the velvet curtain (2)

“Jolly good show!”

At just 26, his role in a modern production of Macbeth had placed him on the city's map. While he reveled in the praise and new opportunities, he found himself increasingly consumed by the theater.

He spent his days rehearsing and his nights wandering the hallways of the Grand Étoile, as though the building itself had more to offer than a mere stage. On a cold evening after a grueling rehearsal, Elliot was backstage, following the maze-like corridors that snaked behind the scenes.

He had a habit of exploring these hallways, partly out of curiosity and partly out of an unspoken desire to find something, though he wasn't sure what.