To My Darling V.
The play is paused, not ended.
You may breathe freely—for now.
The strings I wove around you were never chains, only threads of grace.
You were beautiful in fear, radiant in despair. That part of you I shall keep.
As for your new companions…
Tell them they’ve won a moment, not the game.
I tire of masks, but I wear them well.
I will return when the lights are low and the applause has faded.
Until then—
Stay clever, stay useful.
—M.