In the muted glow of the grand ballroom, Raiden adjusted the stark black mask upon his face, surveying the sea of masked revelers with a discerning eye. He spotted her—a vision in white, her hair a silver cascade beneath her delicate mask. Sauntering over with the confidence of a man used to getting what he wants, he reached for her hand, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, voice smooth as velvet. As they moved to the music, the world around them blurring into nothingness, he leaned in closer. "You seem familiar, yet enigmatic—have we met before in another life, perhaps?" His chuckle was soft, almost lost in the swell of the orchestra.