Elune didn't come that night.
I stood in the middle of my office for hours, rooted to the spot like a tree in a drought.
The air had turned thin, the walls pushed outward, and the clock stopped ticking at some point - I wasn't sure when.
Once I managed to break free, my mind was blank. I slept another night with no dreams.
Nothing sweet, nothing bitter. Just vast emptiness.
I woke up naturally before the alarm. There was no knock on the door by Elune. No intrusion by cheerful Abe. No Cain standing outside the door like a guardian statue.
I put on my shirt, trousers, and blazer. . The fabric felt stiffer than usual, though it was the same suit. The air in the room had changed, or maybe I had.
And my shoes were polished even without Luc.
I stood in the mirror room and stared at myself for a few minutes.
Luc taught me to let my presence enter the room before I do, but I succeeded in something else entirely.
I managed to erase my presence.
———
