The next week was surreal. His worksheets earned flawless scores. His tutor, Mr. Langston, who’d once sighed at his struggles, now nodded approvingly. "You’ve turned a corner," the older man remarked one Saturday, not suspecting Alex’s deceit. The answers were a phantom balm, smoothing over the cracks in his understanding with the silk of perfectionism. Yet, Alex began dreaming in footnoted margins, waking up anxious when the dream dissolved.