April 11, 2022. The Sydney Royal Easter Show was alive with colour and energy, pulsing with the sound of laughter, music, and the buzz of excited conversation. The evening air was thick with the smell of hot chips, donuts, and sizzling meats drifting from food stalls. Fluorescent lights from carnival rides flickered against the dusk sky, casting streaks of pink, blue, and yellow over the crowds that moved steadily through the showgrounds like a tide. Families meandered through the showbag pavilions, arms heavy with glossy plastic bags filled with treats and toys, while wide-eyed children tugged at their parents' sleeves, begging to visit one more attraction before bedtime.

No one could have imagined that within that crowd—beneath the flickering lights and beside the laughter—something unimaginably dark was about to unfold.