The applause didn’t fade; it fractured. It splintered into overlapping noise, a restless hum of voices and flashbulbs that no longer knew who they were cheering for. Flashbulbs exploded in a back-to-back succession, turning the stage into a combat zone of white-hot light. Vincent Raines stood in the middle of it, feeding off the chaos, a wolf who’d found his spotlight. His grin was polished, indestructible. Jack Stanton sat only a few feet away yet might as well have been on

The lights were merciless, bright enough to make the stage shimmer, hot enough to turn confidence into sweat. Reporters filled every seat, cameras pointed like weapons, the restless buzz of chatter rising under the banners of TWN and Pacific Pro Wrestling. Jack Stanton adjusted his mic with both hands. For a second, he could hear his own heartbeat over the crowd. A small, anxious percussion that reminded him of backstage countdowns in arenas long gone. He leaned forward, smil

Stagnant air filled the studio, a cocktail of electrical heat, dust motes, and desperation. The black curtains seemed to devour any hint of natural light, while overhead, the press table lights flickered and hummed like insects trapped in dying fluorescence. A giant TWN banner hung center stage, fresh vinyl still creased from the shipping tube, while beneath it smaller, less certain was the new logo for Pacific Pro Wrestling. Someone had printed it too bright, too blue, like