Just a few hours earlier at Petersburg.

As one of the ultra-elite neighborhoods in all of the United States, you could pick any resident at random and be certain their net worth is at least fifty million dollars, except, of course, the kids. After all, even the cheapest mansion in this area already costs over seven million dollars.

From world-famous merchants to long-standing politicians, A-list movie stars, renowned athletes, or even European and Asian aristocrats with centuries of family history, you could find them all here. This place could be considered a miniature society for New York’s upper class.

Families in Petersburg in this generation tended to have two to three children, so Halloween celebrations in recent years had always been quite extravagant. This year was no exception and was in fact even more lively than usual because of the blood moon.

Most of the mansions had been adorned with lavish decorations in anticipation of the evening. Their walls were painted and embellished with elaborate details, and various decorations were placed across the lawns: glowing pumpkins, scarecrows, witches, skeletons … It offered everything one would expect in a Halloween neighborhood.

As night fell, the streets of Petersburg lit up with an explosion of colors and bustling sounds. Children, dressed in costumes that transformed them into all sorts of fantastical characters, ran down the roads. You could see superheroes, princesses, vampires, fairies, zombies, dragons, earthworms, eggs, and many more, chasing one another through the crowd. Their cheerful laughter echoed far and wide, filling the crisp night air with a sense of excitement.

The adults also found themselves swept up by the electric atmosphere. Many of them even joined the costume fun, gathering together to chat, exchange ghost stories, and share candy with the delighted children scampering around them.

Amid the throng of partygoers, the discreet presence of a few reporters was noticeable. They mingled among the crowd, weaving through the sea of costumes, cameras raised to seize the spectacle and smartphones waiting to note every detail.

This was a night of grand performances, and Petersburg stood right at the very center of it all.

Among the many mansions in the neighborhood, one particular estate was busier than the others. More than ten security guards stood watch outside its massive iron gates, and inside, the parking area was filled with luxury cars, from flashy Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Maseratis to aristocratic Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, and Maybachs. The warm golden glow of the lights flooded the vast garden, making it feel like daytime.

This was the home of the Attenborough family.

Michael Attenborough, the head of the household, was the founder of Xeno, one of the largest technology corporations in the United States, specializing in the manufacturing of electronic chips. His wife, Helen Walker, held her own fame as the youngest governor in New York’s history. Even in a neighborhood as prestigious as Petersburg, the Attenborough family carried significant renown.

At this very moment, the scene inside was filled with vibrant activity. The grand halls resonated with the hum of conversation and the crisp clinking of glasses as guests, dressed in their most exquisite attire, gathered to celebrate an important occasion: the fifteenth birthday of Aaron Attenborough, the family’s only son.

Although, to be honest, it was not that important. It was just a fifteenth birthday, after all. His eighteenth birthday would probably be celebrated much larger than this one.

Near the entrance of the main hall, Deputy Mayor Richard Kane could be seen deep in conversation with real estate tycoon Vincent Morello. At the bar, Oscar-winning actress Amelia Cross raised her glass to toast Patrick Sullivan, the owner of the Sullivan Grand hotel chain. A little farther away, the well-known tech investor Diana Cho was smiling warmly as she shook hands with Harold Whitman, the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Everyone present seemed united in their admiration for the Attenborough family and their shining reputation.

Yet among this crowd of business elites and social figures, there was a group of teenagers who appeared rather out of place.

They were Aaron’s friends. Dressed in Halloween costumes, they stood out amidst the sea of suits, ball gowns, and formal evening wear. The unease was evident on their faces, and their movements were stiff and awkward, suggesting that they were not at ease in such an environment.

Kevin, a boy on the basketball team and also one of Aaron’s childhood best friends, gave Aaron a gentle nudge and muttered under his breath:

"Bruh, why it so fancy this year?"

“Yeah, seriously. I almost thought this was my dad’s birthday party, not mine. The truth is, he has to meet some important business partners tonight, but he also didn’t want to miss my birthday either, so he threw this big thing. You know how my dad is, he’ll always find a way to close more deals whenever he can,” Aaron explained.

"Man, I feel kinda outta place, for real," Kevin admitted.

