The festival had reached its crescendo, the square now emptied of children, leaving only the adults behind to witness the ancient rites of their people. The soft hum of the crowd faded as the ceremony began, the air thick with a mix of anticipation and reverence. The moon hung high in the sky, a brilliant, unblinking eye, its silvery light casting long shadows over the gathered crowd, and the festivities that had filled the air with laughter now shifted into something far more solemn.