Act 1: The Mysterious Gallery
In the heart of London, tucked away in a fog-drenched alley, sat a gallery that had no windows. The sign outside simply read: "The Alternate Canvas." Julian, a failed architect whose life was falling apart, walked in one rainy evening. The room was empty, except for a man named Silas, who sat behind a velvet curtain.
"I don't paint what you are, Julian," Silas whispered, his voice like dry leaves. "I paint what you could have been. But every stroke has a price."