“Just ignore them and enjoy yourself. Eat and drink as much as you want. Trust me, they’re not even paying attention to us,” Aaron replied with a bright grin.

For tonight, he wore a light gray suit of armor, paired with a silver-sheathed sword at his waist, styled like a medieval knight. Aaron certainly enjoyed dressing up, but to be fair, he didn’t look bad at all in the outfit.

"Man, thank God I ain’t pull up dressed like Spider-Man. I’d have been hiding in the bathroom all night," Kevin said.

He looked down at his vampire costume, the front still smeared with faint ketchup stains.

“What are you talking about? Those adults over there are the ones who should be embarrassed. Dressing like that to a Halloween party takes real courage,” Aaron said, shaking his head.

Self-doubt just isn’t in his vocabulary.

Another boy gave Aaron a small nudge with his elbow.

“Hey, can I try that?” he asked, motioning with his chin toward a waiter nearby who was carrying a tray lined with glasses of amber-colored liquor.

That was Wilson, another one of Aaron’s childhood friends.

“Not a chance, and forget you even thought about it. My mom may look like she’s busy chatting with guests, but she’s keeping a close eye on every single one of us. Imagine the headline: ‘Underage drinking at the Governor’s house during Halloween.’ Guess who would be the first one in trouble? Me,” Aaron warned.

“I was just kidding,” Wilson mumbled, shrinking back when he caught Helen’s sharp glance from across the hall.

Before long, more than fifty kids had arrived.

“Happy birthday, Aaron,” a black-haired boy with glasses said.

That was Paul, Aaron’s cousin and also one of the four kids who had been friends since kindergarten.

“Happy birthday!”

“Your costume looks fire, Aaron!”

The cheerful greetings came all at once. Aaron smiled and said:

“Thanks, everyone. Let’s head over there.”

He led his friends to a section reserved just for them.

The tables reserved for them were loaded full of food. The drinks on offer included bottled water, sodas, and a wide variety of fresh fruit juices. Next to these stood an entire table piled high with intricate desserts.

“Wow!” the group gasped in unison, their eyes going wide.

“Chocolate cake. Tiramisu. Crème Brûlée … You’re totally addicted to sweets at this point. How are your teeth not falling out?” Wilson teased.

“Those brownies are made with To’ak chocolate. Aunt Hanna just baked them this afternoon. I promise you’ll be hooked after one bite,” Aaron said, his light brown eyes glancing at the dessert table with anticipation as he licked his lips. “Come on, everyone, eat up! Pretend you’re at home. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

At first, the kids were still a little stiff, but thanks to Aaron’s efforts, they began to loosen up and started to enjoy themselves. Soon they were eating, drinking, and laughing without restraint.

The children’s laughter seemed to soften the atmosphere around the adults as well, making their expressions grow warmer and more genuine. Helen glanced toward her son, who was in the middle of the noisy group, and her gaze softened. A gentle smile touched the corners of her lips.

The party had wrapped up by ten o’clock. After all, the kids were only fifteen and couldn’t stay out too late, given that the party was hosted at the Governor’s house. The other guests also began to leave one by one, returning the mansion to its usual quiet.

The four boys were now playing Xbox in Aaron’s room. That night, they were all staying over, and the following morning, they would be setting out on a trip to Hawaii and Japan.

“Yay! I won!” Aaron burst out laughing.

“Bruh, you're such a noob, Paul. You had all the best gear and still lost. If you’d have given me some of those items, I’d have smoked Aaron a long time ago!” Kevin grumbled.

“If I’d given them to you, the match would’ve ended ten minutes ago. You don’t even know how to throw grenades the right way. You have to do it at a sixty-degree angle to get over that wall,” Paul shot back.

“Alright, enough arguing. Everyone knows Aaron’s the master at this game. Let’s play something else!” Wilson interrupted.

“Play what? I've already run through every game on this console. I’m bored as hell. Let’s switch to the Switch or PlayStation. Or we could hop on that PearVision Beyond. I heard they got a new haunted house game that’s fire,” Kevin suggested.

