The Convex Adversary

A duel requires an opponent worthy of dramatic grandeur. Upon the low wooden coffee table, I found one standing motionless: a ch unrome-plated electric kettle, chilled and gleaming. With calculated composure, I approached its mirror-bright sphere, crimson tie trailing behind me with solemn weight. As I drew within inches, the curved metal expanded my likeness into a sweeping titan across its face. I raised one gauntlet in sharp challenge, waiting for the distorted phantom within the steel to yield. It met every gesture with unflinching symmetry.