Arthur’s thumb hovered over the remote. On the screen, a grainy, compressed thumbnail showed a man with a cloud of hair and a kind, distant smile. The Joy of Painting. Season 29. The file name ended with a tag that felt almost obscene: HDRip .

He didn't turn on the news. He didn't check his phone. He set up the easel by the window, poured a small puddle of Titanium White onto a paper plate, and faced the terrifying, beautiful, high-definition blankness of his own canvas.

And then he smiled, and the moment passed.