Slipping Control

Under the glow of the full moon, shining as brilliantly as ever, Alex was hauled forward, his wrists bound by heavy, clinking chains that dragged him across the ground. He was led to the heart of a grand garden, vast and opulent, a space clearly meant for public gatherings, though tonight it was claimed by something far more sinister. The air was thick with the ominous energy of an impending ceremony, the garden's beauty starkly contrasting the dark purpose that awaited him.

In the center of the garden, bathed in the cold glow of the moonlight, stood a stage, ominous and deliberately placed as if awaiting a grim spectacle.