Kari Bell surveyed the scene, her gaze fixed on the fluttering stars and stripes. The crowd bowed low, their faces obscured by shadow. Each year, she renewed the pact—a promise of protection in exchange for… something. Tonight's offering felt different. A chill snaked through the hall as a single pumpkin began to glow with an unnatural light. She raised her hand, silencing the murmurs. The ritual was about to begin, and this time, it wouldn’t end as expected. Something shifted behind the onlookers, a darkness deeper than the shadows themselves.