Night Watch Under Glass

Night had fully settled in, turning the windowpane into a dark, glossy mirror. I leaned my shoulder against the warm terra-cotta side of the flowerpot, catching my own reflection staring back—looking quite dashing, if I do say so myself! Just outside, distant streetlights flickered through the Gridanian gloom like wild will-o'-the-wisps. I placed the striped snail shell on a dry pebble beside my boot, letting my grimoire rest open against my thigh. It was the perfect quiet vantage point to watch over the room while the world outside fell asleep.