“Haunted house my foot. Forget video games. Let’s do this,” Wilson said with a mysterious grin.

He pulled a bottle of red wine out of his backpack. It was made of dark glass and carried a white label with the bold words ‘Romanée-Conti’ across the center. Above that, it read ‘Société Civile du Domaine de la Romanée-Conti,’ and on the lower left corner, it said ‘Année 1990.’

“Damn, where did you get that from?” Kevin asked, eyes wide.

“Stole it from my dad, of course. You know how obsessed he is with wine. With a whole cellar full of bottles, he’s not going to notice one missing.” Wilson shrugged.

“You’ve got guts,” Aaron said, giving him a thumbs up, and his eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Hehe, it’s a birthday party! It’s gotta be special. Your mom’s way too strict. You’re fifteen and still haven’t tried booze even once. If the girls at school found out, they’d laugh themselves silly. Tonight, I’m going to open your eyes,” Wilson declared.

The group crowded around him.

“So how are you opening it?”

“It’s easy. I’ve seen my dad do it a million times. Watch me,” Wilson said, tilting his chin up.

He pulled a brand-new corkscrew out of his backpack.

“Dude, look at you! That’s straight professional, for real. That’s classic Wilson,” Kevin said in mock admiration.

Fifteen minutes later, all four of them were staring wide-eyed at the Romanée-Conti bottle. It was indeed opened, but something had gone wrong.

The cork was floating inside the wine instead of being pulled out.

“Some expert you are,” Paul said, frowning.

“This stupid corkscrew must be defective!” Wilson protested, his face flushed red.

“Man, how are we supposed to drink this now? That cork just floating in there looking nasty as hell,” Kevin complained.

“I’m sure it’s still drinkable. Wine has alcohol, so it’s disinfected, right? Plus, this bottle is super expensive. We can’t just waste it,” Wilson tried to persuade them.

“How much does it cost?” Aaron asked.

“I don’t know, but it’s not cheap. My dad polishes this bottle all the time,” Wilson muttered.

“And you still had the nerve to steal it?” Paul asked.

“I replaced it with another bottle that looked just the same,” Wilson said.

“Fine, let’s just drink it. It’s not like we’re going to die. I’m curious what wine tastes like anyway,” Aaron said with a bright grin.

Wilson took out a stack of plastic cups from his bag, poured the red liquid into them, and handed one to each of them.

“Here’s to the birthday boy!” the group cheered, clinking their cups together.

Aaron was the first to take a sip. As soon as the wine touched his tongue, he started coughing so hard that he sprayed it everywhere.

“You idiot! Get away! That’s disgusting!” Wilson jumped backward.

“Your wine is what’s disgusting! It doesn’t taste good at all. Hot chocolate is way better,” Aaron said, grimacing as he tried to swallow the bitter taste lingering in his mouth.

Seeing this, Paul and Kevin each took a tiny sip, then forced themselves to swallow while making faces, not wanting to give Wilson the satisfaction of seeing them react.

Wilson gave them a side eye, then lifted his cup at the perfect angle, took a sip, and smacked his lips with satisfaction.

“This is the best DRC I have ever had. You guys are total noobs,” he said, shooting them a smug look.

“Shut up! You drunkard,” the other three shouted in unison.

“Got anything else to do? I don’t want to drink wine anymore,” Aaron said.

“I do!” Paul said, pulling something out of his backpack.

The item was a faded brown wooden board and covered in small scratches, clearly having seen many years of use.

It was an authentic Ouija board.

“Holy crap!” Wilson jumped back.

“What? Scared already? We haven’t even started playing yet,” Paul teased, fully aware of how terrified Wilson was of ghosts.

“Who … who’s scared? But tonight’s Halloween, and it’s a blood moon, too. I think we shouldn’t be playing stuff like this,” Wilson stammered.

“Man, that sounds like the perfect night for it!” Kevin said.

He loved thrill-seeking things like this.

“Aaron, what do you think?” Paul asked. “You are the birthday boy, so you decide.”

“Let’s do it. I don’t believe in this stuff, but since you brought it, we might just try it,” Aaron answered.

“Then it’s settled!” Paul said with a wide grin.