"All failures," ARIA whispered through his earbuds. "Every option too small to even be enlarged master. Too shallow. Too stained. There is no building in this city fit to hold you, Master."
He exhaled sharp through his nose, jaw grinding. "So, what then? Crawl into OnlyCeleb like a dog? Or buy scraps that won't even bend the way I want?"
For once, ARIA didn't answer. Her silence was heavy. Calculating. Even she knew she had nothing better to offer.
The room felt colder for it.
Then Taboo laughed. Not loud. Not bright. Low and curling like smoke, slipping through the cracks of his skull.
[You're circling the wrong question, Master.]
His fingers twitched against the sheets. Sarah shifted slightly, her breathing still deep and even. "Am I," he breathed.
[You're asking what cage to rent. What scraps to steal. Wrong question. Wrong frame.]
Peter's eyes narrowed at the holographic display. "Then what's the right one?"
