“It’s flawless,” Chen Wei muttered, his eyes fixed on the antique vase displayed in the university museum’s glass case. The afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting a soft glow on its pristine blue and white porcelain surface.

“You’ve been staring at it for weeks,” Liu Ming said, leaning against the wall. “Just let it go.”

Chen Wei ignored him. As a senior art student, he had spent countless hours sketching the Ming dynasty masterpiece. But sketching wasn’t enough anymore.

“I need to hold it,” Chen Wei said. “Feel its curves, study the glazing technique up close.”

“That’s impossible and you know it.” Liu Ming straightened up. “Security cameras everywhere.”

Chen Wei turned to his friend with intensity in his eyes. “Not during the blackout maintenance tonight.”

Liu Ming’s face hardened. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Just ten minutes. Help me disable the backup generator and I’ll put it right back.”

“You’re insane.”

“I need this, Ming. For my thesis. My future.”

That night, the museum corridors lay in darkness. Chen Wei’s footsteps echoed softly as he made his way to the exhibition hall, heart pounding. The security guard’s rounds wouldn’t bring him here for another seven minutes.

The glass case opened with a soft click. Chen Wei’s hands trembled as they wrapped around the vase’s delicate form. Perfect. Just perfect.

A beam of light cut through the darkness.

“Who’s there?” The guard’s voice boomed.

Chen Wei’s fingers slipped. The sound of shattering porcelain filled the hall like a gunshot.

The next morning, Professor Zhang stared at him across her desk, disappointment etched in the lines of her face.

“Do you understand the magnitude of what you’ve done?” she asked. “That vase survived five centuries only to be destroyed by your arrogance.”

“I just wanted to study it properly,” Chen Wei whispered.

“And now no one can study it. Ever.” She slid an expulsion notice across the desk. “Actions have consequences, Mr. Chen.”

Chen Wei left campus that afternoon, his art supplies packed in a single box. As he passed the museum, he caught his reflection in the windows - no longer a promising art student, just another cautionary tale.

Liu Ming watched from the steps, shaking his head. “Was it worth it?”

Chen Wei didn’t answer. The perfect vase existed now only in his memory, along with his shattered dreams - both victims of his own hubris.

The setting sun cast long shadows across the campus grounds as he walked away. Behind him, an empty glass case stood in the museum, a reminder that some forms of perfection are best appreciated from a distance.