Don't Grow Partial | Eminem

The High Wizard

The grand white-brick mansion loomed ahead, its glowing pumpkins dotting the pathway like eerie beacons, while deep purple lights bathed the sprawling lawn in an otherworldly glow.

Ashanti had mentioned that Missy went all out for Halloween, but Christina hadn't quite anticipated this level of extravagance.

Cobwebs stretched across the towering columns, and an enormous skeleton stood sentinel by the entrance, its hollow eyes flickering a sinister red. The music thumped through the mansion's walls, the heavy bass vibrating in Christina's chest, even from the outside.

Christina and Mya exchanged a glance, brief, almost imperceptible, but enough to know they were both on the same page.

Whatever history lay between them, tonight, they'd keep things civil.

The moment Nelly parked the car, Mya slipped out without a word. Christina barely had time to unbuckle the seatbelt before Mya was already striding toward the entrance, her emerald green pirate costume drawing more than a few admiring looks.

The sharp clack of her black thigh-high boots echoed against the driveway, the sound fading as she disappeared into the crowd without so much as a backward glance.

Christina watched her go, feeling a strange mixture of relief and frustration. Mya was always like this, quick to disappear into her own world the second they arrived somewhere.

Still, it stung a little.

Nelly stepped out, straightening his pinstripe gangster suit with a grin, completely unbothered by Mya's quick departure.

"Y'all ready?" he asked, adjusting his faux Tommy gun before holding his arm out for Ashanti.

Ashanti, radiant in her burgundy flapper dress, slipped her arm through his with an easy grace. Her feathers and sequins shimmered under the faint glow of the lights.

"Always," she replied with a playful wink.

Together, they strolled toward the mansion, effortlessly gliding through the growing crowd like they were the hosts of the party, rather than guests.

Christina trailed behind, fiddling with the silver wings attached to her back. The fairy costume had seemed like a cute idea at the time, but now she felt awkward, like a child playing dress-up compared to the others.

She caught her reflection in one of the mansion's tall windows — a swirl of lavender lace and chiffon, her flower crown slightly askew — and sighed.

Maybe she was overthinking it. But standing beside Nelly and Ashanti, who looked like they'd stepped straight out of The Great Gatsby, certainly didn't help her confidence.

As they approached the entrance, Christina fell into the steady flow of costumed guests moving in and out of the mansion, each outfit more elaborate and eye-catching than the last. The party was already in full swing.

Inside, the music blared from hidden speakers, and waiters dressed as ghouls carried trays of themed cocktails garnished with gummy worms and floating fake eyeballs.

"Damn," Nelly said, surveying the room with a grin. "This looks like somethin' straight outta Casper or somethin'."

He chuckled, nudging Ashanti as his eyes swept over the decorations, almost like he was waiting for a ghost to pop out from behind a corner.

Ashanti rolled her eyes but smiled. "If some dead little white boy floats around, I'm calling an exorcist."

Christina stuck close to Nelly and Ashanti, Christina stuck close to Nelly and Ashanti at first, but as the minutes passed, the more she felt like a third wheel.