, feline, untouchable. The golden chandeliers above dimmed as if they feared her presence.
Ochieng extended his hand. She took it — with neither hesitation nor excitement. Just calm power.
"Her name?" someone whispered.
"Nyra." Maggy said, eyes trembling.
--
Nyra
Age: Unknown (appears early 20s)
Background: No records, no relatives, no digital footprint
Eyes: One golden, one dark violet — unsettlingly hypnotic
Skin: Honey bronze with runic markings that glowed when angry
Attitude: Silent, observant, speaks when it shatters people
Flaws: Detached. Not afraid to kill. Possibly not fully human.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
"She was raised in The Veil."
"Some say she's the daughter of a forgotten goddess."
"No, she was made — not born."
What no one could deny: She was here for Ochieng. And she burned everyone who got close.
---
As the final dance began, music composed by Dion Marelle — the blind maestro — filled the room. A blend of sorrow, longing, and madness.
Nyra and Ochieng moved.
She didn't follow. She led.
Every step, spin, and touch was a story. A memory. A sin.
Maggy's heart cracked.
Elira's grip on her wine glass shattered it.
Selene bit her lip until it bled.
Lucinda cursed under her breath.
Aveline blinked once — and vanished.
The ballroom dimmed. Then, the flames atop the candles began to twist.
Smoke gathered above.
Lightning struck the dome.
Ochieng whispered, "What are you?"
Nyra smiled. "What your enemies fear. What your lovers hate. What you forgot you needed."
Then kissed him.
---
An explosion erupted from beneath the ballroom.
Screams.
Fire burst from beneath the dancefloor.
Jayden grabbed Comfort. "Get the others out!"
Tielen shielded Maggy as a falling beam nearly crushed her.
From the shadows, Aveline reappeared — dragging Cairo's lifeless body.
"The games have begun," she whispered.
Lucinda, Amora, and Selene vanished into the smoke — each swearing revenge.
Nyra turned to Ochieng.
"This world doesn't deserve you… But I'll help you burn it down."
Ochieng didn't blink.
---
By dawn, the Promenade was a ruin.
Dead billionaires. Missing trillionaires. Broken alliances.
Only a few emerged untouched:
Jayden, bloodied but alive
Maggy, heartbroken, changed
Comfort, more ruthless than ever
Tielen, now with a bounty on his head
Ochieng, standing beside a goddess of destruction
Nyra, smiling like she'd just tasted war
A voice over the news declared:
"Crimson Promenade has fallen. The Age of Hidden Powers has begun."
And far away, in a secret throne room, the Council of Shadows activated.
---