STEP BROTHER DEAREST
“Maybe. But collapse doesn’t matter if the city believes in the illusion long enough. Belief shapes reality. And right now, they believe in me.”
Ian’s grin was sharp, but his voice carried steel. “You’re not a conductor, Elias. You’re a parasite. Feeding off something you’ll never understand.”
Elias’s smile widened. “Maybe. But parasites survive. And in this city, survival is everything.”
---
The Reflections moved at his command, tighter now, sharper, their rhythm disturbingly close to ours. This wasn’t mimicry anymore—it was weaponized imitation, sharpened by someone who had studied our every fracture.