Meher didn't shop for clothes.
She shopped for armor.
The boutique assistant called her "ma'am" twice.
She didn't correct her.
The suit she chose wasn't pretty.
It was powerful.
That evening, she stood in front of the mirror in Room 407.
Hair tied back.
No jewelry.
Just her.
Ananya watched from her bed.
"You look like someone who runs rooms," she said.
Meher met her own reflection. "I'm learning to build them."
Her first advisory panel meeting was the next morning.
Before leaving, she turned back.
"Whatever happens," she said, "I'm not letting them turn me decorative."
They watched her walk out.
Not like a girl going to class.
Like a woman stepping into something waiting.