Three Months Later
The upstairs dressing room carried the soft hush of a house preparing for ceremony. Light spilled through tall windows in a mellow, early-afternoon gold that warmed the marble floors and softened the edges of the mirrored walls. Even the staff moved differently today, their footsteps quieter, their voices controlled, as if the whole mansion understood that this hour carried weight.
Elias stood near the long mirror, adjusting the collar of the cream suit Ego had insisted upon, his one concession to extravagance. The fabric was undeniably elegant, clean, and understated, its color chosen specifically to flatter the ceremony's palette. He smoothed a hand along the lapel, trying not to overthink the reflection staring back at him.
