A Study in Refraction

I advanced beyond the threshold, pacing with deliberate poise across the polished floorboards toward an expansive plane of glass. Resting atop it was a small faceted paperweight. I planted my scepter upright and brought my gaze level with its cut edges. The geometry was remarkably clean, fracturing the room into precise geometric quadrants. Slowly, I extended my left hand to touch the chilled facet, assessing its purity. Though cut from ordinary flint glass rather than sapphire, the structural symmetry met my rigorous standards of balance.