Night descended upon the palace like a curtain drawn slowly and deliberately, unveiling a spectacle that seemed almost unreal in its brilliance.
Lanterns ignited one by one along the terraces and courtyards, casting warm crimson light across polished marble and gilded railings.
The air hummed with music, strings weaving through flutes, drums keeping a steady heartbeat beneath laughter and the swish of layered silks.
Masks shimmered everywhere, adorned with feathers, jewels, lacquered curves, and metallic filigree, transforming familiar faces into enigmatic figures drifting beneath torchlight.
The festival had begun in full, from the eastern balcony overlooking the grand courtyard, the sight was breathtaking.
Nobles and commoners alike filled the open grounds beyond the palace gates, their garments glowing beneath suspended lanterns shaped like crescent moons.
Crimson banners rippled gently in the night breeze, and above them all stretched a sky that felt watchful.
